The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-03-04

Ana say Lnat you nave 10 iEut -
r impugn my motives. defy any lawyel
5 in the land, or any court of justice, ol
e any jury Of meu in America, to say thai
! 1 have not acted in the strict line o.
legal privilege ard legal power. II }:
! the part Of the husband to tCiu; il the
duty of the wife 70 serre aud obey, even
as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him
lord. What more could any woman ask
! for?"
Tirzah was silent Where, indeed,
was the argument that could refute the
absolute power into which she had IN
consciously yielded herself? Every
fibre Of her inner consciousness rebelled
against il; but what matter? Could
she help herself?
During these later years the question
has often been asked, Why was it that
women did not formerly complain, as
now, OF one sided matrimonial condi-
tions?
To this | answer by another question /:
Why did not the wife Of John Hardine
complain? Cannot the reader answer e?
Night fell, and they encamped by the
roadside, prepared their supper, fed
their cattle from the store Of neighbor-
ing farmer, pitched their tent, and were
ready for the first outdoor lodging Of a
six months journey.
Tirzah awoke during the night with a
sitting sensation in her throat, as
though connection between her nostrils
and windpipe were severed by some
sharp instrument.
John John % she screamed, "some-
body's cutting my throat!'
For an instant John Hardine was
frightened. He arose and groped about
in search Of the supposed Intruder. but
/ finding none, retired grumblingly to his
couch, and was soon again 10 n heavy
slumber.
But there was 10 more sleep for Tir-
zah. A forebOding Of impending evil
overshadowed her spirits, and she felt
that death would be a welcome visitor.
She was naturally timid, and the
strange sensations of the fret night Of
camping out with only a canvas wall
for protection, was of itself enough 10
arouse her nerves to high pitch Of ex-
citement. But when, added to this was
her grief at parting from the loved
scenes OF her childhood, and the bitter
agony Of an enforced separation from
her sorrowing parents, whom she wouli
not under the circumstances have vol
unfairly forsaken for a kings ransom,
il was little wonder that an agony akin
to that Of Gethsemene was upon her
soul.
There is a sublimity OF egotism in the
masculine idea that the ownership Of a
woman by her husband is her chiefest
joy, no matter whether he may deserve
the homage or not there is a loftiness
Of self-esteem In this peculiar aud wide
spread coujugal fancy that challenges
admiration. Aud, were the phantasy
but real, it would, by its persisteucy,
always succeed in asserting itself aud
satisfying the feminine party to this
I I0nAAAA0ns DlAf nnAWA Au-
nately for this theory OF man, woman
has a will Of her own, and a sense Of
justice within herself that no amount Of
masculine vanity can eradicate or crush.
/ There is but one way TO destroy the in
dividuality Of woman, aud that is by
killing them all off. But you could no
more impress such an idea or such
principle upon a self-conceited youth
like John Hsrdine than you could
puncture the epidermis OF hippopoia-
mus with peanuts fired from child's
pop-gun.
The morning star had hung her jew
eled lamp high in the heavens, and it
was time for the wayfarers to be astir.
John was accustomed to awakening
with the lark, and feeling Of supersti-
tion akin to dread filled his heart as he
listened for the song Of his favorite bird,
and instead the croak of a raven smote
his ear. He listened intently as the
ominous croak was repeated.
"Tirzah ~
No answer.
Could he have known the utter loath-
ing with which his vile had learned in
their brief conjugal experience to think
Of him; could be, in his intense vanity,
have dreamed Of the change in her feel
ings; could he have deemed it possible
for her to look upon him as he was,
rather than as the lord be fancied him
self TO be, the lesson would have been a
salutary one. Il was not then too late
for him to redeem himself in the esti-
nation Of his wife. But, alas for him
be comprehended no other law than
that of power, and recognized no other
right but that OF might.
The sound of horses hoofs was heard
upon the road hard by.
"HalloaI"
ave heard that voice before" said
John.
The hallOa was repeated.
SAY, Ay! What's wanted ?"
The rider was heard to dismount.
'rve bad news from the Tngletons ~
exclaimed the visitor, in a voice which
Tirzah recognized as Joe Ridgeway's.
"Bad news from the Ingletons, did be
say, John? Oh, knew there would be
trouble %
"What is Il ?p asked John, his heart
fairly in his throat, as a sense Of guilt
which he could not stifie filled him with
an indefinable dread.
uiSouIra Inglaton has cut his fhroatiii