New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1886-12-29
FRIEND RUTH'S PREJUDICE.

BY HELEN FOREST GRAVES.
Womau's journal.
A Earn Seventy acres! All Of our
own? Is thee sure, Patience, that
thee isn't dreaming?"
Little Patience Plumb wicked her
bright blue eyes again, to make sure
that she was certainly and indubita-
bly, wide awake.
"Ns, Aunt Ruth" said she, 81 am
mot dreaming. Read the letter thy
self"
And Aunt Ruth, setting her specta-
Giles across her nose, took the folded
g1aper from Patience's hand and slow
~ spelled out the words which, heard
from other lips, had such a fabulous
sound
Yes, it was true. Guarded about
with legal phrases, there was the in
tteIligence that she, Ruth Plumb, who
wove rag-carpets for livelihood, and
se3ntentedly ate mush and milk when
she could not get beef and potatoes,
was landed proprietress now Of a
Farm up in Rhode Island, which had
belonged to one Ezra Nutting. third
or fourth cousin whom she had never
seen.
Little Patience looked at the elder
woman.
s'Aunt Ruth" said she, isn't thee
going out to see it, And mayn't go
with thee7'
@Frhee may go with me, little Pay"
said Miss Plumb, smiling; "but as for
going out to see it, railway journeys
cost money, and when we go we shall
stay"
~WiN thee live there, Aunt Ruth?'
cried Patience, with sparkling eyes.
Miss Plumb looked pathetically
around the little chamber, whose one
window was bedimmed by a. monster
back wall
Il have always longed for country
home, Patience, shesaid. ''Thee has
always lived ii the city; thee does not
tSnow how a person feels who has once
stood On the hills and heard the free
wind roaring through the pine trees. !"
So the loom was stopped, and the
little cupboard door locked, and the
two women went to Nebasset, near
which rocky plomontory, on the edge
ting estate. Not much of an estate,
after all. A queer little brown house,
. like dlscolored mushroom, a huddle
of barns, and stone cellar hewn into
the rocky side OF a beetling hill, in
which were arranged rows of barrels
ION q sort OF stone shelf.
Miss Plumb peered inquiringly at
these barrels as, escorted by David
Lorn, a. handsome sunburned young
= giant who occupied the next farm she
went over the property for the first
time.
s<sWhat are these, Friend David?"
she asked doubtfully.
t'Guess likely they'er cider" said
. David Lorn. cold Nutting, he made
the best cider for twenty miles
around"
t4Cciel:!" repeated Miss Plumb
t@Dida't you know that this was
a famous cider farm" said David.
trees on the hill?'
Eyes, saw them" said Miss Plumb,
<<but did not realize their meaning.
1 think, Friend David, thee may pull
out the corks-
s<Bungs, we call EN-" gently correct
ed Loral.
-*sR,u,gs, if thee prefers that title,
and let the baleful fluid flow away. !
am prejudiced with an exceeding pre-.
judice against Intoxicating liquors. !"
s.'Ehere ain t no harm in cider" pro-
1tested David Lorn.
"HTouch not, taste not, handle mott"
said Miss Plumb, firmly. GAS to the
apple orchard. it is not for me to criti-
else the kindly fruits of the earth, but
I could wish that they had been pas
thing less deleterlous than they are. u
She walked quietly on. David Lorn
>was opening his mouth to demonstrate,
when Patience gently beckoned him to
,desls6-
feDIy Grandfather Plumb died Of de-
sirium tremens,' she whispered
<tAunt Ruth cannot forget that. Thee
will have to let her have her own
way"
David Lorn whistled low whistle.
<1But anyhow" said he, "there'l
I've a deal OF good vinegar lost it al
this runs to waste. l say, Miss
Plumb"
II would prefer thee to call me
Friend Ruth said the old lady mild
Ey.
stIt sounds pretty familiar, don't
'it9 apprehensively observed David
"But if you say so, so it shall be.
say, Friend Ruth, if I'll go bail that
this ere shan't none of it be used fol
7nothin' but vinegar to be sold by the
gallon, would you let me hev it al
market. rfrica2s IFS g. wicked sin tf