The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1863-06-23

NICK DUDLEY, THE CALIFORNIAN.
From the San Francisco Sunday Murcu


From the San Francisco Sunday Murcury.
The pleasant village of Springdalo was all
apog with curiosity, when Nick Dudley 70.
turned from Calfornia-Nick, the ne'er do
we'll, who had run away from bis drunken
old fathers horsewhip ten years ago aud now
came back rich!
All the gossips Of the little ueighborhood
were in perfect futter. The young Misses
douned their brightest smiles and most cap
tivating calicoes. The young follows were
furious with envy. The Minister introduced a
period 10 his long prayer with special refer
ence to " the wanderers RETURN" and, in fact,
never in New England was seen such Hut
ter as prevaded this pretty rustic hamlet
when it was rum red and then confirmed,
that Nick had really got homo.
The poor widow Dudley, who had made
her few preparations for the event, in lear
and trembling, for she scarce expected from
her runaway SON anything save repetition
of her reprobate husbands neglect, yet abe
spread her little table with tho best her scanty
siorc afforded, and smoothed her faded gown
with trembling fingers, when she heard the
rumble Of the stage wheels. TO widow Dud.
lev and to Nick himself, all this hub brb and
commotiou was lost; neither of them minded
il a whit.
Nick bought back the old farm which his
Maternal ancestor had succeeded in mortgag
ipg twice over before he luckily broke his
neck: built an addition TO the farm house {;
flung out bay window here aud piazza
there: put up a comfortable row of stables !;
planted shrubbery: drove his mother to meet.
ING in new wagon, of rather rakish and
sportipg appearance, behind the fastest pair
of chestnut mares ever seen in that country.
But he civiy declined all invitations to tea
fights, sewing circles, and quilting bees; was
invisible at town meetings and fancy fairs;
asked no one TO visit him, returned no calls,
and, in fact, as pretty Miss Langford remark
ed confdeutially to Lizzie Hopkins, the Dea-
cons daughter, "behaved moro like a saw
ace Ipiip, or borrid old miser, than decent
christian, and the handsomest fellow 10
Spring lale, to boot. Gracious! she could
cry with vexation, just thinking of bis goings
on-so she couldp
One or two of Nick'e old school mates who
yeutured to introduce themselves to his pres
ence, told strange stories Of the interview, and
of the wonders to be seen in the apartment
where the returned Californian received them
politely, to be sure, but collly as an animated
icicle They spoke of walls hung with rifles
Indian bows and rich furs; Of cabinets filled
with outlan lish looking bits of rock. which
sparkled in the sun light like diamonds; OF
silver mounted pistols, barbaric spurs and bits,
diabolcal Mexican idols, carved of solid gold ;
of gorgeous cloaks flung over great elk antlers
of Indian scalps, triumphantly stretched upon
hoops daubed with vermllion, and OF Nick
himself, strangest OF all--tall aud swart, with
his great beard and d'eamy eyes, an ugly red
scar athwart his forehead; never flushed mol
dscoucerted; lis voice sweet as woman
and full Of tenderness whenever be spoke
of, or 10 his old mother.
Folks wondered that he should come home
if he couldn't conduct hins If a little more
socially and reighborly; aud, indeed, many
snrmised that he would not have returned al
all. bad it not been for his mother.
But, at any rate, there he was, and they
must make the best Of him. "Rich, too; nc
doubt ofhat, for didn't he etd Squire Fo'd
ham three thousand dollars, all IN double
caoles. after the latler's mill WIS burned =
But. then, he took an uncol cionable rate o
intarcst--seveu per cent. not dime lrs'
what regular old Shylock he must be r
And as set off to his riches, don't he drink
wine every day for iinnsr, with his IA
theirs awful fate before himY and amt b
forever with a pipe between his teelhg an
didn't he play cards and carouse, and sin!
SONGS all night, and drive about tho countr
all day with those friends of his who came
nm from Boston? OH mates in the mines
were theyl Humphl Guess gamblers, wit
their superfine broad cloth, aud their gol
chains and things"
So went the gossip, and Nick cared for
all not a red cent, but went on his way, turn
inc neither TO the right nor left; farming
little; dabblipg little in fancy cattle; ofiene
going of for days shooting or fishing; NOR
Of ener going down ID Boston for robod
knows What, evidently enjoying life in hi
own way, despite all that was said OF him an
his goipgs on. :.
At last the war broke out. A religion
fever ragged up there in tho back parts of Ne
England. None before them in the hol
crusade against the destroyer of the Unior
The Young men volunteered by scores-b
bundreds-by thousands! Weeping mothe
hacked their kits and bade "God bless them
Sad. broken circles met around homely boar'
in the brown farm houses. Poor old Put
tan fathers, with stern faces and sad hearts
strained every nerve to make both ends me-
while The "boys" were away fighting, au
sweethearts and wives sat themselves dow
TO weep over lovers aud husbands marchr
away for The cruel swamps OF Virginia.
In the midst of it all, a report began
spread "that Nick Dudley was Secession
ist." And indeed, his conduct was somewh
suspicious.
Before the storming Of Sumter, be w
heard TO ssy dozen times that he "symp
tbized with his misguided Southerns brethren
Since that momentous era, he bad held b
tongue, never joining in the excited harra'
eues of his neighbors at the village schoo
house; attending no war meetings; offerlr
no money for the cause, and doing nothlr
10 encourage enllstments. II looks bad, ce
tanIy. AZ length the public feeling ran
high that Nick heard Of il, but he only laug
ed, called them pack Of fools for their pal
and said he would give bis opinions when cal
ed upon for them, not before. But no o,
, cared to ask him point blank what be thong
for wholesome fear Of bis prowera was pl