The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-05-03

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ct was not aware that my husband
had come for the money" l said, "but
irs all right. We don't have divided
+ interests in our household"
/ With this I turned away, utterly at
sea as u my next endeavor. Homeless,
penniless, half naked, and child-bur-
dened, what was I 20 DO q?
For several days / found, lodgings,
such as they were, with nomadic
I Spanish family across the bay, to whom
/ had paid large sums Of money for the
hotel washing. They were very kind
in various ways providing myself and
childrau with ecraforiahle clothes, aud
entertaining Us, after their fashion, with
genuine hospitality.
/ The fire had been as sudden as furious,
aud after a day or so nothing was to be
seen Of il save its blackened aud ruined
effects, and here aud there a shoulder
ing mass, through which Indians and
. Greasers and an occasional white man
were raking aud searching, in quest Of
booty.
Then I left my children with my
nomadic friends, and visited the devas-
tated city in search Of opportunity TO
engage iu business.
II the responsibilities and necessities
Of my lot, as an unprotected wife aud
mother, had been accompanied by the
necessary freedom from restraint and
equal protection Of the laws which are
freely accorded TO every law-abiding
man in America, I should, even then,
have felt buoyant, hopeful, and ambi-
tious. But above my necessities, above
even my children's helplessness, rose
my husbands absolute will aud power
over me. shuddered as / thought of
my predisposition to excessive mater
nifty, aud remembered that I had but
recently been wholly in his uubridled
power. And ! feared-oh, how feared
TO meet him again.
All, me,
Had The man who had robbed me OF
my money been any other man than
my husband. he could have been ar
rested, tried, convicted. aud placed out
Of further opportunity for wronging and
robbing me. But he was my husband,
and ! was poweriess.
Il seems strange 90 me, as now look
back upon my worse than wasted years,
that il did not once occur 10 me to seek
relief in that modern inquisition, the
divorce court. But I did not think OF
it, and. even If had, / have no doubt
bat that I should have plumed myself
80 supremely upon my imagined re-
speciability that I should have gone ou
enduring the burden. even as did en-.
dure il, under mistaken sense Of duty
IL has only been within few past year.
} that I have learned 10 look upon a fraut
in marriage as an abomination inf.
nitely more necessary to be forsakeI
p than fraud in any other life relation
/ and did not learn it, at last, till my
E own life had been jeopardized thous
( and times, and my children had learned
s TO detest, as well as dread, their rum
cursed father a. only children thus ac
{ cursed can delest and dread an unre
2 strained maniac.
Good reader, beg that you will no
b forget your early introduction to m
2, husband. The opening chapters Of thi
n DER true tale but do him simple justic,
d Aud even now, as on the decline of lii
1 review my early acquaintance wit
a him, aud recall the eurapturing sensa
j. tions with which met the dear dew,
e tion that he brought me, and whicl
but for false system Of social, finar
" cial, and coujugal ethics that makes
Il wife's position one of penury aud q,
r pendence, ] should have been able
n command aud retain, after marriage
well as before it, am sure I could ha'
ID exercised the demon that possessed hin
y and held him secure aud safe in q
F. nuptial bonds that lie voluntarily a
Is sumed when he promised to eudow n
with all his worldly goods, and low
le protect and cherish me till deaf
Z should part US.
nE NlE nANA AAAlNE SUN AflNA ANaNal l
Of for redistricting as well as rebuilding Il
Of unfortunate city as an enterprising pc
r. pie from all parts OF the world, such
D. California then possessed, were not di
=" posed to lose sight of, aud in three da
TO after the holocaust such changes h
~ been made la the city plat that foul
ed considerable difficulty in discoveril
ce the site OF my late tented habitatio
at When did mud it, a large force Of IN
10 was upon it, excavating for the found
he tion of some sort OF commodious iii
ll, proof edifice. Then remembered a.
u l had only held the ground by a squi
ter sovereignty title, and that even [
IL earth beneath my feet was swept aw,
in Lsto0d over against the buzzing, bu
VI crowd in dumb despair, and watch
ke them with feeling Of rebellion in Q
ere heart against humanity, aud alm
in against God himself.
gal Presently a gentleman came alo
en- who recognized me, in spite Of
nd changed attire and abject appearance
is "How have you Jared since the Fl
ey madam 81 he asked, kindly.
ter al am utterly destitute" answer
To the hot blood mounting to my forehe
icy and my heart aching with indiguati
oIy sorrow, and shame.
'ey did so hope nobody would ever kn
j" my awful suspicion, ay, knowled
lou that it was Gerald who bad burned
inv etfv