The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-15
A Woman at the Bottom of It,

''To tell the truth" said John Havi-
land, as he threw aside his paper and
faced the little group in the parlor, 81
am fast growing out of patience with
this text, "A woman at the bottom of
it, 1t would be strange in this world,
made up, as far as we are aware, of
nothing but the two sexes, if a woman
would not occasionally be found at the
bottom of anything good. 1t is the in
justice of the thing that makes me an
CRY. Now there are a hundred of US
poor fellows who owe all we are, all we
have, and all we can hope to become, in
this world or the next, to the unselish
love of woman"
The gentleman's face was flushed,
and he spoke very warmly and feelingly;
so much so, that his wife, rocking her
baby to sleep in the farther corner of
the room, inquired:
'But why should you care, John? It
has always been so, and always will be
so. We don't think much about it now,
because we have been taught to expect
it,"
"But you should careI And you should
fight for each other more than you do.
There is one chapter in my life's his
tory that I have always kept locked in
my heart; but tonight 1 feel as if it
were my duty to open it for your inspee-
tion; and do it for the love of woman
for the love of one woman who made
me what l am, worthy TO be the hus-
band of good woman"
"Why, Johnr' said Mrs. Haviland,
softly approaching, with baby still
held tightly to her bosom, "you abso-
lutely frighten me-"
"Let's have the story" said the rest
of the group, certain that something
good might be expected; and John COM
menced, at first little timid, but gain
ing confidence as he proceeded:
when 1 first came to New York, at
the age of twelve years, to seek my for
tune, l can call myself a precocious
chap, without danger of being accused
of an unusual degree of fself-appreciation
l was quick to learn everything, the
bad as well as the good. My employer
used profane language. l picked up
the oath he dropped with a naturalness
that surprised even myself The boys
in the office all chewed tobacco. This
was little the hardest job 1 ever at
tempted, but after two weeks of nausea
and indescribable stomach wrenching,
came Oft victorious, and could get
away with my paper day with the
best OF them. True, every word of it,"
continued the speaker. zone afternoon
l was sent with note from my en-
ployer to house in the upper part of
the city. [ hadn't anything to read,
but had plenty of tobacco, and with
that l proposed to entertain myself dur
ing the two or three hours I must spend
in the passage. For some distance I
did not notice who were beside me, but
by and by lady said, very softly and
pleasantly:
"WOuld you please, little boy, be
more careful, for am going to a party,
and L should hate to have my dress
spoiled"
''I looked into her face. It was the
sweetest face ever saw. Pale, earnest,
and loving; to my boyish heart it was
the countenance of an angel"
"What In the world did you say ?"
interrupted Mrs. HaviIand, her bright
eyes filling with tears, as she saw how
the memory of this beautiful woman
affected her husband.
Say! There was very little I could
say. 1 think all did was to look. I
managed to dispose of the tobacco, how
ever, and wiped my mouth very care
fully, all of which felt certain she saw
and mentally commented upon."
"Have you mother, little boy ?" she
next asked, in the same tone.
mo, ma'am," l answered, and felt
my throat filling up, and knew must
swallow mighty fast to keep from Sob
bing.
"YOu have father, then, suppose ?"
she kept on.
mo, ma'am, no father"
brothers and sisters ?''
Neither, ma'am."
"phen the little boy is alone in the
world ?"
ga m oil
"How long has your mother been
dead ?'' and the dear woman looked
away from my face and waited till 1
could speak.
1.-Two years." 1 answered.
''She was silent for a moment, and
then said, so sweetly-oh! [ never shall
forget it: "And what do you think your
dear mother would say-how do you
think she would feel-to know that her
little boy was guilty of such a disgust
ing habit as this?" pointing to my
cheek, where the telltale cud had vainly
tried to stand its ground.
must leave now," she continued,
"but here is my card; if you come to
see NE most any evening 1 shall be
GLAD to see you, and perhaps we can be
Of service to each other"
'She gave me her little pIoved hand
L
get the sensation of that moment.
could not bear to part with her; with
out her l could do nothing-with her
could grow to mans estate-a man in
the truest sense of the word. From that
moment tobacco never passed nv Inns
"As soon as I could summon courage
I called upon that lady. Well do 1 re-
member how my heart beat as 1 waited
in the elegant parlor for her to come
down; and how awkward 1 felt as fol-
lowed my guide to her private sitting
room. Here she got at every point of
my life, and before bade her goodbye,
1t was arranged that should spend two
evenings week at her house, and study
on these occasions just what she thought
best.
mo lover ever looked forward to meet
ing with the mistress of his heart any