The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1889-09-11
love IN a LOG CABIN.
And this is homel'

~ AtHtA A(St%htA0 t5tt<@See1f -esS.ArII 49,
with mingled feeling of wonder,
Joy and disappointment. Three
thousand miles had she Travelled
across the continent to reach the
home her husband had prepared for
her, and this was what she found
S A lonely ranch among the foot
hills in Southern California, with a
plain log cabin for home. Nota
yestige of a plant or flower around
it, not suggestion of comfort or
beauty within it, hills stretching
brown and bare under the J July sun,
and not a shade tree in sight.
zone might know there never
had been a woman near this place.
sighed Ruth, her eyes slowly filing
with tears. 1t seemed so comfort
Hess and barren after leaving her
mothers old-fashioned farm house
in Maine, full to Overlooking with
inviting, comfortable things. and
surrounded with flower gardens and
orchards, and where every nook
and corner suggested the deft fin
gers and delicate hands of women.
She felt her very heart sinking
within her.
Then seeing the eyes of her hus-
band fixed upon her she forced back
the tears.
Had she not said, like the Ruth of
old: "Whither thou goest, 1 will go;
and whittier thou lodgest 1 will
lodge2"
Would any place, no mattcr how
full of comfort it might be, ever be
homo without him2 Had she and
her baby Ruth not wept tears of
| joy when the letter came telling
them that papa was coming from
California to take them homer And
had not every foot of the way been
joy to think she was once more
! with him and they were to have a
homer
She stroked the hand of her hus-
band, who held their little Ruthie
in his arms, smiling through her
tears.
tI know, dear, it is a new coun-
try" she said cheerfuIly. "and YOU
have done the best you could"
1t was the true wifely spirit, and
in his heart he blessed the true wo-
man who said it.
Gall the ranches look kind of
desolate," he said, "when there's no
one but men about; but now we've
little woman here, things will soon
be looking different"
Inside the house she found every
thing neat, at least, and that was a
great comfort to her, and if the par
lor was barren looking with no car
pet upon it, the kitchen was full of
contrivances which women like, and
she knew that John had thought of
them for her.
After supper they sat down on the
little porch in front of the cabin to
talk of plans for future work. 1t
was just at sunset, and as Ruth sat
placidly looking at the view in front
of her-which, after all, was a fine
one taking in glimpse of the blue
Pacific, and background of purple
mountains-she began to lose the
undertone of homesickness which
had so marred her homecoming.
She thought how beautiful home
might really be under the shadow
of the lifted pines, and she resloved
with Johns help she should make
hers one to be proud of. AS if in
answer to her thought John went
into the house and returned in a
moment ladened with two parcels
which he dropped in her lap.
"There, Ruth" he said, "you
can't guess what these are, can
| your"
al am afraid not" Ruth said,
eyeing the mysterious looking pack
ages wonderingly.
"Well, you know the house isn't
very beautiful yet" John said, his
good face fairly shining with the lit
tie secret he had in store for her;
"but 1 guess you'll find something
in each of those parcels that will
help you beautify it."
What could he mean? Ruth took
up the lighter but larger one first
To her surprise it was full of garden
seeds, small packages of every kind
almost he could think of
"Well, how lovelyln she said
"Now we shall raise all the vegeta-
bles we need, and our garden will
rival dear mothers at home"
| eyes," John replied, "and &c
ahead of it; for California beats the
world for flowers, and your garden
i