The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-01-19

me so miserable And there is no law
to protect any woman from the author
ity of man to whom she's married,
unless she leaves him for some other
man, and I can't see how that would
help her along any, for men are all alike,
as times CO."
"Edna, be ashamed of yourself! I
hope you don't compare the gray-haired
gentleman you want me to marry with
John Smith ~
The ringing laugh that followed this
indignant outburst was more like the
Edna of old than any indication of her
former self had been since her marriage.
81 guess you'll get well now," said
Aunt Judy. "PeOple never die so long
as they can laugh like that"
81 don't propose to die, auntie. I've
spent breath enough in idle, uuavailing
wishes to die. lam resolved to be free"
"Yes, you goose; and if L should say
one word to you against your living
with John, you would act the woman
and stand by him through thick and
thin. Do you remember how l tried to
take possession of the wagon and team
last summer, together with you and the
baby, while l had everything in my
own hands, and set John adrift to shift
for himself?"
The memory of the humiliation
through which Edna had passed when
she had honestly striven to conquer an
unwarranted attachment, overcame the
poor victim of circumstances, and her
tone of ringing laughter changed to one
of half suppressed lamentation.
81 was imposing penance on myself,
auntie. Hadn't I always been taught
that self-sacrifice was wOman's highest
duty? How wish the women ofthis So
called free country would rise in the
majesty of their innate consciousness
and overthrow the tyranny of custom
that makes wifehood sIbservient in all
things to the frailties of husbandhoodr'
EDNA, you shock me- ~
"pve been shocked with myself for
nearly two years, good auntie. If 1
shock others, it is only the natural effect
Of very unnatural cause. l tell you,
auntie, that woman's degraded, help
! less position is the weak point in our So
called free institutions to-day. 1t is a
disturbing force everywhere, causing
unequal, Incompatible marriages, sever
ing family ties, driving men and women
to insanity, filling the world with pau
pers, criminals, drunkards, idiots, pros
titutes, aud mOnstrosities, and crowd
ing our homes with disease and death"'
"Mercy child! where did you ever
learn such talk?'
Through the experience of the last
two years, auntie. In the fist place
had my mother been free woman, she
would never have consented that /, hel
precious child, as dear to her as her owl
heart strings, should have been sen
away from her to spend my earlier day.
and dwarf my life through time anC
eternity through a false and wicked
marriage, contracted in ignorance, yea
verify, conceived in sin and brough
forth in iniquity! Had she had tn
t power, she would have kept me nea
] her; she would have given me responsi
D bility and opportunity, and, instead q
e allowing me to dream my life away il
a one-sexed sham, called a seminary
/ but more properly a cemetery, for tn
g hopes of many blighted life are burie
in such vaults, would have learned t
s estimate men, not through the roseat
n dreams of romantic girIhood, bu
!. through the avenues of sensible, pract
cal acquaintance. Then, too, 1 woul
d have learned that independence, 6r il
n dividuality, was not only my right, bI
y my necessity, and instead of leokin
y constantly for matrimonial alianC
with some ideal man, who proves to
Is no more like the real article than rost
|! are like jimpson weeds, should hay
t, been laying plans for the future, as me
st do, that would have kept marriage Of
of my head till l SHOULD been old enoug
so to have chosen sensibly."
y AS Edna warmed with her theme, b.
IN coontenance appeared as if glorifie
r Through mental and physical sufferir
she had become attenuated almost to
as skeleton, aud her great eyes beam,
~ with an electric light that caused Au
In Judy to tremble for her sanity.
" "Edna, dear, you must not allo
~ yourself to become so much excited
she said, soOthingly.
lk "Auntie, 1 must have vent or I shi
die" was the earnest answer. "I ha
an curbed excitement as you term it, t
rd it's inward fires are consuming me ~
ou ''Then, Edna, why did you not co
ho sent for me to set John adrift on t
or plains, when 1 had the team and t
We power, and you only had one of the
n helpless babies to depend upon yo
ut weakness for support" ?"
, "Remember, auntie, had a feeli
ne that 1 had wronged John in having
cretly loved Hal La Selle. 1 was b
nd inflated, too, beyond expression, oN
the whole affair. Though, now, as
to, look back upon my part in that aw
I'M drama-how awful none but me c