The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1880-10-07

and who claimed her company at every opportu-
nifty. Anice Merton, too, sought by her ac-
quaintances, who listened with qualification Ito
her enthusiastic expressions of pleasure her witty
comparisons and quaint remarks. She was al
ways seeing something that others did not see
No point of beauty or interest escaped her keen
vision. She soon became the center of group of
young people, who were attracted by her vivacity
and the originality of her sayings, while she, en-
tirely possessed by the novelty and fascination of
the scene seemed utterly unconscious of her posi-
tion
Among the group that surrounded her was a
young gentleman who had but lately returned
from travelling in Europe, a Captain Aidenn, who
seemed to listen to her witty sallies with undis-
guised admiration.
"Do you ever write poetry Miss Merton ~ said
he. "If you do now is your time to immortalize
yourself"
"Ah," said she, ''Fitz Hugh Ludlow, in his
prose description of this scenery of the Columbia,
has left nothing to be desired. He exhausted the
supply of adjectives in his memorable effort
Even our new poet, Joaquin Miller, in his
poem, by the Sundown Seas could find nothing
new, unless it were this
g. The rinbows swim in circles round and rise
Against the hanging granite walls, till lost
In drifting, dreamy clouds and dapped skies,'"
MultnOmah Fall
" THE rivers rush upon the brink and leap
From out the clouds, three thousand feet below,
And land afoam in tops OF frs, that grow
Against your rivers rim; they pash. they play
In clouds, now loud and subdued and slow
\ thousand thunder tones; they swing and sway
In idle winds, long, leaning shafts shining spray"
1--WE shall soon come to this shining shaft and
you will see the aptness of the description"
''But you lodged the question l asked" said the
Captain. "Was it ar unfair one?"
Il prefer" said Anice, ''to express my admira-
tion in the well-selected language of acknowledged
genius; but, should l ever try to poetize, would
90 to Alaska, or some equally wild and unknown
region, and try a field of description and tell
of new modes of life, and not 90 over the hack
neyed paths of everyday literature"
'Wellr said the Captain, az see | am not going
to get satisfactory answer; but, Of course if you
ever write, it is over nom dc pl,lmc-a practice
which presupposes that the writer may write
something which he or she is ashamed To own"
at is 10 such thing-begging your pardon for
differing" said Anice "The cause of persons
/ assuming nom de plume is undiuted modesty
that admirable, quality which seeketh not its
own which is willing to do good to the world or
give pleasure without even putting forth a claim
to any return"
Except it may be the shekels' said Earle
Russell, who came up at that moment with
Bertha at his side.
"Now, Earle, you are too bad to spoil my fine
paneeyric,' said Anice. 81 believe / could hold
my own in an argument with the Captain; but
when YOU come to help him but"
"With facts" interrupted the Captain, there
is no use denying; really the fine color i'm your
face is tell-tale. begin To suspect that you NAV
be the regular newspaper correspondent who is
making such a stir, just now, among the iterati.n
Anice was silent. She could say nothing TO this
sally. But Bertha to the rescue with alacrity
you do not suppose, Captain Aidenn, that Miss
Ancc could be 80 saucy is this special CORE
spondent. am sure, if you knew her, you would
never accuse her OF such thing"
81 think you are right" said the Captain; "and,
upon reflection, am sure Miss Merton is not so
arrogant an advocate of woman's rights as would
cause her to take the ground Of this new writer"
"You had better not be too sure Of that" said
Anice. ''If there is anything that will make
woman aware of her rights in this world, it is to
be obliged to earn her own bread either 10y teach
ing or in any other occupation where she is forced
to compete with men, You will hardly find
teacher among women who is not a Woman Suf-
fragist, if that is what you mean by one who adj
vocates woman's rights But truce to such a
trite subject when are coming to Multnomah
Fan, and are near enough to hear its musical muir
mur The noise Of its finely broken spray, in
comparison to the thunder of Niagara, / imagine
Is that of the wind-harp TO the deep bass of the
drum. The great problems of the worlds work,
its tumults and its wrongs, are like the roar of
Niagara. The sweet influences of Nature and her
loveliness are like the melody OF this tall white
organ-pipe, with its sounding variations. that
leans against the windy cliff"
"Write that down." said the Captain; at will
do to keep. You need not tell me you do not
poetic, Miss Merton, when you talk such poetry
as that"
"Who could help talking it when one is sur
rounded by it? One often talks on the inspira-
ton Of the moment much more eloquently than
one could write"