Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1849-08-29
THE GOLD-SEzIkEEs
WatRr.Seeker.
AMI THE

AT no great distance from the city Of Chi
huahua, in a vast plain, is a small village in tn
centre Of a deep wood, almost wholly unknown
save to the wandering hunter, and the few in
habitants who dwell in its poor huts. 1t i
called Torpedo. Twenty sheds, with roofs, i
is true, but with scarcely any walls save on The
northern side, composed with one exception, tht
small hamlet. A neat wooden hut stood aloo
from the rest, marking an advance degree o
civilization, which excited the wonder, but moi
the emulation, Of the happy, idle, reckless anC
good-for-nothing, cruel and poverty-strickcr
McNicans. This hut had been built by III
American who, having taken to the woods after
Il quarrel in the capital, had selected this OBJ
scurc retreat for himself and his two boys, now
orphan youths of nineteen and twenty. The
MeXicans Hid rs their fathers did before them:
they planted a little maize and a few vegetables:
they caught wild horses, and hunted enough to
procure what was strictly necessary; and after
this need Of e~Xcrtion, thought themselves
justified in spending their leisure hours, at
least nine months in the year, in smoking,
drinking puGque, and gambling for the few rag
which they managed to procure in exchange
for a little surplus maize, some fowls, and other
commodities which their wives and daughters
took to the market Of chihuahua. Jealous
and Patient Jones, the lads above mentioned,
We're very far from being satisfied with this
state of existence. They worked six days in
the week, they went to market themselves,
they took there six times as much produce as
did any other two men in Torpedo; they bar
tered tobacco-the vaporous luxury of all idle
nations and idle people-against maize and
wild turkies, and at the time We speak of, babe
fair to make of the lethargic village a place of
trade, and hence a place of prosperity. Though
only just emerging from boylood, they could
have bought the whole village, inhabitants and
all.
But Jealous and Patient Jones had no such
vast desires: and of all the men ONE and
children residing in the hamlet, they coveted
only the possession of two. These We're
Zanetta and ~Julietta, the daughters of the al
calde or mayor of the small locality. Jealous
loved Zanetta, and Patient loved Julietta.-
Their affection was warmly returned, and moth
ing was wanting to their felicity but the pas
sage ola year, when it was agreed that all parties
would have arrived at their years Of discretion,
which however, are oftener supposed to be
reached than really attained.
1t was a warm autumn afternoon, and the
brothers sat at their door enjoying the re-
treshing breeze waited over the trembling tree
tops, and odorous with floral richness. They
were talking of the future, and of the world of
which they knew so little, when a horseman
suddenly appeared before them. He wore a
costume which was not of the country, and had
features which reminded them in their character
of their departed parent. They rose as the
traveller halted before their hut, and asked, in
very bad Mexican, the way to chihuahua. Zea-
lous hurriedly replied in English that it was ele-
ven miles off.
81 expect you're countrymen," said the horse
man, much surprised.
awe are from New York State replied Zea-
lous.
DWELL, that's pleasant. I'm dead beat, so is
my horse. viii you give a countryman shake
down for a night!"
The young men eagerly preferred their hut;
and while one held the horses head, the other
assisted the traveller to dismount. Mr.. Ben
nett, a merchant who travelled annually to
Mexico, was the visitor the hospitable Ameri-
cans had received; and it was difficult to say
who derived most pleasure from the meeting.-
Mr.. Bennett, was delighted with the candour of
the young men; they with his conversation and
knowledge. He gave them glowing descrip-
tons of the world; of the power and advantages
of wealth; of the delights of an existence among
ones fellows; and in fact so fired their magma
tons, that when he sought his Mexican grass
hammock, the brothers were wholly unable to
sleep. They talked, they thought of nothing
save the world; and when the traveller quilted
them next day, they felt for the first time i'm
patient and Disconnected.
81 have a great mind to turn gambusino, and
gold-hunting in the mountains" said Zea-
lous. a should like to become rich, and return
to my native land"
"For me" cried Patient, less wild and fiery
than his, elder brother, Il could wish to find
some hidden spring in yonder forests, and there
found a village" The country was bare of
water, and a spring was a treasure which ena-
bled the fortunate finder to fertilise a vast pro-
perty, if he had enterprise sufficient to carry out
his plan.
at would be scarcely worth abandoning our
home for that" said the ambitious Jealous, and
the conversation dropped. But the thoughts
remained, and at the end of a week Jealous
had become so infatuated and so restlessly
to become rich, that taking a horse, a
rifle, powder, shot, amattock, and a few clothes,
he started towards the far-distant mountains
without even bidding adieu to his brother or "a
Meta, SO alarmed was he that his visionary en-
terprise should be. prevented.
Though Jealous had quilted humble pros
perity, gentle and real happiness to go run the
world for mere money, he was no common
youth. He had genius, courage, and deter
mination, and his whole conduct displayed
these qualities. From time immemorial, it had
been a tradition that the far-off mountains
were full of gold, and regularly every year
some ardent and young spirits started in search
of the precious metal, to meet only with death
disappointment Few returned, and ofthese
few or none ever brought any portion Of gold
worth the labour of their search. They limited
at vast treasures discovered in places SO distant
and difficult, as to preclude their being reached
with mules or horses, and returned to the
with renewed zest, but always alone,
each man expecting to be the fortunate one,