The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-17
VOLUME VI.

and resolutions, in which grievances
many and various were ably presented
and calmly discussed, each woman
speaker proelaiming her belief in the
inalienable right of every sentient being
to life, liberty, and the pursuit of hap
piness.
''Is it possible" she thought, ''that I
have lived so long and never considered
these things, as applied to womanhood,
before ?"
Then she bethought herself of the
great world outside, and wherever she
willed to go she went without further
effort. And here she heard the COM
meuts of men; met the rude jeers and
coarse, unfeeling laughter of the
drunken loafers in bells and bagino's,
who make laws to govern women. She
fioated through brick walls, into the
private sanctums of the public press,
and noted the glee with which the
champions of freedom for men seized
hold of every shaft of ridicule and mis-
] presentation " AilCh LhGil lhBGAullg
could devise to thwart the progress of
! freedom for women, and sent them forth
as barbed arrows to tester in the flesh of
timid, clinging, and conservative,
though secretly discontented, wives and
mothers, frightening them for a long.
time into silence, and often even forcing
them into bitter denunciation of their
best friends-those who had dared to
brave the storms of public opprobrium
| in their own interests. Then she saw,
! too, that the barbed arrows struck
sometimes into the quivering flesh of
some woman less timid aud more COM
bative, and ranked there until the fran
tic sufferer gave vent to unseemly ex-
pressions of bitterness, whereupOu the
men who had sped the arrows, noting
ing their effect, exclaimed, "Behold /!
The mothers who are discontinued with
the mastery of their sons over them are
unreasonable, tyrannical women. Let
US grasp our power still more tightly,
lest we lose it altogether"
In her dream Mrs. Rutherford mar
veed much at all this. Then an angel
approached her in shining raimeut.
His face was as the face of the sun, and
as he advanced he held in his hand a
mighty balance.
"Who art thou >" asked the dreamer,
marveling that she was not afraid.
'I am Justice" said the angel; "and
in this balance l am ready to weigh the
motives of mOrtals. Let thine aim be
for liberty, equity, responsibility and
honor for man and woman, and in due
time the oppressed shall receive of the
fruit of her hands, that her own works
: may praise her i'm the gates"
"And l am Liberty ~ cried voice
from an unseen source, while ringing
tones of exultation reverberated through
and through her being.
, Looking eagerly, and itseemed strange
that she could with her closed eyes SEE
clearly, she beheld the feminine emblem
of masculine freedom, the Goddess o
Liberty, coming toward her, her classi,
: face aglow with holy joy, a wreath o
= amaranth upon her brow, and the float
t ing folds of the star spangled banne
] falling in biIlowy waves from he
= shoulders to her feet.
' "How beautiful ~ exclaimed tn
D dreamer, involuntariIy.
1 The Goddess shook her left hand dep
t recatingly, and a chain cIanked in re
D sponse.
q Looking whence the sound proceeded
q Mrs. Rutherford beheld the chain; an
o 10! it was rivited tightly around tn
y wrist of Liberty, and descending
S clasped her foot and held it as in a wise
+! Wondering as to what it all migh
d mean, she looked again at the SHAPED
r wrists, and behold with her right han
q the Goddess was busily engaged i
plucking at the massive chain, and on
y by one its many links were falling {
k the ground. Glancing toward the fe,
S. of the apparitiOn, she saw, as though
a had been plank for Liberty's foOtstep
r a jeweled slab, and upon it was writer
l. in letters of living light, the golde
s. words, columbia shall yet be free %
le The angel of Justice smiled radiant
os as he noted the illumined thoughts
le the speaker, and taking Liberty by ii
d, hand, held aloft the balance and grac
Iy fully assisted her upon its massi,
d, plate.''
To the surprise of Mrs. Rutherford, il
it stead of coming down with the weigl
70 of her body and the massive chain, Il
le scale upon which she stood ascended 4
r it kicked the beam with violence.
- Again she looked and marveled muc
a But gazing earnestly with her clos
as eyes, she saw a dark form crouch
of heavily upon the lower plate, half hi
it. den by his gloomy robes.
d. "And who art thou ," she asked
,r. wonder.
er The monster scowled and made
nd answer.
er "His name is Tyranny :" said Ii
ID. erty, as with a nervous twitch s
ne sought to undo another link of the m,
10. sive chain that bound her. But VIII
ed the eyes of tyranny were fastened up
ng her, the attempt was vain.
ell "D,ar mortal" cried Justice, holdi