The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-04-14
YOURS TRULY's" MONTH IS UP

LOU Se6I Wuil6 sue ndu Deeu u SeTNduG |
without wages, nobody except dear,
good, patient mother had thought of ap-
preciating her. Indeed, she had long |
been barely tolerated about the house as
an expensive cumberer of the cow-yard, |
kitchen, piano and parlor; and nothing
but her innate self-esteem had sus-
tanned her in her well-earned reputa-
tion of a wide-awake girl of the period. !
But the story of her wordy alteration
with the governor had gone abroad
among the hired men; it had spread
from them through the neighborhood;
other girls had caught the infection of
independence; Dick and Phil had each
had disturbance in their families"
caused by their wives determination to
follow in the steps of Yours Truly, and
become entities henceforth; so, almost
before she knew it, your correspondent
was local heroine who frightened
close-fsted old papa-curmudgeons into
spasms of economy, and sent them off
into ecstasies of doleful prophecy that
occasioned them great happiness, be-
cause their representations concerning
the governors "failure" would make
somebody miserable.
But, though Yours Truly was earning
wages, the sun rose and set as usual;
the wind roared around the house and
whistled in the key-holes, or shrieked
through the fret-work in the gables as
before; the men, for aught Yours Truly
could discover, ate roast chicken and
mince pies as heartily as ever, and the
heavens did not fall, though Dick did
grumble.
Mrs. D., you ought to see the change
our business relations have wrought in
the governor. Yours Truly is now an
object of interest of the dollar and cent
kind to him, and the only kind of inter-
est man is positively known to appre-
ciate. Instead of treating her as though
she were a burden in his household, the
old gentleman is so desperately afraid
that she'll leave him with another job
of "nothing to do" upon his hands, that
he almost abashes her with his obse-
quiousness sometimes, though, in truth,
it takes good deal of this last commod-
ity to satiate girl of the period.
We came near having a genuine
thunder-gust of discord at the end of the
month, though, and to tell you of it is
the reason why this letter is begun.
"My month is up, and here's my
bill, governor" demurely remarked
Yours Truly, after the said dignitary
had finished hearty supper and was
leaning back in his chair, resting from
excessive mastication, the only vigor-
Gus exercise he ever indulges in.
every WE'LL" he said, though he did
look annoyed, as though dealing out
: ducats to his daughter gave him great
J agony, livery well. I must give you q
: check on Ladl G Tilton. You can gel
S the cash when yoI go to Portland"
"AlI right" said Yours Truly, "and
l now, as the hir- men (all but one) are
going to take vacation during the
! present month, SO they can rest a spell,
t L believe PHI not work either. wan
4 to go to town and make visit"
e "Thunder" shouted the governor
+ You know, Mrs. D., that he always in
>. vokes the thunder when he's the least bi
( excited
: 81 don't hear any thunder" limo
! Gently remarked Yours Truly.
\ "You're not going to town." said tn
r governor, decidedly.
S "Why ?" asked Yours Truly.
D 'Because there's nobody here to d
. the work. Phil will be at home thi
It week with his sick wife, as you know
e and your mother isn't able to wait o.
IS her."
"Let Phil do it."
absurd You know he could nc
:. do this housework !"
y "Why couldn't he? He's supporte
/ and protector of women. Now, gov
d ernor, see here. There isn't a particl
y of the work Phil does, such as ridin
l. over the fields and bossing the Chins
e men, or going to town on the railroa
to collect rents from the houses yo
have given him, but what could do q
n easily as he, and some of it good de'
better. Pm going to let him try m
work awhile, and see how he like
that"
! "You can't go ~ said the governo
= peremptorily, stamping his foot.
"Indeed p' calculated Yours Truly.
y "I mean what say" was the steI
rejoinder.
). "Then goodbye, governor" WI
Yours Truly's meek reply.
e, "You don't intend to leave US in I'll
lurch just as you get your wages pa
a up, do you ?" and the govern,
il trembled, more in trepidation than
RS anger.
OF "The hired men leave when the
of l choose, sir. You don't consider the
M under any obligation to remain vii
to you longer than they agree to. R
n member, our bargain was only for
mhe m month. 1 didn't agree to nurse Ph
a. and his wife and baby through the
r. troubles, in addition to the work f
rd this farm, for fifty dollars month; al
IN L aUoH't agree to it, either, and thai
ed more If Phil wants the luxury of