The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-04

. II. Ala =
/ if this is the way you've got to live. If
/ stay here and keep house for you and
this troop of young ones, you've got 10
build a new house this very fall. That's
hatu' bringing down the broom with
sudden thud, and blowing vigorously at
the settling ashes on the mantelpiece
and gun.
Had Ellen dared to thus insult her
liege, that amiable consort would have
been too badly outraged to expostuIate
or apologize, but now, the prospect of
retaining a house-keeper and cook must
not be lost sight Of, and the man became
humble enough.
81 meant TO build last fall,n he said.
apologetically, "but I had chance to
get two hundred acres of improved bot
tom land, joining this, at bargain, and
I couldn't afford to miss the opportun-
ity."
"How did your wife like such state
of things?" queried Polly, still bus
lily adjusting the disordered room.
80, she fretted at first. Women will
do that, you know, but when she saw
my heart was set on it she didn't return
another word"
Standing with both hands clasping
the broom handle, and a look Of quiet
determination flashing from her great
black eyes, the woman answered:
"You can suit yourself, sir. Build a
house and 1 will stay a year or two with
you. But 1 won't live in this old hog
pen only just long enough for you to get
house built"
''ltn run me very hard to raise the
money" soliloquizingly, "but I guess
Pll have to do it. What sort of house
must it be?''
All, Peter, what q helpless creature
a man becomes when he finds himself
in the power of a woman who is stronger
willed than he. II Ellen had been ere
ated on your plane, mentally and phys
ieally, you'd have been one of the tam
est and most tractable men alive. But
she couldn't stOop to command you, and
you took advantage of the fact to over
ride her strongest and truest sentiments.
Had Death but claimed her ere the
opening Of the second part Of this story,
Polly Jones could have married YOU,
and doubtless would, in conformity to
existing mortal laws, and might have
been spared the further recital Of poor
Ellen's checkered life. But death, like
life, is capricious, and was not ready for
his victim yet. God had work for her
to do.
The new house was built as Polly
Jones demanded. As her ideal was ex-
cessively commonplace, the edifice was
not an expensive one, yet when finished
it was eommodious enough and COM
Portable, and had Ellen had it years be-
fore, in lieu Of thousand dollar horse
her husband had fancied, or one of the
dozen farms they had purchased with
the proceeds of their united toll, much
of my tale that is to follow would not
have to be recorded; for the overbur-
dened wife would have lived in compar-
ative comfort, and her health and
strength endured for years. Then, too,
were this story written merely to please
the fancy of the multitude, or to cater
10 the morbid taste Of the romance-lov-
ing reader, it would be eminently
proper that my heroine should here lay
down her life, and leave Peter Dowd,
who has evidently found his match in
will and work, to become his legal wife,
after a few short months Of mourning
but this story is not all a story, and
poor Ellen did not die. She only lin
gered on for months and months, TAX
ing little interest in passing events, and
seeming thoroughly contented to be
free from care. Sometimes her chill
dren would be sent for to visit her, bui
nothing could induce her to receive hel
husbands calls.
L do not say that Ellen's conduct was
right. 1t may be better to endure anc
die than throw away the bands thai
bind us, but my heroine was not an an
gel, as have before explained, and
do not care to picture her as such. Bu
do emphatieally declare that many
and indeed most, if not all, Of the baC
acts Of men and women are the direc
result of mental and physical disease
: And rather than severely censure Eller
1 Dowd for openly acting in accordance
with har rlop0-charfohad oaoros sk,orr-b fe
1 let me say to you, good reader, whit
T stand serenely upon proud heights 0
fancied purity, neither you nor know
: that we should act differently unde
I like provocatlon. Judge not that v,
I be not judged" Dear friends, do W,
e obey this admonition? Let US try.
e Peter Dowd's family, consisting o
{ himself and children, the house-keepe
$ and hired man, were comfortably in
: stalled in their new quarters long befor
the bitter storms of winter howle
: through the denuded trees.
Every day the strong-willed, hard
: handed house-keeper acquired neV
power over the poor slave to lands an
: gold, who was the legal husband c
5 Ellen Dowd. The woman was as shrew
e as INSCRIPTIONS. She managed by ask
: ing indirect questions to gain a prett,
{ correct knowledge Of the business affair
1 of her employer, and also sought il
: every way, to gain his favor and stir o
animosity against his wife.
Had s,,ch a woman crossed his nat