The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-09-15


and enjoy yourselves, and I'll 80 back
to my children"
I found the Doctors brilliant man
sion weIl-lighted up for an evenings /
Entering a side door, |
repaired to my own apartments, ar
ranged my toilet, and strolled out with
my sons and daughters, seeking place
for private conversation, under the
soothing influences of the evening sky.
Minutely related my days adven-
lures, vividly interesting my children
and winning from them voluntary vows
of total abstinence.
Suddenly a hszy light shone out be-
tween US and the shrubbery, and a
kindly face appeared, with beaming
eyes and long, white beard. AS sud
denly the vision vanished, and my
children clung TO me in terror, while
from Minnie alone came forth the ejac-
ulation, 30, motheru'
An inward song of peace and gladness
took possession of my heart. Vending
our way back to the mansion, we re-
tired to our rest, while in my soul the
memory of that sweet and solemn
promise, 'Pll explain" once more at
tuned itself to melody.
The next morning we met my friends
at breakfast. Master Ben. related in
his inimitable way our evenings adj
venture with ''ghOst." 81 was just a
little afraid" said he, "and so was Fred.
and the girls; but you ought to have
seen mother stare ! Her eyes grew big
as two moons, and when the spookey
blazed his light out she just didn't say
word, but just brought us back to the
house, and couldn't talk word"
AZ think you've recovered your
tongue this morning, Ben.," COM
mented Fred.
The Doctor took occasion TO explain,
according to his hypothesis, the mys-
terry of second sight. He assured me
that my imagination created the ap-
partition, an opinion 1 had long held,
but which seemed set at naught by the
fact that my children, who knew moth
ing of that part of my history as in any
way connected with the apparition, had
seen the same illusion.
Mrs. Lewis adroitly changed the con-
versatiOn, and l was glad indeed when
other topics were introduced.
The evening, which had been so
grandly, gloriously beautiful had proven
the precursor of a night of misty, driz-
zling rain.
Enveloping myself in a waterproof
cloak, and encasing my feet in boots
1 visited my sisters new apartments
unmindful of the weather.
My brother-in-law was locked in on,
of the rooms, uttering unearthly yell
and calling down anathemas upon hi
family in words of awful import.
"Sarah, dear, what does all thi
= mean ?'' 1 asked.
, "Henry's bad again with delirium
Oh, dearl I wish that were dead ~
''But how did the poor mortal get tn
: liquOr?''
My sister blushed and hesitated.
: ''Tell me, for / tCW know ~ / ex
> claimed angrily.
r 81 sold the new dress found in tn
! bureau and gave him the money"
"Sarah! Sarah you're a fool! 50
there"
. "Don't Judith, dOn'tr' sobbed tn
4 weak woman. 'If you had heard hin
plead for whisky you would not blam
me. Poor man, he's had it for so man,
years that he cannot possibly liv
without itr
4 "Let him die then, the drunken
1 dogr
Reader mine, l well know that
: should not have spoken thus My sis
ter loved the poor, wrecked and wretchet
mortal, and, woman-like, she woul,
uphold him.
"Judith Reid, / scorn your help.
despise your patronage! Leave me t,
wash, or scrub, or cook, or sew, o
starve! Do what you please, but dom
abuse my husband, who once was kinC
and noble -
She turned from me fiercely to max,
preparation in her anger TO leave tin
premises. Luckily for her, one of tn,
epileptic children fell down in a fit jus
then, and her wrath cooled down in tn
attempt to prevent him from chewin;
Off his tongue.
After while comparative peace wa
} restored, and the heavy breathings o
the drunken brute betokened sleep.
Sarah would not speak to me, and
saw that if it were possible for me to al,
her family she must be conciliated 50
to shield her from herself, / told a lie
, 1t was the first lie of my life, and l sin
= cerely hope will be the last
2 "Forgive my harsh words, Saral
= dear" meekly said. Il did not meal
( to wound you"
"Wil you retract the awful thing
: you said about my husband ?"
{ ''Oh, yes, sister! Your husbands
r first rate fellow Let's have no furthe
! word about him. think he's splendidl
/ Sarah was Modified, but / was so dis
gusted with my falsehood, so vexed a
her, and so discouraged about her hus
: band, that my enthusiasm cooled dow
. TO zero. Promising to quickly return
l left the house in smOthered rage.
The misty rain had gathered impetu,