The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-25

that kind of thing"
"I beg pardon for differing with yOu," said
Anice 81 think woman has as much, if not
more, endurance than man. She has proven it
in all the history of pioneer life, in her patience
by the bed of Sickness and in her heroic self
sacrifice in war times, thousand times"
"Really, Miss Anice, 1 ought to agree with you
! and do in measure. know that a woman has
kind of spiritual power to endure that seems
outside the body and to emanate from the will ;
but meant that womans physical power to en-
dure was not equal to mans, and that she ought
not to be called on to suffer such things a a man
often does without complaining"
"And what, pray tell me, said Anice, ais the
usual effect it has upon a man to endure prvatiOn
and hardship"
"Of course" said the Captain, ''it strengthens
/ and ennobles him, if he is Of the right kind of
stuff"
"And you would deny to a woman the privilege
of strengthening and ennobling herself in like
manner by the same means ," cried Anice "Fie
! Captain Aidenn. Woman is not inferior i'm her
powers of endurance. Whether her strength
comes from body or spirit do not pretend to say;
and it does not natter think, so it is there She
will be with you in seven troubles and not forsake
you in the eighth and she will come out of the
trial much better as any man would"
81 am glad to hear you say so" said the Cap
tain; ''and l will never question yo,,r ability,
Miss Merton, to endure and do whatever you
choose to undertake. Go to the wilds of Eastern
Oregon if you so decide, and may the evil spirit of
enn,i never take you captive; may the demon of
homesickness never possess your soul, and may
you return purer and stronger and loveier If pos
! sible) than you now are"
The parenthesis was an aside but both Anice
and Bertha heard it.
~ hope l make no pretensons to endurance or
strength OF mind, but l am not afraid to go where
other women have gone. And believe / can be
happy, because, if / 20, il will be as matter of
duty" said Anice.
"Do you think that people are always happy
when doing what is their duty, simply because
they are doing it, in spite Of difficulties and
troubles >" asked the Captain.
perhaps the mere approval of conscience is not
enough to insure happiness" ," said Anice. 'But
/ think that the state OF the heart that enables
person perform duty in the face Of obstacles, to-
gether with a wise preparation for the combat,
and the consciousness of the approving smile Of
God, is sufficient to carry one through pretty
rough trials with a cheerful face and heart that
! is measurably happy"
at ought TO be enough" said the Captain.
''But l do not think people always go so deep
down as that, there is much Of a kind of super
| fetal life; so many persons take up the burden
that seems to be appointed, without weighing it,
and bear it till it becomes too heavy for patient
endurance, yet feel it is duty and cannot be es-
capped, and are miserable because they think So
/ cannot but think that such duty is often a mis-
taken name"
''No doubt it Is" said Anice. 81 think there
are persons who have an idea that the more disa-
greeable the thing is that is required of them the
more certainly it is duty and the more merit
there is in performing it. The dividing line be-
tween the penance of the Catholic and the self
sacrifice Of the Protestant is hard to draw, and
people are always overstepping it,"
''That Is just what I fear you viii be- doing, Miss
Merton, il you 20 to Eastern Oregon. I assure
you it will be likely to assume the form Of pen
ance before you get through with it," said the
Captain.
BY this time the company had moved away
from the two they sat absorbed in their discus
sion, and Captain Aidenn placed his chair little
nearer and lowered his voice.
as there nothing that / can do, Miss Anice, to
prevent your going?" said he ~ cannot think
it will be for your best happiness"
"I am sure" said Anice, 81 ON obliged for your
kind regard for isy happiness, but you know my
mother needs my assistance and am not making
very good wages here now, when my rent and
other expenses are counted out. The wages !
should get in the upper country would be much in
advance of my present earnings"
81 should think your mother would need your
company much as she would the additional
amount of money" said the Captain. Glove and
sweet companionship are better, thousand times,
than all the money Of the richaman, or even the
things that money can buy"
'Yet bread and clothing and a shelter over our
heads are necessities; and even love and sweet
companonship are luxures that may be the bet
ter dispensed with than either of them,n said
Anice, rather severely. "Then, too, my love for
my mother will be the same, whether absent OF
present, and my little brothers are gay and cheer