The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1904-03-11
THE
SACRAMENT
OF POVERTY
.lIl.
~

| 10 you Hattef yourself, John, tina
you are really necessary to It's com
| fortp
Yes, do Ruby; else you were III,
falscst as well as :he most foolish o.
women. How often have you told m,
sof / thought you spoke the truth
Oh, Ruby darling, don't waste both oul
lives FOR sentiment that has no mean
ing in the new order Of things witt
which we must grapplc."
And her keen, stinging answers. 50
utterly foolish and futile, her cruel
doubtful little speeches, brought al
length on her what she richly deserved
plain, uncquivocal truths. For once
she quailcd before the impassioncd,
loving rcprOvcr who held her two
hands, and looked into her face with
those open, clear gray eyes
They parted without hope and with
out promise. John went 10 his new life
haunted by that last miserable look
which Ruby could not quite suppress:
and she shut close the doors OF her
house and heart, and thought she had
left her love lying dead outside.
In the battle OF life John soon found
that the first step toward commanding
ones destiny is TO command ones
spirit; so he bravcly let the dead past
bury its dead. ana bent all his great
natural powers 10 his new duties.
Ruby and he seemed to be as cffcc-
tually sundered as IL death ana not
pride, had put them apart"
Thus four years passed away, each
one drifting them further apart. For
Johns friends had gradually followed
his example. and scattered themselves
far and wide from the little Southern
village which could no longer give
them a subsistence; while Ruby, more
and more offended at a society which
was rapidly assmlating itself 10 the
new order Of things, retired altogether
from ia IN 1870 she stood where she
had done in iSG0, relic of a class
which will soon be tradition Most
Of her friends baG accepted cbeerfully
Tor otherwise the situation. Some
were teaching, some taking boardcrs,"
and few had married men, who. nc.
cording to Ruby's code, "werc not gen.
tlemen."
She. with courage and firmncss
which ought To have had a better oh
jCct said to all manner of happiness,
II can do without thee and lived i'm
perfect isolation and seclusion. And if
people are determined to be rccluses,
the world has not time to convert
them. Rubys acQuaintanCcs wondered,
cxpostuatcd. and then forgot her.
A joylCss life is worse to bear than
one of active grief, ana Ruby often
found herself pitying her own heart.
In the lonely, dilapldatcd splcndor Of
her house, she sat mostly silent. There
was no bliss coming FOR her to run ana
greet, and still. pasSionlcss look
settled over the face once SO radiantly
beautiful.
Then, one hot summers night. her
summons into the very thickcst OF
lifc's conflict came There was
sudden light, which gathered ana
spread, and filled the air with heat and
smoke; ana Ruby knew the village was
on fire. Brighter every minute grew
mosphcrc, though two miles distant
she could hear the cries ana shouts OF
those lighting the fearful Zoe.
Her heart kindlcd; il burned within
her. Her checks tlushod her eyes
filed. Before she could think or rCa.
hn h.V ,,I
was nearing the burning village In
among the wailing. excited. frightened
crowd she rode their very weakness
developing all the strength Of her real
womanhood. In half an hour she had
got wagons for the children. and sent
them and the women To the shelter Of
her own large, empty home That
fiery atmosphere, by some subtle spir-
itual chemistry, evolved all the latent
power of her nature She was calm
and sensible fun of wise and prudent
suggestions. which eventually resulted
in putting a stop 20 the conngration.
when the daylight broke she found
herself black with the smoke, scorchcd
with the flames. and absolutely pcnni.
less, for her little property lay in ashes
before her
At once she realized that her
dreamy. selfish. lazy life was over.
She had not doliar TO rebuild the
house whose rent had been her whole
support. and her own home was mort.
gagged 20 its full value. she knew wei
that she had long been tenant at the
will and generosity Of her fathers own
friend Great emergencies are prompt
and rapid counselors. she determined
90 leave rs soon as possible FOR New
York. and earn there her own living
II any hopes connected with Johu
| Hereford influenced this decision. she
never Acknowledged them. even TO hei
own heart
l should like TO pass over the next
eight months Of Ruby's life. aud indeed
| shall not go into IL in detail. lmagin,
q woman so proud and so lonely. -
inexperienced and SO poor. flung all al
once upon her own. resources! Day
after day. week after week. saw IN,
same dispiriting search after employ
ment. with constantly depietinl
purse and wardrobe. Poor Ruby was
almost ready 20 Give nm in desualr