The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-08-04
The Difference.
BY HESTER A. BENEDICT.

Mr.. and Mrs. Heth had just moved
into the pretty new house on Twenty
fourth street, in the City of Bonanzas,
and were busy as bees setting things to
rights, and happy as birds in their new
and sweet possession. For, though the
welded pair were by no means very
young, and though many years had
passed since their two ways had merged
into one, a home of their own had hith-
ertO been to them but a dream and
hope.
Now, indeed, it was a beautiful real
ity And with light feet and happy
faces they went from room to room, up
stairs and down, singing little snatches
OF songs, and thinking all the while how
happy they were, and would be. Let
the world without be whatsoever it
might, nothing but sunshine should
cross over the threshold dividing it from
the world within.
THEIR world!
1t meant so much. It was like the
first breath of lOnged-fOr spring,
tender, ambient air, prOphesying bloom
ful things and goodly; aud happy Mrs.
Heth almost cried for joy, as, with her
face half buried in a bunch of viOlets on
the lawn, she whispered, "GOd, I thank
Theeu'
Later on little, the new home was
in "apple-pie ORDER" the good house
wife said, quoting the words of her old
grandmother, who was forgetting all
things in her grave across the noun
tains and the plains, and "callers might
be looked for at any time" she sup
posed.
And then she sighed little, down in
hpr hoo rfA nd 1nI -
eyes, as she added:
81 could almost wish they would let
us quite alone, here in the place where
peace is. | have not the slightest sym-
pathy-as you uknOw-with the aspirants
for place and power in the social world;
and L see neither duty nor delight
that could, under any combination of
circumstances, lead me to offer myself a
willing victim upon the altar of fash
iOnable caprices."
"Heigh-hor' hummed her husband,
between the easy whiffs of his cigar.
YOU'D soon tire of solitude, reckon.
A woman must have her kind to gossip
with"
"Harry! How can you ?'' flashed up
the little lady from her rest upon the
sofa. "You know L hate gossip"
ooh, about books, L mean" Harry
explained, laughingly. "Of course,
about books, and authors, and the Cen
tennial, and the coming war with Mex
leo, and"
''There; Gabsolve you"-wfth a wave
of her hand and an adjustment of her
pillows. "But, Harry, the literary land
so to speak-is lying far away. We
cannot hope to find here the intellect
ual aids that were the harbingers of our
best growth in the East. Money, for
moneys sake, is the desideratum with
all classes; and the rise and fall OF
stocks interest them more than that OF
empires, or the onward march of mind -
''Humph !! March of mind, indeed ~
responded Harry. "Mind enough for
the right kind of put or call will
do the average San Franciscan. By
the-by, l took call on Yellow Jacket
to-day, at forty-one. Bound to go up,
you know"
81 don't Know and no more do
you" responded Mrs. -Heth, little un-
graciously, perhaps. And for wavs
that are dark commend me to a stock
broker p'
"Better keep to your books, I should
say, and not trouble your little head
about stocks"
''But that little head may be troubled
a great deal to know how this modest
establishment is to be kept up without
the money lost in their investment"
"'Prcphet,' said /; thing of evil.'n
And Nelly was laughing merrily at
the lugubrious tone of her lord when
her first caller was announced, and fur
ther discussion was indefinitely post
poned.
Such bright face it was that looked
up as the hostess entered the parlor.
Not pretty face, at all, in the sense, at
least, IN which faces pretty are usually
referred to- but it was fair and CHEEKY
and honest, and the two ladies met, not
at all as strangers do.
Il never make formal calls,'i the