The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-09-30

with themselves for their benevOlence in giving
them, and their economy in saving their money
and credit at the same time"
"MOther am afraid you are getting severe"
said Bertha. at was only last week that l gave
an old dress, that certainly unfit for either of
us to wear, to an Indian woman, and you did not
seem to disapprOve it,"
eyes, l KNOW" said her mother, 1--WE all are
guilty in this way, that is, if we atter ourselves
by such giving with the idea that this is charity
and when we have given in this way think we
have done all we ought. We should remember
that there is no true benevoence in giving what
is of no real value to ourselves nor to the person
| to whom we give it,"
"Well," said Anice, 81 will try and remember
this lesson suppose, Mrs. Wills, you think that
true charity possesses an element of self-sacrice
! We must give up something that we would like
to keep, in order to be purely charitable"
81 do not know but that is the secret of ii,
Anice though had not quite put it in that form
to myself. fear, however, that we are all too apt
to bring mint and anise and cumin, and neg
ect the weighter matters of judgment, mercy
and faithu
az am sure father does not do this, said Bertha
"He always puts his hand right into his pocket
and gives hard cash; and he is so ready to help
everyone He has faith in them, too. Is not that
what the Scripture means, acknowledgement to
perceive where charity is truly needed; mercy to
incline ones heart to a Christ-like sympathy, and
faith in humanity to believe in the efficiency of
kindness and good will to raise the fallen and re-
store the prodigal?"
81 think you have the true, inmost idea," said
Mrs. Wills. "But must excuse myself, as well
as other women, in this matter of giving worn
garments and things of little value for they are
] 4,
not usually have much money to spare for charita-
/ bic purposes None but wealthy women are
likely to have more than enough to meet their
everyday needs, and even they are sometimes
very scantily provided with money. Men usually
carry the surplus funds, if there are any, so the
fathers can more easily appear charitable, my
dear"
II do not mean TO imply that father has more
true benevOlence than you have, MOTHER said
Bertha. II only thought Of him being one Of
those who tried to fulfill the commands of the
dear Lord in the true spirit"
Bertha never found it hard to see a shining ex-
ample of any comfortable Christian virtue in her
father. He was her beau ideal of all that was adj
mirable in Christian manhood, and he repaid her
devotion by a fondness that was plainly mani
tested in every way in which fathers love could
be shown. When such a close relation exists be-
tween father and daughter, the breaking up Of
the associations of a lifetime is a hard thing more
especially for the older party For the young
there is compensation. For the old folks there re-
mains nothing but hope for the increased happi-
ness of their child, which i'm many instances
proves delusive, Separation from our loved ones
Is one of the saddest trials, but il surely fits the
better to appreciate the blessedness of that other
country where there need be no sad partings.
The loyeliness of Junes leafy days, with the
crimson bloom of the roses, the green and gold Of
sun-tlecked meadow grasses, the sense of GOODNESS
from the fickering shadows Of waving boughs and
rippling waters, glancing from sun to shade, all
being edged by the rainbow-colored halo Of love,
seemed to make the two weeks before Bertha's
marriage Eden of beauty.
The wedding morning dawned, glowing with
radiance. The two parors had been wreathed
with garands of white flowers, the airy ocean
spray, syringa and spreas, intermngled with
cedar and shaded mosses, with here and there half
hidden of delicate branching ferns, till the
rooms were a bower of beauty.
The supreme moment came. The graceful bride
in her soft, flowing robes and ethereal veil of the
texture of mountain mist seemed to personate the
spiritual, while the symmetrical form and manly
strength displayed by the bridegroom left no doubt
that he well represented the beauty of the physi-
cal part of the union that was to be consummated
"a union that in this ease seemed to be such an
one as heaven and earth might delight i'm.
The second pair in the pageant Of the hour,
Anice and the brother of the bride, Roscoe Wills,
were a couple who would, at another time or
/ place, have challenged admiration by the pure
/ taste displayed in their dress and the grace and
sef-possession of their bearing; but they shone at
this time as under partial eclipse, being at best
only secondary. Still, they added to the beauty
of the spectacle. Tears came to the eyes of many
of the spectators when the father of the young
bride folded her to his heart in his greeting after
the ceremony, and the mother, with fearful eyes
and trembling lips gave her her hearty blessing.
The bestowal of wedding presents had not at
this time become generally customary i'm this