The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-12-18

lEnlered, according to Act OF Congress, in the
year 1874, by Mrs. a. J. Duniway In the office Of
the Librarian Of Congress at Washington City.l
CHAPTER V.
The beautiful days of early autumn
had given place to a drizzling Novem-
Der rain, and the hurry and worry about
the household work of Stonehenge farm
was augmented, in great degree, by the
continual tracking of mud-adhering
boots and coarse, slip-shod brogans.
Nrs. Armstrong, Margaret and the
two little children of the second crop
were being prepared for journey to the
States, as fast as Matties fingers could
do the work. For once in her life the
girl had triumphed sufficiently over
housekeeping details to slip her neck
from the kitchen yoke, and install Susan
and Mary as soyereigns over the Arm
strong bacon-and-cabbage pots. And,
though the house and inmates Jared
even worse than usual, the mud being al
lowed to accumulate TO a fearful thick
ness, and the general discomfort to keep
corresponding company, Matte reso-
lutely kept her room beside the uncon-
scious Nettie, where she fashioned, with
marvellous dexterity, the cheap but APP
propriate outfit for the members of the
family about to embark upon a sea voy-
age.
" It's awful expensive" said Isaac
Armstrong deprecatingly, rs he paid a
visit TO the sick chamber, where Matte
displayed two complete and well-lined
suits of cotton-warf waterproof, intended
for the step-mother and daughter. 'Its
awful expensive, Mat. Seems to me
you might have got something cheaper u
shifting a great cud Of tabacco from one
jaw TO the other, and ejecting stream
of filthy saliva upon the chamber floor
''If man don't want to meet the ex-
psnses of a family, lie has no right to
incur the obligation, sir. When you
married Sally Jones-as you have told
me yourself-she was living in luxury
and ease. Her widowed mother had al
ways idolized her, and she knew moth
ing whatever of privation or drudgery
until she became your wife. You are to
send her home, after an absence of less
than six years, ruined physically and
mentally. / think it's as little as you
can do to furnish her an outfit of decent
clothing for once in your life, at least
"You're getting very appreciative o
your step-mother all at once, 1 see."
ats time, sir, for humanity's sake
thatsomebody should begin to appreciate
herr
"Do you imagine what bill your
running up at Germans for her tog
gerry ?" and the air of the questioner wa
that Of an injured benefactor to the race
''How much is it ?n
"Guess.n
al never was good at guesses."
"Well, Mat, you have run me in del
for over thirty dollars Think Of Il. Ho'
do you suppose Pm going to get on i
the world at that rate ?"
81 don't know" speaking saucily
"You ought to have thave thought {
this before you married Mrs. numbt
two.u
Isaac Armstrong grew very angr,
Whether it was because Matte was VI
dutiful and saucy, or because she ha
told him a truth of which he felt fu
conviction, or whether from both cause
no matter; but he spoke harshly to Il
busy girl and stamped his foot like
mailman.
"Oh, well, father! 1t shall be just I
you say. If you think it will refie
any credit upon your name to have yoI
wife go back to her mother, destroyC
in mind and body, and half clothe
withal, let her go. can stand it if yC
can; but there's no sense in your gettiT
furious over my attempt to help her"
A shade of something like remor
passed over the rough features of Il
father; but it soon passed away, and
stood there mute and mulish.
"Shall 1 inform Mrs. Armstrong
the fact that am proceeding in th
wardrobe business without your acqU
escence, sir ?''
"Oh, that wouldn't do any good, no
that you've bought the things"
"Then what's the use Of grumblinl
fl were a man, there are two thin
I'd never fume about. One would
what / could, and the other what
couldn't help"
styUbot makes vou so willing, all
once, to spend money on your ste
mother, Mat? You know you neV
have been liberal with her heretofore
"And never was so old or wise
fore as I am now. Recollect, sir, thal
it had not been for her influence, not o
of your daughters would have ever Sc
the inside of a boarding school,"
"Its precious little good that Il
amounted TO, Mat"
"You're right'in one sense. father.
can't endure this life since came ba
to 1t. Not that the school satisfied N
for it did not, but it opened before n
uneOnsciously to the teachers, glimp,
of other duties and opportunities besid
scrubbing muddy floors, milking fir,
tious cows, feeding voracious childr,
and still more greedy dogs TO saw moi
ing Of washing dirty dishes every d,
and dirtier clothes every week.
"Well, Mat, depend upon it, none
the other gals shall go to boardl