owslops and dandelions; and she hed a word for everybody. And everybody
liked Ruth, and wished her well. Wal, she was sent for her health; and
she got that, and more too: she got a sweetheart.

"Ye see, there was a Cap'n Oliver a visitin' at the minister's that
summer,--a nice, handsome young man as ever was. He and Ruth and your
Aunt Lois, they was together a good deal; and they was a ramblin' and
a ridin' and a sailin': and so Ruth and the Capting went the way o' all
the airth, and fell dead in love with each other. Your Aunt Lois she
was knowing to it and all about it, 'cause Ruth she was jest one of them
that couldn't take a step without somebody to talk to.

"Captain Oliver was of a good family in England; and so, when he made
bold to ask the old Gineral for Ruth, he didn't say him nay: and it was
agreed, as they was young, they should wait a year or two. If he and
she was of the same mind, he should be free to marry her. Jest right on
that, the Captain's regiment was ordered home, and he had to go; and,
the next they heard, it was sent off to India. And poor little Ruth she
kind o' drooped and pined; but she kept true, and wouldn't have nothin'
to say to nobody that came arter her, for there was lots and cords o'
fellows as did come arter her. Ye see, Ruth had a takin' way with her;
and then she had the name of bein' a great heiress, and that allers
draws fellers, as molasses does flies.

"Wal, then the news came, that Captain Oliver was comin' home to
England, and the ship was took by the Algerenes, and he was gone into
slavery there among them heathen Mahomedans and what not.

"Folks seemed to think it was all over with him, and Ruth might jest as
well give up fust as last. And the old Gineral he'd come to think she
might do better; and he kep' a introducin' one and another, and tryin'
to marry her off; but Ruth she wouldn't. She used to write sheets and
sheets to your Aunt Lois about it; and I think Aunt Lois she kep' her
grit up. Your Aunt Lois she'd a stuck by a man to the end o' time eft
ben her case; and so she told Ruth.

"Wal, then there was young Jeff Sullivan, the Gineral's nephew, he
turned up; and the Gineral he took a gret fancy to him. He was next heir
to the Gineral; but he'd ben a pretty rackety youngster in his young
days,--off to sea, and what not, and sowed a consid'able crop o' wild
oats. People said he'd been a pirating off there in South Ameriky. Lordy
massy! nobody rightly knew where he