Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-03-06

toms birthday. it was very sud- IN news
to me, hen Rutl told me that Mr.. vii.
Der had invited her 10 80 20 the theater
that evening; and that, as father did not
object, she was gong
A great longing 10 accompany them
seized me; there was no other amuse-
ment tina, l enjoyed ike going to the
theater; but, for the iirsl time in my life,
on such an occasion, | controlled my
tongue. instead of saying anything to
indicate my own desires, tried to look
very pleased and said ! was 50 glad she
was going out Tor an evening S enjoyment,
thing size had not done since the dea h
OF our dear mother.
| promised also to take good care of
the habits, % Ruth need not fee the
least uneasiness about th.m In giving
utterance to these pleasant thilgs felt
quite manly; felt as though was Begin
ming to learn OF my gentle sis er, tle
noblest of all lessons, L be lorveliul Of
self in the richer enlovms Mt OF help.
ing to increase the happiness OF others
Ruth put her aims around me, kiss I'd
me, and smiled upon me tend rly. /
returned her embrace. and Tor awhile we
stood thus, thinking Ct mother, believ.
ing that she cuu d see S and was happy.
Then Ruth had to 90 to The babies, as
father had been playing with ,hem, and
they were going to cry when he got up
TO leave them; aud / went into the
| kitchen to hnisl up some work had
been negleciing there.
| Before father went out, heard him
| say to Ruth. Frank Wilber's visits
here, seem to be doing Mark a world OF
good. Tm glad he has taken to calling.
| It's queer though, with such difference
| in their ages, that he should chum with
our little Mark" Ruth shut tie middle
| door, and did not ter her reply.
N.Y. but didn't | feel manly then?
Frank WILDER "chumming' with mel
And father seeing il, and saying 50 to
| sister! No New Years resolutions with
me, ever came up 10 the many go-d
resol, ons formed on the twenty.second
of Fe bruary. would never think again
OF wanting to go out evenings with moi y
rowdy boys, to disturb people with ugly
valentines. or any ether way. ] would
read aloud TO Ruth as often aud as much
as she would let me until ! should he
able, like Frank, to charm and delight
people with my eloquent reading. |
would do whatever | had to do, Will
ingiy and cheeriuily, alter that, as both
Frank and Ruth did. | would never
thing.
Towards evening, father cam home
after short absence, bringing with him
CHEEKY, chalty old lady twas Franks
Grandma WILDER; ana she soon made
us understand that her dlug liter NJ nne
was so much better OF the cold she had
been suffer ng with on her lungs and in
her head that she could do without her
very well; and she had come to ay with
b o,her Price aud TIL children while
Ruth would be at the theater,s ID she could |
ieel perfectly easy, and nave good
time
Ruth said how kind it was OF her; aud !
/ acknowledged that | should be glad 10
have her there, but believed could take |
care OF the babies a right, as they were
both good natured, and bo.h very fond |
OF me.
but you are going 10 the theater
with Brother WILDER and me, Mark. |
dear" said my sister with her pretliest
smile.
don't thnl, had ever heard any
thing that sounded quite as sweet to me
as those words did. could have burst
into tears aud cried hard tor joy. But
instead, | threw my arms around Rutas
neck and kissed her with all my might,
ed at me, but didn't care, laughed
too.
We had as good time as ever spent
at the theatertlat evening; never want
to forget IT,
Wen, it did seem as though Franks
wrist never would get we'll. forgot
whet il was three weeks or a month
that it required almost daily care from
Ruth. II anything happened that pre-
vent d Frank calling as often As every
other evening, he would say he had
been dreadlully uns y, hardly abe to
wait Tor his doctors opinion as to how
his case was progressing and liable -
terminate.
Then, when there was nothing left OF
the sore on his wrist but little pink |
scar, and it was wasteful to use medicine !
aud bandages on it any longer he work |
ed so late one evening, and it got 50
near dark that he mistook his thumb for
bolt, and struck it such a hard blow |
that he smashed it pretty badly; and |
that had to be doctored for about six
weeks. And with this second case,
Ruth became so much like a real |
physician that she worried about her |
patient il she did not see see him every |
day or two; fearing her applications |
might not be just what was best suited |
TO the case
We he'd pleasant times, all the same,
reading to each other evening after even
ing, as times and circumstances would |
permit; and occasionally going to places !
OF amusement for change.
Thus, with little variations, year |
passed, whole, long year. TWAS again |
the evening before St. Valentines day. |
Father was away from home some |
where; Joseph and Mary were both |
sleeping quietly; had been troubled |
with tooth-ache during the day, and had |
gone to bed early. So Ruth sat alone |
by the FIRE, darning stockings, and lock- |
ing rather sober q could see her face as |
lay very still III my bed,) Tor Franks |
last ailment had been an infamed eye, |
and he hadn't been in ior Two days to |
say how the wash she had prescribed |
was affecting it,
There came very soft knock at the |
door. Ruth's face frightened; she |
knew whose knock it was, so did | She |
went noiselessly to the door and open. !
ed it, holding up warning hnger and |
Frank followed her back TO the hearth, |
stepping as cautiously as she did. She |
molioned him to a seat, hung up his hat |
and then asked in low tone how his
eye was.