The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1874-02-27
CHATTER XII.
xKw FRIEND.

A gKw FRIEND.
Every day, now, witnessed some new
improvement in Judith. am reminded
in writing Of her, of a 'Iittle incident,
as President Lincoln would have said
A lady whom knew, had sickl,
child, whose brief existence OF thre
years was-a series Of misfortunes in tn,
way of illness. At last twas threatenes
with paralysis OF its lower limbs, and {
friend said to her, "You worry your lift
out over that child, and you ought tC
know you never can raise her"
The mother flew into a passion of re-
sentiment. "Not raise her~ said she
much you know about children. Every
time she has been i'll she has come out
of it stronger and better every way.
regard her illnesses as the true steps tc
perfect health at last;p and the event
proved that she was right.
So Judith's sorrows of every kind left
her higher than they found her-mort
Intelligent, thoughtful and spiritual
and more lovely in person, as well.
How much of this was due to Judith's
progressiyeness, and how much to the
individual character, observers might
differ about.
BY the time she was able to partici-
pate in the social affairs of Fort Kel-
logg her position was established, even
with the COlOneps wife. Though some
thing less than countess in disguise, {"
she had no faint of birth or character,
nor mark of servitude about her, which
could exclude her from the society of
the best of her sex in free America. 1t
was true her fortune consisted Of the few
hundred dollars obtained from the sale
of her fathers wagon, horses, mules and
beef-cattle; enough, perhaps, to take her
back over the wearisome road she had
come, in one Of the public stages, and
a little more besides. But then-"her
face was her fortune;" even Mrs. Kel-
logg did not doubt that.
With the return Of health her final
growth was completed. Between seven
teen and eighteen she was ''divinely
tall, and most divinely fair" Herneck
and shoulders, like those of the Princess
OF Wales, were the very expression of
grace and dignity combined, as her
arms and hands were Of lOveliness, and
her whole form Of supple strength and
graceful movement. Every day Mrs.
Stewart told the Doctor, or the Colonel's
wife, or the Colonel, or the Major, that
it did her good to look at Miss Miles.
Truly, ga thing of beauty is a Joy for
ever"
So far Judith was fortunate in being
admired and petted by her own sex, on
account Of her beauty; fortunate solOns
as the admiration came only from hel
own sex-an extremely improbable by.
pothesis-yet for the non-controventior
of which Judith would be held respon'
sible; as if beauty could prevent or re-
fuse admiration, or a rose reject the sun
shine or the breeze.
Our affairs never stand still, even in a.
dull spot Of earth as Fort Kellogg
There was the arrival of the mails with
the letters and the newspapers, the
usual Indian excitements, and that per
sonal gossip which flourishes every
where, and often inverse in proportion
TO the smallness of the space in which
It is pentup. Judith, who had no expert
ence in gossip, except such coarse tattlt
as she might have heard from Tim Par
ker or his wife, was genuinely shocked Il
discover how it grew like Jonah:
gourd in this dry Arizona soil, anc
among the ladies and gentlemen FOL
whom she entertained so profound re
spect. The first intlmation she received
of it came from the mulatto girl, Josie
who, ever since she learned of the
Southern ahtecedents of missy Ju
dith," had delighted in devoting her ex
ira time to her, in tending upon her
and helping with the sewing which Ju
dith found it absolutely necessary to do
albeit she was but an Indifferent dress
maker. Josie's services in this respec
were invaluabIe-her skill in fitting
supplying the place Of a profes
sional modiStc.
It was during the seclusion of til
trying-on process that Josie loosed he
tongue, never any too stringently re
strained.
WClar TO graciousw exclaimed Josie
pausing in her work to watch some on
out OF the window; "ef dat 'ar Cunne
slnt got annudder brick in he's hatv
ga what ?'' inquired Judith, sur
prlsed.
"Abriek, hOney-drunk-laws. didn'
you know dat?n
'fThe Colonel drunk? / think yo
are mistaken, JOSIE" said Judith. con,
ing TO the window to look. But sb
shrunk back quickly when she saw Col
onel kellogg actually roeling along th
walk in front of the officers quarter,
It gave her q shock TO behold a gentle
man Of his position, and the husband ,
the elegant Mrs. Kellogg, in such a cor
dition. Half aloud, and quite neanin
it, she said, "Oh, what.a pity.'
"'Taint no use TO pity dem kind, p al
swered Josie, pertly. ''Dey jss takes
LIQUOR like so alligator to water. Law