The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-07-11


NEITHER N-u;EN NoH ARE GIVEN N MAR
EIAGE."
This communication was written
many years ago, in answer to the pub
lished letter OF an unhappy wife, who
complained bitterly, and perhaps not
without cause, OF the man she had
chosen for her husband. There j.
much in it that is well said, and that
needs to he said again and again, that
gives il q new mission to tried and suf-
ferimg and doubling hearts:
VIII you pardon me, mon GHiie, for
speaking 10 your soul, your tried and
sorrowing heart, when / never hope or
ask 10 lift the veil Of secrecy that hides
you from me on earth Perhaps in
Heaven your head will TepOse on my
breast, and to me you may pour out
all Of your earth-life rs frankly as the
angels do. Shall tell You what i'm
agine about you that your path
through life il trodden with outward
calmneSs, that even bosom friends read
not your soul in regard to your mar
riage, and your letter was penned in n
sudden burst Of bitterness that was wild
to be expressed. 1t was not fair ex-
ponent of the many heart-rending hours
when you knelt and implored God for
patience, lyPofis1ice 10 bear your bur
den.
Faults we all have, and under great
provOcatiOn we do not always act wisely;
but ! agree with you that certain states
of intense feeling are not brought about
without an adequate cause, and often,
alas. giving way before n temptation
so cruel, an angel could scarcely have
resisted il, brings n retributiOn that
seems little in keeping with the errori
Then the world passes heavy judgment,
while another who is capable of COM
mitting wrong n hundred fold greater
and perhaps does commit il, is held up
rs an example of amiability. But il is
not the world we are to look to for an
impartial Judgment; We must outgrow
a Difference for its awards. 4 diviner
life is stretching out before us, beyond
the dark river! All. mon annie, would
you could read the volumes of hope and
joy my soul would utter as / look for
ward to that lifel-would / could take
you TO my heart, and enable you to see
with my vision; then would all clouds
roll away from your eyes, then would
you look upon your earth-life, and ex-
claim with ardent gratitude, at is
well!' il is so deeply needed God
could not spair me this pain cOnsis-
through which | can be led to Heaven.
Perhaps you will ask, "But must my
husband be wicked for the sake of max
ing me good and patient ?"
No! but your husband has the power
to become noble and pure. 1t is not
Gods fault, If he 'cW not, but the All
Wise does the best that can be done
under the circumstances; through the
suffering this man infiiets, He strives TO
draw you TO Himself-to bring good out
of evil; TO guide your feet toward an
angelic home, where you will be well
coined with love that shall make you
forget the sOrrowful life that preceded
it. You may think-"Why did not
God order that my husband should have
been united to some heaTtless woman,
who would not have suffered as | have
done ~
God cares for your husbands weIl-be-
ing had IT been thus, two human be-
ings might have plunged down and
down toward the deepest hell, each i'm
pelling the descent Of the otherl Asi
Is yOu may he some restraint; before
your mortal life closes, YOU NAV see
that you have had high mission to the
being whose lot is east with yours. IF
you cannot influence him to become a
Christian, you may at least save him
from the lowest depths of future woe
1t Is consistent with eternal justice to
suppose every shade of good and evil is
taken into account, and has a bearing
upon our position in the other life.
And this heartless wife he ought to have
had, may at this moment have a hus-
band who is her guardian angel, who
holds her back from rushing where she
would; and, mon annie, don't laugh, /
flnfs n,,I .f hars a.,
be yours, your twin-spirit; together
you may become perfect angel, capa- 4
BILE of far more virtue aud bliss than il
you had been united on earth, besides /
helping others on earth more than i'll
YOU had been together! Now, isn't that |
charming explanation of the cruel
destiny that is upon you at present?
All. never think again that all Is lost.
There Is everything before you to gain.
Never dream that the buds of hope have
died. There are thousands Of thous-