's sons died also, leaving Orpah and Ruth widows,
along with their widowed mother-in-law. Then Naomi determined to
return to her own land. Orpah and Ruth accompanied Naomi some distance
on her journey; then she bade them to leave her, telling each to go
back to her mother's house in Moab, while she would pursue her way
alone to the land of Judah. They were unwilling to do so, saying they
would go with her to her land and people; but she urged them to
depart, assuring them that they would gain nothing by leaving their
own country to accompany her, and that they had better return to their
own homes. Then the story informs us--you will find it in the Bible,
in the Book of Ruth--that Orpah kissed her mother-in-law and departed;
but Ruth clave unto her, saying, "Whither thou goest, I will go; and
where thou lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my people, and
thy God my God; where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be
buried: the Lord do so to me and more also, if ought but death part
thee and me."

So Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law, and journeyed with her
until they reached Canaan. Then they both dwelt in the city of
Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, where we shall meet with them again.

[Illustration: RUTH AND NAOMI.]

BOAZ AND RUTH.

When Naomi returned to Bethlehem she was poor. The poor were allowed
at harvest time to follow the reapers; gleaning or gathering up the
stray ears of corn. One day, Ruth obtained permission from her
mother-in-law to go gleaning, and went to glean in the field of a rich
man named Boaz, who happened to be a kinsman, or relative of
Elimelech. But Ruth did not know of this relationship.

Boaz saw Ruth gleaning, and asked one of his servants who she was. The
servant replied, "It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi
out of the country of Moab." Then Boaz spoke kindly to Ruth, telling
her not to go to any other field to glean, but to stay with his
maidens and glean in his field. She fell on her face before him and
bowed herself to the ground, and asked, "Why have I found grace in
thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I am a
stranger?" Boaz was pleased with her because of her kindness to Naomi,
so he replied, "It hath fully been showed me all that thou hast done
unto thy mother-in-law since the death of thine husband." He also bade
her to eat and drink with his servants, and told his reapers to let
some handfuls of grain fall on pu