The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-03-11
VOLUME Ix.

] NFhtA Aift AvlDuElf AIENllANs
81 do" answered John, deep fusl
mantling bis handsome features,
bright glow lighting up his earnest eyes
"Did you ever find out who he was p
John did not reply. His thought
were far away.
''Did you hear?'
81 did"
81 say, then, did you know him ?"
"Yes.u
"Who was be p"
"My sffianced wife"
"Irs just as I expected, John. The
myths Of history haze turned youi
head"
"PardoH me, Colonel. did not mean
to trouble you with NY confidence. It's
"A little romance; that's ALL"
"But Il doesn't trouble me. It's
deuced interesting Tell NE an about
It."
unfortunately, Colonel, there isn't
much to tell It's the old story. Her
fathers rich; mine, poor. She's com
PEELED to stay at home with bed-ridden
mother; impelled To Leave the country
in search Of a fortune"
"Do you mean 90 marry her, young
man ?"
al do, If ever I can afford it. Blu: Tl
marry no woman and settle down as a
nobody, and see her delve her life out in
the everyday drudgery of the kitchen
aud wash house"
81 see. You're decidedly romantic,
as well as the girl. But who'd have
thought that spirited youth vas only a
girl? BY all that's good, I vow never
saw anything like il! What ever put
the notion in her head2"
ooh, il all came OF the ty ranHy Of her
iather-a narrow nan, land-poor aud
yet wealthy; a regular grind, who
wouldn't scruple TO steal the eoppers
| from the eyes of dead darkie II he WAS
sure nobody would see him d. it but the
dead. You see, he go; on a iii because
he wasn't made an officer Df some sort
for that Fourth Of July occasion by the
people Of Chincapin, who hate him
and he had 10 wreak his vengeance on
somebody, so be chose his wife aud chill
dren as the objects Of his irdiguatipn,
and commanded then, by way Of re-
venge on the community, 70 stay away
from the great annual gathering. The
girls brother, who may he married now
to my sister Tirzlh for aught ] know,
though The parents on both sides were
strongly opposed to &c, deGed tae mon
arch, a. he calls his e. her. ami wcai to-
tile celebration any hos But iho girl
herself was more deeply urler his con-
troll, aud so she dressed Up as boy,
with nobody but ourselves in the secret.
aud went in spite Of him. But I ac-
knowledge that ] was at first shocked,
then surprised, then mortified, and az
terward exultant over that strange de-
termination Of hers 90 go forward as an
unknown boy and relieve her brother of
his embarrassment 10y reading the Dec
laration Of Independence. / wouldn't
have let her do il under any consIdera-
ton if had known it beforehand,
though"
"Why not?"
because 1 shall want my wife to keep
a woman's place, ard allow me to do the
public work"
(which notion c0m= Of your vanity,
young man."
"But it's perfectly natural for a man
to want bis wife to keep herself uu-
spotted from the world"
"Just how the noble work that young
girl did that day would have spotted
her by the world l cannot tell. Do
you suppose you could have done it any
better?"
"Oh, it isn't that. But the world
laughs at fellow so for having wife
that does unusual things. I never
meant 10 let you know that the one girl
Of all Others whom would gladly make
my wife had done such an unwomanly |
act as TO read the mems Declaration Of
Independence in public. But you sur
prised me into it, aud now you know it
alI.u
"But you love the girl?"
81 do, as my very lifeW
"And you would not hesitate 10 COM
mend any woman not yo.rwife for po-
ing before the public to exerc!se her iaI- /
ents according 10 her own understand
ing2"
"Of course not"
"Theu you've good deal to learn Va,
young man. And now, listen to me
You're a fellow for whom Nature has
done a more than ordinary job. You're
olear-headed, quick-witted, good-Iook-
ing, self made, somewhat cultured, and
quite ambitious. You have a great de-
sire To be somebody, according to your
notion Of what constitutes that not alto
gether mythical parsonage. You pos
sess the natural vanity, peculiar TO the
young Of our sex, that seeks as a wife a
woman who will always put you 10 the
lead, and remain herself in the back
ground. Now, take my advice, aud
steer clear Of a talented, spirited and
beautiful girl like this young Miss Har-
dine. You couldn't keep ahead Of her
IL you tried. You're a bright young
man, but you're not her peer, and the
time is fast approaching, under higher
order Of wOmanly intelligence and op-
portunily, when a man cannot longer