The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1873-10-03
A Family Conversation.

Husband-Wife, have you read what
the papers say about Miss Smiley of
Chicago making pr0selytes by prcach-
ing? What do you think women will
do next?
Wife-Why, 90 to pleading law, I
guess.
Husband-Well, well! If anything
on eaIth can disgust me with women,
it will be To see them take the stand
and go to making speeches. | am sorry
iteomes in my day; love woman in her
own sphere.
/ Wife-PFay tell me what is her
/ sphere? Not to know anything only
what her husband tells her. | suppose.
l should be sorry to see any of my girls
| turn lawyers; but if they did they
| would be true to their clients, and not
/ be bought and sold as some men are.
| Husband-Just rs | expected; YOU
/ bring up argument and reason to sus-
/ tain women in their wild gOOse-chase
after law and physie and many other
absurditiesi
Wife-Well, Mr.. Brown, you know
that. my opportunities have been linn
tied, that l Know but little, and am de-
| pendent upon you for that. l have
the Apostle PauPs advice: "Let women
learn from their own husbands at home
and be i'm subjection."
Husband-Well, Mary, you've acted
wisely by staying at home and attend
ing to your domestic duties, and letting
the outside world alone. Women are
too pure to mix up in political strife.
Wife-Oh! that just reminds me of
what John asked me yesterday. He
said,. "MOther, Judge johnson is in the
parlor talking to father about that suit
pending in court" "What did he say
about it?" ale said he feared they
would swindle the widow and children
out of the most of the property. I
could not understand half the Judge
said" "Why not, my son ?' "Be-
cause | have never read law, neither
been in a courtroom, what do they
mean by mittimus and veniTe ?''
"Iou'n have to ask your father, my
SON." "Well, mother, think it is time
we were learning something. Suppose
father had dropped of suddenly like
Mr.. Grey, and left his business in the
condition it is in, with those securities
hanging over it ?''
Husband-Who ever would have
thought that John, no older than he is,
would have noticed what the Judge
was talking about? j believe l will
bring home some law books and have
him go to reading them.
Wife-And Annie too; | don't wish
to raise her as ignorant as I am. We
do not know whose hands she may fall
into when we are gone.
Husband-Oh! Mary, you know I
don't want my daughters contaminated
with law and politics; they have enough
to do to study music and dress. When
ever women engage in masculine pur-
suits, it takes away all other charms
Wife-Well, 1 have found out that
charms will not take virtuous woman
through the world. Look at your sister
Maud, brought up to know nothing
but to dress and to thump on the piano!
She Is sample of what charms will do
towards rearing a family. She married
man who has spent all the property
Hher father gave her, and you went Iris
security for five thousand dollars. Now
he has run away to get rid of paying
I his debts and left her with six little
children, broken hearted, and knows no
more about feeling the responsibilities
of wife and mother than our little Jane.
! Husband-Oh well, you know if wom-
en- get good husbands they have no need
to learn anything outside the sphere OF
women.
Wife-Why, I heard YOU say last
week, that the heads of the nation were
/ becoming so corrupt and dishonorable
that they would be the downfall of the
nation; a great number of men who 90
to the Senate and House of Representa-
tIves to represent the people of this once
Treat republic, can be bought and sold
Tor few thousand dollars. If this is
the ease, 1t is certainly time women
were beginning to study rs least the
i!Tst Law OF ure-self-preserva-
/ tion.-ELpOHent.