Volcano weekly ledger., 1856-01-19
A Gold Miners Lament.


light of whose countenance, and for the Joy
of whose presence my spirit yearneth and my
bowels grumbleth, dost thou ask me t1hy?
Is it not written that fortune smiles on fools?
And for the sake of these smiles hath not
thy servant been making fool-yea, an ass
of himself in vain? aH H
For five score and ten days he has sojourn-
ed in this place-he has dug into the earth
he has diyed into the water-he has torn an
cient rocks from their resting places and re-
moved them afar off-he has likewise torn
breeches in parts not to he spoken of-he has
rooted into the mud like unto swinel His
beard hath grown long-the skin upon
his hands and face hath changed its color un-
til he is now likened unto wild beast, and
his garments are rent and soiled so that
"sackcloth and ashesn would be as fine linen
purple unto him! He would fain feed on
husks, but there are none Yes, he who in
times past was wont to fare sumptuously, and
to grumble over greater delicaces than were
piled upon the table of Dires, now snuffs
with gladness the fragrance Of pork and
beans, and gnashes his teeth impatiently over
a frying slapjaek! He bolteth raw onion
with unspeakable avidityl Potatoe skins
fear his presence-bcef vanishes from before
him, and dogs look in vain FOR bones. He
sighs for the flesh pots of Egypt, and mourns
over the barrenness Of the landl In his
sleep, nevertheless, the good angel of the
past deigns to visit him, and delightful Wis
ions are opened to his recollection, for de-
licious "bil Of fare" floats before the mind
of the dreamer, and he orders "terrapins and
oysters for SIX only to awaken to his infer
nal slapjacks and molassesl f
All this hath thy servant endured. Is he
not then fool, an abomination in the sight
Of wisdomg And is it not unto such, and
such only, fortune dispenses her fayors? Yet
hath she not deserted me. | approach her,
and she fleeth? l double on her trail,' and
she turneth awayl await her coming, and
she stands still | secrete myself in her
path and seize her unawares But she gil
deth off as though / had caught hog by
his CREASED tail SIC transitr' / exclaim,
as with a sick heart, l revile poverty and
curse fortune.
10! are not these evils? And wherefore
should they be visited upon thy servantg-
Surely he hath not sinned as other men sin
meth. He hath not coveted his neighbours
OK, nor his ass, nor his man servant, nor his
maid servant-for be it known unto thee
that there are no maid servants here He
hath abided 10y "the Law and the Prophets, .
but the profits have not abded by him
Now, therefore, | renounce these diggings,
| absquatulate the premises, ''ramose The
ranch" i take of, put out, go, slope,
depart without scrip or proyender; taking no
heed of the morrow, for the morrow takes no
care of me. Ere five days shall have passed
the shirt tail of thy servant will be waving
in the breezes of the Nevada. A remnant
of it will be nailed upon the highest noun
tain that he crosses, as an emblem of the ex-
tremity TO which man may be reduced in the
Land of 0phir Yet, think not, oh Elisha
that wouldrend my garments for this alone
Verify say unto thee, an evil genius hath
long pursued me. She hath followed SO
close upon my footsteps, that every thread
and fibre of my shirt tail is familiar to her
eye And if, in her pursuit of me, she
should gaze upon this relic in the solitary
Businesses of the mountain, she will at once
recognise it, and believing me to be torn
and destroyed by wild beasts, she will re-
trace her steps, and thus will escape her
| go hence, Elisha, unto the town of So
nora, where it has been prophesied that thy
servant will heel the sick, and prosper with
amazing prosperity. AS Moses reared the
serpent in the wilderness for the children o.
Israel to look upon, and be cured of their in
frmaties, so viii l elevate my ''shingle'
among the Gentes, that they may gaze up
on it, and he made whole. Their offerings
of gold and silver will be acceptable unto me
and if they live not afterwards, peradventur,
they may find treasure in Heaven!