The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-08-22


from the hill sides green trees flourish
at their base; the cattle upon a thous-
and distant hills luxuriate in bounty
and blessings; birds sing, flowers bloom,
grasses grow, fruit trees yield their
riches in their season, and amid all Ma
ture's works man, only man is misera-
ble. Do you think it was the design of
the great Architect of all things to thus
mar the happiness of sentient beings
like ourselves2"
"You ask leading questions, but I
will try to answer them. That there is
much more of misery than joy upon the
earth among men and women 1 know
to my own sorrow. But I am satisfied
that this condition is not normal or nee
essary. Humanity chains itself to the
dead customs of the past, foolishly pre-
suming that those who lived before
were wiser than the children of the
present. Society sets itself up as CEN
sor over everybody. Individual freedom
is lost sight of. Everybody attends to
the business affairs of everybody else
There is no such thing in practice as
personal sovereignty"
"But do you think the world is ready
for the idea that each should be law
unto himself? I, for one, can testify,
and believe you can bear me witness,
that in more than one instance men
who have acted thus were wholly un-
worthy of their power"
"The trouble is, my dear Ellen" TAX
ing her hand in the most natural way
imaginable; ''the trouble is, that, as our
laws and customs now are, none but
bad, INSCRIPTIONS men and women will
do exactly as they desire. The censor
ship Of society, or the wish-often too
intense-to avoid what n morbid, self
righteous, sin-steeped world calls the
appearance of evil leads thousands
yearly in the track which they feel was
never made for them, and while they
secretly long TO work out ways for them
selves, dare not do so because they have
not moral courage sufficient TO run the
gauntlet Of public Misrepresentation"
"You are right" said Ellen heartily.
'T knew years and years before / left
the roof which my own toll had helped
to rear to shelter Peter Dowd that God
had never Joined us; that our life was q
mOckery Of the holy institution of mar
nr,I Ia. ahs1l-,v,
of our unholy union were naturally re-
bellious and inharmonious, when they
should have been happy-hearted, phys
ically strong and mentally gifted; but
was driven to desperation before could
gain the moral courage TO resolve to be
just to myself, that l might thus have
power to be just to Others"
"But you gained the strength at last,
my dear. He that ruleth himself is
greater than he that taketh a city,"
"But, OH Edgar, consider what an
ordeal passed throughI Many wom-
an sinks to utter social ruin in such q
whirlpool. 1 couldn't endure it again"
"You had power from above, my dear.
Do you never fancy that the unseen in
huences of q better life-God medium
Of help to mortals-are near you in
times of trouble?"
"Oh, Edgar, I have so little faith
God is a long way off! The CrucifieC
is with US daily, but he so often comes
in form of crosses that our blistered fee
bear up steep and jagged Calvarys tha
cannot contemplate him with any
great emotion Of pleasure"
"'Come unto me all We that are weary
and heavy laden, and L will give yoI
rest says Jesus. Ellen, you make grea
mistakes when you rely too much upoI
your own strength"
'T never relied upon anything els,
that helped me anyw was the decide,
response.
Edgar Worth arose, and throwing
open the window, stepped through will
Ellen upon the balcony. Twilight ha'
yielded to the glowing glory Of tn
= queen of night, as she moved amid he
fleecy drapery attended by hosts of stars
The city, with its rows of lighte'
streets, lay below them, and beyond tn
white-capped, billowy bay, bearing 81
lently its burden of a thousand barks
was rising and falling in the balmy ali
Away, away, rolled low, long mountain
ranges, and in the moonlight at the fee
of wild, bold breakers guarded the gram
> Golden Gate. Lone Mountain sent it
spires heavenward and looked out ol
the sea.
"Ellen," the voice of her suitor wa
strangely deep and tender now, Gin tn
: midst of such beauty and grandeur q
this can you doubt the loving kindnes
OF the great Author of us ?u
: 81 do not doubt when am happy, a
. now, Edgar; but oh, am so often mis-
= erable! Why did God give me a hear
. to love with and deep, constant Year,
u ing for the companionship of the goo
u and true, and then cast me among thos
q who crushed my choicest jewels an
q robbed my life of its highest ideals"
d 'True gold is all the better after b,
a ing tested in the crucible, my dea
/ Your past life has been n stormy on
: Will you let me try to make your futul
sc brighter?"
The moon quietly veiled her face, an
( stars winked slyly at each other ;
k standing there, under the blue canoI
+ Of God, Edgar Worth and Ellen Dow
exchanged the pure kiss of bretrothal