Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1892-08-18

And this 4. home,~
Ruth belano gazed about her with 8
mingled feeling Of wonder. JOY and disap-
ppintment Three thousand miles haG she
Travelled across the continent to reach the
home her husband had prepared for her
AID this was what she found
A lonely ranch among the foothills Of
southern California, with plain log cabin
Tor home. Not q ve-tige Of plant or
Hover around 1t, not suggestion of com
Tort or beauty within il, the hills brown
and bare under the July sun. and not a
shade tree u sight.
'one might know here had never been
woman near this place" sighed Ruth her
eyes slowly flling with tears II seemed
- comioriless and barren after leaving
her mothers old-fashioned farm house in
Maine. fun To uverflowing with inviting,
comfortable things, and surrounded with
mower gardens and orchards. and where
every nook and corner suggested the def,
hands and delicate fancies Of women. She
felt her very heart sinking within her.
Then. seeing the eyes of her husband upon
her. She forced back the tears
Had she not said, like the Ruth of old,
WHITTIER thou goest, will 90. and
whittier thou lodgest. | will LODGE"
Would any place, no matter how full OF
comfort it might be. ever be home with
out him: Had she and her baby Rnth not
wept tears Of JOY when the letter came
telling them that papa was coming from
California to take them home; and had
not every foot OF the way been iov TO
think She wa> once more with him aud
that they were to have q home?
She stroked the hand Of her husband.
who held their little Ruthie in his arms.
smiling through her tears,
II know dear, it i new country" she
said, cheerfully, and you have done the
best you could"
It was true wifely spirit. and in his
heart he blessed the true woman who said
it.
"All the ranches look Kind of desolate," ="
he said, when there's no one but men
about; but now we've got little woman
here, things Will soon be looking differ
ent"
Inside Of the house she found everything
neat, at least and that was a great com
fort to her, and if the parlor was barren
looking with no carpet upon it, the ktch-
en- was full of contrivances which women
like, and she knew that John hsd 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. IL was just at sunset,
and as Ruth sat placidly looking at the
view in front of her-which, after all, was
fine one. taking in a glimpse of the blue
Pacific, and background of purple noun
tains-she began TO lose that undertone of
homesickness which had so marred her
home coming. She thought how beautiful
a In,, nt.,h+ 1.
Of the lifted peaks, and she resolved that
with Johns help she would make hers one
to be proud Of. As if in answer to her
thoughts, John went into the house and
returned in moment laden with two par
GELS, which he dropped into her lap.
There, Rnth," he said, you can't
guess what those are, can you%'
Il am afraid not" Ruth said, eyeing the
mysterious looking packages wonderingly.
We'll, you know the house isn't verv
beautiful yet" John said, his good face
fairly shining with the little secret he had
in store for her, "but guess you'll find
something in each of these parcels tina,
will help you beautify it,"
What could he mean? Ruth took up
the lighter but larger one first. To heI
surprise It was full of garden seeds, small
packages of every kind almost she coulC
think of.
We'll, how lovely" she said. "Now
we shall raise all the vegetables we need
and our garden will rival dear mothers a
home"
Eyes" John replied. land 60 ahead O
it, for California beats the world for flow
ers, and your garden will be just as lowell
in winter as in summer. There are twent
varieties of roses among that collection o
seeds"
isn't it wonderful to think OFF, crie
Ruth. as delighted as child over he
| treasures. "And what can be 10 here? ?
she continued, as she opened the secon
parcel. wonders will never cease !" sh
exclaimed the next moment, as she pOure
a whole bag of silver into her lap. IAN
! what is this for?'
ITO buy your parlor furniture" he r.
piled, laughing at her amszement.
] "Honest" She looked at him, he
brown eyes sparkling.
1T is for Mrs. Delano to do with as sh
pleases," he said. II saved the money I
furnish the cabin with. and thought t
have it fixed up before you came. but col
cluded on second thought that you coul
do better than |, so there's the money
Buy what you please and fix up the plaC
to suit yourself"
well. if you amt the best John in th
whole country" Ruth said, almost laugl
ing aud crying in the same breath. Ho
can she ever be homesick again?
And that night, instead Of crying he
self to sleep, as she thought that afternoo
to do, she lay awake from very joy. thinl
ing of the pretty things she could buy an
make for the cabin, and imagining no
picturesque it would look covered wit
Lady Banks roses, and how sweet the VII
let beds would be in the spring time.
And so the very next day she set II
| hired man to work laying of gardeI
| and all that week and the next she speI
her spare time in digging and hOeing an
spading. The following week John too
her to the nearest town, and she Selecte
the various articles she desired for Il