The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-11-04
rLAND, OREGON, THURSDAY, NovEMBER 4. 1850.


suspense and grief and bewlderment
The pile of mending had nor all been completed I
ana the many missinr buttons made it very IN
convenient for him to dress the children properly
for Sabbath school
The breakfast was complete failure The ehil-
dren could not eat his primitive cookery, and the
oaoys waling cries To-, 1ed his Ves-strung and
he'ltny as he was-till he was desperate enough
to almost strangle it.
Dii'her was more perpiey-ing meal for him to
prepare than breakfast. He whipped Ben and
Billy to make them wash the dishes, and whipped
them even harder when they broke half of them
into shapeless mass by letting the dish-pan fall.
Monday came at last and after a sleepless night
with the wailing baby, Harry Harcourt went
once more through the perplexing work of the
morning in the kitchen.
And then came the washing
\ wearer crosser man than Harry Harccurt
never sat down to a cold dinner
The children skulked in the corners and fairly
forgot TO play at tandem teaming. In a few DAYS
their clothes wore out again. and he could not
patch them nor could he get away from the house
to earn or even buy new ones. His own garments
grew buttonless, and his food was insupportably
indigestibe.
When Harry Harcourt looked in the glass, he
found himself growing pale, like his vanished wife.
NO wonder she grew white and thin, poor
thing" he sighed, sadly. ~ shall die before
many days if have to carry all this responsible
/ ity on my shoulders without assistance"
/ Nobody ever helped mamma" said Billy, and
he lodged behind the cradle TO avoid being buff
feted for his temerity.
''That is true - thought Harry Harcourt.
And then his health began to fail, and his
strength forsook him, and his back ached and his
temples throbbed, and his feet grew sore and
weary, and he ielt himself sinking, sinking, sink
ing into his grave.
"What will become Of the poor children when /
am gomez he thought the next saturday even
ing he wearily stitched, stitched, stitched till
midnight. "But deserve no better fate than my
present lot, and have no reason TO complain If |
do suffer. I never appreciated Fanny Poor
thing! II I only had her back Td give her the
free and equal possession and use Of everythineon
the plantation. She should have help-plenty OF
it-and all the money she needed to spend, or save
as her own sense would dictate aud I'd never call
myself the responsible head provider and sup
porter of the family, nor accuse her Of having
nothing 20 do-no neUer But it's too late now
She's gone, and I am left to carry the load that |
/ would never acknowledge was a load while she
had TO carry it,"
The baby cried harder and louder than ever, and
Harry Harcourt felt himself sinking lower and
lower in health and strength till finally he fell
sprawling upon the floor, from which he arose at
last rubbing the 'crazy bone" of his right elbow,
and staring around the room in a state Of semi
consciousness.
"What in the worlds the matter, Harry Har-
court ?" asked his pale-faced wife, in alarm.
'Are you really there, Fanny ?" he asked,
eagerly. 81 thought you were dead, darling "
"No, Harry, Pm not dead yet but shall bebe-
fore long at this rate" the despairing reply.
owe been mending the children's clothes for
three hours while you've been snoring"
"And you haven't been away at all y"
81 been away2 Why, Harry, you must be
crazy! How could get away, I'd like to know I?
With all these backs to clothe and all these
mouths to feed, to say nothing of washing, IRON
ing, churning, scrubbing and taking care of the
baby. Pve too many responsibilities here to think
of going away, unless death calls me- And, to
tell you the truth Harry, don't think it will be
very long before l am called, for my strength is
failing rapidly and have frequent sinking SPELLS
l have felt half dozen times tonight as if I
would sink through the floor But then it isn't
any matter. Maybe when am gone you can get
a wife who can manage better and spare you the
humiliation of seeing your children out at the
knees and elbows"
''Wife, your husband has been a confounded
selfish, shOrt-sighted idiot, and you've been n si-
lent, suffering angelp exclaimed Harry HaIcourt,
claspng her in his strong arms, and seating him
self in her rockingchair with her head resting on
his bosom. "Ive had dream, deor, and I've
lived through whole week of your daily life in
the last three hours, and I swe4r to yOu by all
that's holy, that if 1 live till Monday morning
there shall be strong help provided for you in the
kitchen, and you shall have all the money you
want to buy clothes for yourself and the children.
And I'll never say again that you have nothing to