The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1875-09-24
sAGEM oORRBsp0NDgUoE.

case alluded to by you in your letter of
last week from this place. Perhaps 1
owe an apology to tho good people of
Portland for that marriage; and if so, l
claim one from the Government of the
United States to me and to many
another poor madman in Oregon, for in
serting in Sec. of the public land laws
the following words "One quarter
section of land if single man, or if he
shall become married in one year, one
half-section of land" etc. Was not all
Oregon demoralized by that law twenty
odd years ago? Irecollect of men of fifty
marrying girls of twelve, with consent
of parents at that; and. several men
married girls but eleven years of age.
All Oregon was married off in 1858, and
l had to wait for a new crop, and could
not wait long or somebody else would
snap them up. May I remind you of an
incident? You were teaching school in
Eola. One morning in July a man
looking very much like myself rode up
to your school-house door, called for the
mistress, put a letter of proposal in her
hand, waited near by till noon for an an
swer, was then very courteously in
formed that che was too late" and only
two weeks after that, the more fortunate
3. G. D. carried the schooImistress off
to the minister, and from there on to
his double land-claim, while only got
a cold quarter-section. But was out of
luck. That year 1 rushed around all
over Polk and Yamhill counties. Ionly
found eight single marriageable women.
asked them all, and was "too late"
with all except one, and with her was
too early. She was widow and didn't
know it, having only heard of her as a
single woman. asked her how it was
that she being full grown was single
woman in Oregon. She replied: "Oh,
have been married, but my husband is
dead"
"Would you like to marry again ?'
said I, looking her honestly in the face
and meaning that was the man.
Then her dear blue eyes filled with
tears, shadow came over her sunny
face, and she answered: "Oh, it is al
most too soon to talk about it yet; my
husband has only been dead two weeks"
L felt awfully, apologized, mounted
my tall bay riding mule, and went over
to-Eola.
I know became, with the rest of the
people of Oregon, utterly demoralized
by the land law, or by the climate of
Oregon, or something else; for three
years before, in the States, 1 refused to
propose to a very accomplished, large,
fine, lovely blonde who seemed very
fond of me, just for the reason that
was thirty-six and she only eighteen.
L came to Oregon, saw them marrying
without regard to age, got over my
prejudices, or discretions, as did every
body else, and gladly got the first one
that would have me. I shall bear the
consequences, or charge them to Uncle
Sam.
You speak of some "law vialated,n as
the cause of my trouble now. Do you
mean Uncle Samuels land law of that
time, Ben Franklin's laws of early mar
riage, George Washington's fathers
he being forty-six and his
wife sixteen when married ? the uni
versal fact that in cases of marriage of
equal ages the business husband out
grows the plodding housewife by from
ten to twenty years? Let me give you
another law that some of our Demo-
cratic friends, distinguished at that,
have had the kindness to suggest to me
as being violated. They lay the whole
blame of my wife's detection to the per-
nicious teachings of the NEW NORTH
WEST, unsettling in the minds of women |
the sacredness of the marriage relation, |
urging them out of their
happy homes and household ways into
the ways of men, where their modesty
must become unsexed, and their virtue
be constantly assailed, unless they are
indeed both "strong-minded'' and hard
featured; that my wife, being neither,
fell early in the engagement; that they
are looking for numerous victims to fol-
low; that nothing but the good old
doctrines of Jefferson and
Jackson, and the equally sound dogma
Of Paul, "Wives, obey your husbands"
can save the country. Some of them
urge me to vote for Lane because you
advocate Warren.
I can not admit your inference ''that
to atone for that marriage treated my
,hild-wife WE'LL" Oh, no. It was be-
cause loved her, and she loved me. I
was physiologist, and abused not the
youth of my beloved. 1 was a wor-
shipper of woman's loveliness, if of any
hing under heaven. found her a
Hebe. L would have developed her into
4 Sappho and Lucretia in warmth and
virtue. She may go beyond my guild
ance, and become as an Aspasia or a
Nimon de Enclos. know not the ca
oacity of a full-fedged woman's soul.
confess to the visit of simeon, where
was not even looking for a storm.
When L was a youth, we boys and
girls used to form circle, and swinging
around it would sing, t'There's a rosey in
he garden for you, young man." How is
T. |