and his mind being of a fine poetic structure, and his brain very delicately organized, the coarse and practical duties of providing for a family, and the annoyance of children conflicted with his dreams and literary whims. So, when he wrote to me that he would be absent in Europe five or six years, and, in the meantime, I need not expect to hear from him often, as he would be very busy, I asked him for and obtained a divorce in the Courts of Lane County, and your singer was loosed and free and no longer chained to the annoying cares of a family; he could give his whole attention to his poems. I, myself, sympathize with him in his desire to have time and money to "tamper with the Muses" and cultivate his taste and talent for literature; and I feel that all poets and authors will also sympathize with him.
I did not intend that my misfortunes should be publicly known. Illness overtook me in Portland, and by irregularities of the mails, and accidents, we were cut off for a time from communication with our friends. My youngest brother was with me, and I did not ask for assistance; but by accident my friends found me. I must ever remain grateful to them for their timely and generous assistance, but they can bear me witness that I made no public complaint, and the charges made against Mr. M. were not made with my knowledge. I was as much surprised to see them as any one. If, in five years of labor and complete isolation from my relatives, and the world, I worked with him, and not even my nearest neighbor or dearest friend heard one complaint or murmur from my lips; if, through that long winter in Portland, I sewed humbly, day after day, and day after day, as long as I was able; passed the offices and residences of our mutual friends, who were leading and wealthy people, and chose rather to let my babes come upon the verge of starvation than to blemish his reputation by letting my circumstances be known, it is not likely that after the day of hope came, and all was over, I should publicly make known what I had tried so hard to conceal. As I said before, Mr. Miller felt that he had gifts of mind, and if his system of economy was
