Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1870-12-17
Mr.. ELIAS STORY.


tering wind, giving the ship an awkward motion
over an obliquely rolling sea. Cold, sick thor
ougnly uncomfortable, with no refuge but the
narrow and dimly-lghted state room, was re-
duced In the first twenty-four hours to a condi-
hOn OF ignominious helplessness, hardly willing
TO i've, and not yet fully wishing or intending
In this unhappy frame of mind the close of
the second weary day found me, when nv
husband opened our state-rOOm door 10 say that
ali. Ela, eli, Oregon, was on board, and pro-
posed TO come and talk to me, in the hope of
amusing me and making me forget nv wretch
edness Submitting rather than agreeing TO the
proposal, chairs were brought and placed Just
inside the doorway, where the light of the sa-
loon lamps shone athwart the countenance of
my constituted physician. He was young
man, and looked younger than his years; slight
punt, tnough possessing supple, well-knit
frame, With hands Of an elegant shape, fine tex
that he had a poets head, and poets sensitive.
ness OF lace; but 1t was only after observation
that you saw how much the face was capable
TO ndicats n 11a not convey; iSr faces are apt
as 1.-THE culture of those with whom we
are habituslly associated. Mr.. Elias face clear
indicated to me the intellectual poverty,
the want OF aesthetic cultivation In his accus-
tened circle Of society, at the same time that
IL suggested possible phases of great beauty,
ssouid u ever become possible for certain
ey sympathy. Evidently q vein OF drollery in
his nature, had been better appreciated, and
oitener exhibited to admiring audiences, than
ment OF which you instinctively knew him 70 be
capable; and yet the face protested against IL,
TOO, BY gentle irony with hint OF self-scorn
In IL, as II its owner, In his own estimation,
vrste himself q bufoon for his condescension
Altogether IL was good face, but one to make
you wish It were better. since by not being 20 it
was untrue TO itself. remember thinking all
this, looking out with sluggish interest from nv
BERN, while the two gentlemen Gid q little pre-
Mr.. Elias voice. ! observed Ike his face, was
susceptible Of great change and infinite modu-
lations. Deep chest tones were followed by
nnely attenusted sounds; droning nasal tones
BY quick and clear ones. The quality OF the
voice was soft and musical; the enunciation
slow, often emphatic. His manner was illus
ustlye, egotistic, and keenly watcnful OF eff
fleets.
"YOu never heard the story of nv adventure
in the mountains ~ Ella be- gan. turning TO me
with the air OF man who had made up his
mind TO tell his story.
No please tell it,
"WelP'-Tunning his tapering fingers through
ms har, and pulling IL over his Orehead-s'I
started out In lie with theory and it was this:
that no young man should ask a woman to marry
MN until he had prepared a home for her.
Correct, wasn't ito | was about 10 wears old
when took up some land down in the Rogue
River al ey, and worked away at it with this
object"
"Had you really a wife selected at that ageo''
No; but It was the fashion in early times in
that country TO marry early, and was getting
ready according 20 my theory; don't YOU see i
was pretty successful, too; had considerable
stock, built me house, made flower garden
LOT my Nlie-even put up the pegs nails she
was 20 hand her dresses on. 4 intended that
fall TO get on nv horse, ride through the Wal
lamet alley, and find me my girl
at the notion CT counting in that of hand
general style, both my husband and laughed
doubtingly. Fla laughed, too, but as if the rec
objection pleased him.
q You think that Is strange, do voua
'IwsSn't so very strange in those days, because
girls were scarce, don't you see. There wasn't
girl within forty miles OF me: and just the
n I ti,.ar, 81 I.
70 hang her garments On-why, IL lust ran
through me like shock OF electricity
We'll, as l said, had about two hundred
and fifty head Of cattle, 4 house with a garden,
a young orchard, and vegetables growing
everything in readiness for the wife I had
counted on getting TO help me take care OF it.
And what DO You think happened? There came
such plague of grasshoppers upon the valley
that they destroyed every green thing: crops
orchard, flowers, grass, everything. NV stock
dled-the greater portion Of them-and was
ruined deep bass considered myself dis
appointed in love, too, because, though hadn't
yet found my girl, knew she was Somewhere
IN The valley waiting for me; and felt some
how, when the grasshOppers ate I'D everything
as II had been iIlted. Actually, il pierces me
with Pang now 70 think OF those useless pegs
on which 30 often my Imagination hung a pink
calico dress aud a sun bonnet
Knitting his brows and signing as he shifted
bls position, Ella once more pulled tae hair
over BIS forehead. IN his peculiar fashion, and
d" l became misanthropic-fel myself badly
used Packing up my books and few traps,
i started for the mountains with what stock
l had left, built myself tort, and played
hermit
"a regular forte-'
" A stOckade eighteen feet IA Oh, with an en-
baDkment tour feet high around II, "A strong
gate, tent in the middle OF the enclosure-ail
my property, such - books, feed, arms, etc,
inside
ION account OF Indians?2
"lndians and white men. Yes, I've seen a
good many Indians through the bead OF my rife.
They learned 10 keep away from my fort. There
were mining camps down in the valley. ard you
know the hangeTs-On Of those camps " | sold
beef to the miners; had plenty Of money By me
sometimes. 1t was necessary to be strongly
forted."
"what a strange life for boy What di /
You do How spend your time -
Il herded my cattle, drove them to market,
cooked, studied, wrote, and INDUCED in nissan
thropy, with little rifle practice. By the time
had been one summer in the mountains had
got my hand in, and knew how to make money
buying up cattle TO sell again in the mines
so there was method in your madness-nis-
antbropy, mean ?"
81. was doing well, and beginning 90 think
again of visiting the Wallamet 70 hunt up nv
girl One Sunday afternoOn-I knew 1T was
Sunday, because kept q journal was sitting
outside my fort writing, when q shadow fell
across the paper, and, looking mp, 10 Q skele-
ton figure stood before me. lSepulchral tones
and pause Used as was TO lonely eacoun-
tiers with strange men, my hair stood on end as
gAzed on the spectre before me. He was the
merest boy In years; pretty and delicate by
ture, and then reduced by starvation to q shad-
ov. His story was soon told. He had left Bos-
ton on q vessel coming ont to the north west
coast. had been wrecked At the mouth Of the
Cmpqua, and been wandering about IN the
mountains ever since, sabssting as best he
could on roots and berries. " But you are be-
coming tired?"
NO, l assure you; on the contrary becoming
deeply interested"
The boy was not young woman in disguise,
or anything like that, you know"-with
amused look At me. /" i thought you d think
but a. he comes into the story rs collateral,
4 Just mention his introduction 10 myself. / fed
him and nCrSed him until he was able TO 60 to
work, and then 4 got Sam Chong Lung to let
him take up a claim alongside a Chinese camp,
promising 20 favor the Chinaman in q beef con-
tract n he was good 10 the boy. His claim
proved a good one, and he was making money,
when two Cinnamon stO a lot OF horses from
Sam CbODg Lung, and offered 500 to Ed
wards IL he would 20 aft hem and bring them
back. Edwards asked M advice, and encour-
aged him 70 20, telling him how 20 take and
bring back his prisoners. reflective pause
You can't imagine me living alone, now can
you? Such an egotstical fellow as 1 am, aud
fond Of ladies' society. You can't believe It,
can yOu?''
a. Hermits and solitaires are always cyclists.
believe. As 20 the ladies, your loneliness was
the result CT circumstances; Is you have eX-