St. Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1845-1863, 1858-11-18
The Miners Talisman

The hour Of PAIRING came We were stand
irg by the Sea-s;':e and the last warm fare
we'll pressure Of the hand had been Civ
eN.
Il viii not expect vou Christmas. my dear
boy, bat remember the motto ven are To carry
with v"n---nevrr forget Mother, Home, and
Heaven" Ari thus we parted
4 few months after AMI stp Il beneath the
roof - one f CLifornia'S most noted gambling
palaces There. in piles, thousands upon
thousands wrr heflr" nr anl it seemed as
:: o"zh could wiz frtune without a str,!g-
-,'c. The dealer, wimuin: or losing present
rl the same calm exterior. while those who
stalking their all upon tie cards Ietrav2d
thrir intensity Of feelings by looks and actions
IS | gazed upon tie gnl before me.
the dealer ralm and collected. listening to tie
crv of triumph or the curse "f despair. as the
ex,itcl hrttcrs won or lost hear the hum "f
strargr voices around me. tie # music float
ing through thc rn"n; saw the will AMI ey,it-
nag rrIrlry-"N.rvthiTg calculated t. please
the taste ur excite the mind was tlerr-I he
gan T. part.ke "f the general feeling; and Al
mt>t mv"",.tar.v. nv hand s,u,ht for the
i.tc J! had remaining. aIti A. was about
T. taxi i from mv pn~G:t aGl pIa'e It upon
the carl. the,e magic wurli>-t!lr gift of
m'the,'< lG.c--7a~h"i upon my mrm"rv. and
a mysterious power could not resist led me
from the temptation.
Again--far up in the Sierra Eevadas where
The STORM king rcins. had s6u@!iS ~ the
offering ore. M"nths Of toll and hardship
lad been endured; t'!e race hal been dug
Tie dam hnilt. the river WAS turned r. M its
ned! hut We found no gold I" reward oar
| 'AEcr. Tie sumner was c""c. AMI winter
was coming On ara"e. No money. no claim.
II
no shelter l'.>a!p"lh'He"t AL despair
We're IN every hcaFf, hnt we We" 700 pr""'
:" SHOW II. ii vas resolved u a.tVe ':rliA-
ken spree. and leave the river. Ere bong.
the fun. As It was called, grew fast and f.
r'"us. Songs. t"a>tS. aud sentiments r"."'i
the day. and Il was with ht.-Ta"ant at
t"ntlon that | watched their proceedings.
Christmas would son come. anl ! was
inst learning the fr.t great lesson Of my life.
/ p 10 this time they nal Mt noticed my
absence from the circle t:.cv >ai fot:nc.t:
nut er" long they sought and u'ld Inc and
without ceremony | was carrl". I" them
+ The hot, Steaniih@ liquor was poured from
the camp-k"ttlr into tin cup. ana handed
IN me. drink" they eyrla;ucri: drink l.,
.rlr past aid future hopes" They did n"t
think it wrong auA no eye that truly loved
7 could SEQ me- They were lilly and iDviai-
drowning care with drink
| pleaded f,rm"r hatit>, urged many res
sons against i'i'in@ thcm. Laughter am!
! "er> were he only answer. They seized me.
ON" holding my heal and another my hands.
while \ third attempted - empty the liquor
! into my mouth. was about 80 give up.
There couiG Mt he much harm in drinking
else they would not urge it upon me s.
strongly. I si,rifcl my acceptance They
! at once released me, aud all filled Up, ready
! fnr a toast song or a story
! I must give one or the other. ! stood
there; the youngest of the band | was the
. pet # the camp. and for the hrs: time
was going to pin them in their .revcIrr.-
+ WilJ ou1 ,ur,prtu,us SLnu,inns vn,, f,r,I
from that ha,.d Of brave and warm-hcartr,l
fellows: they thought of what the end might
/ Nc They had conquered It was a froic
only frolic. and | was going 10 give then,
taast. Standing before them. with cup
IN hand; thinking of what should say. nv
mind travelled back to the parting. Tie