The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-07
Restoring a Husband.

was SlLLl0g al0Be IN my once, coming
over brief had just prepared for a
case then pending, when 1 heard a
knock on my door, and in walked a
young woman with pleasantly sad eX-
preston of eountenance, carefully
dressed, who desired to know if could
transact little legal business for her.
She immediately seated herself, and,
after some hesitation, began her story.
1t seemed that her husband, who was
given to turns of extreme dissipation,
had deserted her of his own accord, and
she had heard nothing of him for a
number of years. At first, she was un-
willing to believe that his absence was
anything more than temporary, as he
had at several times forgot his obliga-
tions to her in this way; but, finding it
became protracted, she entertained fears
for his safety. Thoughtless of his wife's
distress of mind, and caring nothing
whether she ever received tidings of
him or not, he followed after his own
inclinations, and led the life of vaga-
bond. She gave her name as Mrs. Nal
lows.
"Henry," said she, "was once my all
in all; and love him now as much as
1 ever did. pity him SO ~
Poor woman How much she was to
be pitied herself!
81 have earned a living for myself
and little girl ever since 1 was left
alone. Besides that, have bought a
little plain furniture, and put some
thing in the savings bank"
"He has been gone several years, you
say ?" 1 asked her.
"Yes, sir; he must have been, in
order to give poor woman like myself
any time to lay aside little money"
81 suppose you wish to secure your
savings, then, against ="
Eyes, sir. He must not have them
1t will never do /! Think of my child I''
told her what the law was, and re-
GREETED that such law was tolerated
on the statute book.
She looked at me as if she wanted to
tear the leaf out of the statutes.
81 knew how it was" said she, land,
for that purpose, have prepared to take
a step that otherwise / would never
take in the world. L must obtain a
divorce"
I studied her countenance we'll, for il
challenged my scrutiny then. 1t was
that of brave and noble woman, who,
from duty and principle, makes a sacri-
fee whose greatness the world can
never measure.
''I wish it could be avoided" said
she; "but how is it possible? Even if
he returns and claims what I have
saved, before a separation is legally
effected, he can take it all without any
power of mine to prevent it. Is it not
so ?" mi.
was obliged to confess that it was.
"Then," said she, with a sad resolu-
tion, ''this step must be taken. II
tears my heart, but [ will do my duty
to my child"
I therefore took such data from her
lips as enabled me to bring a petition
before the proper court. While l sat
making the memorandum, she threw
in various exclamations of sorrow at
the state of things with her, that ex-
cited me with unusual sympathy. l
know that lawyers are not apt to be the
most sentimental of men. But here
was a case to challenge, in many of its
connecting circumstances, the sympa-
thy of any living creature. 1 did not
hesitate, accordingly, to render the
poor lady full measure of my better
feelings in return for her sorrow.
'PoOr Henry ~ she would say. 81
loved him so much 1 can but love
him yet How can l forget those early
days r'
The safest way for me was, while she
talked thus, to hold my head down as
closely as possible to my paper. Al
some points of her story, 1 do not be-
lieve 1 could have looked her in the
face without helping the unhappy
creature along with tears of my own.
when we were married." said she
again, "I didn't think of days like
these. I wouldn't have believed it il
my best friends had told me they were
to come. l loved Henry, and / know
how truly he then loved me. But be
has been led astray. He never would
have done this of himself. Some one
else must have led him into it."
After time succeeded ln collecting
all the facts from her that were neces
sary to the business, and pushed bach
from the table. She once more en-.
quired:
81 cannot prevent him from taking
all, except by bringing the action fol
divorce ?"
az see no other way" told her.
"Then," said she, with heavy coun.
tenance, "the matter is settled forever
am to live and die alone. Good day
sir. I loved Henry before he took t.
these courses. All sir, 1 love him
now. 1 would make any sacrifice, if
could thus avert this dreadful step.n
She took leave of me sadly, as if she
were passing out into the dark shadow
of cloud.
sat undisturbed in my Office fol
several hours, Illuminating on the hare
case that had just been presented.
thought within myself that it was 8
fearful matter thus to divorce husband
and wife forever, when, perhaps, happy
circumstances might yet intervene tC
reconcile their differences; and I felt il
worse than all that law should be al.
lowed standing on the pages of the stat.
ute book, which drove an unprotected
woman to petition for a divorce to save
her property.
The more I thought about it, the
harder it seemed to me to be. Yet
/ knew there was no remedy for case
like this but the Que she telt forced Il
choose. Her husband had been away
from her-had voluntarily deserted hel
for number of years-long enough tC
warrant the granting of her petition
He deserved to be cut off from the true
and loving woman whom he had 81
basely betrayed, and hoped to be an
instrument in bringing about such a re
suit.
Even while I sat thus occupied, tn.
door opened, and there walked in a mar
perhaps thirty-five years, who sat dOwI
in the chair which my unhappy Glen
had vacated. He stated that he was
person long absent from the city, anC