Columbia gazette. [volume] (Columbia, Tuolumne County, Calif.) 1852-1855, 1854-06-24
s1s. ID. ~ =. coLUM9iA, TUoluMNE COUNTY
believe viii -sS;A one an

see where he has gone 1 thought surc
Fly to- keep him with us this evening
4 ind try to get some life into him."
a." Nc, ho,n said the eldest one Of III,
'cc,npasyy Emo, no; .the poor lad i
home-sick, and our merriment woule
only sadden him the more. Nothing
| fear, will do him any good but the
lsight of home. But if we arc only for.
tuuate, if VIC can follow up the lead VIC
have struck, we can,all see the sight Of
our blessed homes before winter SETS in
| trust" @ s Il
A hearty amen y was responded to
that sentiment, as each broad bosom
heayed with sigh, as they thought Of
THE slowed ones ut home" Hour after
hour came and went, and the evening
winds blew cold and chill, yet Frank
came not. Finally, Major Turpin,
growing really alarmed at the prolonged
absence Of his beloved protege, knock
ed the ashes out of his pipe, and hastily
picking up blanket from the ground,
hurried out in search of him. Taking
the path leading down .ayine, he was
not long in finding the object Of his
search, seated on stone, with his head
resting upon his hands, totally uncon-
scious Of all that was passing around
him. a e,.,-
- :" Good heavens how cold you are ~
Exclaimed the Major, as he laid bis
hands in the clusters of dark brown
hair, which seemed to have. gathered
the dampncss Of death upon thc,n-so
cold and chill they were. With a deep
drawn sigh, Frank permitted the,blank-
ct to be wrapped around his shoulders
and assisted from his seat, for he was so
/
stiff from sitting there SO long, that he
could scarcely move his limbs. AS he
rose, an opea LITTER fell to the ground.
81 got this letter from home to-day,
Major" said he, sand part of it is to
you. thought we would read it to-
gether this evening, after the rest have
gone to sleep"
$50 they're all wen at home, arc
they; Well, we'll, I'm glad to hear it.
But must get you to bed first, my
boy, before I read it, for m .fraid you
have got your death Of cold sitting here.
Yoa must not be so thoughtless again,
Frank after standing over hot fire
for two or three hours, and then 60 out
in the cold air with your clothes all
damp, I'm afraid, my lad, you've got
your death already. Why you're SO
hoarse you can scarcely speak"
Itwas toe true; poor Frank had in
deed got his death Of cold. All night
long his kind protector, the good old
Major, sat by his side, chatting his burn
ing temples, and bathing his benumbed
limbs, but the fearful symptoms Of a
|
raging fever only increased. Toward
day, when his charge had sunk into a
ftful slulnber, the Major opened the
letter and read it by the light of a dim
lamp. It was long, closely written,
afeetieaate letter-written by every
member of the family, to che only alb
sent one Of their happy little aock.-
Oftea and often did the kind old man
pause, while reading those words Of af-
lection and lore, to wipe the binding
tears from his eyes, as he looked upon
the restless sufferer while he tossed upon
his uneasy bed, and read in his flushed
cheek and wildly beaming eye, his al
most certain fate A portion of the
letter was directed to himself by the pa
rents ofthe young man, irnploring him
to be watchfui of their treasure, both
morally and physically, and ended wish
an earnest prayer that the Father above
might guide them through the perils Of
a California life !; aud that they nigh,
greet thcm web and happy beneath thei,
own roof tree ere the close Of the al.
tumn t44e
Then followed a little letter IN P. S.
from little Willie, the pet Of the family