The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-06-27
ELLEN DOWD, THE FARMERS WIFE
INTRoprCroRY.

INTRODUCTORY.
There is nothing in the line of light
literature which is so thoroughly fitted
TO take strong hold upon the attention
Of the reading masses, in this day when
the Woman Question engrosses so large
a share of public thought, as simple
tales connected with the lowly walks of
life, and the struggles and vicissitudes
with which women must contend, and
the wrongs they must endure, before
they are aroused into the assertion of
personal individuality.
Understanding this, and knowing also
that this field Of literature was almost
wholly unoccupied, at least i'm a practi-
cal sense, the author Of this story, dur
ing the first nine months Of the exist
ence Of the NEW NORTHWEST, pub
llshed judith Ried," hurriedly-writ-
ten narrative, in which such incidents
as presented themselves to her mind
while scribbling from week to week, as
"copyn was demanded by her printers,
were grouped together with very indefi-
mite ideas as to plot or finale.
The unexpected success Of 'Judith
Ried," as an humble applicant for pub
lie favor, stimulated the author to begin
"Ellen Dowd,n q serial which subse-
quent business cares prevented her from
finishing. The second serial, however,
proved even more interesting to the
general public than the first, and the
demand for its conclusion among old
subscribers is so great as to induce her
to undertake it, with this admonition to
those who want the story: Sustain the
paper pecuniarily if you expect it to ex-
ist.
Entered according TO the Act OF Congress ir
the year 1872 by Mrs. 4. J. Duniway, in the OF
fee Of the Librarian Of Congress at Washington
City.l
Our story opens in a rude log cabin il
the middle west, where, under the mos
gloomy and unpropitious circumstances
Ellen Dowd was born. Her father, {
thoughtless, easy, goOd-natured, good
for-nothing animal, met his death By
drowning upon the night of her birth
and her mother, a nervous, worn-ou
victim of legalized prostitution, and it.
accompanying destitution and over
work, left the wee orphan and its sister
ere the morning dawned, to struggle il
bitter poverty and inexperience for th,
means Of subsistence.
Aunt Betsey Graham and Dr. Goff
assisted by Ziek Hamilton, a scraggy
uncouth bachelor, assist the children il
many ways, and when Sarah, the eld
est, arrives at the ripe age of fourteen
Ziek Hamilton marries her, using as a.
argument in substantiatiOn of his mat
rimonial claim the fact that he cha
helped 10 bring up the whole lot {
'em."
The children struggle on until Ellie
reaches the age of ten, when her granC
parents, having learned of the fate
their daughter, who had eloped wit
Peter Dowd, Ellen's father, twent
years before, seek out their retreat, an
taking Ellen TO their New Englan
home, resolve to give her the adval
tages which they failed to bestow upo
the daughter because of her elopemen
The grandfather becomes a monomi
MAC upon the subject of Ellen's possib
elopement, and compels her to ent'
into g matrimonial engagement at sil
teen with her tutor, an aged intrigue
who takes advantage Of the old gentl
mans weakness, lends him money G
the Shyloek plan, and gets him in h
power.
Ellen, growing desperate, accepts,
the least of two matrimonial evils. Il
proffer OF the hand and heart of b
grandfathers hired man, with who
she elopes. By strange fatality th
man proves 10 be the cousin of her fat
er, Peter Dowd, and in her marriage s.
retains, or rather recovers, the maid
name which she had given up as prc
pective heiress Of the darcy estate.
The young couple migrate to t
West, to the old home of Ellen and {