The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-08-01

I sessions.
We selected a retired nook in beau
/ tiful little valley, hemmed in by forest
trees, and skirted by gravelly bot
toned rivulet, where we pitched our
tent and began our preparations for the
coming fall and winter.
Our neighbors learned the situation
and volunteered to help us, so that in a
little while we had a comfortable cabin,
much better than the one we had left,
and a garden, field, and pasture under
fence, with the two first ready for the
pillow.
was allowed to remove my stock Of
fall and winter fruits and vegetables
frou, the farm that had been my hus-
bands, and in few weeks we We're
made surprisingly comfortable. \ new
hope dawned within me.
To my great relief, Gerald did not
come home. could hear Of him almost
daily at the village, but our house was
so peaceful and pleasant without him,
aud our children so hopeful and happy,
that felt myself blessed as never be-
fore. True, was not without an ach-
ing, constant dread of his return; but
shut the prospect out OF my mind as
much as possible, and worked with a
hearty will at everything my busy
hands could find to do.
After a while learned that my hus-
band had shipped before the mast.
was glad of it.
"Now," thought I, "my girls and
will rest securely for many months to
come"
But I soon found that my calculations
for quiet and prosperity were wholly
without foundation. a man who was a
stranger to all of us came one day, bear
ing a bill Of sale entitIing him to our
horses, harness, wagon, and cows.
"What ?" 1 exclaimed, interroga-
lively, as scanned the paper, with my
heart fairly choking me. "Sir, you have
certainly made mistake"
But, alas il was no mistake, as the
sequel proved. For my husband being
out of funds at the time Of his de-
parture, and feeling constrained to pay
certain debts OF honor which he had
contracted, as was his habit, at the
Morseville bar, had sold his personal
/ property 10 obtain the funds he needed.
"But, sir" 1 said, excitedly, ",his
personal property is mine! I earned il
all with my own hands, and my hus-
band had no more right TO barter or sell
il than the veriest stranger in the land"
~ have nothing whatever TO do with
your rights or wrongs in the matter,
madam. did not deal with you, but
with your husband. And it's my hum
bic opinion that women have enough to
do to look after their own affairs, with
out troubling themselves about outside
matters that are really beyond their
Jurisdiction"
"Sir, you are worse than a thief!
You are a robber!" 1 cried, as trem-
bled from head TO foot with a mingled
sense Of outrage, apprehension, anc
shame.
"And gOu are a lady!n was the lofty
reply of the legal purchaser Of my prop
erty, as be turned msjestically away Il
secure the formal possession OF his own
, His words, or, rather, their intona
b tion, stung me to the quick. 1 know
am not giving a very agreeable recon
Of myself in this chapter, but l do no
care. I am on the witness stand, sell
pledged, and Of my own volition, to tel
e the truth, the whole truth, and nothin
but the truth, and so ] shall fulfill m
vow.
1 watched the fellow as he proceede
= to the pasture to drive up the cattle, an
: when he came near the bars which a
p forded entrance to the little barn-yaTI
( / approached him, armed with Gerald
e rifle, aud dared him to put a finger o
my horses at the peril of his life. II
+ was scared, and no wonder.
All, mel
d only regret that had not dared
e lay the law aud gospel Of my own d.
= fense before my husband in our earl
b married years. 1t would Of course hay
s seemed unwomanly, but I now realil
+ that God gave me combativeness, as
gave it to all women, not to be crushel
n but to use in self-protectioD.
?, The stranger considered discretion Il
F. better part of valor, and went ava
$ without his booty; so luckily I was N
compelled to shoot him.
e The nervous headache that follow'
j this tumult of excitement prostrated n
e for several days, during which my bat
:. grew in and died. Poor little lii
i thwarted waif! Its mothers milk h'
n been so vitiated by hardship, frenz
and excitement that it became a dead
/ poison. But how dear it was TO M
It And how / struggled to restore 1t
y life as it wrestled with the death agon
o In the great Hereafter, when u
'e mighty scroll Of human history shall
= unrolled and read by the archangel
'e Wisdom, the death rate among infan
ID will be properly traced to its right
VI origin.
Protect the mothers if you would sa
N the children is as true Of women as
E. cattle. But the masses do not know
n, yet.
We All, mel
TO be continued
H. We should often have reason TO