River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-06-10
RUTH'S LIBRARY.

RUTH'S LIBRARY.
You II both have to come and live
with me, suppose. There don't seem
to be anything else for you to do.
The tone in which Miss Rebecca
Flint uttered these words was far from
sympathetic, and Ruth Marsh's pale
face flushed hotly. knowing that
sense Of duty alone had prompted
them. Her father had been Miss
Hints only nephew, but he had never
succeeded in winning her appreciation
or affection. She had strongly diSap-
proved Of his mode of life, and on more
than one occasion had told him blunt
" that she considered him worse than
foolish in not devoting his time to
something more remunerative than re-
viewing books and writing papers for
scientific magazines. And now that
he was dead. and had left his delicate
wife and young daughter nothing but
hOuseful Of books. she appeared TO
take a strange delight in reiterating
the far, that she had often prOphesied
ju,t such a calamity
Il don't know what Deborah will
say To the plan she continued. As
Ruth remained silent, her face bent
closely over some sewing >he held
Two more make sight more work in
house, a. everybody knows. Like a
not she'll give notice Wei. it can't
be helped, | suppose. and the sooner
you get moved the better. seeing As
5"ur month here viii be up in less'n
zen DAYS. You ii better have an auction
! guess The furniture won't bring
much, glancing around the room dis
iainfully. but you may get a hundred
dollars for the lot. The books won't
bring much either, though dear knows
there's enough Of EN-.
'-Oh, Aunt Rcbecca. said Ruth. her
eyes filling with tears and her lips
trembling. Must we sell the furni-
turc2 Mother would feel 80 badly to
have TO part with it. Father furnished
this house wien they were married.
YOU know, and she il so much
attached to e crythiug.
shell have to get attached TO my
things. answered Miss Rebecca. grim
". Il haven't room in my house for
another chair or table. and the attic's
that fun | can I more half turn around
in il. Now don't be foolish over lot
Of old furniture. Ruth It's much bet
ter sold and got out of the way When
your father furnished the house he'd
ought to have bought it. Then you'd
have had a roof of your own over your
heads now, stead q havin' to turn out
at the end of the month | was
thinkiu matters over last night after
I'd gone to bed an came 10 the con-
clusion that YOU can earn enough by
SEWN 10 buy all the clothes you'n
your motherlI need. OF course YOU
won't want to be def endent On me for
mOre'n your bOard'n lodgin'."
.'Of course not, aunt,
"And you re real handy with YOUR
needle. I'll take pains to recommend
YOU around. Well. I'd better be goin'
now, since Your mother amt feeln'
able To see me. It's pity she's so
weakly. She II be drag on you all
Tour life. ike aS not. II : nv opinion
she needs = good rOusin' mOre'n she
does medicine. Folks often get into q
regular habit q bein' sick. I've had it
ON my mind a long tine to give her a
plain talkin' to. Goodness, Won don't
know now | dread tellin Deborah
bout your comm. Dear only knows
now sHe'n teEe = But. as I said be-
fore. there amt no choice bout the
matter, an | expect YOU wish just rs
much Is DO that your father'd left
YOU something better'n a lot of old
books that won [ sell for as much as
the bindin' on EN- cost. Not much of
a fortune. is il? And Thomas could
o done better that by his only child
if he had only had the mind to. But
ne never would listen to reason, an
il ; turned out Just as | said it wound.
Thus talking unmindful how her
words might hurt her youthful listener,
Miss Flint tied on her straw bonnet,
pinned her black lace shawl over her
lean shoulders, and drew on a pair of
drsb cotton gloves. Ruth watched her
with tear-wet eyes, her heart swelling
with grief. anger, and resentment as
she heard the blunt structures on her
dead father, whose memory was very
/ dear 10 her in spite of the fact that he
had left her mother and herself with
not much more money in the bank
than was required for his funeral eN-
pen>eS. She was glad indeed when
the halt door had closed on Miss
Rebccca ; gaunt figure and hard face,
and she was free to throw herself down
T on the old hair cloth sofa and indulge
in the burst of tears that pride alone
had given her strength to restrain
during the past hour.
Oh, how bitter it vas, how very
bitter To think of selling to strangers
for song the old furniture which had
grown 81 dear, of seeing her father ;
beloved bookseller only fortune 4
taken away by some dealer 10 be sold
in the city to whoever would buy them
of going to live with the hard. un-
congenial relative who made no secret
Of the fact that she offered them a
home simply as a charity dictated by
duty! Poor RUTH The future looked
dark indeed to her young ewes this
sweet April day, when all nature
seemed to rejoice.
but mother mustn't know how I
feel. she thought. struggling to calm
the great gaSping sobs that tore their
way from her over-charged breast.
Mother has enough to bear. Poor.
poor mOther!''
An hour la.er, when she had cried
until she could cry no longer, and had
i SchOOled herself 10 speak calmly, she
went into her mothers room aud told
/ her of the plan Miss Rebecca had pro-
/ posed.
Il suppose there is not ing else to
+ do" sighed Mrs. Marsh, VINO had been
an invalid for nearly two years, land
we ought to be very grateful to Aunt
Reeecea; but, oh, daughter, l wish so
much that we could keep our home.