A Book of Ruth Read Free Page B

struck by the scene that she ran and fell, no jumped; right into the stream with her husband Peter for what she thought was her only protection from this violence.
     
    “Get back up that hill you dirty no good boy.  What makes you think you can outsmart me.  You know you can’t.”
     
    The young black man looked with pleading eyes at Peter and Naomi.  Haunting eyes that Naomi did not think she would ever forget.  The sound of the screams and the sight of a  bloody battle that Peter knew he would never forget. 
     
    Without even an acknowledgement, the men made their way away from Peter and Naomi. The young couple began to hear the dogs howling, the whip continuing to lash.  Naomi lay in her husband’s arms, shaking, for what seemed like a long, long time.  Finally, Peter coaxed her back to the wagon, he dressed quickly, and they began back on the road to Savannah. 
     
    They did not speak for what seemed to her like hours. She was still soaking wet, but at last, Peter broke the silence and asked, “You ok?”
     
    Naomi broke, she cried and cried and through sobs said, “Peter, please don’t keep the slaves.  Please release them from the estate.” 
     
    “Not a problem, my dear.  The lawyer has already drawn up the paperwork.  Some have asked to stay on as servants.  Others have already left with money in their pockets and freedom papers in their hands.  I could not do that any other way.”
     
    “Thank you,” she said.  “Thank you. I shall love those servants with all my heart.  With God as my witness, I will teach them of His love and mercy.”
     

Hope
     
    “Boaz,” came the shout of his father.
     
    Boaz slowly motioned to Julia to follow him.  The two made their way slowly and quietly down the stairs and out to the front porch of the general store.  There had grown a crowd around the man’s back door.  Someone said he needed the doc.  Boaz’s father was waiting just inside the door.
     
    “Boaz, what’s going on?”  He asked as he looked Julia up and down.  “Julia what on earth are you up to?”
     
    “She’s leaving pa.  She can’t take it no more.”
     
    “Well ya may not have to.  I think he’s dead.  I was just in there.  The doc is going to be checking him out.”
     
    Julia felt a joy flood her veins.  But that joy soon was replaced with a hopelessness that made her come back to reality.
     
    “No sir.  I’m leaving tonight.  It doesn’t matter.  They’ll just sell me again.”
     
    Pa took a deep long sigh.  He understood the pain.  Well he thought he did, as well as any outsider that was not actually enslaved himself.  He had seen the evidence of the things the man had done to this young girl since bringing her up from Mississippi years ago.  However, God spoke clearly to him.  He waited just a moment in the silence of the moment.
     
    “Julia, go into the back room.  There you will find a new shipment of dresses and some night gowns that just came in.  I want you to put one of the gowns on, and lay out a dress for tomorrow.  Bed down there tonight.  No one will come looking for you here.  They trust me.  I’ll take care of this in the morning.”
     
    “No sir.  I’m leaving tonight.”
     
    “Boaz, come on.  We need to go home, ma is waiting.  She’ll be worrying.”
     
    “But Pa..” he stammered.
     
    “Come along son.  God has this all under control.  It’s not our place to make these decisions right now.  Julia, rest in the back room.  You are safe for the evening.  Do not, under any circumstances, open these doors.  Do you understand me?”
     
    Julia looked for a few moments at the kind older gentleman that had helped her so many times in life.  She trusted him as well.  She let out a sigh and tears began to fall from her eyes.  “How can I?  I’m so close.  I must go north.  It’s freedom sir.”
     
    “Freedom is an amazing thing, Julia.  But freedom through Christ, as I have told you so many times