The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-01-07

send the children to the loft to bed, and
make 'em be still. Alice will keep your
baby until Madge gets warm and rested,
and you needn't worry about anything.
Just go to sleep and dream that you're
eating blackberry jam and calves feet
jelly, with wine sauce. 1 wish we had
them for you, poor child"
"Will you be a mother to my baby
when / die ?"
The abrupt question shocked Mrs.
Morrison, and thrilled her strangely.
"You mustn't think about dying"
she said, as cheerfully as she could
speak.
"Why ?"
because we can't spare you"
"You must, though"
"Don't talk that way, Mrs. Andrews.
Madge has made you cup of mountain
tea. PlI bring you some with good
sweet cream in it. Now, drink,
whether you want it or not. 1t will
nourish you and make you sleep"
The sick woman mechanically obeyed,
and sank back in the bed again.
you'll write that letter tomorrow,
won't you ?'
"Yes, dear"
"Good-night."
"God bless you ~
"If Jason would only speak to me like
that 1 might get WE'LL" thought the
weak invalid, as she closed her eyes, ex-
pressing pearly drop from each, that
trickled down her transparent cheeks
and fell upon her lonely pillow.
With the early light of morning,
Madge and Jason Andrews departed to
their field of labor. The two families,
with their necessary bedding, food,
clothing, kindling wood, table, and
stools, made the one bed-and-living
room so throng that Mrs. Morrison
managed to get part of the numerous
household up and fed and out of the way
at their work before the others were al
lowed to come down from the loft-cham-
Der, and Mr.. Andrews left the house af-
ter breakfast, while yet his wife lay
sleeping TRANQUILITY.
"Chirk her up bit, if you can" said
Jason, in an undertone. "a puny,
pulin' woman is poor stock in trade fol
a laborin' man."
"She's more badly off than you think,
I fear" replied his friend.
"What makes you think so ?"
"She seems to have no interest in life
and that's pretty bad symptom"
"Well, she ort to have interest. How
a mans a-goin' to raise family with 8
woman on his hands that won't try tC
rally Ghen she's down is more than J
can see through" and Jason trudgec
away to his work, and Madge, with ar
ak on her shoulder, stalked awkwardly
beside him.
81 hope Mrs. Andrews will dieT T' she
said, suddenly, her voice breaking upor
the morning stiffness with a strangt
abruptness.
"Why ?" asked Jason, getting very
! red In the face in honest indignation.
because then she'd never trouble
you with any more family, and mayb,
you wouldn't be so badly abused an!
more"
"pve had enough of that kind of sass
Miss Smarty."
"There's no sass about it! Nothing
but sympathy" and Madge agail
flashed her wierd, black eyes defantl.
at him, as she vigorously attacked
young fir tree, and began chopping
into ten-feet lengths for rails.
As the day was warm and clear, Mrs
Morrison dispatched every child of eacl
family who was old enough to gathe
sticks for fire-wood to the forest, for tn
two-fold purpose of ridding the house c
noise for the invalid's sake and maxim
ready for more rigorous winter weathe
than had yet visited them.
> After a while, when all was quiet, an
both babies were asleep in the rud
Z trough that did double duty as a cradle
q MIS-. AuulOWo mdoi WIN ulLlCulNyI pei
a suaded to eat few morsels of broile
. venison, and drink, though sparingly
e of Madge's mountain tea.
t "Now, get pen and paper and write t
Y my mother, please" she said, pitifully
= and Mrs. Morrison made ready for th
s task. ''Tsll her." continued Mrs. All
J, drews, "that died longing for her ki'
e of forgiveness, longing to tell her ho'
deeply I repented that had ever dii
d obeyed her by running away to g
n married"
e "But you're not dead, and don
d propose to let you die" replied ht
, friend.
r "You may propose, but God will di
pose. am dying by inches, and II
a dying, too, for Iove. Jason used to p,
me, and make me think he loved me {
t, devotedly he couldn't live away frol
70 me, and be said he'd commit suicide
wouldn't marry him. Things wei
t well enough while was able to keep q
& my feet, but when got sickly he toe