The Georgetown news., 1856-02-14
From the Sierra Citizen.
The Worthless Boy.
A MINERS STORY.


"Mother, why are you always beating
me-is it because am so ugly and stupid?"
Aud a tear coursed down Bills cheek
and his little breast heaved with the inward
struggle between anger and sorrow; creep
ing away to his rude pallet he cried him
self to sleep.
The sun rose clear and bright in the NOR
ming; the green prairies stretched away to
the horizon, aud the noiseless ripples of the
Illinois broke gently against the shore
Bill sat watching the little fishes playing
in an eddy, when the angry voice of his
mother called him to the cabin, and Bill got
another beating for idling his time when he
should have been doing, he knew not what
That evening, when the shadow of the
single tree in front OF the cabin began to
grow long, Bill cCaxed bis little sister down
to q grassy knoll on the river bank, where
the two children sat watching the birds
whirring up from the prairie. The little
girl was afraid to speak to her brother, for
his face was swollen with crying, and she
knew that it was for her fault that he had
been beaten.
Jamie, I'm going to run away; mother is
SO cross to me!'
"Hush, Bill if mother hears you she will
be so angry, aud she will only whip you
again. / DO not know what makes her 50
cross to you, Bill, for you are good to me"
and jamie threw her little sunburnt arms
around her brothers neck, and cried bitter
ly.
Night came on, and Bill looked out of
Il. II h. h,,+ ofs
the prairie was dark as a sunless sea. ia
ME slept in the corner, in that innocent un-
troubled slumber which Heaven vouchsafes
to childhood, before sin has caused con-
science to rebel in sleep, and scare its vic
tim with visions. Taking down his bundle
from the shelf, and gently kissing Janie's
sun-browned cheek, Bill noiselessly opened
the door and stepped out into the world, to
look for the kindness-even justice-which
was denied him at home.
The next morning there was gathering
at his mothers house; the river bank was
searched to see if he had fallen in the stream.
The neighbors knew how bad she had treat
ed her stupid boy, but still they pitied the
coarse, cruel woman, when they saw her
swaying to and fro, and the tears chasing
each other down her cheeks, furrowed with
care and misfortune. They knew that
blight had fallen on her house, and that she
thought Heaven delighted to wrest from
her every prop that she would lean upon,
The search was vain; we all returned silent
ly to our homes; Bill was gone, no one knew
where.
Ten years afterwards I was climbing the
mountains of California, in eager pursuit of
that ignis fatuus which has seduced so many
from their homes, and made so many hearths
desolate. There were some fifteen of US in
company; strangers to each other, English,
Irish and Americans. sat down on the
snow to rest, and as the gold hunters passed
me in single file, looked narrowly in their
faces to see if | could recognize any one |
had ever seen before. Last in the ragged
train Of the bearer Of burdens, was one
bending under load of miners traps, which
1 could easily have carried in addition to my
own. His face was pale ard sunken, plain
ly indicating that he had been a victim to
that fearful disease which had hurried so
many to their graves, uncoffined, in the fall
of 1850. His limbs seemed to tremble un-
der him, and great drops of perspiration
stood on his face. My own lot had been a
hard one; too had felt what thought was
the death damp gathering on my brow
had felt the gnawing Of hunger and disease
until | cursed the hour was born, and
would have welcomed death had it not been
for the fearful hereafter. When health re-
turned was misanthropic, and thought that
l hated all mankind for their inhumanity
and neglect. But there was a sort of help
less despair in this mans face, which made
me forget all the neglect had suffered, and
l inwardIy resolved that if | could gain mis-
confidence, would be his friend.
He sat down by the way-side to rest, and
his head sank on his breast from very fee