East Saginaw courier., 1864-03-02
Original NliseslMny.
Misfortunes.

After few hours of refreshing
sleep we awoke to discover and appre-
ciate all the beauties Of camp, life in
California 4 The balmy air Of the
morning refreshed and invigorotcd
our system the emerald forest rang
out in music and blossomed in beauty,
and the tinted colors OF, the coming sun
painted the crests sof the surrounding
mountains with magic colors of splen-
dor and witchery. Wo drank in the
freedom of the landscape and reveled
in the scenes of pleasure around US
with oil the ardor of Q deyotee, until
the sudden brayingof our mulerecalled
us to tho scenes through which we
had just passed The absence of our
lost friend weighed upon our spirit un-
til we forgot all but that we as sole
survivor were left to seek his body, if
dead, and restore him to his friends if
still alive. We determined atleast TO
remove all cause for self-reproach by
- I'LL -@~-al,
through the forest and mountain gor-
ges. We accordingly prepared our
traps for removal and went down TO
tho river bank to secure our mule,
whore a sight greeted our vision never
again to be equalod.
In the forks of a huge tliTe oak tree
sat Tom Leatherman, staring in un-
bounded amazement at the two mules,
both Of which wore braying at him as
if their future supply. of forage de-
pended upon the amount of noise they
could successfully accomplish. In his
face abject terror was incarnatc, and
his form though possessed of its for
mer robust proportions, was SO highly
scarrifed and so beautifully ornament
ed with rags that had once boon
clothes, as 70 be almost beyond our rec
ognition.. We flew to his relief, silenc-
ca tire inuics, ana assured MIN that
they were not grizzlys," but only
mules, and aftera deal of persuasion
induced him to descend. When once
he stood before us he was lively rcp-
rosontation of one who had been
roughly handled by banditti. His
hair unrestrained by his broad-spread
sombroo was floating wildly over his
head, obscuring his eyes, and render
ing vision more uncertain than easy.
His boots were still upon his feet, and
desperately tattered pair of drawers
cncased his fair proportions. A deli
cate band of red flannel surmountcd
his wrists and neck, like bracelets and
necklace, as the sole surviving, rem
nants of his former gorgeous red fan--
mel shirt. To these few simple anti
cles was his wardrobe reduced, and to
such plight had the elegant and fas-
tidious Tom Leathernfan come in ono
night That he was abcrated we had
not the slightest doubt, for without
word Of greeting, without q syllable
Of thanks, without a murmur or
smile, he stood shivering before us, as
if expecting judgment of doom, and
when we asked the cause of his condi-
ton, he looked sorrowfully from us to
his drawers, and from his drawers to
us, and pitifu,ly exclaimed, as if dwell
ing in the past, "Chowder" Alas !
there was no chowdcr for him, and we
so made him. understand after long,
and labored argument, wherein we
charged the whole misfortune upon
his mule. The light of memory at
last seemed to awaken, and with the
gravity Of q judge charging q jury in
a murder trial, he turned 90 that nm
fortunate mule and addressed him in
these feeling and affectionate words;
+" Sir, you who have shared my crusts
of bread and been my companion in
happy days long past whose graft.
tude for q thousand favors bestowed
ought to have taught ym better; you
lopg.eaEed nssF,syed hypocriss that
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