The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1915-05-07
THEIR ALIEN |;
m Is
Pa and Ma Failed to Understand
Where Ruth's Real Strength
Lay.
BY DONALD ALLEN.


the fact.
His wife was unusually sturdy and
strong, and she was proud of the fact
Farmer Streeter could twist bar
rel of cider around as easily as a city
tailor could his goose. He could
shoulder bag of flour at the gate
and carry it into the house without
breathing faster. He could lift a
yearling calf over a rail fence, or hang
up a dressed hog to cool no matter
what the weight.
The wife had never been heard to
say that she was tired, and had she
asked the husband to move a bureau
or lift the soap kettle off the fire it
would have been a matter of great
surprise.
When a man hired out to Farmer
Streeter he must be strong man. If
he couldn't work sixteen hours a day
and not get tired he was put down as
a weakling and advised to look for
job in clothespin factory.
It was into such an atmosphere that
Ruth Streeter was born, and her COM
ing was disappointment to her par.
ents and wonder to others.
Why, she's dwarf" exclaimed
the father.
"oh, she'll grow, but she'll never be
strong" replied the mother.
You can't hear her squat more'n
a rod away"
Il know it,
IF she has the measles or the
whooping cough, she'll be a goner,
sure"
Yes; she won't last three days."
And what are we going to do about
lit"
why, Josiah, we can't kill her!"
"Noap, Of course not, but why
couldn't she have been a bouncer in
stead of little runt?"
Very early in her young life Ruth
betrayed the fact that she was going
to be a Streeter only in name. The
father and mother had loud voices;
the child spoke softly. Most children
OF her age would have been roaming
the fields or climbing trees, but this
one had more interest in pictures
found in the few books in the house.
The hired man would have made pet
of her, but her look of dignity kept
them at distance.
When old enough to be sent to the
district school, and after she had been
a pupil for couple of weeks, the
teacher called at the farmhouse.
"You must not let Ruth study her
lessons at night. She is SO anxious
to learn that she will overtax her
train," he said.
Don't she look frail to your" was
as ed.
'She seems to be perfectly well,
but she's never going to make strong
woman"
That's what her father and me are
afraid Of"
Afraid"
"Yes-that she'll grow up to be a
lady instead of knowing about house
work! How much education should
she have?"
Just as much as she can get"
But we can't have a lady in the
housed"
But Ruth is going to grow up and
get married and leave you. Don't
you think it will help her to get a
better husband If she's a lady and
well educated?"
That evening the matter was talked
over between the parents, and the
father said: II can see heap of
trouble ahead for US, but 1t can't be
handled just now. Does Ruth know
that you can handle forty-pound
feather bed with one hand?"
"She has seen me do it, and didn't
seem to care"
Does she know that you can bring
two big hams from the smokehouse
at once?"
YES. but she don't praise me-"
Has she been told that can hoe
more corn in day than any man in
the county,"
Eyes, told her."
AND that l can lit barrel OF
cider?"
eyes,"
And that / won q prize pitching
hayT
81 have told her all this" sighed
the wife.
And she-she-"
"She asked why we didn't have more
books In the housed"
1t was queer enough that Ruth
should be one of the family and not
Of the family. There was disappoint-
ment on the side Of the parents
there was strangeness on her side.
Ma, the Lord sent that girl to the
wrong housed" said the father at last.
I've sometimes thought So" was
the reply.
And so has she. but nobody's to
blame as can see. She's here, and
she's sorter useless, but we've got to
bear the burdens the Lord puts upon
ua0