Mountain Democrat. [volume] (Placerville, El Dorado Co., Cal.) 1854-1860, 1859-02-05

Two years since continued the poor man,
growing more and more excited with every
word that he uttered; two years since, sue
cecded in solving the great prOblcm-in trans
mitting the baser metals into gold. None but
myself, that girl, and God knows the priva-
tiOns had suffered up to that time. Food,
clothing, air, exercise, everything but shelter,
was sacrificed toward the one great end. Sue
cess at last crowned my labOrS.- That which
Nicholas Flannel did in 1882, that which Geo.
Ripley did at Rhodes in 14G0, that which
Alexander Sethon and Michael Scndivogius
did in the seventeenth century, ! did in 1856.
mado gold l said to myself: Il will aston.
ish New York, moro than Flannel did Paris.
lie was poor cOpyiSt, and suddenly launched
into magnicence. hal scarce rag to my
back would rival the Medicis. | made
gold every day. toiled night and morning
Il must tell you that | never was able to
make more than a certain quantity at time,
and that by process almost entirely dissimi-
lar to those hlntcd at in those books of alche-
nv had hitherto consulted; but had no
doubt that facility would come with expe-
ricnce and that ere long would be ubie to
eclipse in wealth the richest sovCrcigns Of the
earth.
so toiled on. hay after day gave to
this girl hero what gold | succeeded in fabri-
eating, telling her to store It away, after sup
plying our necessities. l was astonished to
perceive that we lived as poorly as ever.
reflected, however, that it was acommeRdable
piece Of prudence OH the part Of my daugh-
ter. Doubtless, ] said, she argues that the
less We spend, the sooner we shall accumulate
capital whcrewith to live at ease; so think
ing her course wise one, did not rcproach
her with her niggardlncsS, but toiled on amid
want with closed lips
That gold which fabricated was, as said
before, of an invariablc size. namely, an ingot
worth perhaps thirty or forty-five dollars. In
two years, / calculated that had made five
hundred Of these ingots, which, rated at an
average Of thirty-iive dollars Q piece. would
amount to the gross sum Of fifteen thousand
dollars. After dcIucting our slight expenses
for two years, We ought to have nearly four.
teen thousand dollars left. 1t was time,
thought, to indemnify myself CoT years Of
suffering, and surround my child and myself
with such moderate comforts as our means nj.
lowed. went to my daughter and explained
to her that | desired to make an cncroach.
mcnt upon our little hoard. To my utter
Nmazcmcnt she burst into tears, and told me
that she had not got dollar; that the cntirc
most overwhelmed with this new misfortune,
!, in vain endeavored to discover from her in
what manner our savings had been plundercd
She could afford mo no explanation, beyond
what might gather from an abundance Of
sobs and copiouS flow OF tears.
1t was bitter blow, Doctor, but mil des.
perandum' was my motto, so went to work
at my crucible again with redouble,l energy,
and made All ingot nearly every second day.
determined this time to put them in some
secure place myself; but the very first day I
put my apparatus in order for the projection,
the girl Marian-that is my daughters namc
came weeping to me, AMI implored of me
to allow her to take care Of our treasure.
refused her decisively, sIying, that having al
ready found her incapable Of Il ling the trust,
could place no faith in her again. But she
persisted, clung to my neck, threatened to
abandon me, in short, used no many Of the
bad but irresistible arguments known to
women, that had not the heart to refuse her.
She has since that ti:no continued to tako the
ingots.
Yet you behold continued the old alchem-
ist, casting an inexpressibly mOurnful glance
around the wrctched apartment, you see the
way we live. Our food is insufficient and of
bad quality; we never buy any clothes; the
cent of this hole is n mere nothing. What
am | to think Of the wretchcd girl who
plunges me into this miseryl IL she miser,
think youy or female gamestera 2 or-Or-
docs she squandcr it ri0tously in places
know not ofy D, doctor, doctor do not
blame inc If heap imprccations on her head.
for have suffered bittcrly!' The poor man
here closed his eyes, and sank back groaning
on his pillow.
This singular narrative excited in me the
strangest emotions. I glanced at the girl Ma
rian, who had been patient listener to these
horrible accusations Of cupidity, and never
did behold moro angelic air Of resignation
than was spread over her countcnance. II
was impossible that any one with those pure,
limpid eyes, that calm, broad forehead, that
child.like mouth. could be such monster Of
avaricc or deceit M the old man represented.
The thing was plain enough; the alchcmist
was mad-what alchcmist was there ever that
wOs n0t?-and his insanity had taken this
terrible shape. felt an inexpressible pity
move my heart for this poor girl, whose youth
was burdened with such an awful sorrow.
What is your namer asked the old man,
taking his trcmulous fevercd hand in mine.
William Blakcloch,' he answered | come
Of an old Saxon stock, sir, that bred t-uC men
and women in former days. God how did it
ever come to pass that such q one as that girl
there ever sprNng from our linev
The glance Of loathing and contempt that
hc'caSt ut her, made mo shuddcr.
May you not bc mistaken in your daugh-
tcr9' said very mildly; dclusions with re-
gard to alchemy are, or have becn, very CON-
mon -
What, sir!' cried the old man, bounding
in his bed. WHAT do you doubt that gold
can be made? do you know, sir, that NJ. c.
Theodore TitIcrcau madc gold in Paris IN the
year 1854 in the presence Of N. LcvOI, the as
saycr Of the Imperial Mint, and the result Of
experiments read before the Academy of Sci.
enccs on the sixteenth Of October Of the same
year? But stay, you shall have better proof
yet I will pay you with one of my ingots,
ard you shall attend me until am well -.
Get inc an ingOt"
This last command was addressed to Ma.
rian, who was still knecling close to her
fathers bedside. I observed her with some
curiosity as this mandate was issued. She
became very pale, claspod her hands cOnvul.
Sively, but neither moved or made any reply.
Get mo On ingot, l sayr reiterated the H.
chemist passionately.
She ixcd her largo cyes implOrinaly upon
him Her lips quiverCd, and two larso tears.
rolled slowly down her white Cheaka. = =