The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-14
PROTECTED AND SUPPORTED.

~ NA~ NNOAi RACeAoCi VIC Cdid W
one of the children, as we bit our pencil
for broken idea, and muttered some
thing about "these constant inter-
ruptions," that might have discomfited
the nervous woman at the door if she
had heard it.
Strange that nobody remembers to
shut the hall door after 'em ~ we ex-
claim, as our broken idea refuses to be
bitten together again.
"Would you like to buy something
to-day ?" queried a tremulous voice,
that caused US to look up from the
fortunes of "Madge Morrison" into the
face of the speaker, whom misfortune
had evidently driven into the street to
peddle "grease eradicator," etc., etc., for
a livelihood.
mo, we don't want anything said
the household pet, who had answered
the bell.
"Tell her to come in," we said, i'm
pulsively, for we knew no woman
would risk encountering repulses as a
peddler at the doors of Portland's citi-
zens for fun.
81 am in great haste, thank you," re-
piled the dealer, hesitatingly, as she be-
gan to open her wares.
"Walk into the sitting-room," said
we, rising, and proffering a rocking
chair.
"Thank you. ! haven't time to sit, ="
she said, though her white lips and
pale face very plainly revealed how
tired and weak she was.
"YOu can sit down as fast as you can
stand up" we laughed, in reply. Then,
while she toasted her feet before the
fire, we selected such trifies as our own
slender purse could afford; and we no.
ticed her eyes brighten as she clasped
the glittering coin, while a thrill of
gladness went through US, because we
could do even so little as that for a
woman who was not afraid to peddle,
though she would have been ashamed
to beg.
Couldn't you find more remunera-
tive, or at least more certain work than
this ?" we asked, kindly.
81 might if it were not for my
babies" she answered, as tears
moistened her eye-lashes. "NIy young
est is only five weeks old, my husband
is out of work, and l must do some
thing, or We'll all starve."
Supported and protected by men r'
thought We, Indignantly, as we Bit
again at our pencil, while ideas that
were not broken came crowding thick
and fast.
Cant your husband go out in the
storm and encounter the rough side OF
life more easily than you can ?" we
asked, in surprise.
"He's discouraged" was the apollo.
getic reply.
discouraged! FiddEeStickSp p'
thought we. "He's a voter, and law
maker, and head of family, and he
ought to be ashamed of himselfm
But we would have no more dared tc
thus express ourself in the woman's
hearing-although she would have
known Onr Indignation was just-than
mother Eve would have dared to blame
father Adam for not protecting hel
from the wiles of the serpent on that
memorable occasion when trouble crepl
into the human family because of that
apple business. So we said, at would
seem that the head of the family ought
to protect the mother of his babes from
the iinclement weather, especially when
the smallest one is so young"
"You know how it is with man,
she replied, as she rose to go. "Its
hard for them, when overtaken by mis-.
fortune, to bend themselves to circum-
stances. My husband was raised tc
better things"
"Wasn't you?" we asked, impul-
siveIy.
"Oh, yes; but woman will do one
thing, if she can't another, to keep her
self aud babes from starving"
"Do you generally get courteous
treatment among the ladies where you
go with your merchandise ?" We asked,
anxious to turn the conversation for the
wife's sake.
81 get very little sympathy. A
peddler couldn't expect much," she
said, in reply. "But 1 don't get but
one or two downright insults in a day;
and they are from women who haven't
any money, and who prefer to be un-
ladylike rather than confess it,"
"How do you know that ?"
at isn't in woman's nature to be sell
fish when she can help herself. But
1 must go. He will be impatient about
my not getting home to the babies"
protected and supported by men ~
thought we, again. Apd yet, we know
there are thousands of such cases.
AS we watched the peddler vending
her way toward her protectors tene-
ment, we fancied we could hear him
giving vent to his ideas upon "wom-
ans sphere" Aud we are sure they
would run, if expressed on paper, some
thing in this style: 'It is mans busi-
ness to earn the living, and it is wom-
ans duty to stay at home and take care