The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-04-27

deeply-intonated rejoinder, ''if you bad
not given those entertainments, he
would not have had the means to leave
you, and would not have been tempted
to do so. 1t is a grave responsibility for
a woman to step out of her sphere and
take upon herself the responsibilities
that rightfully belong to man p'
"And how is a woman to help it, pray,
when the man ignores his responsibility
and leaves her to bear the burdens out
side the home, as we'll as within, or
starve?"
''She should trust in the Lord, madam,
who has never seen the righteous for
saken or his seed begging for bread"
"But John is not overly righteous, as
you are well aware, and fail to COM
prehend the manner of getting bread
for his seed, unless somebody else earns
it, for he won't"
"This is very unwomanly, my dear
madam, very much so indeed. 1 some
times fear that you are growing skepti-
CAL"
81 am not growing but grO1On skepti-
cal concerning many old notions that 1
once thought infallible, Mr.. Handel. 1
know that if 1 should fold my hands
and pray for food till doomsday 1 should
fail to get it except l was ready and
willing to use these hands to earn it.
want little less cant and a little more
righteousness and common sense in my
religion"
"You are bitter, Mrs. Smith"
"Never was sweeter in my life, sir. l
revere the Infinite Presence more than
[ can tell you. L revel often in the
realm of the Unseen, and am led by
ways that 1 know not. But that does
not convince me that all my prayerful
opportunities can alter the eternal fiat
of Omnipotence."
"Well, We needn't argue that ques-
tion, Mrs. Smith, as it is quite plain we
never should agree. A woman's first
duty is to her husband, always"
"But suppose he deserts herr"
"Then, madam, pardon me, but
cannot help thinking it is mainly her
own fault. Let women live at the feet
of Jesus, as they ought, and their hus-
bands will never desert them"
"Then you consider me wholly to
blame about the misconduct of John?"
81 do, madam. If you had curbed
your ambition and been content with
your lot, John would have done passa-
bly, well, think"
"YOu remind me-" said Edna, wiping
the suspicious moisture from her eyes
as she spoke in a voice husky from
wounded feeling, "of man who was
born blind. Much effort had been made
to teach him the difference between the
various primal colors. Finally his tu-
tor asked him to explain his idea of
scarlet, and he said it resembled a cart
aUheeL. Now, sir, with all becoming
Difference to your superior piety, allow
me to tell you candidly that you know
as much, practically speaking, about
the necessities that drove me into a
sphere you call unwomanly for the
maintenance of my family as the blind
man, who had never seen colOrs, could
know of the difference between color
and diameter. Heaven knows it's hard
enough to bear a woman's trials when
she is encouraged in her endeavors to
gain livelihood by the intelligent and
better meaning classes of men. But
when, added to her sensitive nature, her
pain and WEAKNESS and anxiety and
toll, we hear her reproached and ma
lign7d by her best friends for doing the
only things left her to do, we may well
wonder what the world is coming tor
"Edna," cried Mrs. LaSelle, as she
burst into the room with blanched
countenance and fiuttering heart, 81 do
believe I see John Smith !"
81 shouldn't wonder" said Edna,
COMPRISING her lips tightly for an in
stant and then relarsing them into a
CHASTITY smile, "for dreamed of virmin
last night, and felt sure was going to
|
John was as ragged and dirty as a
Digger Indian. Since his food and
money had disappeared he had been
compelled to depend during his journey
from Lewiston upon such prOvender as
he could steal, which was very little,
owing to the scarcity of settlements in
the mountainous region over which his
route lay.
81 don't believe you're half as glad to
see me as you ought to be-" he said,
dropping upon a stool and surveying
his surroundings impudently.
"Where have you spent the winter?"
was Edna's reply, in tone several de-
grees below the freezing point.
'That's my business, Mrs. Smith !
It's enough for you to know that Pm
deuced hungry and am ready to 90 for
aging for grub"
Edna hustled about and rearranged
one end of one of the long dining table,
trembling in every limb as she did so.
"Where's the cubs ?" he exclaimed,
authoritatively.
Edna made no answer, and he re-
peated the question in louder key.