{"collection":"myth-cosmogony","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_31018/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_31018","id":"gutenberg_31018","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/31018","summary":null,"tags":["Bible stories -- Old Testament","Bible. Old Testament -- Biography -- Juvenile literature","Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Mythology, Legends & Folklore","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Ruth (Biblical figure) -- Juvenile literature"],"text":"E-text prepared by Michael Gray\n\n\n\nNote: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this\n      file which includes the original illustrations.\n      See 31018-h.htm or 31018-h.zip:\n      (https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/31018/pg31018-images.html)\n      or\n      (https://www.gutenberg.org/files/31018/31018-h.zip)\n\n\n\n\n\nAltemus' Beautiful Stories Series\n\nA FARMER'S WIFE\n\nThe Story of Ruth\n\nby\n\nJ. H. WILLARD\n\nIllustrated\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nPhiladelphia\nHenry Altemus Company\n\n      *      *      *      *      *\n\nAltemus' Illustrated Beautiful Stories Series\n\nTHE FIRST CHRISTMAS.\nTHE FIRST EASTER.\nONCE IN SEVEN YEARS.\n      The Story of the Jubilee\nWITH HAMMER AND NAIL.\n      The Story of Jael and Sisera\nFIVE KINGS IN A CAVE.\n      The Story of a Great Battle\nTHE WISEST MAN.\n      The Story of Solomon\nA FARMER'S WIFE.\n      The Story of Ruth\nTHE MAN WHO DID NOT DIE.\n      The Story of Elijah\nWHEN IRON DID SWIM.\n      The Story of Elisha\nWHAT is SWEETER THAN HONEY.\n      The Story of Samson\n\nTwenty-five Cents Each\n\nCopyright, 1906\nBy Henry Altemus\n\n      *      *      *      *      *\n\n\n[Illustration: Working in the fields]\n\n\nA FARMER'S WIFE\n\nTHE STORY OF RUTH.\n\n\nIn the district called Ephrath, belonging to the tribe of Judah, stood\nthe city of Bethlehem, or \"house of bread.\" It was a city with walls\nand gates, and lay between fruitful hills and well-watered valleys.\nThere among pleasant cornfields and pasture lands lived a man named\nElimelech, which means \"my God is my King.\" He was descended from one\nof the princes of Judah, and was a man of means and consequence.\n\n[Illustration: A FERTILE REGION IN PALESTINE.]\n\nElimelech's wife was named Naomi, meaning \"pleasant,\" and they had two\nsons whose names were Mahlon and Chilion. This old and noble family\nlived in this fertile region, amid pleasant surroundings, and with\nhappy prospects, until one of the frequent famines that were brought\non by want of rain visited their district.\n\n[Illustration: \"THE PARCHED AND STERILE FIELDS.\"]\n\nLeaving the parched and sterile fields around Bethlehem, Elimelech,\nhis family and his flocks, left their home and settled in the rich and\nwell-watered lands of the Moabites, beyond the Jordan. As a wealthy\nforeigner, he probably was well received by the people of Moab, and\nsecured good pasturage for his sheep and cattle.\n\n[Illustration: SEEKING PASTURAGE FOR HIS SHEEP.]\n\nBut much trouble was in store for this family, notwithstanding its\nwealth had enabled them to leave their own famine-stricken lands.\nFirst Elimelech died, and the family was without a head.\n\n[Illustration: ON THE WAY TO THE LAND OF MOAB.]\n\nThen Mahlon married a beautiful woman of the country in which he was\nthen living, named Ruth, and his brother Chilion married another named\nOrpah. Such marriages were against the law of Moses, because the\nMoabites worshipped idols, but as the nation was descended from Lot,\nthe nephew of Abraham, the marriages were not so bad as they would\nhave been with women belonging to other of the different tribes of\nCanaan.\n\n[Illustration: PLAIN AND MOUNTAINS OF MOAB.]\n_From a Photograph._\n\nAfter a while both of the sons of Naomi died, and she was left a\nchildless widow in a strange land. By her gracious ways she had won\nthe affection of both Ruth and Orpah, and now sorrow locked their\nhearts together in sympathy. At length, Naomi turned her longing eyes\nto her old home in Bethlehem. Ten years had come and gone since she\nleft it, and now the news had reached her that there was plenty of\nfood there.\n\nNaomi and her two daughters-in-law started on their way to the land of\nJudah. After a while, thinking that they had accompanied her far\nenough, Naomi bade Ruth and Orpah return to their own mothers' homes,\nand spoke very kindly to them. She kissed them and would have taken\nleave of them, but they insisted that they would go with her to the\nhome of her own people.\n\n[Illustration: \"NAOMI BID RUTH AND ORPAH RETURN.\"]\n\nThen Naomi suggested that they would not be welcome at Bethlehem\nbecause they were Moabites. They would be looked upon with reproach,\nstrangers in a strange land, and again she pleaded with them to go\nhome, lest their love for her should prove a sorrow to them.\n\n[Illustration: BETHLEHEM.]\n\nOrpah was persuaded to return and settle down among her kindred, and\nprobably did so from a sense of duty; but Ruth would not leave Naomi,\nalthough her mother-in-law gave her one more opportunity to go back to\nMoab.\n\nThe chief cause for separation, according to Naomi, was, not that they\nbelonged to different races, but that they did not worship the same\nGod. But Ruth, in words at once pathetic and sincere, unselfish in\nspirit and expression, declared her resolve.\n\n_\"Intreat me not to leave thee, and to return from following after\nthee: for whither thou goest I will go; and where thou lodgest I will\nlodge: thy people shall be my people, and thy God my God: where thou\ndiest will I die, and there will I be buried: the Lord do so to me,\nand more also, if aught but death part thee and me.\"_\n\n[Illustration: \"'INTREAT ME NOT TO LEAVE THEE.'\"]\n\nRuth gave up father and mother, friends and relatives, religion and\ncountry, and chose poverty and a life among strangers because of her\nlove for Naomi, and her trust in Naomi's God. They reached Bethlehem\nabout the beginning of the barley harvest, and secured some kind of a\nhome.\n\nThe city of Bethlehem was stirred by the return of Naomi. She had left\nthem accompanied by husband and sons, and in prosperity. She returned,\naltered in circumstances, changed in appearance, and accompanied only\nby a Moabitish woman.\n\n[Illustration: A HARVEST FIELD IN PALESTINE TO-DAY.]\n_From a Photograph._\n\nHer friends could hardly believe their eyes, and exclaimed, \"Is this\nNaomi?\" To which she would reply, \"Call me not Naomi, 'pleasant,' call\nme Mara, 'bitter,' for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me.\"\nThere was much surprise shown at the return of Naomi with Ruth, but\nthere is no record that people were helpful or even kind to them, and\nprobably the first thing they had to do was to secure food.\n\n[Illustration: \"'IS THIS NAOMI?'\"]\n\nAs it was harvest time, Ruth volunteered to go into the fields and\nglean, and so, one morning, she went forth as an alien, among\nstrangers, to find bread for the two. She came to one of the fields of\nBoaz, a man of wealth and position, and a kinsman of Elimelech, and\nasked permission to glean among the sheaves.\n\nIn the glory of the early morning, a band of reapers were cutting the\nbearded barley with their sickles. Behind them, women bound the grain\nin sheaves, and behind these workers were a group of gleaners, made up\nfrom the aged and the young.\n\nRuth took her place among the gleaners, and bending her back like the\nrest gathered the stray ears left by the binders. The overseer watched\nboth laborers and gleaners. All were known to him, even the beautiful\nstranger from the land of Moab.\n\n[Illustration: A HARVEST FIELD NEAR BETHLEHEM TO-DAY.]\n_From a Photograph._\n\nAs the day advanced, Boaz entered the field with the salutation to his\nmen, \"The Lord be with you.\" They replied, \"The Lord bless thee.\" Then\nglancing around the field, Boaz saw Ruth among the gleaners and asked\nthe overseer who she was. The overseer replied that she was the\nMoabitish woman who came back with Naomi, and that she had asked\npermission to gather the barley ears with the rest of the gleaners.\n\nBoaz was interested at once, and, struck by Ruth's modesty and beauty,\nhe went to her and said she was not to glean in any other fields but\nhis all the time of harvest. He told her she need fear no rudeness\nfrom the young men, for he had laid his commands upon them not to\nmolest or offend her. He also told her that when she was thirsty she\nwas to drink of what had been prepared for the reapers.\n\n[Illustration: \"SHE WAS NOT TO GLEAN IN ANY OTHER FIELDS.\"]\n\nRuth was deeply touched by this slight kindness. Bowing to the ground\nshe asked why it was that she, a stranger, had found grace in his\nsight. Boaz replied that he had learned of her loving treatment of\nNaomi, since the death of her husband, and how she had left her father\nand her mother, and the land where she was born, to live with her\nmother-in-law; and then he invoked the blessing of God upon her and\nupon her work.\n\n[Illustration: \"BOAZ INVOKED THE BLESSING OF GOD UPON HER.\"]\n\nThe sympathy and sincerity of Boaz were very grateful to Ruth. She was\ncomforted as well, for she knew that he had recognized her goodness to\nNaomi, and knew that she had come to trust in the care of God.\n\nAt meal time Boaz invited her to eat with the reapers, and even handed\nfood to her himself. After the simple meal was eaten and Ruth was\nagain among the gleaners, Boaz told the reapers to let her glean\nwherever she chose, and to drop some of the grain on purpose for her,\nso that her work might be lightened.\n\nAs the sun began to set, all went their homeward way, and when Ruth\nreached her home she beat out all the ears of barley she had gleaned\nand found there were three pecks of barley, about ten times as much as\na single Israelite's daily portion of manna while wandering in the\nwilderness. Her first day's work had secured provision for several\ndays to come.\n\nWhen Naomi saw what a quantity of barley Ruth had brought home, she\nasked in whose field she had gleaned. Then Ruth related all the events\nof the day, and how Boaz had been kind to her.\n\nIt pleased Naomi to hear that Boaz had shown kindness to Ruth and to\nher, because he was a relation of her husband, and one whose duty it\nwas to care for a widow, and one who had a right to help them by law.\nSuch a relative was called a goel, meaning a \"redeemer.\"\n\nSo the days of the harvest passed. Every day Ruth gleaned in the\nfields, and at night returned to Naomi. Each day she kept close by the\nmaidens of Boaz, through the barley harvest, and then to the last\ningathering of the wheat.\n\n[Illustration: \"EVERY DAY RUTH GLEANED IN THE FIELDS.\"]\n\nThe harvest finished, the threshing of the grain began. Naomi was\nanxious that the \"redeemer\" should exercise his right. According to\nIsraelitish law, when a man died and left his wife childless, his\nnearest of kin was to take the widow to be his wife, and any son born\nof this marriage should inherit the name and possessions of the first\nhusband.\n\nIn this way he kept his brother's name and inheritance from being\nblotted out. Naomi saw with thankfulness that Divine Love had led Ruth\nto the protection of her rightful guardian.\n\nSo Naomi planned how Ruth should have an opportunity of speaking to\nBoaz. She told her to take off the sign of her mourning and widowhood,\nand go to the threshing-floor when the grain was beaten out.\n\nThese threshing-floors were either natural spaces of rock, or open\nplaces covered with large flat stones, so that the grain could be\nreadily separated from the husk without waste, and the chaff easily\nblown away.\n\nThe sheaves of grain were spread on these places, and a wooden sledge,\ncovered with iron teeth, was dragged over them by oxen until all the\ngrain had fallen from the dry ears. It was a joyful time, the oxen\nwere not muzzled, so they could eat while they worked, and the master\nand his servants feasted.\n\n[Illustration: \"THE OXEN WERE NOT MUZZLED.\"]\n\nWhen the grain was threshed, it was cleaned by the cool winds of\nmorning or evening, and by the aid of large fans. As this winnowing\nhad to be done when the breezes sprang up, master and servant often\nslept all night at the threshing floors, so as to be ready for the\nfirst breath of wind, and to see that the grain was not stolen.\n\nNaomi told Ruth to go to the threshing-floor of Boaz, and speak to him\nduring the night. Ruth did as she was told, and at the proper time\ntold Boaz that he had the right to redeem her. Boaz was pleased, and\ntold her that he would do as she had said.\n\nBut he reminded her that while he was her kinsman, there was another\nwho was nearer. He would see this man in the morning, and if he would\nnot exercise his right as \"redeemer,\" he would perform the part of a\nkinsman himself. He told her to lie quietly down until morning, and\nwhen it was nearly sunrise he poured into the veil or cloak that she\nwore, six measures of barley, and sent her home to Naomi.\n\n[Illustration: \"GAVE HER SIX MEASURES OF BARLEY.\"]\n\nRuth went on her way in the dusk of dawn, bearing the present of grain\non her head, as was the custom of the country. She was returning to\nher mother-in-law with a story of hope and blessing that had come to\nher in the promise of Boaz.\n\nWhen she reached home, Naomi's first question was, \"How hast thou\nfared, my daughter?\" Then Ruth told her all that Boaz had said and\ndone, and how he had given her the barley, saying as he did so, \"Go\nnot empty to thy mother-in-law.\" Naomi was pleased, for she understood\nhow Boaz and Ruth felt towards each other, and so said:\n\n_\"Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fare;\nfor the man will not rest until he have finished the thing this day.\"_\n\nIn Palestine, nearly every town, and many villages, were surrounded by\nwalls, and at the main entrances there were deep gateways which\ngenerally had broad and shady spaces in front, where people frequently\nmet.\n\nThese gates became the chief places of interest. They were often\narched over and used as watch towers; they became the guard-house,\nbusiness was transacted there, and in this way they became markets.\n\nPeople met in the city gates to discuss the news of the day, and\nproclamations were made there. Kings and rulers gave audience there,\nand being a place of general resort, the elders sat there to dispense\njustice.\n\n[Illustration: \"KINGS AND RULERS GAVE AUDIENCE THERE.\"]\n\nIn the morning, then, Boaz went to the gateway of the city of\nBethlehem, ready to fulfill his pledge to Ruth. As he sat there, the\nman who was the nearest relative of Elimelech passed by. Boaz summoned\nhim to a seat by himself, using the legal form of expression by which\nhe would understand that there was special business to be transacted.\n\nThen the elders, or wise and respected citizens were asked to hear\nBoaz's case, and to be at once judges and responsible witnesses, and\nto ratify the proceedings. In their presence, and in the hearing of\nthe people who gathered near, Boaz stated the facts, saying to the\n\"redeemer\":\n\n_\"Naomi, that is come again out of the country of Moab, seeketh the\nparcel of land which was our brother Elimelech's: and I thought to\nadvertise thee, saying, Buy it before the inhabitants, and before the\nelders of my people.\"_\n\nAnd then Boaz went on and asked the man if he would redeem it, and the\nman said that he would do so. He further explained to him the customs\nand conditions of the law, and told him if he took the land he must\nalso take Ruth the Moabitess to be his wife.\n\nBut this was a part of the bargain that the man did not want to\nperform, so he turned his right of redemption over to Boaz, giving as\nhis reason, that he would not mind buying the field if it would become\nhis own personal property, but if he should marry Ruth the field he\nbought would not belong to him; and so he would have paid out money\nfor something which would bring him little or no benefit.\n\nIt is not at all unlikely that he refused to marry Ruth because she\nwas a Moabitess, fearing that a marriage with an alien might mar his\nreputation and position in the city.\n\nWhen the man had announced his decision, it was confirmed by the usual\ncustom in all cases of redeeming and exchanging. The one giving up the\nclaim took off his sandal and gave it to the one who received the\nclaim. The matter was thus ratified, as though a bond had been drawn\nup and signed.\n\n[Illustration: \"HE DREW OFF HIS SANDAL AND HANDED IT TO BOAZ.\"]\n\nIn this way the unnamed kinsman of Elimelech refused to redeem Ruth\nand her land, and as a proof of it he drew off his sandal and handed\nit to Boaz before the ten elders and all the people, thus transferring\nto him the legal right to be the \"redeemer.\"\n\nBoaz then called all present to witness that he had that day bought\nall that was Elimelech's and all that was Chilion's and all that was\nMahlon's, and also that Ruth the Moabitess was to be his wife. And all\nthe elders and all the people who were in the gate said they would be\nwitnesses.\n\n[Illustration: VIEW IN PALESTINE NEAR BETHLEHEM.]\n_From a Photograph._\n\nAnd because Boaz had acted so honorably, all present united in asking\nthe blessing of God upon his marriage. So, with the approval and best\nwishes of his neighbors and friends, and above all with the blessing\nof God, Boaz and Ruth were married.\n\nThe story of Ruth is a beautiful one, for it shows how the sacrifice\nand service of love was rewarded. Naomi in her old age and declining\ndays was made glad, and the alien found a happy home. In time a son\nwas born to Boaz and Ruth, and the name of \"Obed,\" or \"the serving\none,\" was given to it. This boy grew up to be the father of Jesse,\nwhose son was the mightiest of Israel's kings.\n\n[Illustration: \"NAOMI BECAME THE CHILD'S NURSE.\"]\n\nWhen Ruth's baby boy was born, the matrons of Bethlehem congratulated\nNaomi, who became the child's nurse. The boy grew up to be the joy of\nhis parents and the comfort of his adopted grandmother, and in time\nthe ancestor of Mary the mother of Jesus.\n\n[Illustration: DAVID, GRANDSON OF THE SON OF RUTH.]\n\nThe Saviour of the world, then, sprang from the tribe of Judah, and\nfrom the Gentiles, as they are called in the New Testament, through\nRuth the Moabitess.\n\n[Illustration: RUTH THE BEAUTIFUL MOABITESS.]\n\nThe memory of the faithful, loving Ruth has been a sweet and living\npicture for many centuries. She left her home, her friends, her all,\nto be kind and good to her broken-hearted mother-in-law, and to serve\nGod, and found much more than she gave up. She brought consolation to\nNaomi, there came to her love, prosperity, and peace, and through her\nchildren's children, Jesus the Christ.\n\n[Illustration: A shepherd at a river]","title":"A Farmer's Wife: The Story of Ruth","tradition":"myth-cosmogony","translated_text":null,"word_count":3201}