The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-02-18
gate with a brilliant display of flowers

among her choicest selections as he was
approaching the house, and there he
lay, like an over-fed pig, rolling over
upon the flowers, and frightening every
member of the family with his strange
behavior.
Mrs. Andrews was as one turned to
stone.
"You'd better see to him." said
Madge.
81 cannot" said her mother, with the
Indifference of despair.
"But he'll ruin my flowers"
''I can't help it He's ruined me,
and all of us. The quicker we're dead
the better"
"But we can't die till our time comes,
unless we commit suicide, and that's
both eowardly and wicked"
'pve tried to do my duty" said her
mother. "pve always been honest and
upright in my intentions, but Pve
wronged my poor children beyond repa-
ration"
"Better say you've wronged yourself,
my mother dear. Sure, if you can stand
the present outlook, the rest of us ought
to-" and Madge stopped to caress her.
''May 1 do just as 1 please with him,
mother?"
'Yes, child; anything, so you don't
bring him near me-"
''Then pIl cowhide himm
"Madgew ~
az willy,
ado as you like, child. But be care
ful. It's against the law for you to
strike him."
"He never stops to think about law
when he wants to strike one of the chill
dren."
''But they belong to him."
"You don't mean to tell me that my
fathers children belong to that wallow-
ing sot ?"
'In the eyes of the law they do"
20, mother! And you have done
thisp'
1t was the last time Madge ever at
tempted to reproach her mother. The
poor woman fell upon the floor in a
death-like swoon, from which she
awoke at last in raging fever, and for
many days she fingered between life
and death.
i The unavRiling sorrow of Madge was
pitiful to see. Every duty that loving
daughter could perform was willingly
attended to; but the weary, dragging
drudgery of the sick-room failed to tell
upon her spirits as did the remOrseful
truth that the last words her mother
had heard her utter during her con-
sciousness had been bitter reproach,
which owed the most of its acrimony to
the fact that it was true.
When Jason Andrews had sufficiently
awakened from his first drunken stupor
to realize that his wife was dangerously
i'll, he betook himself afresh to his cups,
alleging, when sufficiently sober to talk
coherently, that he was drinking to
drown his troubles.
"What would everybody think OF
me, if should drink to drown trouble?''
said Madge, to herself, as she redoubled
her exertions to make her mother COM
Portable.
"But you're not ~ sagaciously
suggested her brother Sam.
"Being feminine, and therefore a
weaker vessel I am supposed to be
strong enough to endure any amount oi
aff1iction without stimulants. If were
only a man 1 should need-pshaw!
don't have any patience with any of the
mawkish nonsense that hear so much
about. If it's necessary for a man tC
drink to drive sorrow from his brain
and heart, I'd think woman who had
married a drunkard should at once
plunge herself into the deepest oblivion
possible"
zone would think you were married
woman, and your husband was drunk,
ard, to hear you talk" said Harry.
"Catch me getting sick and giving VI
in despair if were married to such 6
curse p' and Madge shook her fist men
8 acingly at the head of the family as ht
lay insensible from drink upon one o
her clean white beds, while her mothel
lay insensible, because of her great sor
row, upon the other one.
"What would you do if you had sucl
a husband ?" asked her brother.
"Do p" cried Madge. 'Td do anything
pd dare anything! If a woman makes
matrimonial contract and it proves {
fraud, she has no more moral right t.
abide by it than a man has to conside
an agreement valid and binding where
in he has been defrauded by paymen
in counterfeit coin ~
"Madgep' cried her mother, from thu
bed, and the daughter, delightedat th,
, prospect of her patients returning con
sciOusness, was at her side in an instant
"Do you feel better, mother? ?"
, "Where's Jason ?" was the sbudder
ing response.
; 'rNever mind him, mother, dear. L
there anything can do for you ?''
7, 'Tm very i'll, darling"
"But you're better now, you know
tT might be better if I were free"
"Then free yourself Pll stand b.