Volcano weekly ledger. (Volcano, Amador County, Cal.) 1855-1857, 1857-01-17


gulch skirting the foot of the hill to the
north of their camp, and determined to re-
main at least long enough to test thoroughly
the richness of the lead. Here we will leave
them and return to the Pueblo
The fainting bride had been brought TO
consciousness and conducted back to her
apartment by her attendant; and there upon
her sleepless couch she sobbed away the
dreary hours, till the rays of the early dawn
stole in upon her isolated grief; when in the
last hope Of seeing again the one who pos
sessed entirely her pure heart, ere he took
his departure, she walked out on the corridor
and remained till convinced that he was lost
to her longing eyes for period none knew
how long,
Her dependency was not to be concealed,
and was accounted for, to all save her mother,
by the usual excuse of indisposition.
A week had not passed after the marriage
when some native Californians, who had been
in Mexico during the latter part of the var,
returned to their old home, with the news of
the death or young Morales. lie had fallen
months before, in one Of the last skirmishes
between the Guerrillas and detachment of
the American forces. The sorrowfu tidings
fell like thunderbolt on the old Don, and
yet while bowed down at this cutting off the
scion of his ancient house, he determined
that if the name should become extinct, he
would not permit his possessions to pass into
the hands of strangers, and so resolved to
see his daughter welded to some one Of the
young rancheros of the better class.
His decision was communicated to his wife,
and through her to Doha Felicidad; who in
her alarm fell upon her mothers bosom and
confessed the secret that she was already
wife, and besought her protection from the
impending evil. The sympathetic tears of
the doating mother mingled with those of her
only child, and her kind words afforded some
consolation to the seemingly devoted bride.
Well they knew the impetuous temper of
Don Antonio and the danger of acquainting
him with the facts The mother counseled with
the Priest, and it was concluded to postpone
the catastrophe as long as possible and trust
to an all wise Providence to avert the threat
ened calamity.
The father, true to his intent, soon brought
to his house suitor for his daughters hand !;
and gave her to understand that she was to
accept the candidate for her favor, without
any whimsical delay.
The invited lover was not so dull but that
he discovered the aversion with which he was
received by the fair Doha. But her love
was not his first care. Her fathers broad
acres and lowing herds and we'll trained ear-
allados were his main desire; and to obtain
them, would not object to the accompaniment
of a martyred wife. No hope could be placed
on his generosity; and as Don Antonio had
commanded the arrangement to be perfected
for marriage at an early day, the Priest
had secretly gone to Monterey to lay the
whole matter before Governor Mason and en-
treat his interference But what was his
chagrn on arriving at the seat of government,
to find that the governor had gone to San
Francisco Fearing that this his last hope
was cut of, and that ere he could retrace
his steps and perform the journey to this last
named place, the Don would insist on the
marriage, he, stout harted as he was, almost
repented the part he had played in what bid
fair to terminate a tragedy. Fastening
his return, he arrived at the Pueblo on the
day previous to the one fixed for the we'd
ding ceremony And visiting the house of
Don Antonio, he found him absent, so pro-
ceeding to the apartment of the Sonora Fran
cesca he told of his disappointment Keen
was the anguish of the mother, and despair
settled on the grief burdened heart of the
tortured daughter But soon the current of
their grief is turned in another channel. A
messenger has arrived bidding them prepare
to receive the wounded body of Don Antonio.
While out among his herds securing some
cattle for the bull-fghts to be given in honor
of his daughters nuptials, his horse had been
overturned, and he, gored to the earth by one
of the infuriated animals. His bleeding
Il. 4