The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-01
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV.
Many of the disgraceful scenes of a
divorce court must again be passed in
silence by. Would to heaven it were
possible, under the existing order of
One-sexed laws, to expunge from the
law practice every vestige Of the cross
questiOnings that brings bushes to the
cheeks of suffering modesty and outrage
the sense of decency in every quiverfng
nerve of every martyred woman who
may be victim of the disturbing force
of inequality that sewers family ties and
fills so many human hearts with lin
gering misery that can only be assuaged
by death.
'Don't appear against John, daugh-
ter" wisely advised her mother. "His
unjust accusations will not injure you
in the eyes of God, and it makes no diff
ference to you as to what man may say
when you have a clear conscience"
"But, mother, my silence will be a
virtual admission that John Smiths
charges are true" said Edna, weeping
bitterly. at will disgrace our minister
and destroy his usefulness, and will
brand me as bad woman. l really
cannot bear it."
"Let your daily walk and conversa-
tion be your refutation of the charge,
my dear. AS to Mr.. Handel-don't
worry about him. He's a man, and can
70 olya Of hfr,on1f
sidered him a favorite of yours in any
sense. If he can't stay here and hold
his head up and continue in the ways of
usefulness because a drunken sot has
slandered him, he hasn't the complete
elements of a reformer. Let him try
new fields of missionary labor and we
can get another preacher"
Well had it been for Edna had she
taken her mothers advice. But several
lawyers were idle in Idaho Flat, and a
firm was found which was not slow in
enforcing the thought upon her brain
that she must vindicate herself before
the bar of justice. AS though a SLAM
dered character was ever vindicated by
appealing to the law
When the day of trial came, Edna ap-
peared in opposition to the plea of John
upon the ground that he had accused
her falsely. She did not want divorce
at all, she said, except upon the ground
of her husbands drunkenness.
Then followed long research into
the early history of John, the object be-
ing to discover whether or not Edna
had known, prior to her marriage, that
he had been addicted to dissipation.
Edna was overcome with humiliation
at the remembrance of their meager ac-
quaintance in the days before the law
had -professedly made them one. That
the Court might not guess the secret
fact that she had mistaken John for an
other, under the darkness that covered
their clandestine elopement, and had
married him without understanding
herself at all, seemed SO silly to her ma.
turer senses that she felt that she would
have died willingly to conceal the fac
from the public in general and Hi
Honor, the Court, in particular. But
under the skillful cross fire of a barri.
cade of counsel that Mr.. Brief had sum
moned to the cause of John, the whole
mOrtifying truth came out, and the
Court settled himself into the belief thai
John was an abused husband of a de
signing woman.
Yet Edna had many friends in Idaho
Flat. Honest, sober, sensible men thert
were in plenty, who remembered thei
own wives, sisters, mothers, and daugh
ters, and some of them were just enough
to see that marriage which was clearly
fraud in ethics ought TO be considered
a fraud in equity. But such was no
the opinion of the Court.
His Honor was small, spare man
with kindly blue eyes and lanky yellow
hair, very Ascetic in abstinence from
everything sensual, and thorough,
just, as far as he was able to compre
hend justice. Yet, in his eyes, justie
to woman was one thing and justice T.
man entirely another. He believed de
Voutly In the infinitude of human law
and the farther back the law tina
seemed to suit case in point began
the more was the law entitled to his re
spect, as precedent.
Clearly, as be saw it, the law ha,
united this couple. Clearly both ha,
given unqualified consent. License ha,
been procured after legal form and
certificate of marriage was exhibited b,
John.
"Now, the question was not upon tn
legality of the union, but upon the a
legged causes for its annulment Their
was no proof that John Smith had de
ceived his wife in regard to his persons
habits prior to marriage. Evidentl