Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-03-10


not one OF those dcccitful women who
have SMILES and affcctiOnate words and
low ing carcsses only for those she Is
using for a Inercenary object She
was not like the ungrateful elder
daughters Of King Lear. who had rap
turoIis terms of rndcarment for their
father only while their parent sat upon
his throne. lIut she was one Of those
noble women who. II Il friend had been
good aud true To her. never forgot that
goodness. That friend might live in
palace or in Il hut: she might be hon
orcd or dcspised by the world; she
might be- old or young, but Ruth would
love her and cling to her just the same.
She had all the characteristics OF
stanchncss to her friends as had the
great and noble Emperor William |. of
Germany. who was never known 10
turn his back upon a true friend. So
true was his heart that when the Ger
man army started forth on the Franco
Prussian war il il said that he left the
battalionS and went to lOtsdnm and
there knelt at the tomb Of his mother.
Queen Louise. who had been hunblcd
by NAPOLEON l. And when he returned
as II c0nuucr0r. while all the capital OF
Berlin was ready 10 give him the wei
come Of trlumphal entry. he again left
the ranks and went to that same tomb
and kuclt 10 thank God that her dis.
grace had been avenged. So with
g.. a
been true 10 her Naomi might be de-
spise,I 10y the world. but Naomi had
been her friend And because Naomi
had been true to her Ruth would never
leave her side.
A Crisis In Ruth's Life.
Can you picture this beautiful young
girl nj this critical moment? The
mOthcr-in-law comes 10 her and says:
Ruth. my dear. | must 20 away /
| cannot make Il living here. My hus-
band is dead. My two boys are dead.
And all these people are preiudlced
against me because | am n foreigner
ana not Of their blood You stay. my
child Your parents will take you
AipiNi' lii Nv VIII lfOii UNI
your life for my sake" Then be.
lcvc | read the thoughts that rapidly
pass through tuths brain. At first
she solilnquizes. shall stayf" But
the noble part of her soul says: NAY.
Naomi has been Il mother To me For
over score of years she put her whole
life into the developing of her two
boys, Then she gave 10 me one Of her
sons She said: Take him. Ruth. He
is thine. Then she took me into her
great loving heart as her own daugh
ter All that she had was mine And
now. after she has given To me her ALL
shall desert her in the dark hours Of
DISTRESS" Nay. Naomi" she says. II
will not turn my back upon thee.
Whittier thou goest. | will go and
where thou lodgeSt. | will lodge; thy
people shall he my people. and thy God
my Cod" Could Ruth the true. Ruth
the noble. speak otherwise? My
| friends. have you these noble charac-
teristicS of gratitude? After a per
son has been true ana self sacrificing
for you. after that person has given 10
you practically the whole of her life.
are you going TO turn that person adrft
as soon aS the dark clouds OF adversely
gather about her head? Are you go
| Ing 10 use the word Friendship" as II
synonym for convenience" As soon
as You think it is for your own best
| interests. are you going to turn your
back upon your true friends. rs the de
ceitful Duke of Alva sent Admiral
IIo0rn and Egmont to the block and as
Napoleon |. eXilcd Josephine, the best
friend he ever hadf
oh. the contemplate actions of which
some of us are guilty toward those who
have blessed MS In the past The story
is told that many years ago in the is
land of Mauriiius Il poor old black wo-
man. who was II slave. worked and
struggled at odd hours and saved until
after awhile she got together enough
money 10 purchase the freedom of her
| daughter. Nh. that was happy day
! for the old black woman. She went to
her child's house with the good news
and said: My child. you ARE free! You
are free" With that she seated her.
SELF 10y her daughter But the story
goes that the daughter drew herself NJ
and said: Woman. how dare you sit
In my presence? DO you not know that
| am now a free woman and you are
still slavcf Rise nj once ana leave the
room The story ut first seemed Ia
me To he II fnrfetched one. aud yet
after much consideration, | doubt II il
! is. Almost every day we can see un
grateful children acting thus Ia THEM
parents and ungratcful men and WON
cn turning their backs upon those who
have lifted them to their thrones OF
started them on the road To success
and happiness. Not thus was Ruth
| In Naomi's adversely She remembered
Naoml's past love May God help Us
| 10 he true Ia those who have been true
! 10 MS In the troublesome years that are
gone!
True Ia Marriage Vows.
| Ruth measures up 10 the full stand
ard of the test of human gratitude
! She does more She measures up 10
| the full test of her marriage vows.
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