The mirror., 1919-03-06
F those sixty-six books
were bound separately in
fancy bindings on heavy
paper with the wide mar.

HE9SaEXYl we're bound separately in
9GENI fancy bindings on heavy
tA-Aj paper with the wide mar
gin of our newest books, what a
grand showing they would make.
They would be given the most con.
spicuous places upon our book
shelves instead of some dark cor
ner, to gather dust instead of fin
ger marks of eager hands. From
this wonderful library, which we
will imagine bound and on our
book shelves, I will choose one of
the smallest books, and you will
Immediately perceive from it's pref
ty blue and gold binding and we'll
thumbed leaves that it is a love
story-the book of Ruth. This
book is the eighth in the Bible and
contains only four chapters. Who
the author is is not generally
known, although it is generally
supposed to be Samuel. The story
is in pleasing contrast with what
we learn of the times in the book
of Judges, that precedes it, and it
was probably placed there to pre-
serve the geneology of David, who
was the great grandson of Ruth.
The story is simply told and pre-
sents a delightful picture of Jew
ish life in olden times, when the
children of Israel were ruled by
judges before kings became the
fashion. Eli was the ruler at the
time the land was visited by ter
rible famine, and a citizen of
Bethlehem, by the name of Eli
melech, gave up the struggle to
maintain his loved ones in this
land of famine and moved his fami-
ly, consisting of his wife and two
sons - Mahlon and ChiIion - to
Moab, q country southwest of
Bethlehem on the other side of the
Dead Sea, and inhabited by the
descendants of Lot.
Elimelech and his sons prospered
in this fertile land and decided to
remain, his sons, after a time, mar.
rying Moabite maidens.
Mahlon's wife was Ruth, our
heroine, and Chilion's wife was
Orpah. They lived together in
harmony and love for a time,
when the grim reaper entered their
happy home aud removed from
their midst the father, Elimelech.
Before they had time to fully rally
from this sorrow, death again Wis
tied them and they were called up.
on to say farewell to Mahlon and
Chilion, leaving three bereaved
sorrowful widows in the home.
Naomi was heart-broken, and we
today can fully realize how she
must have longed for the sympathy
and love of her own kin. The
famine had long been over in Israel
and the feeling that it would be
impossible to bear her lonely life
in the country where she had be.
reaved, Naomi resolved to return
to her old home at Bethlehem. She
must have been a wonderfully
lovable woman, for both hel
daughter-in-laws were so grieveo
at the thought of parting with hel
that they decided to leave theil
own mothers and friends and re-
turn with her.
Naomi. realizing her poverty
and lonely condition and the fac
that after an absence of more thar
ten years she perhaps would fine
no one to welcome and care fol
her, tried to persuade them to stay
among their own people. go,
said she, return to your mother.
house. and the Lord deal kindly
with you as ye have dealt with tn,
dead and with me-"
Then she kissed them and started
upon her journey, but still they
would not leave her, and tearfull.
proclaimed their love for her, ant
their determination to 60 with her