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About The new Northwest. (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887 | View Entire Issue (Dec. 2, 1880)
THE 2sTEV NORTHWEST, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1S80. IFor the New Xorthwest. KATE'S ESGAGBMBST.' BY GEO. P. WUBIttRK. See, what a pure and sweet wliltc rose ! lie gave me tills at the tall to-night, A wearied we stopped In the shaded hull, Away from the glare or the great gaslight. He begged I would wear it or hint, yon know! This quiet, thoughtful, sober man. Of course I told -him I would, yon know, 'And I tapped him lightly with my fan. Oh, I couldn't help it! so please don't scold; He's such a manly, lmndsome leau. IVa wrong, sin, and all that, of course; But It's all the same to Kate, you know! He's dreadfully bashfol. Is Mr. Brown, And ueeds a little encouragement, But he's awfully liaiidHium,, mxl rich, they aJ. Ills family? Well, It' Ju grand descent! go I tapped him playfully with my fan. And asked him to place the n-e In my hair. He acquiesced, and In doing so Softly said I waa wondrou fair. And all at once, with a great wild throb, My heart went out to this sober man ; Produced by tlaUerj't you say, Jfo doubt. Just make It what you ohh. Has Kate a heart? I know you tough 1 Kate, the accomplished ball-room wight 1 Abmrd ! But then, Kate had a heart Until a recent date to-night. I blushed; at least, I meant to bluah; I dkl my best, Indeed I did, And some way how. 111 nayer t ell Sly crimson face was wholly )iW I Where? What a question! Bless my swl! Where did you hide your face the day TliHt John in all his love pronowd? Where could yon hide your own face, pray? And did he kiss me? Ask the rose It knows It all ; perhaps 'twill tell. Bat as for me preitosteroas ! I really couldn't do It, Ken". My own, my ivure, my wet white meet But such a foolish Utile thine To win a lienri. No matter, though. Loo, sister Nell, this Is his ring! WILLOW GRANGE. A Story of Life ix Easteiut Obkgox. BY BELLE W. COOKE, AUTHOR OF "TEARS AMI VICTORY." Bntarod la the Office of Librarfciit of Congress at Waetelas ton, 1)1 C, in the year MKfcl CHAPTER XII. Aniee Merton's little twelve-year-old brother was greatly rejoiced when it wns finally decided that she should go to Pendleton to teach. He was making a collection of birds and their eggs, au well as of bugs and flowers, and he told Aimcc it would be "awfully jolly" to have her go up there aad get some of the prairie chickens' eggs, and a specimen, of a kind of sparrow that is not found west of the Cascade Mountains. He wanted some black crickets, too, and he was enthusiastic over the flowers. "I have heard of a man who had over four hun dred kinds, that he hud collected up there, and my teacher saw them, and she says lots of them can't be found here; so I want you to send me about a million next Spring," said the boy. "Not quite a million, Cliflbrd," said Aniee. "Would not one hundred do for a beginning?" "Oh, bather being so particular!" said Cliflbrd. "Don't you s'pose they have cart-loads of 'em ? And I want every single kind there is, and I want about a bushel of eggs, and I am going to make you a drill, and show you just how to blow 'em, and then you can get just cords of 'em. I don't know what is the use of having a sister if she can't make herself useful. I got a Mcleayrla ydttopavo egg to-day, sis ; and where do you sup pose I got it?" "01, in the woods somewhere, I suppose. I am afraid you will break your neck climbing trees after them yet." "Ha ! ha ! ha !" laughed Cliflbrd. "Break my neck climbing trees after turkey's eggs I That's too good. There arc some things that you don't know yet, if you arc so all-fired wise and proper. Climb trees after turkey's eggs ! Ha ! ha !" "Now, ClifF, you are too bud to laugh at me be MiU8e I do not know the botanical name (as you call it) of every bird. You know I have never studied ornithology, and you take advantage of my ignorance." "Don't big folks take advantage of children's ignorance, I'd like to know, and talk about their ologys and their isms before us when we don't understand a word they say ? I' ve heard 'em, and it always made me mad, and I intend to get even with 'em some day. And do tell what is the rea son you couldn't have studied ornithology when jrou went to school so long? It's lots more use than that horrid French and Latin." "We cannot expect," replied Aniee, "to settle that question just at present, when so many wise men difl'er upon it." "Yes, that is just the way you do when I ask jrou a question that you can't answer; you buek out of it. Why don't they study about the things they see everyday around them, I'd like to know? There arc not a dozen men and women in the country who know what kinds of birds we have here, and what we don't, nor what are the names of the flowers they see every year, nor in fact u'ruch alout anything that is handiest to find out; but they all want to be able to jest in ancient Greek like the beauteous Mary Jane." "What a boy!" said Aniee. "Where did you get such ideas as that?" "He got 'em from Professor Gray. I heard him say pretty near the same thing in school one day," said little Kit. "Now, Kit, it wasn't your turn to chip in. I wish you would just cheese it," said Clillbrd. "Oh, Cliil", don't talk slang. I am afraid, with all your Latin names and wisdom, you will not pass for a gentleman if you use such expressions," said Aniee. "I heard a fellow that you think is awful nice say just as bad slang as that the other day," said the incorrigible boy ; "and I know you would be just hopping mad at me it I was to say he isn't a gentleman." "I am sorry if you think I got 'hopping mad,' and I am more sorry if any young gentleman I am acquainted with uses slang," replied Aniee, de murely. "Acquainted with !" said Clillbrd. "It is that very fellow that is so awful sweet on you, that Noble fellow. He " "There, Cliflbrd," said Aniee, in a severe tone, "that will do, I think. I hope never to hear you talk so again. I am sure I don't know whoshould toll you such things as that." "As what?" said Cliflbrd. "Nobody has told me a confounded thing. I guess I can see what is before my eyes. If that fellow isn't sweet on " But here he stopped short, for he saw the tears come into his sister's eyes, and he said : "I won't say it again, sis. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. I didn't know it would. I thought you would like it. I didn't know but you might be just the least bit in the world sweet on " "Oh, Cliflbrd, do hush, for pity's sake !" cried Aniee, as she rushed from the room with her face blushing scarlet. j The evening of the very day on which this con versation took place, Harry Noble called on Aniee and made a formal proposal of marriage. She was intending to t-tart for Eastern Oregon in a few days, and he wished to see if he could make her change her plans. He was pretty confident that she loved him, though he had never before said anything of marriage to her. He had said many pretty little things to express his admira tion of her, for he was an adopt in the art of flat tery, and she had received it all with an eager appetite. She had feared that, after all his atten tion and demonstration, ho would let her go away without saying the word she was longing to hear. Perhaps this was the secret of her sensitiveness on the subject when her brother teamed her so inno cently about it. The persuasions of love are very sweet to hear, but they failed in this case. Aniee heartily ac knowledged Iter love for her suitor, but she could not be persuaded to give up her plans for the Winter. She had made up her mind to go, and she was not by any means ready to be married right away. Harry insi.sU.-d that if she loved him -she would not go. He declared he could not do without her. She was'grieved, but firm in the conviction that she was right, so she was unyielding. Harry went away vexed and cross. He tried to hide his vexation, lest Aniee should discover the temper that he well knew would stand in the way of his marrj'ing any sensible woman, if she was aware of its violence before it was too late. "I will let her know after we are married," said he to himself, "that she will have to pay some at tention to my wishes. She does not love me as she ought, or she never would wish to learo me." But he forgot that she had not known his wishes in the matter until after the engagement to go was made, and she could not have broken it hon orably without giving her reason for staying, and this she could not think of doing. Aniee would have been very glad if she had not. made any promises to go, now that she reflected how pleas ant the Winter might have been with her lover near her, and all the attractions of home; and she felt so wounded by his apparent doubt of her love, when shetold him jmsitivoly she could not for a moment think of breaking her engagement at Pendleton, that it detracted from her happiness on that night when it should have been unalloyed. But, after all, she felt very light-hearted, and could hardly wait till morning to go and tell Bertha all about it. Bertha sympathized with her fully in her great happiness as well as iter little trouble. This was the proportion the mutters assumed to her in the morning after sleeping over them. Bertha told Iter site had done perfectly right, and Harry was just like all men. They thought ji woman should always bo ready to give up her plans for them, and do as they wished, without consulting her own desires. "But," she added, "Eurlo is not at all so. He seems always to prefer to give up his plans to please me, if I express a difl'erent opinion from his; and I have learned to try to keep my preferences to myself until I know his, so he may not always do things in my way. I don't want to have my way all the time. I would rather have his, once in a while." Aniee gave a little sigh, and said : "I suppose all men are dillbrent in their ways, and some yield to their wife's wishes before mar riage, and never afterwards; and perhaps some are the othor way. I romombor you and Earle used to have disputes in fun quite often before your marriage, and I used to fear he might de velop into a tyrant some day. I am glad to hear such a good report of him." "Perhaps Harry will turn out tho same way," said Bertha. "If he is half as good as Earle, he will do." "Do ! I guess he will do ! I think he is just as good now, without turning out a bit," laughed Aniee. Bertha's father was getting quite well, but he was weak yet, and the doctor advised him to take a trip somewhere in order to regain his strength ; so he concluded to go up with Bertha and see her home. Bertha was jubilant over this, though she was sorry her mother could not go too, and was aware that it would put oir the time in which site might see her husband, as it would be unnecessary for him to come for her, now that she had her father's company. But she was so glad when she thought of how she had feared she might have to go home without any father in the land of the living, while now he was able to go with her, that she did not worry much over the few days that she would have to wait longer to see her husband, though it seemed sometimes that she could not possibly wait. Mrs. Nimms and Aniee went up the river with Bertha, and they had a merry time "The mad dest, merriest time in all the glad New Year," sang Aniee. It so happened, without any visible prearrange meut, that Captain Harth" Aidenn was on the same boat with them, on his way to his mine, somewhere in Idaho. He was helpful and atten tive, without being in the least obtrusive. He joined occasionally in the conversation, and said many good things. He was especially amused by Mrs. Nimms, who sat and talked over the old times in Barren county with Mr. Wills to her heart's content. He said to Bertha that the old lady was the most entertaining person he had met in many a day. He was most attentive to Bertha, but watched Aniee with an eager eye, and lis tened with apparent delight to her witty conver sation. When the little jarty arrived at The Dalles, they were surprised to meet Earle Russell. Ber tha was almost beside herself with joy, and Earle seemed equally elated. "I could not think of waiting longer, and hav ing you come over those rough, disagreeable roads without me," said he to his wife. "How good it was of you to choose to go over them twice yourself just to accomjHiny me, you splendid old fellow!" said she. "Just to accomiMiny you ! I would be willing to seareli for you in the infernal regions, as did Orpheus for Eurydice, if I could not find you else where," said Earle. "As though that wns a place he would be most likely to And you," said Aniee to Bertha. "I do not wonder his mind easily reverts to that location, after having traveled over those windy, desolate regions which he has chosen for his home, i think it is not more than one remove distant," said the Captain. "Oh, Captain Aidenn, I shall never forgive you for that speech '.' cried Bertha. "I am sorry, Mrs. Russell, but I am sincere. T can never forgive a man for asking such a sacrifice of a woman as to live in this lonely, God-forsaken country." "Why, Captain, I am astonished at you," said Aniee. "I fear you do not appreciate the country, and T thought you were a religious man." "I hope I am not an unbeliever; but if you do not very nearly agree with me before you have spent six months in the country, I am mistaken." "I shall never consider it forsaken of God, be cause I believe I shall be just as near His kind care and sustaining arm where I am going as in any other spot on earth," replied Aniee, quite solemnly. "You will undoubtedly need it as much as you ever did in your life. But I hope you will pardon me for my thoughtless expression. I should fear to have you remain there if I believed it to be what T called it," replied the Captain. "'If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts, even there shall thy hand lead me,' " said Aniee. "The little company was undivided part of the way on the stage trip, and found each other's society a great pleasure, which served to dissipate the tedium of the journey. For Captain Aidenn it passed only too soon. It was very plain to Bertha that his devotion to Aniee was unabated, hut Aniee seemed not to notice it in the least. When the party finally separated, the Captain hade Aniee good-bye with the saddest face, and an unmistakable quiver in his voice that wrung her heart with sympathy. fTo bo continued. 1 Old Parson S., of Connecticut, was a particular kind of person. One day lie had a man plowing in his field, and he went out to see how the work was getting on. The ground was very stony, anil every time the plow struck a stone the man took occasion to swear a little. "Look here," cried Parson S., "you must not swear that way in my field." "Well, I reckon you'd swear too," saili the man, "if vou had to plow such a stonv field as this." "Not a bitof it," said Mr. S.; "just let me show you !" So the parson took hold of the plow, but he very soon had considerable trouble with stones. As stone after stone caught tho plow share, Mr. S. ejaculated: "Well, I never saw the like !" And this lie repeated every time a stone stopped his onward way. As soon as he had plowed around once lie stopped and said to the man: "There, now ! You see I can plow without swearing." "But I guess it's pretty near as bad to lie," answered the man, "and you told dozens o' lies. Every tiipe the plow struck a stone you said, 'I never saw the like,' when the same thing happened a minute before." THE TRUE STORY OF MAZEPPA'S REDE. A correspondent of the New York Times writes from Jassy as follows : I was unsuccessful in my attempt to visit Bar bocke, or rather to look at the bridge of Barbicke, for so long as I limited myself to the town, I could go where I pleased, so I was told by the Russian officer in charge. There was nothing wortli recording; it is a dirty little place now, but was once a Roman cantamount, under the name of Diniguitte, and is supposed to be the scene of the last stand made by the Ostragoth Athlaric against the Hems. Twelve miles further on is Galatz, and here I could go where I pleaded. The citv, whose commercial importance is well known, is divided into two parts the old and the new town. The first, along the Danube's bank, is a filthy hole, with irregular, tortuous streets paved with wood, and knee-deep in mud or dust, accord ing to the weather. The new town is much more habitable ; the main avenues are in a respectable condition, the hotels are tolerably fair, and some of the shops really elegant. Still I would scarcely choose it as a residence, although its position on the hillside above the river is commanding. Here, too, are the principal public buildings, none of them, however, possessing any interest except the church of St. Mary, where is to be seen the tomb of Mazeppa, the famous hetman of the Cossacks immortalized by Byron. His adventures sung bv the bard were in reality much more common place than as we have learned to know them. Mazeppa was a young Cossack of the Urkine who, having been ennobled by the Russians, declined to pay his taxes. For this, the local governor, Count Talboski, ordered him to be stripped naked by his servants and tied to the back of his own horse, with his head to the animal's tail. The horse was then flogged, pistols were discharged close to his ears, ami, after being thus excited, he was turned loose. The road leading to Mazeppo's house was a bridal path leading through the woods, which was particularly fertile in thorn bushes and wild pear trees, and the infuriated beast, accustomed to follow this route before, dashed off homeward as soon as he was at liberty, where his master arrived very much the worse fbr his journey. He had, however, enough strength to call for the gate-keeper, who recognized liis voice, and opened the door, only to close it again immediately, to keep out what fie supposed to bo Mazeppa's ghost. At last the other servants, re covering from their fear, came to his assistance, and put him to bed, where he remained for some months, between life and death, from the injuries lie received. When he recovered, he exiled him self voluntarily to Poland, and, joining himself to tile fortunes of Charles XII., was mortally wounded at Pultowa, and dying at Barnitza, his body was brought to and buried at Galatz. HOUSEHOLD RIGHTS OF WOMEN. No one who has not been tried can imagine the discomfort and inconvenience that results from irregularity in regard to meals. The whole busi ness of the day is broken up by the tardiness of part of the members of the family, and it is un just to practice it; and yet many men who would chafe and fret if their business was delayed never give a thought to the fact that it is justas incon venient for their wives to wait for them. Order is the first law of nature, and it should be the same in families. A regular day and hour for especial purposes make housework easier and far more pleasant, and this order should le recognized bv each individual iti the family, and it is the mis tress' privilege to insist ujkjh her rights in this respect. Again, the various contrivances and im provements for making housework less laborious, and thereby saving both time and strength, should be considered as great a necessity in the house as upon the farm. A woman does not grudge the money expended for machinery in carrying on the business of the farm, and if she did it would probably make no difference, and it is just, that she, too, should avail herself of the helps that lighten the labors of her department. Spirits of ammonia is useful in expediting the tiresome business of house-cleaning. And it ioes not cost but little, vet how very few -housewives think of availing themselves of its assistance, be cause, forsooth, it "costs so much ;" and just the same with other articles of utility, ami a wife will make a martyr of herself by scrubbing and working, even unto death, to save a little ex pense. "Woman's Column" in Thayer County (Xcb.) Sentinel. -t A Duamatic Incident. A divorce suit re cently came before one of the St. Louis courts, en titled "Gregory vs. Gregory," in which there was a startling and sad episode. The counsel for the husband was unusually severe in his strictures against the wife. She exhibited great agitation during his remarks, and finally became so excited that she could no longer restrain herself. A St. Louis piper thus describes the scene that ensued: "She rose from the witness chair, and throwing up her arms with a dramatic gesture and tone, ex claimed : 'You will drive me crazv ! Would vou rob me of that? You have ruined my character. My God ! I cannot bear this ! Eugene, my husband, save me ! save me !' These impassioned utteran ces produced a great sensation in Court, which was filled with ladies, witnesses and spectators. The agonizing appeal to the husband brought him to his wife's side. He bent over her and did all in his power to soothe and quiet her. An elderly man who had accompanied Mrs. Gregory to court also went forward, but the husband gave him to understand that his wife having summoned him to her side, lie would allow no one else to render any service at that time. The ladies in court were much effected by the scene and some began to sob. I n the end the proceedings were adjourned until morning." i An Extkaokdinaky Maumagk. Ithicti was the scene a few days ago of one of the most re markable marriages on record, the bridegroom, Samuel Love, being eighty-three years of age, and bedridden, while the bride, Mrs. A. M. Fenner, of Lansing, is about sixty. She made an attempt to marry the man some time ago, but- was thwarted in her scheme by Miss Rachel Huntly, of Elmira, a niece of Mr. Love, who is the heir of the property under his will. On this occasion the woman evaded the vigilance of Mr. Love's protector, and gained access to his room at the Tioga House, in company with her brother and a clergyman named J. W. Pratt, of Lansingville. Mr. Love is in an utterly helpless condition, very deaf, unable to dress or undress himself, and, in fact, is all but inanimate. The woman claims to ' have been actuated merely by a desire to minister to his wants, and without reference to the con tingency of inheriting any portion of his money.