The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-04-19


as "provider," his family were in rags
from the least to the largest; and, al
though it never could have been said
that they had gone hungry, certain it
was that their lack of comfortable sur
roundings was pitiably palpable.
will not linger over the sad burial
rites. A grave, containing one of the
Dowd sisters, who had departed during
Ellen's absence, had for a number of
years kept watch and ward beside the
remains of her parents. And next to
this another grave was made, where the
remains of the poor eldest born, another
victim of life's sin and ignorance, was
lain away beside her sisters form to
sleep the last long sleep.
Peter DOwd and Ziek Hamilton turned
together from the band of mourners at
the newly heaped-up mound which
marked poor Sarah's resting place, and
slowly walked away.
'Ziek," said Peter, sit occurs to me
that your idea of 'toughening' women,
as you term it, has been failure in the
case of your wife. Don't you believe it
would have been better for you both if
her married lot had been little cas-
ier?"
"Oh," replied Ziek, swallowing away
at n great lump in his throat, that was
trying its best to choke him, ''all that
any woman needs is clothes and vict-
uals. 1t would have been well enough
with her if she hadn't always been
a-frettin'. But do believe she fused
and fretted till, when she made up her
mind to quit it, il jest killed her to give
, it up. do wish now that had never
growled about it, for peevish wife is
better than none, especially if you've a
houseful o. younguns to care for. It's
true the oldest girls are much older to-
day than her mother was when / mar
ried her, but they hain't got her faculty
never had. It's comfort that Ellen's
here, though; and if you don't mind
the fret and worry, and will join with
me in buyin' this piece o. land, that be-
longed to Government in the early days
o. Peter Dowd-it's for sale at a bargain
now, two hundred acres, two-thirds
prairie-I shouldn't wonder If we'd get
along"
Peter Dowd the younger liked the
plan. 1t had but one drawback-he had
not sufficient means to buy the land
which had been the hunting ground of
his father-in-law, but if he could make
one payment, and buy little stock, he
could manage the rest.
, The two men talked this matter over
in their lonely homeward walk, and did
: not reach Zielx's cabin until after Ellen,
, with the children, had been long left
alone by the Goffs and Grahams to en-
dure the desolation of her own sad heart.
She had been assisted by the weeping
r girls and dear Aunt Betsey in putting
the disordered room to rights. The bed
|. upon which her weary sister had beer
slowly dying for weeks was placed upon
p a seaffold in the yard and the bedelothe:
n put to soak in a barrel.
e A dinner was got of boiled pork anG
/ dodgers, which Ellen's weak stomach
n. loathed, but TO which the half q seor
of hearty young Hamiltons betool
nt themselves with keen relish, despit
,e their great bereavement. Ellen at
what little she could in silence, ant
O. tired, discouraged and sick, she drOppe'
of her weary form into an uncouth chair
Mt and taking up her sisters baby, tried
re sing him to sleep. Her sobs chOked he
all utterance. Her headache was terrible
nd and her heart-ache worst Of all.
he The brothers-in-law entered the cabi
together and called for dinner, whic
NO was reserved for them by the eldei
IN. girl of the family, stolid, phIegmati
overgrown and ignorant creature, VII
nm partook of few of her mothers natur
ut capabilities.
Int Peter Dowd addressed his wife in ton
tor of tenderness. The scenes of povert
bereavement and wretchedness whiC
au. he had witnessed had aroused his bett
Ms nature, and the thought that his ov
yes frail wife might also droop under Il
hardships of frontier life and mothe
ow hood, stirred him with emotions Of pr
lection and motives of manliness. HI
m he possessed the love of Ellen all mig
lille from that moment nave gone wen WI
yed her. But at the best she could but pa
sively receive his affection, without ev
appreciating or reciprocating it.
me No woman can commit great
and wrong upon herself, her husband or l
ner children than the self-stultication
marrying without feeling of self-'
ally nying and all-eonsuming affection
ous- the man to whom she pledges and per
the her life for better or for worse.
lily, Dinner being over, Peter Dowd ask
lren Ellen to give the baby up to the chal
pom of its father and take walk with hi
and Passively and listlessly she obeyed, a
her they rambled out together to the foot
ping PROSTATE, bark-shorn elm and
down upon its weather-bleached body
sun "Wife," said Peter, tenderly, sit v
Ipon avail you nothing to give way to g
sun like this"
dow II am not grieying, Peter. 1 wis
Ks of was lying beside my sister-that's a
took There's no use in your indulgins
rigid vain wishes, Ellen. The old home
n In your childhood is for sale, for fraet
over Governmentprices. If you viii
well To me the true and dutiful wife thi
tenn have a right to exneet YOU to be- :