The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-02-16

would consider Mr.. Stanbury's offer a
gOd-send, not an insult"
Fearing that he would be worried to
know of her pecuniary troubles, Mrs.
Maxwell did not write to her husband of
her present employment.
"When he writes me that he is able
to travel" thought she, "then can ex-
plain matters; or if his finances are i'm
proved, can easily resign my place"
As soon as she found that imminent
danger was passed, she wrote him a
long letter, giving him full account of
all her troubles and of her new Occupa-
tion, but unfortunately he had left Sgd
ney when the letter reached there.
Coming home by way of San Francisco,
he there met a friend who, innOcently
enough, spoke of Mrs. Maxwell as Mr.
Stanbury's assistant editor; his friend
did not know of her sore need before
taking the place, and Maxwell himself,
owing to his own perplexities and long
illness, did not realize how penniless she
must have been; indeed, he could not
realize that fifteen months of great
tightness in the money market had
elapsed since he left America.
Full of anger at his wife's conduct, he
went directly to New York without no.
tifying any one of his arrival in Amer
ica; learning that his wife was indeed
i'm Stanbury's Office, he hasteued to her,
and without listening TO any excuse, be-
gan to upbraid her.
"You knew that l disapproved of Of
| fee work for women; do you remember
what | said when Alice first moOted her
insane project of going on the stage?"
Certainly do, Gregory; but circum-
stances alter cases"
"PardOn me, they do not. A hus-
bands will should always be his wife's
law, and you knew that [ never would
! have consented to your taking that
| place. My wife in an editors office ~
"But, Gregory, it was case Of neces-
sity."
az can hardly credit that"
al had spent all my money; you
know you had but little to leave me-"
"Why did you not draw on Stuyve-
SAINT & Coz"
"I tried to do so, but they refused me.
Your uncle lent me three hundred, but
you know he is on the verge of bank
ruptcy; borrowed of Clement-"
"Well, why did you not continue to
| do so? Surely, my brother was the
proper person to aid you"
"The second time | went to him he
said he had no more to spare; that il
was doubtful when you could repay him,
if ever, and that ought to take care OF
myself The only one who was always
ready to help me was Alice, and she is
not wealthy"
at does not seem like Clement to re-
! fuse you money" answered Mr.. Max
well, incredulOusly.
"Ask him, if you do not believe me-
Gregory, you surely are not really an
cry with me for doing all that l could t.
support myself aud our little ones ?'
| pleaded Emily Maxwell, unwilling tC
believe the testimony of her own ears.
"Angry? No, only supremely dis
| gnsted and disappointed; but l suppose
that is foolish in me; L should have
| looked for nothing else; l knew thai
! you were always disposed to be strong
| minded. Faugh how l hate the word
! And to think that I should ever b,
cursed with a strOng-n1inded wife ~
~ will leave the office now that yoU
have come home r'
"That is not necessary. You have
chosen public life, abide in it. Once
entering upon such a glorious caree
will totally unfit you for simple HON,
joys and wifely duties"
"Oh, Gregory, you do not mean"
''I DO mean that henceforth you cal
go your way, and l will go mine. d'
not believe in divorces, as you know
consequently will not apply for One-a
present. To avoid any chance for quar-
rels, we will divide the children; yOl
may keep Rupert, a strong minde,
mother will not harm boy, but Leil
must not be subjected to such influences
| r. I
old lawyer, to get Leila, then l shal
take her to England with me and plac
her under the care of my sister, a tru
wOmanly woman. Farewell forever.
! And deaf to her entTeaties that h
would stay and listen to her momen
longer, Gregory Maxwell rushed ava
in frenzy of anger aud disappointment
He had pictured such a different home
, coming! And so, too, had the neg
lected, insulted wife and mother.
Gregory Maxwell was as good as hi
; word. Refusing to see his wife, or t
communicate with her save through hi
lawyer, he took little Leila aud departe
5 fol London, where, through a Sydne
friend, he had secured a good busines
, opening. He took his child to his sis
! ter, Mrs. Ella Villars, who was residin
q in KensingtOn, and begged her to be
D mother to it, telling her the cause of h
; separation from his wife.
e Mrs. Villars was young widow, onl
in her twenty-seveuth year, with OF
v child, Maude, a year or two older tha
g Leila. She was pretty, gay, winnin!
: and frivolous; she lived only for plea
ure and admiration, holding work of a
I sorts in adherence, aud esteeming POI
u erty the greatest curse that could beta
:, a woman. She was fond of her brothe
}, and was glad to have him and Lei
! with her, especially as the presence of
e fine-lOoking, intelligent man was gre;
Il addition to her little nlendge. She W;
It full of sympathy for "pOor dear Gre
o ory," and full of righteous wrath again
d "Emily's dreadful, wicked, stronj
a minded ways" rather too full of Il
It latter, perhaps, for she bubbled over,
)f season and out, with denunciatiol
.e against strong-minded women.
4, This sympathy, grateful in its fresl
"a ness, became very wearisOme to its r
2 cipient after few weeks; Elias swe
A simplicity was little cloying when
Y evinced itself in a total ignorance
l. miscomprehension of the popular topi
y of the day, and her "pure womanlines
J. was irritating to man accustomed
g the companionship of an iutelliger
le reading, thinking wife, when she on
ID interrupted some guests-men who hi
r made their mark in the literary world
when they were discussing scienti
ID and philOsophic topics, that most schOt
in UirIs are conversant with, by saving