The evening world., 1920-08-25
The LOUe Stories
of the Bible \
By Rev. Thomas B. Gregory
Copyriahi. 1920 bv The Press Publlshlng Co.
tins New York Evening world.
No. IO-BOuz and Ruth.

There was famine in the region OF
which Bethlehem was the centre, and
Elimeiech. with his wife Naomi and
two sons, emigrated to Moao.
In the strange heather land the
emigrant family failed to prosper,
and after a few years Naomi found
hetGlf a widow i'm abject destitution.
Her sons were of no help to her, and
when they died they left no property.
Finding herself stark alone in a
strange land of an allen faith, Naomi
resolved to return to the land of her
fathers.
Informing her daughters in law OF
her resolution, Naomi implored theC
to remain in their own land, whefN
they would have better chances In
life, and Orpah, taking her at her
word, kissed her and bade her good
1y; but Ruth "clave to her" as
though riyeted to her by hooks OF
steel, saying unto her, "Entreat me
not TO leave thee, or to return from
following after thee. For whittier thou
goest l will go, and where thou lodg
est l will lodge. Thy people shall bs
my people, and thy God my God.
Where thou diest will l die, and there
will I be buried The Lord do SO. 10
me and more also II ought but death
part thee and me"
Upon reaching the old homeland ~
her mother-in-law Ruth, disinclined 70
be dead weight upon Naoml's hands.
thought Of something that she mig
la, and, it being harvest time, she went
out into a wheat field to CLEAN after
the reapers, privilege that was gene
rally given the poor.
And thus began one OF the prettiest
love affairs that this Old earth has
ever witnessed!
p Boaz, "a mighty man OF wealth,
the owner of the wheat fields. strodo
across the field, and, noticing ths
strange CLEANER, said to the foremGn
of the reapers, Whose damsel is this 80
Ruth had caught the rich farmers eye.
He had met his fate.
Going up to the fair MOabitess.
BoaZ said to her GO not to CLEAN in
another field, neither go from hence,
but abide here fast 10y my maldeas.
Have | not charged the young men.
that they shall not touch thee; and'
when thou art athirst. go unto the
vessels and drink Of that which the
young men have drawn"
And at meal time Boaz said un 10
her. Come thou hither and eat OF the
bread, and dip thy morsel in the vhlu
gar;" and she sat beside the reapers,
and he reached her parched corn, and
she did eat and was sutficed.
Boaz's interest in the beautiful
maiden grew ac thc d!ai !rarl-tlEtNe o
hours, and he commanded his youns
men, saying. Let her CLEAN even
among the sheaves, and reproach 'her
not. And let fall also some of the
handfuls of purpose for her and leave
them that she may CLEAN them, and
rebuke her not"
And she CLEANED in the field until
even-untll the stars began to come
.out in the sky. And we may be sure
that Boaz was never far away, and
that those stars appealed to him as
they never did before.
Ruth told her mother-ln-law all
about II, and It is plain to be bcep
that Naomi helped the good work
along in every way she could. And
Naomi said unto Ruth, her dapgh
ter-in law, Tt is good. my daughter.
that thou go out with his maidens,
that they meet thee not in any othc-
held' SO she kept fast by the maid
ems of BoaZ to CLEAN unto the end of
barley harvest and Of wheat harvest"
In spite Of the fact that he was
completely smitten by Ruth's beauty
and modesty, Boaz seemed to Naon.t
to be rather slow. so she hurried the
business up a bit, as is told in th'
charmingly sweet and beautiful third
chapter.
Naomrs tactics were crowned witr
full success. and Boaz took Ruth, anc
she became his wife-one OF the dear.
est wives, we may be sure OF, tina
husband ever won.