Butte record., 1856-12-06

energy which once was theirs I'll
nerving me for duty. ] must 20 -
"You may be taken sick, perhap,
may die, far away among strangers
Then will the world be to me desolatt
indeed" "
"Why, cannot die I almots fee
that | have an insurance on my life
till | have accomplished the object be-
fore me besides, death comes not to
those who long for it, but to those
whose ties TO earth are many and
strong-who have every thing to live
for; such is not my case :"
Sister, | can say no more. If you
will 90, may God bless and prosper
you"
"Bravo, spoken like my own true
sister have no more time to waste
in words, for my preparations are not
yet compl tie, and in ten days the
steamer leaves"
$50 soen !" fell from the lips of the
elder sister; but the younger heard it
not, for she was already engaged in the
hustle of preparation.
We will not follow onr heroine, Kate
Lansing, through the preparations for
her journey, nor will we intrude upon
the sad parting with her sister She
left New York in company with some
acqnaintances. 4 gentleman who had
been to California and returned for his
family, was now on his way with them
to the golden land, and Kate's lot was
cast with theirs.
The journey from New York to As
pinwall was as monotonous as sea voy-
ages always are, and she arrived there
IN the height of the rainy season Her
journey across the Isthmus [ need not
attempt to describe these who cross
ed it in that early day well know its
perils, to these who did not, no pen
can convey an ad, quate idea.
/ At Panama they were delayed sever
al days, and when at last they went on
board the steamer, to pursue their way.
sickness followed them. The first nisht
several cases of the Panama fever broke
cut. This was the beginning of perIls,
for in il f W days this dreadful disease
mad spread to every part of the ship.
Among the first attacked were Kate's
| friends.
You should have seen her then, her
young and gielsh fern bending first
over one couch Of pain and then anoth-
er. How anxiously she watched and
tended those sick frlends--Alas, in vain.
She saw the liteless forms of her pro-
tectors, first, the wife, then the hus-
band, and finally their chlld-all COM
mit.ed to the bosom of the terrible
deep. Kate was alone, she iclt that
she was alone; yet she sank not, but,
like an ang' | Of mercy, she pissed from
couch to couch, m.nistering to the at
f;cted. 1t mattered not where sick
ness and suffering were, whether in the
sieerage or the cabin, there was Kate
Lansing to be found, giving medicine
to one nourishment to another, c)nso-
Iation to a third, and bathing the burn
ing brow and parched lips OF fourth.
1t was no wonder that they felt COM
forted when they saw her coming, or
that they greeted her, aud spoke OF her
as "the kind lady" In this work Of
womanly devotedness, twenty-one days
passed away, before teaching the en-
trance TO the long looked for and well
come harbor Of IN Francisco The
sense Of her loneliness pressed heavily
upon her heart, and she retired to her
room to pray that she might be pre-
served from all danger, and guided in
her future course, earnestly commit
ting herself to His care and keeping,
who had promised to be "a husband to
the widow and a father to the father
less" Hastily arranging her toilet,
she went upon deck to take first view
of San Francisco, just as they were
rapidly Nearing the end Of Long wharf.
This wharf was full of ANXIOUS faces,
eagerly looking for loved ones expect
ed to arrive by that steamer. As Kate
looked upon all that vast multitude Of
human beings, and felt that there was
no one to look for her-no one TO take
her by the hand and say, welcome 10
California; heart>sickened feeling
crept over her, and she retired to her
room, determined to wait TIL the press
of the crowd was over and the Captain
was ut leisure, and then seek from hIm
advice as to her future course. Kate
had not waited long before the crowd
had nearly all dispersed. Night was
fast coming on, and she began to feel
uneasy, when light tap at her state
room door arrested her attention.
"Excuse me. madam" said manly
voice, which she recognised at once as
belonging to one of the passengers
whom she had nursed on shipboard
Il know that you have lost your friends
on the passage, and have come to say,
that if | can assist you to find your
friends here, it would afford me plea
sure.
| Il thank you, sir, . said Kate, "but
| have no friends Those | lost by the
fever were all | had to depend upon in
this country, now | am alone"
Il am very sorry to hear it madam,
but surely l can do something to serve
you. Do not fear to let me know if |
can; l have a sister myself at home
You may trust me as you would bro