The Untold Story Of " Ruthless Ruth "

I decided to write this response to "The Ballad of Yukon Jake"
after researching the stories of countless young women who were
lured West to live on the American frontier, deceived by offers of
employment and dreams of independence, only to be sold into
the nightmare of sexual slavery.  These "soiled doves" often
suffered from much abuse and humiliation and many ended
up taking their own lives.

After reading about the unfortunate Ruth in Edward A. Paramore Jr.'s
poem, I decided to rescue her from her unseemly fate and have her
become a woman whose future choices emulate her namesake,
the biblical Ruth, whose name in the Hebrew language means, "friend".

Beautiful Edwardian Woman

Could This Be Ruth?

Yukon Jake, that nasty, bearded snake,

The hermit of the Shark-Tooth Shoal,

Thought he was slick when he pulled his nasty trick

And broke Ruth's heart and soul...

 Although Jake sold her to the notorious Dan Mcgrew,

  Ruth was able to escape, as a stowaway on a cargo ship heading south,

With the help of Dan's jealous lady friend, the lady known as Lou.

Afterwards Ruth, her blushing cheeks frozen in the chilly air

Stormed the streets of Nome uncouth, with fiery temperance flair.

 And not one of the piteous drunks she met would dare try to steal a kiss,

From the soft pink lips of this fearless, bottle-smashing miss.

Collecting sleek seal furs and sable, as much as she could take,

She sold off all her collected wares for much needed charity's sake.

With her earnings she bought some land for the Sisters of Nome

And built a school for the orphaned street children, to give them all a home.

"Mother Ruth" would  gain the respect of the residents of Nome,

Showing Christ's love and mercy to all who came to her home.

One night during a raging snow storm she answered a knock on her front door,

And admitted a shivering, cloaked woman about frozen to her core.

Ruth brought her to the fire and sat the stranger down by the hearth

While a sister from the kitchen quickly brought a bowl of chicken broth.

As the woman began to thaw she removed her hood, and speaking to Ruth 

 she said, "You do not recognize me, do you?"

To which Ruth replied, "But of course I surely do!  Why, I could never

 forget you! You are the woman who helped me escape from the 

 evil plan of Yukon Jake and Dan Mcgrew.

You're the lady known as  Lou."

Lou nodded her head and replied, "Yes, I am she.  I helped you

escape from Dan and now I hope you will help me. I am old and alone

and have no longer a place to call home.  This is why I came to your door."

Ruth smiled at the woman and said, " You saved my life and

   I owe you so much.  You are welcome to stay here.  We can always use 

 an extra pair of hands to help with the children and cooking and such."

As tears of gratitude spilled down Lou's wrinkled cheeks,

Ruth smiled at her tenderly and knew God's peace.

"The Untold Story Of "Ruthless Ruth"

(Begging Edward E. Paramore Jr.'s pardon)

(July 2018)

 By Pamela Denise Brida

American blogger and aspiring writer