A Farmer's Wife: The Story of Ruth

by James Hartwell Willard

Her friends could hardly believe their eyes, and exclaimed, "Is this Naomi?" To which she would reply, "Call me not Naomi, 'pleasant,' call me Mara, 'bitter,' for the Almighty hath dealt very bitterly with me." There was much surprise shown at the return of Naomi with Ruth, but there is no record that people were helpful or even kind to them, and probably the first thing they had to do was to secure food.

"'IS THIS NAOMI?'"

As it was harvest time, Ruth volunteered to go into the fields and glean, and so, one morning, she went forth as an alien, among strangers, to find bread for the two. She came to one of the fields of Boaz, a man of wealth and position, and a kinsman of Elimelech, and asked permission to glean among the sheaves.

In the glory of the early morning, a band of reapers were cutting the bearded barley with their sickles. Behind them, women bound the grain in sheaves, and behind these workers were a group of gleaners, made up from the aged and the young.

Ruth took her place among the gleaners, and bending her back like the rest gathered the stray ears left by the binders. The overseer watched both laborers and gleaners. All were known to him, even the beautiful stranger from the land of Moab.

A HARVEST FIELD NEAR BETHLEHEM TO-DAY.
From a Photograph.

As the day advanced, Boaz entered the field with the salutation to his men, "The Lord be with you." They replied, "The Lord bless thee." Then glancing around the field, Boaz saw Ruth among the gleaners and asked the overseer who she was. The overseer replied that she was the Moabitish woman who came back with Naomi, and that she had asked permission to gather the barley ears with the rest of the gleaners.

Boaz was interested at once, and, struck by Ruth's modesty and beauty, he went to her and said she was not to glean in any other fields but his all the time of harvest. He told her she need fear no rudeness from the young men, for he had laid his commands upon them not to molest or offend her. He also told her that when she was thirsty she was to drink of what had been prepared for the reapers.