A Journal for the People.
Devoted to the Interests of Humanity.
Independent In Politics und Religion.
Ulve to all Live Issues, and Thoroughly
Radical in Opposing and Exposing the Wrong
of the Masses.
TERMS, IN ADVANCE:
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ADVERTISEMENTS Inserted on Reasonable
Terms.
VOLU5IE VI.
PORTLAND, OREGON, FRIDAY, JANUARY SO, 1877.
NUMBER SO.
HES. A. DCXIWAT, tdltor and Proprietor.
OFFICE Cob. Fbost 4 "Vv'AflnisQTON Streets
Fbee Speech, Free Press, Free People.
NO STORY.
Again we are compelled to make tbe
above announcement. Why the manu
script does not come to hand more
promptly we do not know; but it is per
haps not strange, when the distance
which tbe author is from here is taken
into consideration. Wo regret, but are
unable to prevent, the break in tbe story.
alph Wallingfbra's Affinity.
BY SUSAN B. LONG.
Ralph Walliugford married Mattie
Moore, tiie little school mistress, and
thought himself a very lucky fellow, as
he was. He was the only son of a
widow in good circumstance, whose
daughters were already married and set
tled In life, aud who, contrary to the
majority of mothers with only sons, was
well pleased to have him bring a bright
faced, sweet-voiced, nimble-rooted
young companion iuto the dim old
house, to make light aud music, and to
share her labors aud her cares. And
now, having asserted that two of the
parties concerned in this matcli for 1
will maintain, notwithstanding the
multitude of witty but unkind remark
which are continually being made about
that much-abused individual, that the
mother-in-law has really some rights
that ought to be respected, that she
really is a party concerned, especially
when the new party is to be a member
of her own he usehold having, I say,
asserted that both mother and son were
well pleased to secure this bright-faced
companion aforesaid, it is no more than
fair to own that Mattie herself was not
one whit behind them in feeling satis
fled with her share of the good luck
which had come l them all.
Some of Mattie's friends for, though
no near relatives, she had made mauy
firm friends since she came to L to
teach the district school some of them
shook their heads a little in a knowing
way, and ventured llie opinion that sue
might do better by waiting a little
longer. Ralph was all well enough,
perhaps; and he had a good home for
her, aud all that; but he was young yet,
too young to know his own mind, they
feared. It looked a little out of square
for a fellow of twenty to marry a woman
two years older; the disparity ought to
be tiie other way. They guessed, too,
that Ralph was inclined to be dogmati
cal and domineering; lie had the stud
In him to make him so, they knew ii
was a characteristic of the family
though they couldn't say that he hail
manifested those trails as yet. Time
enough for that, though, yet.
Surely those traits never had appeared
in his intercourse with Mattie; for hail
he not been one of her most attentive,
respectful, aud submissive pupils for the
paslHwo winters? And as to the dis
parity in their ages, no one, seeing them
for the first time, as they stood before
the minister in the village church, lis
tening to the words that were giving
them to each other till death should
part them, he, with his tall lorm, broad
shoulders and bearded face, aud she
with her rounded cheeks, varying color,
bright, laughing eyes aud girlish form,
wo'uld have hesitated to say that he was,
at the least, five years her senior.
Ten years later, the verdict would
have been the same. Aud Mattie's life,
during these years, had not in the leasi
resembled that of the lilies of the field.
She had toiled literally; aud if I maj
use the word "spun," in a metiphorical
sense, meaning making, mending, wash
ing, ami ironing, then I may say that
she had both "toiled aud spun." But
she had done it all so bravely and cheer
fully, had sung, aud laughed, aud
chatted while she toiled, that while
many a woman, though possessing her
perfect physical health, yet less happily
constituted mentally, would have
drooped and' faded, and developed pre
mature wrinkles and grat hairs, she
was plump, fresh aud rosy still. When
complimented for her youthful looks, at.
she often was for it was a rare thing to
see an American wnmau of thirty-two,
wife of a country farmer and mother of
four children, with a brow aud cheek
uumarked by care, au eye undimmed
by disease, aud a laugh like a school
girl'sshe made answer that she "sup
posed it was all because she was so
happy. She didn't know how it was,
but she never seemed to have any rea
trouble ! She had the best husband aud
the brightest and sweetest children in
tbe whole world, and everything pleas
ant and agreeable about her fexcentiiiu
only the protracted illness of RalnhV
mother; but she was always hoping she
wouin ue netteri; ami as lor work, why
she gloried in it ! She believed she was
just calculated for a woman of all work
it suited her exactly."
She had, however, one recret I will
not call it a grief besides the sickness
or the mottier-In-law alluded to. which
was, that she found so little time for
reading and study, of which she was
naturally passionately fond. But, con
trary to the habits of many women, in
stead of making the most of these two
unhappy circumstances, in order to
compensate for their scarcity, she sel
dom alluded to them, and never dwelt
upon them at any lencth.
But of this I should have spoken
later, fori fear I am bestowing too much
time upon a commonplace littfe woman
one without "aspirations," except to
make good bread aud butter, and who
felt no "lougings" but to fulfill her
whole duty to tier God, and to her fam
ily, and her fellow-beings at larce. I
fear, I say, that I am taking up too
much time with her, to the exclusion ol
one who, if we accept his judgment in
the matter, was lur her superior.
If Mattie, at the end of ten years,
showed few signs of the flight of time,
the Bame might also bo said of "Ralph.
It is true, also, that he had "toiled and
8pun," .the latter metaphorically, also,
of course), and he, too, to all outward
appearance, wan rnntpnlwl nnrl Imtinv.
But he was not; or, he thought be was
uut; or, ne mouqnt he thought so, which
amounts to the same tiling practically,
I suppose. He had "aspirations" and
"longings," aud so he kept a journal,
and made that the repository of them,
and a good deal besides, of which, by
the way. he came in time to h nahnm-rt
For instance, this: "Eight years of
married life! And tliev have hpAn
years not devoid of seasons of banoi-
ueas, uuiuii i it is a sao ining wheu a
man becomes sensible of the fact that
lie has made the one creat mistake
which is to cast a cloud over his whole
earthly existence. I feel that I should
not say this, even to my Journal mv
other self. It seems like In-ratltude to
one of the best of women and truest
of wives that ever lived; aud this makes
the sad truth all the sadder. Never,
since I have called Malliewife, have I
had occasion to complain of the least
neglect of any wifely or domestic duty.
Never have I known her ill-tempered or
fretful. Her cheerfulness and kindness,
especially to my invalid mother, her
gentleness, and, more than all, her ex
ecutiveness, are something wonderful,
and challenge my highest admiration
and respect. All! admiration aud re
spect! A mau should not stop at those
words wheu speaking of bis wife. But
what can I say ? Am I so much an an
imal that because a woman makes good
cofiee, because she can cook potatoes to
the very point of perfection, because she
gives me the sweetest and lightest of
bread, my whole soul must go out to
her iu a gush of uuutterable affection ?
Because she darns my stockings, sews
ou my buttons, aud 'dues up' my while
shirts, must I bestow upou her the rich
est treasures of an ardent, loving heart?
I should scorn myself if it were so ! I
crave something higher aud nobler.
What are mere bodily comforts, if the
miud must hunger and thirst for com
panionship? How I could luxuriate ou
tour bread, frowsy butter, and muddy
coffee, if Mattie were only capabfe of
appreciating subjects and ideas above
the humdrum walk of common, every
day life! How I could revel iu button
less shirts, limp collars, aud coats outat
the elbows, if only she could go with
me into realms of ethical aud scientific
truth; strive with me to lay hold upou
ideas grand and worthy; to investigate
new aud important theories theories
and ideas which tend to make our lives
nobler, broader, truer, and more beauti
ful, blesslug not only ourselves, but odr
children aud our kind. It is the knowl
edge that I must struggle ou through all
my mortal life, thus alone, without
sympathy for my strivings for the 'true
and the beautiful;' thatl must ever be
hampered and bound down to the vul
gar details of farm life, iu my hours ol
both toil aud relaxation; itis the knowl
edge that this must ever be so, that fills
my days with sadness aud strews my
pillow with thorns."
There, there, there ! Let us stop !
Don't let us read farther!
"Is the mau a fool," do you sav?
Undoubtedly, aud t litre are others like
him, aud women, too. Meu and women
who, as au Irishman would say, cannot
lie happy unless they are miserable
about something; aud so, if they have
nothing real to make them so, they im
agine something.
.Now. Ralph Wallingford's days were
not tilled.with sadness, aud there wen
no thorns iu his pillow not a thorn !
tils digestion was good, he went whist
ling about his work, aud he snored in
His sleep at night! What more could
the happiest man do?
1 will tell you, now, just what did ail
him, or what he thought ailed him.
But I must do it iu my own way, and 1
fear that I am already, like Mrs. Wilfer,
"a little wearing." It had been theii
practice, his and Mattie's, till witliii,
the last three or lour years, to spend
their evenings in reading together
usually Ralph read while Mattie "spun,"
i. e., sewed or kuit. Books, magazines,
newspapers travels, theology, ethics,
fiction aud science were In turn read,
end enjoyed by them both. As the time
went on, and Mattie's cares and duties
increased, Ralph became the sole reader,
aud Mattie was almost entirely depend
ent upou him for everything in the wa
of literary pabulum that she obtained.
Unfortunately, about this time, Ralph
fell in with the writings of Auguste
Compte, aud of some other social re
formers in our own country. He be
came greatly interested iu them, aud
brought them home to read to Mattie.
She listened to them for two or three
evenings, aud then told bim she feared
it was time and trouble wasted, with
her, for she was positive she should
never understand "Compte's Positive
ism," aud that much of tbe stuff that
the other authors said about "social
freedom," aud "soul affinities," and the
"higher law of marriage," etc., seemed
to her the merest trash, to call it by no
worse name; and that, ror her pait, she
had so little time to devote to mental
culture, she should prefer to hear him
read something else. Ralph endeavored
to explaiu what she did not understand.
aud to combat her opinion iu regard to
the rest; but she Insisted that there was
so much that she could comprehend aud
appreciate, aud which would do hei
.good, that it did not seem worth her
while to puzzle her brain over ideas aud
"peculations which she felt would make
Her neither better nor happier.
After this there was a gradual falling
away from their habitual evening read"
ings, until they were at last entirely
discontinued, for Ralph became so in
terested iu his "Positiveism" and kin
dred subjects, that he gave up other lit
erature almost entirely; and, besides,
about that time, too, lie took to writing
lor me papers, and had less time for
reading, he said. Of course this was
not quite pleasant for Mattie; she re
gretted the loss of I er reading, and she
regretted more Ralph's being led away
by strange doctrines; butslie had within
her such a well-spring of hope aud faith
yes, aud charity, too I may as well
give her the whole three that she could
not be gloomy over it, even if she had
wished to, which she did not. She said
it was perfectly natural that an ardent.
enthusiastic mind, like Ralph's, eairer
to investigate aud acquire, should gather
in some tares wltu the wheat; but that
he would be able to distinguish which
was which in time trust him for that.
He was a noble fellow at heart, and
wouldn't go wrong always.
And so she "toiled, and spun," and
nursed, aud petted, and cheered the in
valid mother, aud read snatches of Mrs.
Browning, and Georire Elliot. Dr. Hoi
land, and Mrs. Whltnev. while shenlleil
the churn-dasher or put the baby to
sieep, auu amongst it all she Kept every
thing so bright, aud cosv. and sunnv.
that Ralph found it almost impossible
to be even decently miserable. Only
over his journal. Over that he could
pour out woes by the hour! Woes of
winch he was happily Iguoraut until
made aware of their existence through
the suggestions of his favorite writers.
With these suggestions to assist bim.
nothing could be easier than to make
out for himself a geuuine case of uncon
genial marriage relation.
"He bad married young, before be
really knew his owu mind, or was aware
of its vast capabilities for loving mar
ried a woman older than himself; a
ulce, good little body, to be sure, but
wholly beneath bim in intellectual
status, uow that he had become fullv
matured, aud who had uroved unable tn
J keep pace with him, or to .appreciate
him in his higher intellectual pursuits."
Thus lie would maunder on to his
journal, sitting alone in his "study"
for since he had set up for a literary
character he must have his "study," of
course while Mattie sat below stairs,
and darned little socks, and patched lit
tle aprons, and told little stories, and
sung little songs to her little brood of
bright-eyed, rosy-cheeked little ones.
But with all his conscious superiority
of intellect, Ralph was glad to avail
himself of Mattie's practical knowledge,
and he brought his manuscript's to her
to read aud correct.
'You are a perfect little bundle of
rules, you know," he said, as he laid tbe
first one before ber.
"Aud exceptions," put in Mattie.
"I suppose," he continued, "you have
all the rules of Syntax at your tongue's
end, while I couldn't repeat one, though
you did give me a pretty severe drilling
in them when I was a great awkward
school-boy. Just see if there is any lit
tle matter Iu the grammar that can be
bettered; the ideas will pass, I fancy,
aud are not badly expressed, if I may be
allowed to say so; and that is the main
point. Your real genius seldom makes
much account of grammar. He dis
dains to work iu harness."
"It is lucky for your genius, then, if
his wife is not one, too," laughed Mat
tie. Butsbe put him right in his moods
and teuses, praised his style, and told
bim she was quite proud of his literary
achievement, while he stood with his
thumbs in his armholes, back to the
fire, aud complacently regarded himself
iu the mirror opposite.
The most of his articles were, written
for the Farmer and Dairyman, the
country paper, dealing with subjects of
general interest, and were really very
creditable productions.
It was not very long after this when a
new writer, evidently a woman, ap
peared occasionally in the F. and D.
She signed herself '-Bee," and attracted
some little comment by her style. Her
articles were always short, and appeared
at irregular intervals, and exhibited
ouiy moderate talent and culture, uow
aud then flashing up in little gleams of
sentiment, or subsiding iuto bits of ten
der pathos; just such, in fact, as any
bright, genial, well-read woman possess
ing a good common educatiou could
write. But Ralph seized upon them at
once, and declared that they were the
work of a superior mind, either pur
posely disguised under a garb of rustic
ity, or else not yet fully developed. He
read them to Mattie at first, and was
lavish iu his praise of them; but she
said she was very sorry to say she could
not discover anything extraordinary in
them. "They were well enough, she
supposed, but there were plenty of wom
en who could do as well his sister Au
gusta, for instance, or she herself, per
haps." Italpb laughed a little ironically, and
said :
"Now, Mattie, don't be absurd ! But
never knew a woman yet who could
bear to hear another woman praised
without showing pique."
we avoided any lurthur reference to
'Bee" iu Mattie's presence, but he men
tioned her quite frequently to his jour
nal; ana at last, alter due deliberation,
he wrote her a short note, saying mauy
complimentary tilings of her articles,
,n id hoping that he might be so fortu
nate ere long as to make her acquaint
ance. "Alight he not hope for a replv ?
Aud would she not trust him with her
real name aud address?" He then
tdded a postscript, to the eflect thai
'Mrs. Wallingford, although not so
happily gifted iu a mental point of view
as the 'Bee,1 and whose mind was al
most entirely absorbed iu family mat
ters, would still feel it a great honor to
become personally known to a lady ol
such acknowledged literary abilities."
He did this for the purpose of givinc
her a hint that there was a Mrs. Wall
ingford, for he did not wish to appear
inder false colors, he said, and though
Mattie had not authorized him to sav
anything in her behalf, and was ignor
ant of the whole thing, iu fact, lie had
said ouiy the truth; she would feel it an
Honor.
He sent the note under cover to the
editor of the Farmer and Dairgman,
wuu me request tuat he would forward
it to his fair contributor. He got fool
ishly impatient, for a man iu his posi
tion, before the auswer came, and when
it did it was far from being satisfactory.
The "Bee" was greatly indebted to
him for his flattering opinion. "He
did her quite too much honor in pro
posing a personal acquaintance: buthei
judgment assured her that, uuder exist
ing circumstances, it would not be wise
iu her to divulge her real name;" and
with a few words of compliment to his
owu success as a writer, tbe note closed.
He was sure it was written in a feigned
baud; at least, it was written back
handed; otherwise the form of the let
ters seemed familiar.
Well, be felt the rebuff keenly; but be
thought of her all the more. He wished
he kuew what those "existing circum
stances" were. Were they unhappy?
Nothing she had ever written would in
dicate that such was the case, but rather
the reverse; though that proved noth
ing. No one was going to make their
private griefs and trials the subject for
newspaper articles. He did not. Far
otherwise, of course. He Anally settled
upon the belief merely because it
suited bim best to think so that she
was situated very much as he was
united to some good, plodding, but un
appreciatlve soul, with whom she could
have no real companionship. From
that, he began thiuking what a mutual
help they might be to each other, if be
could but overcome her objections to a
personal acquaintance. How they might
sireugiueu, auu encourage, aud sympa-
thizeeach with theotber! And Mattie,
too, he said, what a refining and elevat
ing influence tbe occasional association
wuu bucii a womau would exert over
her. He would write again, after a
while, notwithstanding the cool recep
tion with which his first overture bad
been met.
He did so, and with bettersuccess this
time. Tiie "Bee" consented to corre
spond with him in a friendly way, but
refused to give him her name. For the
present he must address her only as
"Bee," and through the editor of the
Farmer and Dairyman.
For tbe next two months, scarcely a
week passed without tbe interchange of
letters between them, friendly letters,
auu containing nothing especially in
lerestiug in any way; for, now that
Ralph had found a "congenial soul" to
whom he could "pour out bis highest
thoughts aud be understood," as he ex
ultiugly informed bis journal, singu
larly enough be seemed not to have
many such thoughts to pour out. He
did sometimes indulge in flights of sen
timental balderdash and trancendental
vaporings, but without meeting with as
much encouragement from his corre
spondent as he bad counted upon. In
fact, the writing was mostly upon his
side throughout, and be often com
plained that she wrote with a certain
stillness aud reserve thatdid uot appear
iu her newspaper articles; that the lat
ter were more satisfactory to bim tiian
mUnv of her private letters. But mat
ters in this respect mended as the weeks
passed.
Fiually, Ralph ventured the startling,
though uot strictly origiual remark
he had seen it somewhere, picked it up
in some of bis reading that "beseemed
to have known her fora long time al
ways, iu fact in some previous state of
existence, perhaps." And the "Bee"
responded that she, too, "had all the
time felt that he was not a stranger;"
that she "seemed irresistibly drawn
toward him from the first;" aud much
more, iu the same strain, that was
highly pleasing to Ralph, of course.
Next he volunteered her the informa
tion that bis wife, "though an excellent
womau in tier way (guupowder and
caution balls never should force him to
say any ill of her), was totally unsatis-
lactory to uim as a companion; mat he
was emphatically alone, as far as the
higher aud nobler elements of his being
were concerned;" aud he was rewarded
for his confidence by being told in reply
that the "Bee" could fully sympathize
with him in his loneliness, for that her
husband was a conceited prig, and a
brute withal, aud neglected her shame
fully, aud Heated her as au inferior at
all times."
Then oh! bow Ralph's sympathies
did gush! "He Anew it! He had fell
from the first that something of the
kind was the case; but they must both
be strong, and hopeful, and wait," etc.
italph did, once in awhile, aslc him
elf how he would relish it if Mattie
were carrying ou a correspondence of
this nature with a stranger: but lie an
swered it by saying that he would never
Know it, and well, he decliued to dis
cuss it fartiier, any way.
Iu due time, Italph again proposed a
meeting; and this time the "Bee" read
ily acquiesced. So it was arranged that,
as the annual fair of the Agricultural
Society was to take place iu a few
weeks, the Interview should take place
during that time. Iu the floral depart
ment of the Agricultural Hall, Ralph
was to and the "liee" standing by one
of the north windows, dressed in a gray
suit aud carrying a blue parasol, aud
with a white rose iu her hand. Tune,
second day of the fair, 11 o'clock A. M.
Never, iu the spooneve.-t period of Ins
adolescence, had Ralph labored longei
ver llio parting ot his back hair ami
the tie ot his cravat, than he did thai
same second morning of the fair. Mat-
tie aud the four children (for they were
all to go that day, rather against
Ralph's wishes, but it didn't mattei
much) were all ready, and iu the car
riage waiting, the children looking like
so many animated blossoms, with their
sparkling eyes, rosy cheeks, sunny curls
aud pretty bright dresses, and ail chat
tering and twittering like so many
thrushes long before he had given the
last admiring glance to his image in the
mirror, the last touch to his collar, aud
the last caressing stroke to his flowing
brown beard.
"I shall drive right in, and leave the
carriage standing where you can have
a good view of the riusr." lie said to
Mattie, as they beared the fair ground;
"and you had better remain there with
the children this forenoon, and not go
through the hall till later iu the day;
the crowd will be less then, and I can
go with you better."
"Oh, never mind me and the chil
dren," Mattie replied; "we can take care
of ourselves; ouiy, some time during the
day, you must come around aud go witli
me to look at the poultry. I want to
select some new stock, you know."
Jtlow many times Ralph consulted his
watch that forenoon it would be bard to
guess; but when it warned him that the
propitious moment was drawing nigh,
he entered the floral hall, aud walked,
as unconcerneuly as he could, down
toward the northern windows.
Yes, there stood a lady iu gray. She
was looking out of the window, so that
he could not see her face, but one baud,
raised aud resting against the window
casing, held a white rose; so she must
be the "Bee," of course.
No! How stupid! That was Mattie!
What had sent her there just at that
time? And how singular that she
should have a white rose! And the
children how absurd! all had white
roses ! What did it meau ?
Just then Baby Dimple caught sight
of him, and shouted "Pap-pa!" aud
Mattie turned and looked at him. There
was a conscious, half-quizzical look in
her face that told him that her presence
there was no accident.
"You here, Mattie?" said he, looking.
exceedingly foolish. "Why, I thought
I didn't "
"Yes, I know," said Mattie, blushing,
"you were looking for some one else,
perhaps; but won't Ave roses do better
than one?" Then, seeing that the shot
had taken eflect, she went on as thougii
nothing was wrong: "O, Ralph, there
is a lot of Black Spanish out here!
Such beauties! Go aud look at them
now, won't you ? I mean to buy a trio.
no use oi any luriner oee nunung," sue
whispered. "You've found the whole
hive!"
It seemed to Ralph that tbsre was a
whole hive in his head, as lie lifted
Baby Dimple in his arms, aud walked
beside Mattie down the hall, .without
comprehending a word of her amimated
disquisition on the respective merits of
White ijegnorns, uiacK Spanish aud
Brahmasas layers, good mothers or as
table fowls.
The only palpable idea in bis
miud was, that Mattie was a perfect lit
tle "brick," to behave with so much
tact and coolness, instead of making a
Tool of herseir, as many women would
Not an inkling of the real truth illu
mined his mind all that long afternoon.
The "Bee" bad betrayed him to Mattie,
aud they had arranged between them
for her, Mattie, to meet him. That was
the interpretation he put upon the mat
ter or, stays peruaps Mattie had inter
cepted their letters! Anyhow, bis feel
iuus were, to say tbe very least, auv-
thing but agreeable for tha remainder
of the day.
That evening, after the children were
disposed of in their beds, and tbe mother
was made comfortable ror the night,
Ralph and Mattie bad au explanation.
"Am I to believe, then," said Ralph,
pausing iu bis troubled walk about the
room and confronting Mattie, where
she sat in her low rocker, looking so
Keenly auve to the paintuiness of his
position that she had quite as much the
appearance of being the culprit in the
case as lie, "am I to believe that you
are the writer of those articles in the
Farmer and Dairyman those articles
signed 'Bee?'"
"les, Ralph," she answered: and
then, as if to apologize, she continued:
"lou see, I never should have thought
of doiug such a thing, but for looking
over your manuscripts. One day, when
i nad one ot them heiore me, it occurred
to me that I could do as well as that, if
1 only had a chance, and I had a miud
to try. So, by snatching a few minutes
at a time I could think them out about
my work, you know wheuever I could,
I wrote the first. It seemed so different
when it came to be written, though,
that I hardly bad tbe face to send it to
the paper; and I was almost sure it
would never be printed; but after that
was so well received, I felt encouraged
to keep on. It was a kind of recreation,
you see."
'But there was no reason why I
should have been kept in the dark about
them," said Ralph, glad that there was
soinethiug of which he could complain.
"lou read all ot mine before they were
published, you might have been as open
with me, I think."
"Yes, but you know, Ralph, you ridi
culed the Idea of my being able to write;
auu l lelt a trltle hurt about it, aud then
well, 1 think voit have uot been quite
open with me, Ralph, in all things."
iiaipu dropped his head aud coutinued
his walk.
'Aud those letters!" be said, witli an
effort, after waiting iu the hope that she
would introduce the subject of them;
for he was determined to have a full
and decisive overhauling of the whole
matter, and know at once, aud for all,
just in what degree he stood committed
in her judgment.
"Oh, those letters!" she interrupted,
eagerly; "I know nothing about them,
lam glad to say. Iliad nothing to do
with them save the first short note in
reply to your first Augusta wrote all
the others."
"Augusta?" he repealed, immensely
relieved, for "conceited prig," "brute,"
etc., etc., had been rankling in his mind
for sometime. They souuded so like
Augusta; and he did hope Mattie did
not think quite so meauly of him as
that.
"Yes," Mattie continued, "Gusty
happened to come here the very day I
ot your second letter, and without con
sidering very much about it, I let her
read it. You see, I intended then to
confess the whole to you iu a little
while, and should have done so, but for
her she said it was too good a chauce
to teach you a lesson. There was noth
ing so good for a mau wheu he had
started out to make a fool of himself as
to help him along with it. till he had
.jone far enough and then bring him up
snort in it. Those were tier words,
Ralph you kuow how she is always
rating you for what she calls your self
conceit; and she said she would like to
take some of it out of you. bhe wanted
me to promise to correspond with you:
aud wheu I told her that I couldn't,
aud wouldn't, she said then she would
she lives so convenient to the office of
the paper, you know, that she could ar
range all that with the editor without
lilnculty aud so, after awhile, I con
sented, more for the fun of the thing
than anything else. I only stipulated
that she should bum your letters as
soon as she had read them, and never
tell me one word of their contents. You
see," she went ou, in auswer to Ralph's
look of inquiry, hesitating aud fookiug
down at the same time, "I didn't kuow
what you might be led ou to say I
knew that your mind wasn't " (Ralph
winced) "I didn't kuow but you might
oe betrayed into saying something that
you would regret sometime, and that it
would be better for me iut to know:
and I knew Gusty, although she pre
tends to scold you, is wholly devoted to
you, so that anything you might, say
would be perfectly safe with her."
"But had you no curiosity ?" Ralph
asked.
"Lots!" Mattie replied, laughing.
"That was why I made her promise to
burn tiie letters and not tell me. I was
afraid that I might sometime coax it
out of her, in spite of my better judg
ment."
"And do you actually know nothing
of what those letters contained ?" asked
Ralph, intensely relieved. "Hasn't
Gusty told you anything?" and lie
thought of the many disparaging things
ue had written of this staunch, true lit
tle woman aud fur which he now felt al
most capable of cutting off 'the hand
that had done it aud spurning it from
him.
"Only one thing," replied Mattie,
smiling, in spite of herself, "and that,
she said, amused her so much that she
must tell me. She said that you said
that it 'seemed as though you must have
known her for a long time far back iu
the past,' or something like that. She
said she could hardly refrain from au
swering that she had a very distinct re
collection ot you in bibs and a species of
underclothing which she would not des
ignate, whether you really remembered
her or ?io."
Ralph sat witli his bead bowed, whist
ling softly aud thoughtfully for a while,
his fingers pulling at his beard, aud
Ihen lie said, with a half laugh: "Well,
every man must be a Tool ouce iu his
life, I suppose. Better now than later,
perhaps."
Aud uow, if any one supposes that I
am going ou to tell all that was said be
tween them in regard to this foolish af
fair, they are mistaken. I might "point
the moral," aud enlarge upou the fool
ishness aud sinfulness of prizing only
that which is beyond our reach and,
probably, above our deserts, while we
overlook, or ueglect, or undervalue the
blessings which surround us iu our dally
walk; but I shall do no such thing, for
I have made my story quite lougeuougu:
aud shall ouiy add that, from that time
forth, Ralph better appreciated bis
bright little wife, aud that, like tbe he
roes and heroines in the old nursery
tales, "they lived happy ever after."
Sellixg Snails. A tourist describes
the sale of suails iu the town of Trivoli,
near Rome, as a source of much profit
to the peasants of that district iu rainy
weather, when this curious edible is
abundaut in the olive groves. The fla
vor Is pronounced delicious, more so
tbau scallops or oysters. When artisti
cally cooked, the reluctant foreigner
does not long decline this much de
spised Crustacea. The cooked snail is
further said to possess the quality of re
staring tone to tbe coatiug of the stom
ach wheu badly injured by strong urinK
IIis. Darbigna's Ohemiloon.
Mr. Darbigne didn't go home until
very late Saturday night, and when he
reached his domicile he let himself iu
with a latch-key, aud stole softly tin
stairs so as not to disturb his family.
A night lamp was burning iu his room,
and Mrs. Darbigne was sleeping sweetly.
As ue was removing his coat, Mr. Dar
bigne suddeuly stood still, frozen, rooted
to tbe spot witli horror sublime and
rage. Then be fell ou bis knees, aud
holding his hands toward the ceiling,
shrieked :
"Oh, Heaven, have mercy on this dis
honored bouse," and then sprang to bis
feet, yelling, "Villaiu ! villain ! villain!
your life or miue !"
Mrs. Darbigue sprang up in bed,
screaming, "What is it? Oh, mercy,
mercy ! madman, what is it?"
Aud the children iu the adjoiuing
room woke, and shrieked and bowled
aud wept in piteous terror, while Mr.
Darbigue charged rouud aud round the
room, with a revolver iu bis baud, div
ing iuto the closet, plunging under the
tied, upsetting luruiture, chasing Mrs.
Darbigue out of his sight, aud ualliug
on his iuuocent babies to fling them
selves out of the windows aud save their
lives from misery aud shame, a pre
ventative that tbe babies did not take
to very kindly, preferring to huddle up
iu tbe middle ot their bed aud yell. The
uproar aroused the neighbors; they
Kicked in the front door aud rushed up
stairs aud seized the raviug Mr. Dar
bigue, pouudlug him ou the head with
a chair-leg aud wresting bis revolver
trom his reckless grasp, aud theu tbev
demanded explanations.
"mud turn lor me," said Mr. Dar
bigne. "Set me face to face with the
villain aud I'll drink his heart's blood !
Oh, madness, maduess! Oh, shame!
shame! shame! Find him for me or
Kill me. He's iu this house this very
minute."
"Who?" they all yelled. "Who is
he?"
"Yes," wailed poor Mrs. Darbigue,
who had hurriedly dressed herself in a
log cabin quilt; "who? iu heaveu's
uume, who ?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" yelled Mr. Darbigne.
"You hear her, meu, you hear this per
fidious womau? Who? here!" he
shrieked, pointing with his trembling
fingers, while tbe words shot like fiery
arrows from his pale aud foam-flecked
lips. "Here! The mau who wore those
trousers !"
All eyes looked toward the chair on
which tbey hung, aud theu with oue
wild, heaven-piercing yell of laughter,
the crowd of neighbors let go ot Mr.
Darbigue aud weut tumbling over each
other down stairs, howling in derision,
and splitting the midulght air with
roars of (inextinguishable laughter,
rtie childreu who had trooped into the
room weut giggling ou to bed, and Mrs.
Darbigue, flinging herself on the pillow,
screamed hysterically:
"Oh, Darby, Darby i Marmaduke,
you'll kill me yet; I kuow you will 1
Oh, you old fool ! Urawl iuto bed ! Oh,
you senseless idiot, that's my chemi-
loon I" nanbury Jsews.
Irrevocable Laav. The money
monopoly aud usury systems of the
world, iu one hundred years, would re
duce to starvatiou ninety iu every hun
dred of maukiud, if it were not that ua-
ture fights the legitimate result by giv
ing to the money-usurer profligate sons
to scatter what he has hoarded. This
may be demonstrated by calculating
interest at current rates, compounded.
ou existing capital aud the increase
thereof, for a hundred years. But na
ture humauely fights the barbarism of
society by cursiug the sou with the
father's sins, aud thus mitigates the
evil. Society can never approach order
ordeceutcivilizatiou, until it is regarded
as a slu and a crime for a mau to claim
or appropriate to himself that which he
did uot produce to reap where be did
uot sow. Tuts must be understood aud
applied literally and practically to life.
There cau never be much advancement
among the working classes until all
classes 'become working classes, and
thus relieve the overworked, aud give
them leisure for mental culture. As it
is, the so-called cultured classes regard
it as both houest and pleasant, as well
as geuteel, to ride ou the backs of tbe
so-called uncultured classes, which do
the world's work.
What is True Heroism? It is a
radically false notion to look only to
war for heroism. The truest courage,
perhaps, is that which fights the battle
of life uuder adverse circumstances, day
by day, month by moiilii, year by year,
rather than that which rustles to au as
sault, or defeuds the imminent breach.
Aud of such heroism moderu times are
lull. Philadelphia Ledger.
Nothing could be truer. The hod
carrier who supports a family of eight
childreu aud two dogs on a dollar a day,
aud does it willingly, displays more
true heroism tbau is required to eflect a
conquest ou the battle-field. Gen. Bul
lion will face a battery without blaucb
ing. Ask Bullion to face au unpaid
creditor four times a week, as Trowel
the brick-layer does, aud Bullion would
grow low-spirited aud take to poison iu
a fortnight. The heroism of the battle
field is kept up by the bass drums, clar
ionets, aud praise from the newspapers.
Such heroism may, or may not be, a
matter of priuciple, but there is no
questioning the courage required iu the
prosaic duties of life tbe briugiug up
of a family by shedding perspiration at
the rate of 15 cents au hour. Investi
gator. A pitiful story is told of the efforts of
a poor Auburu girl to get au educatiou.
She wished to go to the Portland, (Me.)
high school. She was very poor, aud
unable to pay tier board iu a strange
city, so she made au arrangemeut with
the proprietor of a boardiug-house to do
what she could to assist her, as payment
for board. livery morning she arose at
three o'clock, got breakfast,, theu weut
to school, aud on her return cleared
away the dinner things, aud then pre
pared the supper. After supper she
cleared up aud did other housework
The result was a break-down with ty
phoid fever, and she was taken to tbe
hospital. There the matron discovered
that tne poor girl's clothing, while very
ueat, consisted only of a calico dress and
one cotton skirt. The girl, as soon as
sue is wen enougn, will go Lome to an
auut in Auburn, who will keep her till
sue cau agaiu euueavor to support her
self.
A Cincinnati fiend advertises for
meu with fever and ague to shake car
pets.
A Woman Suffrage Triumph.
The ladies can now rejoice; they have
a substantial decisiou in favor of their
political rights which canuot help beluir
of great use to them in future discus
sion. The Supreme Court of Iowa has
decided that they cau hold certain offi
ces not by virtue of any special law,
but because there is nothina in the Con
stitution which says they shall not. This
is a great point gained.
The case iu which the decision was
made was that of Cook vs. Huff. Two
years ago Miss Elizabeth S. Cook was
elected superintendent of schools iu
warren county, Iowa a fine, rich
county, with a college and excellent
schools. Her opponeut was Johu A.
Huff, who was beaten by a large major
ity, but he adopted the tactics lately
made famous by Mr. Cronin, of Oregou.
He claimed that Miss Cook was ineligi
ble on account of sex, aud that he, hav
ing the next highest number of votes,
was entitled to the office.
The Circuit Court before which the
case was brought decided adversely to
ooin parties; to Miss jook because she
was a woman, aud to Hull because a
majority of the votes cast were against
him.
Miss Cook annealed to the Sunremo
Court. In the meantime, tbe Legisla
ture had passed a law authorizinir wom
en to hold the office of county superin
tendent, and providing further that tbe
questiou of sex should uot be held to
disqualify auy who had been elected to
the olllce.
The Supreme Court rendered its de
cision on the question last week, re
versing the case of Cook vs. Huff, aud
aud holdiug that Miss Cook is entitled
to the office, without regard to the law
passed in 1S75, on tbe grouud that there
is nothing iu the Constitution prohibit
ing it. As to the retroactive part of the
law, which legalized the elections aud
acts of others who had held the office,
the Court held that the Legislature had
power to pass such a law, or, in other
words, there being uo inhibition to the
Constitution against women holdiug the
office, aud the Legislature having the
power to have authorized their electiou
at any time, It was therefore competent,
uow to do what it had power to do be
fore. The law was therefore constitu
tional. This decision is regarded as establish
ing the right of womeu to hold auy of
fice in the State, iu which the word
"person" is used iu the law creating and
denning its duties. This will include
everything except that of members of
the Legislature aud Judges of the Su
preme Court. Toledo Blade.
The Season and Zone of Homes.
One strouger reason than all others
for being glad that we live iu the tem
perate zoue, is that it Is the zone of
homes.
Greenlanders and Laplanders, it is
said, each consider their owu couutry
the fairest the sun shines upou, aud
charmiug stories of domestic life have
come to us from these icy latitudes.
But the Esquimaux and Kamschatkaus,
and those inhabitants of extreme Arctic
regions who must live iu suow-huts, or
burrow undergrouud for warmth, caunot
kuow the rich and tender meanings the
word "home" has for us.
How much comfort there is in our
cosy houses alone iu tbe clean, warm
room, perhaps with a glowing fireside;
the white table spread with wholesome
aud delicate food; the cheerful circle
around the lamp at eveuiug; the books,
the sewing, the games; tiie souud sleep
of the long, snowy night, iu beds as
white as the drifts outside; and tbe
mauy other uameless blessings of a civ
ilized home! These the children of the
eternal snows must do without.
There is more poetry iu a really beau
tiful home-life than iu the finest natural
scenery; but it lies too deep iu the heart
for words to express. It is poetry that
is felt rather than spoken. A happy
home is a poem which every one of the
family is helping to write, each for the
enjoymeut of the rest, by little deeds of
tenderness aud self-sacrifice, which
meau so much more thau words. This
home-poem is all the more delightful
because it does uot ask or need admira
tion from anybody outside. The poetry
that people live iu, of which they are a
part, and which Is a part of them, is al
ways the most satisfactory, because it la
the most real.
Think, little folks, of all tbe poems
and fragments of poems you kuow, that
uever could have been written except
iu a couutry where tempest aud sleet
aud long hours of darkness drove meu
and women aud childreu within doors,
aud kept them there to find out how
dear and sweet a thing it is for a family
to live together iu love. St. Nicholas.
Ex-President Wolsey of Yale College
delivered an address at New Haven, a
few days ago, upou the use of the Bible
as a text-book iu public schools. While -advocating
the right and duty of the
State to educate the childreu in moral
duties iu some form or other, be ques
tioned very strongly whether the formal
readiugof the Scriptures did as much
good as to be justly regarded as essen
tial. He thought the children were not
generally iu a slate of miud to receive
instruction from it, and that "if any of
the inhabitants of a school district
should object to its use for conscience
sake, be would grant every indulgence
consistent with school order, even to
permitting a lesson from some diher
book to be substituted iu its place."
Herald.
'Immortality. Nothing can be moro
sad thau to bee a womau like Harriet
Martiueau or a man like Mr. Rauney
goiug uuder the veil with the assurance
that there is nothing in them worthy of
immortality. It may be all very well
for a person whose Instincts are so re
dued that a dishonorable act would be
an impossibility to talk about annihila
tion, but tbe ductriue of a future life is
a restraint which we cau'twell do with
out. The practical operation of the gen
eral belief iu immortality on tbe moral
life of the community is greater than
we thiuk. To die like a dog is an In-'
centive to live like one. To be nothing
hereafter is to be nothing here. Fx.
Governor Jewell's younger daughter
is said to be very charitable. She has
$2,500 a year pin money, and during her
last winter iu Washington spent ueariy
all her mouey in supporting several
poor familes, wuom she daily visited in
person, aud for whose wauls site cared.
She also organized a Dorcas society,
whose generous fingers made mauy gar
ments lor the poor. Thus writes the ad
, miring correspondent of the Troy Times,