The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-12-19
CHAPTER XII

CHAPTER XII.
"Alrs. Snowden, you mustn think ~
such a thing As your husband, and
the ruler of my own household, forbid
itr' exclaimed the wiry, nervous little
man, in tones Of abject terror.
"Sir, if you rule your household and
yourself so badly that you can only keep
out Of the penitentiary by first forging
your neighbor's name, and then pawn
your new daughters deed to her
htful inheritance upon her wedding
q ", think it is quite time that some
boiy else bear a wiser and stronger
hand at the helm"
Mr.. Suowden was meeting a new ex-
pe-ience. Never before had the partner
of his joys and sorrows so presumed
uron her wifely prerogatives.
What do you expect TO accomplish
by hunting up that disgraced and ruined
girl?" be asked, anxiously.
81 do not know, Mr.. Snowden, for I
am not acquainted with all the eircum-
stances. But do know that it is our
duty to look after her aud her baby girl,
and see that they want for nothing. -
tZounds, madam Do you want to
disgrace the family o.
81 mean to do my duty, Mr.. Snow
den"
"The ways Of women are indeed past
finding OUT" exclaimed the miserable
man. "Why, wife, had imagined that
you would take this view Of the
case, I would have dehej the old mau,
her father with the law, and the testi-
mony thrown in, and I'd have let every
thing go by the board in the first place. Z"
md I, Mr.. Snowden, if you had
lrl I'd me as you should have done,
could have steered you through this
gIaol trouble, if not with honor 10 your
se md our wayward son, at least with
Eazte sat,=fsetion 70 your moral
that invariably springs from hav-
ine Zone as nearly right as the very un-
late circumstances would permit. A"
But / have done my very best in
thas direction, wife, already"
AYES, you haUe!" with a descending
intonation upon her emphatic period
that caused her husband to vince in
voluntarily. Yes, yOu haUe' You've
got your unworthy son married to an
innocent and unsuspectiug, aud in spite
of her crude country surroundings, a
cultivated aud graceful girl"
81 know it, wife; I know it. Twas
lucky thought Of mine to get that sis
ter o. hers 10 come 70 the city to Sc,
our girls. The whole thing hinged OF
that"
"And, Mr.. Snowdsn, permit me t.
say that aside from Alouzo's treacher!
toward old man Shaddon's unsophisti
Gated child, this marriage is the bases
-ct Of moral turpitude 1 ever knew"
"But Grace shall never know any
hing about Alonzo's troubles"
"It will all be given TO the winds be
ore a twelve-month. See if it isn't
'.She wouldn't believe il if the heav
ms fell"
chow DO you know she wouldn't?'
because il is true woman's natur
10 have faith in her husband, no matte
what he does"
"And that's all that men know abou
women. When they see a wife, VIII
feels that she must endure the conse
quences, no matter what her husbau
may be guilty Of standing bravely b,
him through all bis failures and dis
graces, and avowing her belief in hi
innocence, no matter what may be th
proof of his guilt, they say, How nobl
aud true and self-sacrificing she is
when il is well known by all women
not excepting the wife in question, tina
her pretext Of faith is only a silly sui
terfuge, induced by her pride, and in
tensihed by the feeling that her inter
ests are so indissolubly connected wit
her husbands, that they must stand @
fall together"
$50 you would have me believe tbs
woman's heroic devotion to an ur
worthy husband is a motive born
seifishness.n
81 don't care fig for your belief ]
the premises. You are welcome 10 i
whatever it is; but know that wba
ever phase 1 may put on this ne
trouble for the deIectation OF the worl,
that you have acted basely, ignorantl
cowardly and UNANIMOUSLY"
90, wife, don't reproach me so cruell
Indeed, cannot bear IT,"
I'm not reproaching you. 7
simply telling you the truth. : It is b'
ter that we understand each 9th,
THAT'S AL"
M snoaden, por, wiry, nervor
liiue man, vas no +, atcb for his port
spouse in mental and moral argumer
and tits quite likely that she could ha
surpassed him even in the physical 8
gumeut bad she been disposed to try
He covered his face with his hands Al
groaDed aloud.
s'Noue o. that nonsense, Mr.. Sno,
den Ne doubt you suffer, and surely
is right that you should. But these
pInings win be Of no avail. You che