The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-09-07
CHAPTER XI.

world" men who had Travelled from the
island of Ceylon to the peninsula of
Kamtschatka, and from the land of
Kanakas to the city of Washington.
Oregon had newspapers, too. Not the
present line of daily and weekly bearers
of telegraphic dispatches from all parts
of the earth, many hours ahead of time,
but an unpretending hebdomaddal or
two, which gave the people news by
pony express from across the continent
every other week. There were start
ling accounts of new auriferous discov-
cries; letters once in a while from the
seat of government; occasional estray
notices; at intervals a marriage or a
death; frequently an Indian disturb
ance, and regularly all sorts of personal
attacks upon aspirants and incumbents
of Office. Then, as now, it made but lit
tie difference whether the office-seeker
or holder were man of integrity or not.
No matter how honest and honorable
his private life had been, his newspaper
trials began when he became a candi-
office holder.
Major Marblehead had been so qui-
etly chosen for his new position that he
had escaped much of the personal abuse
that better men almost invariably en-
counter in getting office, and be was not
prepared to find himself paraded before
the world in the facetiOus billingsgate of
worse than average Bohemians, when
he started out to serve his country.
Nobody, in his own estimation, was
ever nearer right than. Major Marble
head. He did not remember that he
had ever been ridiculed but once, and
he flattered himself, whenever be
thought of it, that he had amply pun
ished King Greensborough for that Of
fense; so be had accepted his new hon.
ors with the proud consciousness that
be was to be henceforth known and
honored among men as one of the rulers
of the land.
The Major and Mrs. Marblehead and
son were spending their last night in
Portland at a primitive hotel that drove
thriving business in eatables, such as
they were, at a price that would to-day
rejoice the proprietors of the Palace
Hotel. 1t was their first meal in pub
lie place, and none Of them knew aught
of the customs of such places of enter
tainment.
"Leave all to me, Major; I'll manage
it," said Mrs. Marblehead, as finale to
a long chapter on "manners" to which
she had just been treating him.
Then, aside, to her son, "You keep
your eyes open and look about you
sharply. The Majors such consum-
mate blunderer that hell have us all in
the Weekly Flyer if we're not careful"
Thomas Jones promised to look sharp,
in obedience to the maternal command,
but neither son nor mother was pre-
pared for the pOnpOus and sonOrous
'grace" the Major uttered at the far
ther end of the long dining board,
whittier he had led them, in spite of her
intimation that they should seat them
selves at little side table nearer the
door of the dining room.
Now, l will not undertake to say
that there is no virtue in pronouncing
"grace" at table. 1t certainly stimu
lates good breeding in a family, and the
Christian is not without precedent il
his observance of it in his own house
hold. Yet we have visited homes whert
only a "silent blessing" was invoked
where there was far more of decorun
observed than we have seen in many
another where the stereotyped repeti
tions of the same little routine of com
mand to the Almighty Father to "bles
US, and save us, and sanctify these vict
ais to the use of our perishing bodies
Amen" was accompanied, during it
progress, by the covert amusement O
the children, and followed instantane
ously at its close by the irrelevant con
versation which had only been inter
rupted to sandwich the religious ceFe
mOny between the theme and the food
thereby making but mockery of wha
was intended as a sacrament.
We have more than once seen a min
lister make a covert laughing-stock G
himself, and through himself of his re
ligion, by just such an unconscious ex
hibition of pious vanity at a hotel tabl
as that which ended in the perturbatiO
of Major Marblehead.
His voice, when in a religious mooC
was always deep, long-drawn, an
''hOly." Nobody had ever listened
either to his singing or exhortation.
without taking particular notice of th
piety of his tone. People who attende
the church where he off1ciated as des
con were accustomed to it, and man
grew to like it, but its effect upon diI
ing-room full of intent and energet
epicures, bent on eating their money
worth, was explosive. Many laughe
outright, and many others, to whol
tie ewell-rememberedc ceremony brougl