The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1871-11-24

Elilll give lGA 1lNAA tAaN eAAAAeAHNT a. tic
existing laws must recognize"
''But, William, 1 already own prop
erty in the far distant West. should
decidedly prefer not to hold more than
the balance of power.'"
"When equitable laws are made, by
which the wife may become a recognized
financial co-partner in the marriage
firm, we'll reconsider this; but, until
then, let's talk of something else"
We had slowly wandered as we talked,
and now we stood before the gate that
opened into the dooryard that led to the
house from which had once before,
when faint and sick and weary, been
rudely turned away.
"Come," said my husband, 'let's 20
into the boarding house and hear what
the woman of the establishment has to
say about the purchase"
''Whatp' answered, Ego there to be
ilsulted by that dowdy creature in a
dirty table-cloth, who met me once at
the door and ordered me away? Not if
1 know myself, my lord and liegem
was growing angry.
"Come, my dear" he said, coaxingly,
and by force of his will was impelled
to enter the door, where we were met by
the same woman, with seemingly the
same identical unique apron upon her
dowdy person which had SO disgusted
me once before.
The woman greeted my husband with
weary smile, but turned ashy pale
when she recognized myself
"Allow me, good woman" said my
husband, pleasantly, 'to introduce to
you my wife, the recent purchaser and
sole proprietor of this farm, the mill and
all appurtenances."
1t was really amusing TO observe the
woman's fright. She staggered back a
pace or two and dropped into a chair.
"Well, reaIy?' she said at last; but
still she sat there, gazing at me in blank
establishment.
"Come, Mrs. Stone, give us some din
ner." said my husband, pleasantly.
'Indeed," said I, Indignantly, 'Tn
eat no food in this housel Do you re-
member, aa'am, that you insulted me
one day when I~eame here exhausted
and asked you for a 1uneh?"
'T-had-no-I had no ideen' she
stammered, reluctantly.
'fWell, madamr' replied, ''give your
self no further uneasiness. Fortunately
/ stand in the social scale far above you
power to injure me; but let me Suggest
to you that hereafter the best plan fol
you to adopt is to treat strangers decent
ly until they are proven guilty, no mat
ter what rumors may be afloat abou
them.n
'Tni sure beg your pardon, nla'am
But / had heard such awful stories
And, though admit your face belie'
'em, yet / didn't dare to get my h1s
band aud all the mill men a-sneerin,
+ because had befriended bad woman
= "Your excuse is accepted, my poo
woman. But hell me, how much pay d
you get for all the labor you perform il
/ this house?''
e "Payr' and the pale blue eyes stoO
open at an extra width. "Marrie
$ women never get no pay! / just expec
to 90 on drudgin' this way all my days
: without any hope of anything better
= Pve one consolation, though. shan
live long,"
= "Yet, my good woman" said 1, kind
I ly, 1--WE women who strive, according {
5 the light that God has given us, to rigl
= the wrongs of just such women as YOU
: self are maligned, misunderstood an
a misrepresented, often by the very unfol
= tunates whom we would befriend."
'But my husband told me that n
+, woman of good sense or good charactC
wanted to get out of her sphere"
e "That is all true enough; but a
d women Of good sense and good chara,
ter, who give the matter any thought &
d all, agree that man has no right to a,
fine woman's sphere. From his yer
i, nature he is not able TO eomprehen
,e what her sphere ought 10 be-"
1t But tell me, Aanxiously interrupte
A. the eager listener, ''do you believe in n,
r lore 9n
My husband laughed immoderatelv
lie 'My dear woman, do you believe
Of it ~ / asked. "And would you Dreoti
it if you had the right to control vo,
I own earnings and shape your own ci
o. cumstances 81
$ MADAM! if you didn't own this hou
ne I'd order you out of it! The idecri al
ir she rocked angrily to and fro.
of "Of course 1 EhO1V you would n
practice it if you could help YOURSELF y
rd said. "But your weary, haggard ia
pt proclaims that you are afflicted with
gdIized LuSt, and when We women he
to to make the laws, and thereby ma
at you pecuniarily Independent Of 20
nd husband, you will have opportunity
til control your own person, and the me
~ knowing this, become alarmed, a
;" then, TO frighten you, they cry fl
lie love-"
ke 'Well, / never expect anything bet
wv in Bly timer' said the woman, hoI
lessly.
n, ''The gods help those who help the
til selves" answered, cheerfully, and
ge passed out, my husband and /, into I