The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-12-29
CHAPTER IX.

CHAPTER TX.
Aunt Judy was so thoroughly an
noyed over John Smiths rage and rant
ing that she was for while completely
cowed.
But when a woman is not the wife or
mother of a man; when no special tie
of affinity or consanguinity cOmpels her
to cringe and fawn through that over
weening affection in which many gen.
eratious of over stimulation has made
the sex morbid, it is not possible for an
unreasonable and unreasOning son or
husband of some other woman to long
hold her at a serious disadvantage.
After the first hour of Johns revenge
had been expended in infiicting tongue
lashes upon the spirit of poor weeping,
sick, and wounded Edna, and equally
unjustified and unjustifiable whip
lashes upon the bodies of the patient,
toiling, suffering oxen, Aunt Judy took
advantage of a lull in the tempest,
sprang from the wagon to the ground
effort was not slight One-and snatch
ing the whip, exclaimed, in tones of de-
f INT authority:
"John Smith, 1 discharge you from
my service, sir! This wagon is mine,
and the oxen, the bed, aud everything
else included"
"Maybe you'd like to claim the wife
and baby ~ said John, with a sneer.
81 do claim them, John Smith. You
have outraged every law of God in your
fury, and we are out of the reach of the
laws of men, so propose to protect this
sick woman at all hazards"
John hung his head in silence.
"Give me the whip" continued Aunt
Judy. 'You are not fit to control cat
erpillar."
John was astounded. Hadn't Aunt
Judy always plead for him before :?
And now that she had turned against
him, what was he to do? He had NOR
tally offended Hal La Selle, so he could
not now go back to seek his assistance
and advice Indeed, that was the last
thing be would have been willing to DO,
anyhow.
NOW, traUeIW said Aunt Judy, look
ing him in the eye with a steady gaze,
before which his countenance fell.
John did not know what to do, and as
he stood before his fate, hesitatiug and
helpless, his courege all oozed from his
tongue and fingers ends, what should
Edna do but, wOman-like, declare her
self his sworn ally?
There are men, plenty of them, who
will scold, ill-treat, and sometimes ever
whip their own wives, who become vir'
tuously and instantaneOusly Indignant
if any other man offers them the slight
est incivility; so there are women
plenty of them, who consider them
selves fully licensed to speak evil o
their own husbands, who will fight fo
them in an instant if anybody else at
tempts to coincide with them.
"Auht Judy" cried Edna, eff yor
leave john by the roadside, you mus
leave me, too. Remember you have al
ways told me that l accepted him 70
better or for worse, and if this isn't tn
worse part of the bargain, don't know
how to find it,"
Possibly this declaration, unexpecte
as it was, touched Johns better nature
The look of innocent injury which h
assumed as he said, in a desponder
tone, mo, Edna; go with Aunt Judy
it makes no difference what becomes
me r' would have done credit to sta
actor.
Edna was in a raging fever, and cor
sequently in no condition to think {
act with judgment; yet the hereditar
disposition of woman asserted itse
fully.
"Help me out of the wagon, Johl
and lay the baby by me on the sand,
she said. 'If Aunt Judy discards yo
she must remember there are three
u.s."
Had Edna's wifely fealty but assertt
itself yesterday, when Aunt Judy ht
been pleading for John, the dear o
lady would have been thoroughly happ
but now she was entirely disgusted.
"Hear anything o. that, old womani
cried the husband, exultantly. "Mayl
you'd. like, with all your boasted 10,
for Edna Rutherford, to leave her
starve out hore in the wilderness.
al ought to-" replied Aunt Judy. {"
would serve her right for being such
idiot But John, if do allow you to
on with me, remember you are not
mistreat your wife. She has acted n
bly, in fleeing from the presence of H
La Selle. The trouble with you is tn
you are not capable of appreciating b
motives"
81 can't for the life of me see whe
the nobility of the motives comes in