ending 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.

[Illustration: 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.

[Illustration: "SHE WAS NOT TO GLEAN IN ANY OTHER FIELDS."]

Ruth was deeply touched by this slight kindness. Bowing to the ground
she asked why it was that she, a stranger, had found grace in his
sight. Boaz replied that he had learned of her loving treatment of
Naomi, since the death of her husband, and how she had left her father
and her mother, and the land where she was born, to live with her
mother-in-law; and then he invoked the blessing of God upon her and
upon her work.

[Illustration: "BOAZ INVOKED THE BLESSING OF GOD UPON HER."]

The sympathy and sincerity of Boaz were very grateful to Ruth. She was
comforted as well, for she knew that he had recognized her goodness to
Naomi, and knew that she had come to trust in the care of God.

At meal time Boaz invited her to eat with the reapers, and even handed
food to her himself. After the simple meal was eaten and Ruth was
again among the gleaners, Boaz told the reapers to let her glean
wherever she chose, and to drop some of the grain on purpose for her,
so that her work might be lightened.

As the sun began to set, all went their homeward way, and when Ruth
reached her home she beat out all the ears of barley she had gleaned
and found there were three pecks of barley, about ten times as much as
a single Israelite's daily portion of manna while wandering in the
wilderness. Her first day's w