Ruby's Reward — page 187: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

The young man moved his chair to her side, glad of an excuse to go to her. “Let me pass judgment upon your work, Miss Ruby,” he said, holding out his hand for the neatly mended sock that she was about to fold. She passed it to him without a sign of embar- rassment, and, taking up another, went quietly on with her occupation. “T think Dorothea would be a more appropriate name for Ruby, than Dorcas,” observed Mr. Gordon, as he turned a tender look upon his sister’s face. “Why?” inquired his wife. “Do you know the significance of the name?’ he asked. “No.” “It means ‘the gift of God,’ and surely Ruby has been that to us during the last few months,” said her husband, in a reverent tone. Ruby looked up quickly, with a little tremulous smile, and there were tears in her blue eyes as they met her brother’s fond glance. Mrs. Gordon gave a stightstart, and flushed as those tender words made her realize, for almost the first time, how little comfort and help she had been to her much tried husband during their reverses. “T suppose, Carpenter, you have heard that our little sister has become a school-marin with all else, and is teaching young ideas how to shoot,” pursued Mr. Gordon, to change the subject, as he noticed that Ruby was becoming embarrassed, “No! and Mr. Carpenter's face plainly ex rressed both surprise and disapprobation. ——_ ©mlcbeokks.com