The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-03-12

SHOW Nlul IOW ulOCu sic COulu tO
with love as an incentive.
One day letter came to Ruth
frem her Aunt Martha.
| Miss Fielding lived in little vii
lage up among the Berkshire hills.
All that Ruth could remember about
her was that she had always made
her think of some of the old noun
tains to be seen from the windows of
her New England home, because she
seemed as steadfast and unchanged
bic as they did. There had been
some family trouble. What it was
Ruth did not know. But Aunt
Martha. who had some of the Puritan
stubborness in her makeup, backed
up by the Fielding pride, had very
little to do with her relatives. There
fore it was not at all to be wondered
at that Ruth and her mother were
surprised when Aunt Martha's letter
came.
II want you to come up and see
me-" she wrote Come and stay at
least a month. That is, if you can
stand it that long, with lonely old
woman in lonely old house. |
will try to make it pleasant, but /
suppose have forgotten how to do
it. | shall expect you, so do not
disappoint me. Come as soon as
YOU can. and don't waste any time
in getting ready. We don't care for
style here, and fine clothes would be
wasted"
81 wonder if she thinks | have
such things laughed Ruth. Her
advice is wasted, so far as that goes.
Shall | go, mother?"
Yes, | think you had better" an
swered Mrs. Gerrish. "She must be
very lonely. Poor woman She's
had great deal of trouble, and a
good deal of it she made for herself
but | suppose she could not help it
it was the natural result OF her pecu
liar disposition"
II can't see what she wants me tC
came for" said Ruth. Il havcn't
seen her since | was a little bit of a
girl. wonder she didn't send fol
one of Aunt Lucy's daughters They
visited her last summer, you know.
"She's got some plan in her head
I'm sure" said Mrs. Gerrish. 'Sht
, always has. when she invites any o
, her relatives to visit her. She die
, not invite Lucy's girls, and | pre-.
sumo she was offended at their com
ing witheut being asked. But since
she has seen fit to ask you, | think
you had better 90, and do all you
can to make it pleasant for her.
used to like her, but l always fell
afraid of her, and I'm rather GLAD
she didn't include me in her invita-
ton"
So Ruth went to Aunt Martha's
and was welcomed in that lady:
grim fashion. Her kiss made Ruth
think of one of the old mountains
departing from its usual dignity and
saluting one of the little hills.
Il am glad you thought it worth
| while to humor an old woman's
! whim," said Aunt Martha. II could
| have had any one, or all of Lucy'
! girls, if | had wanted them, but ]
| didn't. They were too good last
summer. To my face, that is. !
knew they called me horrid old
thing behind nay back. But you
aren't like them, I'm sure. Your
mother and Lucy never seemed to
be sisters. Lucy always seems to
be making a kind o. calculation,
whenever | see her, of how many
years I'm good for vet. | don't
know" with a chuckle-"as it will
make much difference with her
whether live one year or fifty. |
don't know but your mother thinks
liust as much about what may come
of my diving as Lucy does, but she
don't show tas much if she does.
My mother, | am sure, does not
expect to be benefited in any way
by your DEATH" answered Ruth,
proudly. you do her an injustice,
if YOU think otherwise"
Very likely" answered Aunt
Martha, and then the conversation
was diverted into another channel.
Ruth was not long in finding out
why Aunt Martha had invited her to
visit her. One Of her nephews was
coming to visit her ner favorite
nephew, to whom she intended to
leave the greater share of her prop
erty, and she had planned that ne
should marry Ruth.
II always liked you" she said, in
one of her confidential moods I've
not seen much Of you since you
were little girl, but I've heard of
YOU. You've been good to your
mother. Lucy's girls were willing
their mother should slave herself to
death to get them finery and folder
OILS. II they could dress well that's
all they cared about ! know all
about You. and know you're good
girl, and, | hope, n sensible one.
John will like you, I'm sure
Ruth dreaded to tell her aunt the
truth, but she felt as if she ought TO
do so at once. Il was better to be
frank.
Aunt MARTHA she said. with a
little frightened catch of her breath,
for she was afraid the old lady
would be terribly offended at the
failure of her plans. I'm engaged
to be married" "
Then the worst being over, she
went on to tell her aunt all about it,
and succeeded ia making her lover
into a great hero. in her own estima-
ton, if not in Aunt MSrtha's.
$50 you are going to marry man
with one arm, and as poor as power
ty ?" said the old lady, grimly.
Yes, if nothing happen. to pre-
vent it." answered Ruth, bravely.
"We love each other, and viii get
along seme way. Loves better than
all the wealth in the world, | think,
and so does Rodney
"Hunph said Aunt Martha, and
there the conversation ended.
John came. He and Ruth were
good friends at once. Aunt Martha
was pleased to see it, and hoped her