 A slight improvement in the Rusk family's fortunes occurred in 1913 when his father was hired as a postman for Cherokee County, which allowed the elder Rusk sufficient income to afford to build an outhouse in place of the previous hole in the ground.Rusk's mother's health was broken by her poor diet, farming and child-rearing.For the young Rusk, his main consolation was the Presbyterian Church, and he came to embrace the stern Calvinist work ethic and morality.