The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-20
A ROMANCE IN REAL LIFE.
An Instance of Mans Heroic Love and
of Woman's Tender Devotion.

of Woman's Tender Devotion.
From the Netc York Sun.
Old Deacon Stiles of North Hopkins had
but one daughter to inherit his wel-tilled
uplands and fertile fields, and he determined
that no ne'er-do-well of a son-in-law should
benefit by the fruits of his long wears of
industry. Accordingly little Ruth was
brought up with the idea that if she
married at all she should wed some
staid, industrious swain in good and reg
ular standln in the congregation, with no
waverings of belief concerning the damna-
ii ~ of the unregenerate, and strong in the
faith that immersion was the only form of
baptism. Presumably if pretty Ruth had
been left TO her own innocent drea ming she
would have fallen in love naturally enough
with the pale young minister, who ex-
pounded the word so fiuently every Sunday
morning and cast gla ices to the little
d mure teacher of the infant lambs of his
flock all through Sunday school,
But becau>e it was so apparent that this
was what she was expected to do her per-
verse woman's heart never fiuttered when
the dominic rendered her hymn book. but
pounded against her bodice m st alarmingly
when Bob Dalton looked straight into her
eyes from his pew across the aisle, as his
blithe tenor voice rang out, "Her WAYS are
ways of pleasantness and all her paths are
peace.n Every one but the deacon knew
that Bob and Ruthie were in
love, but he never dreamed of such
calamity until handsome, wild
Bob, who never even rose for PRAYERS and
whose ''cursed fiddler led all the dances at
the huskings and frolics, asked him for his
daughters hand. There was a scene the
description Of which would ill four chap
ters of realistic novel, and Ruthie was
shut up in her little muslin-curtainel bed
room under the caves for q whole week to
repent Bob's notes were read by the
deacon and his vinegar-faced wife, and
burned as religiously as Luther burned
the pope's bull, and the upshot OF it
all was that Bob left the town in despair.
and somehow, she never knew exactly how
either, Ruthie was promised TO the minister
to wed when the apples blossomed.
But long before the snow melted the
village was startled by the arrival If Bob's
wild brother, who ran away from home
some twenty years before, and VINO had
retu ned, not like the prodigal son from his
husks and perjury, but with money enough
to mortgage the whole barren little to wn.
ship, and have some left over II govern
ment bonds. And when he heard the story
of little Ruthie, didn't he swear a big
naughty oath, and vow that these lovers
should be wed in the springtime9 and
didn't he contrive TO whisper to Ruthie. OF
her way out of church, that IL she could
contrive to meet him just over the border
in Maine, on the very day SET for her we'd
ding WI h the ministe-, he would see thai
she had husband to her mind2
He looked so brave and handsome and SC
like Bob that Ruthie lifted her shy. sweep
ing lashes and gave him one swift, grateful
wo derful look from her soft dark ewes
that, as he expressed it, just TX ocked I'm
of his pins, and set up such a go founded
commotion" under his commodious waist
coat that he didn't GO over it in q month
These shy, still, little women can lool
more in fraction of second than mos
women c IN say in three weeks.
Somehow she managed to give him an ole
battered tlntYpe of herself aud one of the Ions
curls Bob used to twist around his e gers
and away he went in search of the royine
lover, aSsuri 8 Ruthie that when 10 founc
him he would divide his fortune with them
and go back to the wilds and make another
| for himself, and then he got another lool
that kept his heart humping all the way K
| Texas, and whenever he pressed his hanC
against that little picture that was in hi
breast pocket he had a kind of a gesnia s
| spasm that WAS worse t an seaSickneSS
| I ere wasn't any b other in Texas or il
Mexico, but at last he got track of him il
tie Haytiea republic, which was in such {
state OF uuheaval it was hardly safe for ,
man to inquire for his own brother.
The day of tryst was drawing near, anC
still no tdiugs, and he couldn't commun!
cate with Ruthie, for her father would r n
the letter first. Another clew was found
and on folio ing it up ne learned that hi
brother was dead. He hammered hims,l
| for being glad, &c looked at that pictur,
half a hundred times, he wondered how il
| the world lie should tell her. and all til,
time he fastened TO the north llnd. aut
reached there just in time to meet a little
white-faced, scared maiden on a shaggy
saggcious little pony, who had brought he
over the hills in the earl morning TO mee
| her husband. And when he tol,
! her OF her lovers death, wha
more natural than that lac shoul.
take her in his arms TO comfort her an,
assure her that he had kept bic word. has
| brought her a husband and half, nay ali
| the fortune and wealth Of love besides
| And when she thong Of her Angr,
| parents, the hntehet-faced preacher bride
\ groom, the talk and gossip Of the town. o
all that bob's brother had unsellshly don
7 Tor her happiness, ana when be was lalk inl
10 be- with BoDs own smile grown olde
and grayer, but none this less sweet, why
u was the ensiest thing In the world 70 pu
hef hand Ia bis and pr unlso him befuro
Jolly lttle parson all that she meant " havr
i Dbl 4 d