The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-01-18

CHAPTER XVIII.
In her nervous apprehension, and uu-
der the bitter sense Of wrong that stung
her almost to a frenzy, Martha Marble
head, now Martha Jones no more for
ever, went hurrying to and fro, undoing
her work as fast as she did it, while the
dishes often fell from her hands with a
crash Of destruction when she attempted
to lift them, and pots and kettles suf-
fered severe contusions under her rapid
handling.
It was Saturday night. The letter,
bringing her the awful news that she
must give the children of her toll and
suffering over to the care Of their father,
who had never suffered for them pang,
or endured a sacrifice, had been delayed
on its journey, and the "l5th proximo"
which it named as the time for their
separation from her was now only five
days distant.
The accommodations in Major Mar
blehead's Chehalem home were very
different from those in the elegant man
sion he had occupied in Washington,
and Martha's preparations for the regu-
lar Saturday evenings bath for her
children were decidedly primitive. The
water was drawn from a deep well in
the yard with a heavy iron-bound
bucket, upon a heavier windlass, and
carried from thence in wooden pals to
the great tin wash boiler on the high
kitchen stove, where it was left for
heating, while the trembling mother
sought the attic chamber to select the
changes Of clothing for each little body,
for which she alone, through all their
young lives, had tenderly cared. Their
clothing was none too plenty. The
father, to whose custody the tender
mercy Of the law had recently remanded
them, had not furnished a dollar for
their support during his residence in
Washington, and the mother, robbed Of
her earnings by the same legal tender
mercy that was now robbing her Of her
children, had been unable to provide for
them the half that her fond heart sug-
gested as necessary TO make them COM
Portable. There were rents in little
stockings aud drawers to be mended,
buttons to be sewn here and there, and
a great tear in Allies Sunday frock.
''I intended to do the mending this
afternoon, but father brought in a half
dozen tramps for me to get an extra din-
ner for, because he was sorry for them,i
he said. / wonder if the time will ever
come when anybody will think it worth
while to be sorry for me?"
Even as she asked the question, an
answer seemed to come to her inner
consciousness, a sort Of incomprehensi-
BILE assurance that inspired her with
hope, without which she must have
grown insane.
'1'IE conquer fate, or I'll die tryingw
she exclaimed, as, gathering the bundle
Of her children's clothes for the last
time (how the thought smote herr, she
descended to the kitchen and seated
herself for an hours mending beside the
little kerosene lamp where the Major
sat, pOring over the next days lesson for
the Sunday school, wherein be was to
figure as superintendent and oracle; for
since his return from Washington he
had assumed his former religious dig
nifty, and not only led the singing, to
the discontinue Of the district school
master, who made pretensions to musi-
cal erudition, but to the tittering delec-
tation Of half score Of young men and
maidens who had, during his absence,
constituted the choir.
"Father," said Martha, tremulously,
after she had gently chided the chill
dren, whose fear Of "gran'pap'' could
not wholly restrain their natural ex-
uberanee, sis there no possible way for
me 20 retain the custody Of even Que Of
these, my little ones ?'
''No, child. You're better of without
'em. Itwas mainly through my advice
that Tom got 'em. / put in a bill for
their maintenance that / knew Tom
never could pay, for he's not worth a
hlgger's breakfast, If you take away his
government patronage. I've raised one
family, aud I don't propose to raise an
other"
so, father You are cruel monsterr,
"Whatfi
81 say you're cruel monster, and I
mean it, toow
"Be carefuIr'
Nobody but a stony-hearted demon
could have the cold, malicious selfish
ness that you exhibit"
''pve spared the rod too much, and
spoiled my child. But it's not too lat,
yet. You'll suffer for this"
AS the Major spoke he rose from hil
chair and taking down a riding whiy
which one Of the children had found ,
day or two before in the highway, b,
advanced toward her with the air Of /.
madman.
81 used to larrup your mother lik,
blazes when she got into her tantrums
and pll take the suap out O. you, or III
cut you IN tl0o."