The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-07-20

"1nomaS got Cnem Tor me near the
margin of the lake. He'll do anything
1 ask to make the place pleasant. Poor
fellow; it's lonely for him since his
father died." and the widow sighed
heavily.
81 should think 'twould be a delight
full loneliness to get away from so much
racket as we have at home with so
many young ones" said Martha.
"Do you think so ?" and the widow
blushed slightly.
Martha nodded.
"Well," said Mrs. Jones, 'I always
thought large family was the glory of
any household"
"Then you'd better swap places with
me, and see how you like it," was the
abrupt response.
"Do you mean it ?" asked Mrs. Jones,
eagerly.
"Of course do"
"Then why did you refuse my Thomas
when he asked you to marry him ?"
"I couldn't forget King"
"Have you forgotten him now ?"
mo; nor never will"
"But very likely he's married al
ready"
Martha turned deathly pale. The
possibility that either she or King
should ever be married, except to the
other, had never seriously crossed her
brain. Now the suspicion was come,
and it settled like a great weight of lead
in her heart, and she would never be rid
of it again.
"Have you had a letter from him
yet ?" asked the widow.
Martha felt obliged to answer no.
Had she replied that that was her own
affair, the response would have been
more appropriate. People who are not
personally interested never have any
business making or breaking matches.
But Mrs. Jones was interested, or
thought she was. Martha was a capa-
bic girl, passably good looking, reasona-
bly, Industrious, sensibly healthy and
toIerably amiable, considering her
bringing up. Thomas Jones was dis
contented at home, and his mother
looked to matrimony to put a quietus
upon his desire for further wanderings.
The young man was at home when
they reached the cabin. Contrasted to
the bare and cherries abode of Major
Marblehead, the little room was Wis.,
ion of paradise. The very utmost use
had been made of everything the widow
possessed. Even her spare dresses were
hung against the wall in sort of artis-
tic way, if aught of art can be imagined
in anything so useful.
The widow saw that Martha was
agreeably surprised.
"Wouldn't you like your home to
look just so ?" she asked, with an inno-
cent air.
"What would be the use of fixing it
to look just so ?" said Martha. "The
young ones would burrow in the rushes
and climb on the white beds and tear
down the vines from the walls and make
holes through the paper windows, and
father wouldn't let me punish 'em, and
he wouldn't do it himself, if 1 asked it,"
"But You said you'd like to live here"
"Who'd take care of my father and
young brothers and sisters, I'd like to
know ?"
81 would, Martha"
"You?"
"Yes, l. Didn't you know your father
and were engaged ?"
"Why, Mrs. Jones! Mother hasn't
been in her grave three months ~ and
the girl burst into tears.
81 know it, dear; but he is so lonely,
and your lot is so hard, that feel it to
be my duty to cheer his life and tighten
your burdens"
"But how can you live with him
You won't obey him, as mother did, and
unless you do you can't get along at all.
He's my father, and it doesn't become
me to say anything against him; but if 1
never married till got as straight-laced
an old stickler for sectarian tyranny as
he is, I'd live single till the day of tudg-
ment"
"YOur father must be managed, my
dear.n
"Well, wish you joy of him; but
when is the interesting event to trans
pire?"
"Whenever you are ready to marry
Thomas. You see you can step right
into this little home, and be away from
the young ones, as you call them; and
your father will build another room or
two to his cabin, and We'll be comforta-
BILE all round"
Martha glanced around the little
cabin. 1t did look inviting.
''If only she and King could live in
it," she thought.
"Mrs. Jones, 1 do not love your son.
she said, decidedly.
"But you will learn to love him, my
dear"
"DO you love my fatherT
'I honor him as a man of God, my
child. l never saw more exemplary
or conscientious Christian"
HE may be a very good Christian,
according to his and your way of think.
ing, but he'll have to improve a good