Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1856-06-14
BY WILLIAM M. THOMAS.

pushed back his chair from the break
fast table, and looked hard at his wife,
pretty little woman with large, blue
eyes, @I think that I should like to go
to California and try. my luck. Darn
it all, everybody is going about here.
Do you think you could spare me for
"a year, Nelly?s
Mrs. Dana made no immediate reply,
she appeared to be very busy turning
out a cup of tea, although keener
observer than her husband would have
noticed an uncommon trenulousness
in her hands, as Mr.. Dana ceased
speaking.
81 think I might do well there" the
husband continued, as though speaking
to himself.
care you not doing well here on
your farm?" the wife asked at length.
"I'm making living, perhaps, but
it's only by hard work. Now if l
should 60 to California, and be lucky,
why, we could have a great many more
comforts than we are blessed with at
present"
owe have everything that we could
wish for to make us contented, and Pm
sure I sigh for no luxuries, excepting
what we can well Afford" Mrs. Dana
replied.
Eyes, we have enough to eat and
clothes to wear, but we can't buy lots
of good furniture, and have a piany,
like Squire Bolton. Darn it, I want
to be rich as he is, and then I should
be contented." Mr.. Dana said, rising
from his chair, and walking back and
forth, in the kitchen with energy.
'Mr. Bolton is arfrom being happy,
with all Of his wealth. said his wife.
"Well; I know that; but then who
could be contented with such wife as
he has? She's either crazy half the
time or else"
"Hush!" cried Mrs. Dana, with re-
proachful look; remember if she has
faults, so. have we ALL"
!'But what | mean, Nelly, is that if
he had such wife as I've got, and
with his wealth, he couldn't help being
happy"
"And yet you want to leave a wife
you think so highly Of" Mrs. Dana
said, with reproachful look"
"But don't you see that it is for your
comfort and benefit in the end. You
know, Nelly, that nothing in the world
would induce me to quit you, unless it
was the hope of making a fortune in a
short time. Iwouldn't be gonelonger
than year, and if I liked the country,
and 1 thought you would be contented
there, I'd send for you.''
The young wife strove hard to retain
her composure, and she asked
"And what will you do with the farm
while gomez"
81 will get my youngest brother to
come and live here and carry it on.
| You shall be left in full charge, Nelly,
with power to do as you please"
''Give me a week to think of it," the
wife replied; cat the end of that time
I'M make up my mind to consent to
4, your going or not.
Mr.. Dana was too well pleased to
obtain even this confession, to argue
any furthei. that day, and after bidding
his wife read the accounts in the news
paper, containing the latest news from
tCalIfornia, he started, on to his work
Mr.. Dana owned alarm of about one
hundred acres, near the town Of
Windsor, Vermont. He was young
man, and a person of considerable
energy, and had, during his minority
saved small sum of money, which he
had safely deposited IN the savings
bank, until such time as he should
want to use it. -isa.a
After he became of age, he had
added to his capitol, and when he
thought he should like Jane Perkins
| for a wife, and proposed for her, anC
was accepted, he bought the farm which
We find him occupying, and was doing
as well as any young farmer in the
neighborhood.
He had been married two years wher
the gold fever of 1848 and 40 broke
out sweeping off thousands of ou
most Industrious farmers, ard leaving
many an hearth-stone desolate, anC
many wife to mourn for her absent
husband.
How few have returned with theil
anticipations fulfilled? Thousands who
left the New England States, expect.
ling to win a competency in a shorr
time, have been too glad to work theil
passage back in some sloW-sailing, tub
while others, tooproud to return empty.
handed, have toiled on, barely to make
a livelihood, and now rest from theil
cares and troubles by the bank of some
river, with nothing but rude board tC
mark their grave.