The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1872-05-17
What Mrs. Giles Did.
BY MRS. 5. 4. UNDERwooD.


line.
ssDone at lastr said Mrs. Giles, speak
ing to herself-a habit in which she fire.
quently INDUCED. "Now, if dinner was
out of the way, / might find time to
finish Leonardis suit this afternoon; Eve
had it around so long. IL only had a
sewing machine, how much could ac-
complishr' and picking up her basket
she went into the house.
The prospect within was not very
wash-tub to clear away,
and dinner to place upon the table.
Just as she had begun to lay the table,
Mr.. Giles appeared at the door and said:
Put on an extra plate; that man will
take dinner with u.s."
Dinner was soon ready and as soon
dispatched, for ceremony was unknown
in the Giles family. Mr.. Giles and the
stranger retired to the sitting-rOom, to
discuss the merits of a new reaper and
mower, while Mrs. Giles remained and
eNared away the dinner table. When
she had finished and made herself ready
lor the afternoon, she went into the sit
ting-room. The stranger was about
taking his leave, and Mr.. Giles was just
saying:
III you have anything new and better
anything that will make work easier
and do more of it, Pm your man! l am
in favor Of all machinery that will
Tighten work for man." emphasizing the
word man. "Why, bless you, look
around my farm. It's run mostly by
machinery"
Profitable? Certainly" replied he
to an interrogation of the stranger
than =,
the bank" he added, never Omitting al
occasion of mentioning a small deposit
he had in the city savings bank.
The stranger was gone at last. and
Mrs. Giles sat down, with weary limbs
and aching shoulders, to finish a suit Of
clothes she was making for her oldest
son, a lad OF fifteen. Slowly and wea.
rily the needle went in and out. Stitch
after stitch was taken, but to little pur.
pose. 1t did seem as if she would never
come to the last one. But if stitche:
progressed slowly, her thoughts flew
fast enough. The last words of her hus
band fingered in her mind, and agaiI
and again they recurred to her.
"Yes," said she ut last, breaking fortl
into solilOquy, her usual habit wheI
much disturbed in mind. "Yes, mel
can have their burdens lightened, bu
poor women may drudge. Every yea
Mr.. Giles has added something new {,
his farming implements, while | hav,
to plod along with hardly sufficien
utensils to cook decent dinner-an oil,
stove, without boiler or whole griddI
and Il cracked door. No wonder / cam
bake loaf of bread decently. Thel
/ here l have to sit and stitch for weel
on this suit, when two hours on ma
chine would complete it.n
IL is needless to record all of Mrs
/ Giles thoughts and words, as she sa
stitching the hours away. 4 dim con
! scIousness of her great wrongs, and
I faint determination to assert her right:
was entering her mind. She had 5
long given up her opinions, set aside he
needs, and fostered the selfishness {
her husband, that it was hard to brea
l through the meshes of habit which hi
stern will had for n long time wOve
around her. The afternoon wore away
and Mrs. Giles laid aside the unfinishe
garment to prepare the evening meal.
The next morning, at breakfast, sf
remarked to her husband that an ageI
for sewing-machine had called the da
previous, and wished her to try one
his machines.
~ told him he might leave one whe
he came next week." she said.
Mr.. Giles laid down his knife and fOrl
and sat with utter amazement depicte
i on his countenance.
"a sewing machineri he gaspeC
when he had recovered himself. f'H
needn't leave any of his new-fangle
humbugs here. Tve no use for them.
"But / have" interrupted his wife.
"GOuW cried he. 81 don't see whG
need you have for sewing machin,
| You could never learn to use it, or if yo
did, what have you to sew? Only m
clothes and the boys. Women nOw-a
days are getting mighty Independent
wanting machines to do their work-tO
! lazy to do il themselves. / suppose the
want time to CAD about and gossip abOu
their neighbors."
"Why, Phillip"
"WOman's work is nothing" con
tinued Mr.. Giles not needing tile inter
ruption. "A1y mother had not as man
conveniences for doing her work as Vol
have, yet she always had her meals reg
ular and well cooked, and that is NOR
than / can say for you. No, / dom
want any sewing machine about m,
house. God made as good a sewing ma
chine as | want when he made woman.
With this ultimatum he left the table
and taking his hat, he mounted his hors
and rode away to look at the new reape
which he contemplated buying.
One by one the members of the family
finished their breakfast and passed out
leaving Mrs. Giles alone. She sat will
her head resting upon her hand. He
thoughts wandered back to the day
when i'm the freshness of her youth sht
gave her hearts deepest and best affec
tiOns to Philip Giles. Blinded by he
great love for him, she saw not the ex
treme selfishness nor coarsness of hi
nature. She implicitly believed ali hi
promises, and needed not the warning
of her friends.
1t seemed long time since then, s.
many shadows had darkened her path
way. Darker yet seemed to grow life
rugged journey. She saw her six son
growing up around her in the midst @
rough and evil influences, without tn
ability wholly to cOunteract them. Mrs
Giles remained long time bowed owe
that breakfast table, praying with
sense OF helplessness and a feeling {
need, such as she had never before ex
perienced. a loud rap at the doc
startled her. On opening it, she foun
Mr.. Harris had called to pay off \ not
which Mr.. Giles had often declared n
should never he able to collect. ''Th
poor wretch" he insisted, twill neve
be able to save enough to pay his homes
debts while his wife spends all his earn
ings on such foolish things as washing
machines"
Mrs. Giles informed Mr.. Harris OF he
husbands absence, but said she woulI
attend to the business. When all wa
satisfactorily settled, and Mr.. Harris haC
gone, Mrs. Giles sat for some time look
ing at the roll of money in her hand
At length new thought came into hel