The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1876-11-24
CHAPTER VI.

Mr.. Rutherford met his wife with an
injured air. He had been lonesome !
She hadn't asked his permission to
leave home, and so on.
81 know it all, DEAR" was the good
woman's kindly reply. "Pve been
lonesome and uneasy about you many
a time, and knew how you'd feel, but
duty called me away from you, and l
really couldn't help it,"
mo duty ever calls a woman away
from her husbandw said Solon, an
grily. "I provide this home for you,
and furnish it with every needed COM
fort, and it's as little as you can do to
be contented with your lot, aud remain
in it, madam r'
"Am complaining, Solon ," asked
the wife, kindly.
"You'd better be !" was the sulky an
swer.
Mrs. Rutherford did not care to pro-
long the controversy. But she could
not help remembering the long and
anxious years of weary trials of mother
hood through which she had passed ip
her younger years of wifehoOd, when an
infinitesimal fraction of her husbands
present professed sOlicitude about her
personal safety and comfort would have
been to her weary body and tired spirit
like refreshing rain drops to the thirsty
earth; neither could she avoid recogni-
fion of tho foot tbot in 1apo rtinrr from,
her home on her own business, and at
her own discretion for once, she had
only followed the example set by her
protecting liege in the beginning of
their matrimonial career-an example
to which he had adhered, whenever the
occasion suited him, ever since.
1t was also impossible for her to help
knowing, woman though she was, that
the "every comfort" her husband
boasted of having so literally provided,
for her to "stay at home and enjoy"
had been the product of her own domes-
tic industry.
But argument, where right is all upon
one side, and usurped power all upon
the other, is utterly useless, and no one
is better aware of the fact than the pow
erless party in any controversy.
Finding that his wife so skillfully
avoided further conversation upon the
subject that so seriously annoyed him
that its further pursuit was useless, Mr.
Rutherford ordered his horse and buggy
and drove away through the fields,
leaving Aunt Judy and Mrs. Rutherford
to talk over their business in unmo-
Tested security.
''Such time as I've had ~ said the
latter. 81 really didn't know how much
1 did depend upon Solon about some
things till L went to the city alone.
Accustomed as I am at home to taking
the lead i'll everything that's disagreea-
BILE, giving him opportunity whenever
he's in the house to read the newspapers
and smoke to his hearts content, while
1 build fires and churn, and scrub floors
and press cheese, and do everything else
unaided, was not prepared to find my
self such baby as proved to be with
out him, when alone in st. Louis. Yet
1 couldn't help asking myself if il
wasn't all in use, after all. And, Judy
believe it is. The places of response.
bility that require little exhibition o.
physical strength are all monopolizeC
by the stronger half of humanity. So
Ion rides over the country in a buggy
and speculates in land, using the money
I've earned at the cheese press to com
plete his bargains, and puts the surplus
in bank
"There, Susanv interrupted Aun
Judy. "pm glad you're coming to tn,
bank business. Did you get th,
money!"
eyes, got it; but only by a littl
tact. said something that led them t.
believe Solon would withdraw all hi
funds if they failed to honor his wife
demand. Men have a certain pride il
impressing other men with the ide
that they hold their wives orders a
honorable, and altogether above ques
tion. But 1 may make much of wha
I've got this time. I'll never dare to re
peat the experiment. Yet, after all
why haven't I as good right to contro
the accumulated funds of our marriag
copartnership as Solon? 1 felt like
thief when 1 took the money, although
knew that in Gods eyes it was mine
if anybody's. When Solon discover
it he'll scold and act injured, and nearI
break my heart by his colduess," an
Mrs. Rutherford wept bitterly.
"Women don't deserve to be free, be
cause they're such precious fools ~ sal
Aunt Judy, contemptuously.
81 hope you speak from personal ez
perience," replied her friend, laughin
in spite of her tears.
eyes, I dOw was the decided reFy