The Placer herald., 1856-01-19
The Little Orphan.


the river few nights ago, was sturdy, ath-
letic man, who, it was evident from his ap
pearance, had been laboring hard for length
of time in the mines. This rough looking
individual was entirely unshaven, and much
resembled, with his long beard and athletic
frame, old Vulcan, as he was engaged in
forging thunderbolts for his colleague. But
although rough in exterior, our hero evident
" carried warm heart, beneath his rough
clothing. AS we entered the cabin he was
pacing up and down its full length, and we
noticed with surprise, that he carried in his
arms a babe, scarcely month old. The
scene was so unusual and odd that it natural
y attracted attention, but as if unconscious
Of the many eyes that were upon him, our
friend, moved on, and handled his little
charge, although uncouth in the extreme
with great care and tenderness. The svmpa-
thy of the passengers, particularly that of
the ladies, was soon elected, and on enquiry
he gave an explanation of his circumstances.
1t seems he was married year or so ago. and
being poor, determined to seek his fortune in
the mines. With his little means he and
his wife journeyed to one of the widest To-
found place suitable, he pitched his tent,
and went to work Besides themselves, there
were on y ten persons within a circle of
twenty miles. There was physician, among
the number, but excepting the young wife,
no other woman for miles. BY economy
and al or the poor couple gradually acquired
means, and the natural gallantry of Ameri-
cans, which leads them always to prefer the
comfort of the opposite sex, however hum
Bile, to their own, secured to the good woman
the best their isolated position afforded. But
unfortunately she was taken seriously i'll, and
notwithstanding the efforts of ALL and the
unwearied attention of the physician died,
just week after giving birth to the little
stranger we saw. Having no one else to
whose charge it could be committed, the ia
ther had assumed the care of it himself, and
was now on the way to San Francisco, to
place it in better hands. The poor fellows
eyes filled with tears as he spoke of the wife,
that slept in the mountain gorge beside a
miners cabin, and looked upon the little in
nocent resting upon his breast. More than
one heart was touched with his simple nara
tive, and many parent pitied the loneliness
of his lot, the ladies present true to the wo
manly instincts of their nature, took the lit
tie innocent in charge, and we saw its deli
cate limbs never again encircled by brawny
arms though guided by generous and warm
heart. We should like to know of the flu
ture Of the little orphan-of its trials and
temptations without the kind and sympa-
thising care Of a mother. Would YOU not,
reader! S. f. Epe. News.
THE FASHIONABLE CHURCH-The fol-
lowing is from the pen of Fanny Fern. The
picture is perfect. She is describing a fash
ionabe church, supported by the upper ten:
You enter the church porch. The portly SEX
ton, with his thumbs in the arm holes of his
vest, meets you at the door. He glances at
you; your hat and coat are new, so he gra-
cious y escorts YOU to an eligible seat in the
broad aisle. Close behind you follows poor,
meek, plainly clad seamstress, repreved from
her treadmill round, to think one day in
seven of the immortal! The sexton is struck
with sudden blindness. She stands embar-
rassed one moment, then as the truth dawns
upon her, retraces her steps and with Grim
son blush, recrosses the threshold, which she
had profaned with her plebian feet. Hark
to the organ! 1t is strain from Norma"
slightly Sabbathized. Now the worshippers
one after another glide in-siks rattle
plumes wave-satins glisten-diamonds gilt
ter-and scores of forty dollar handkerchiefs
shake out their perfumed odors! what absurd
ity to preach the gospel of the lowly
Nazarite to such a set. The clergyman
knows better than to do so. He values his
fat salary and handsome parsonage too
highly. So with a velvet tread he walks all
around the ten commandments-pace the
downiest pillow under the dying prohigate's
head-and ushers him with seraphic hymning
into an upper ten heaven.
The DEAR CREATuREs.-The attention of
the ladies is particularly directed to the fol-
lowing, from the New York San:
There are in New York and Brooklyn (says
the editor) not less than 5000 "ladies" whose
dress bills will average annually $4,000 each,
or ten millions of dollars for all. There
are five thousand more whose dress expense
will average $1,000 each, or five millions of
dollars for the whole number, and five mil
lions of dollars more would not cover the