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

fault Hinder in our coterie OF guardians.
Another says:
"Mrs. Coburn is much better and
more finished writer than yourself.
While admire your courage and enter.
prise, candor compels me to say that
often vince under your crude cOmpari-
sons and hurried comments upon what
you see and hear. Your letters for the
public eye should be prepared and fin
ished with more care. You will pardon
me, but they are often not up to the re-
quired literary standard. 1 know you
have a great deal to do, and often pity
you from the bottom of my heart"
To which we answer, WhetO!
Pity theel so I do!
pity the dumb victim at the altar,
But does the robed priest for his pity falter ?'
Seriously, good friend, we are ire
sistibly inclined to vary from our usual
course, and treat you as you treat us,
for little while, just to give you an op-
portunity to "know how it is YOURSELF"
OF course you'll "wince" again, for that
last expression is decidedly slangy. We
use it, not because of the slang, but be-
cause of its truth. We were in your
neighborhOod a few months ago, good
woman, and we heard several of your
friends descanting upon your house,
keeping. They criticised a great many
things very severely, saying-welI, no
matter what they said, they were all
true. But they forgot to say, by way of
palliation, MRS. - is not a strong
woman. Her tastes run i'm literature,
rather than housework, and her means
will not permit. her to hire the hard
work done by others, which we are sure
her ideality suggests. We think she
deserves credit for doing the best she
can, under the circumstances. She does
considerable literary work to assist her
husband in supporting and educating
the family, and, as she is very critical
and careful with that, her housework is
neglected. But she had better keep
house poorly than not keep house at all. !"
This, dear friend, was our comment;
and now let us say to you, by way of re-
ply to your last letter, that our regular
literary work is good deal like your
housekeeping. 1t is a secondary con-
sideratiOn, altogether. In justice tc
ourself, we should never touch pen
except in our business, as the financial
care of the New NORTHWEST and oul
regular lecture work is all we ought tC
be compelled to do. But we do literary
work for two reasons: One, because, We
have gathered much knowledge in {
busy life which others with less expert
ence ought to learn. The other, because
our writing pays. 1t helps to sustain
the woman movement, and keep alive
the New NORTHWEST. 1t floats Mrs
Coburn's admirable and carefully writ
ten editorials. We usually write upor
the wing; she always in the office. W.
are proud of her. We are glad to b.
able to furnish the ballast to float he
gems of thought, and we don't care how
much you criticise as, so long as yoI
help to sustain her on the editOria
staff. We do literary work on the pa
per for nothing and board ourself Sh
must have her salary to maintain he
family or quit. The price of the NEv
NORTHWEST is IS 90 per year. Do yor
understand?
} "Dear FRIEND" writes valuable all,
from Yamhill, ~ fear that 1 shall no
f be able to command the means to reneV
when my subscription expires. NJ,
q good husband is as much in sympath.
> with your labors as myself, but we hav
had unavoidable reverses this year"
j To this we answer that the credit G
2 such subscriber shall be considered a
f good till the reverses she mentions ar
f so far reversed that she may find hersel
e in funds again.
. Here is tiny envelope, marked "pri
l vate," saying:
'Please tell me what to buy for
= wedding outfit. We are in moderat
u circumstances (Ben and y, and we'r
{ going east of the Cascades to take
= claim under the timber act, as 500
{ as our visits among friends in tn
country are over. Could you get m
u wedding outfit? and what would be il
i probable cost ?"
When a correspondent writes to a
L editor upon her own private business
s she should send a stamp for return pos
Il age. You failed to do this, so your LEI
e ter appears in this connection. You ca
e be married in simple white, if the cert
mony takes place at home, or in til
81 evening. Victoria lawn, trimmed wit
i embroidery, and made in three piece
u skirt, basque, and overskirt, the fir,
e finished with kilt ruffle, the secon
" and third with embroidery, edged by
r bias band, will be both stylish an
d durable, and will serve to dress the lit
n Bens in long clothes when you are dor
l. with it. Don't vince and blush and /
d a fool. II you haven't considered I'll
l. little Bens, and Molies, too, before thi
'e it's quite time you did. They're almo
't sure to come, and they ought to, if the
1t don't. You should get cashmere
+ camers hair suit of gray trimmed wit
.aN.