The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-06-29


experience, and that Martha Marble
heads expressive eyes informed him
that she was haI py when he was neal
her.
Major Marblel cad got through with
the first stanza cf his hymn with CON-
parative smooth ness, considering that
the meter and the tune failed to agree,
but be chOked Oh the second stanza, and
then fairly broke down.
1t wss rude and unbecoming for a
young Inan in love with his daug ghter to
laugh. Of course it was. But certainly
it was none the less so for Martha to
smile in return, and then, covered with
confusion, seek to hide her modification
as best she could behind her hymn book.
Mrs. Marblehead, good soul, was as
imperturbable as a discipline of forty
years in assembling could make her
The Major was angry. To look at him
when angry, you would have felt an in
voluntary uprising of thankfulness that
he was not Jehovah, empowered with
authority to cast you into the "queneh-
less fires" of which he sang. But the
regular exercises were soon over, and
"opening the doors of the church" was
next in order. Foremost among the
candidates for admission were Kingston
Greensborough and Martha Marblebead.
1t is passing strange to note the great
results that sometimes flow from little
causes.
[ wish that young couple had not
laughed. Or, if laugh they must, I
wish they had not allowed the Major to
see and hear them; for he it was upon
whose ipSe diTH rested the acceptance
of every applicant for salvation within
the pale of the Galestown Baptist
church.
The two young converts ignomini-
Ously failed to give such evidence of a
''change" as suited the Major, where
upon Kingston Greensborough went off
and united with the "Methodess," as
they were termed, and Martha would
have given her right arm to follow if
she had only dared.
The young couple had been studiously
shy of each other from the moment that
each had silently discovered the others
passion, and now that the church line
was drawn between them, it was as
though an insurmountable avalanche
had fallen across their path.
Major Marblehead had nothing to do
but to be religious. His income from
the usury upon few thousands he had
accumulated early in life in hard bar
gain he had driven with a distressed
immigrant had more than sufficed to
supply his niggardly ideas of necessity,
and as for comforts, he was far too as
cetic to accept them for himself or allow
them in his family.
One night Martha, who seldom slept
soundly any more, was startled by the
sound of her mothers voice in weeping
and entreaty. In all her life before she
had never heard her gentle mother offer
even so much as mild dissent from her
fathers most absurd propositions, and
the present unheard-of entreaty fairly
terrified her.
She arose from her couch and crept
stealthily to the door of her parents
room, for somehow she felt herself to be
the theme of the conversation.
81 wouldn't make them unhappy,
John, if were you," said her mother,
pleadingly. "Let them marry if they
like. You know you always desired it
till they laughed at your singing. Don't
be unreasonable, please"
Mattie's heart beat hard.
"What can the old folks mean ?" she
thought. ''Surely King hasn't been ask
ing for me, when he's never said a word
to me about his love. Tve only read it
in his eyes"
She listened long enough to be salts
fed that her father was determined to
leave the home of her childhood for the
far Pacific, and also to know that he was
instigated to the change by determi-
nation to prevent her marriage with her
ideal King.
Morning found her with red eyes and
highly-strung nerves. Her mother
looked at her appealingly, but Martha
glanced furtively away, and so avoided
any intimation of the knowledge she
had gained by eavesdropping, a mode of
acquiring information of which, to do
her justice, she was heartily ashamed.
81 must meet my King !" she declared
to herself, over and over again.
But how was she to meet him? Should
she dare to risk his contempt by max
ing unmaidenly advances? Remem-
Der, reader, that he had not spoken to
her of love except with his pleading
eyes, and then from across the meeting
house.
What shame that the etiquette of
human society makes it improper for a
woman to make matrimonial overtures.
Marriage means a great deal more to
woman than to man.. Upon her must
Test the penalties that maternity i'm
pose; upon her the weightiest RESPONSE
bility that marriage brings. She loves
more deeply, when mated at all, than
man can; she is quicker to discern her
proper mate than he. Then why the