The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-11-30

= give you the history if you reques
: it.H
/. And in. due time [ obtain that his
tory; and tran-cribe it as it was told
me, neither adding 10 it or taking
. from il.
2 In early times the means of transit
across the continent were so very dan
gerOus and cOmfOrtless that, like thC
man who had choice Of two roads
travellers were sure to wish that they
had taken the contrary one. The
heightened horrors of Cape Horn, the
Indian perils on the plains, and the
fearful fever on the Isthmus, gave
ample themes of sympathy, curiosity,
and endless surmise. Mrs. Adds had
come by the Isthmus, and her voyage
was marked by an all-absOTbing sOr-
row, that swallowed up every smaller
consideration OF discomfort and an
nOyance-the death Of her husband.
Mr.. Adds had been q teac er all his
life. Breaking down in health and
spirits, as those who have much to do
with the young sometimes do, he had
undertaken the journey to California
to recruit his strength, and also in the
hope that he might find there some
more profitable and less mentally
labOrous occupation. He died just as
they come in view of Acapulco, and
lay buried there, far from home and
kindred. Poor Mrs. Adds came
ashore with an aching heart but a
I Btrong spirit, rsGnlUnd 70 labor f0I tie
] living of her children, the youngest of
/ them nearly an infant, rather than
undertake the voyage home again.
~ Or "a = hears 10 Il
man; she had no friends in her native
land capable of assisting her, and
would not, go back to be a burth-
en- upon them. When one has
! to lose caste and work for living,
it is less hard to the mind to do
it in strange place. She did not
know the work would be quite so
menial, but she had put her shoul-
der to the wheel and took what came.
At first nothing offered; perhaps
her visions were too high. She could
only clasp her three children to her
heart and pray to be helped to provide
for them, not to die observation. Mr..
Evans who had been one of her fel-
lOw-passengers on board the Sierra
NeUddd, that had brought them up
from the Pacific, and who had seen
her husband laid to rest in Mexican
soil, was very kind to her in her desc
latiOn.
Washing was paid for well in the
place, for washer-women were scarce,
and the notion camelto her that she
should set up in the calling. 1t no
doubt caused her pride cruel blow,
herself bitter heartache; perhaps
struggle, yes or no, with her spirit.
But she resolved on it. She thought
she would get day help for the hardest
of the labor. Mr.. Evans and one or
two other gentlemen who had been
witnesses Of her misfortune clubbed
together to set her going. They found
a cheap, pretty house, furnished, on
Russian Hill, and placed her in it. 1t
overlooked the entrance to the bay,
ground around it, enclosed by high
paling, on which the linen could dry.
They went with her to take possess !
ion of it Mr.. Evans and a Mr.. Har-
ley-the latter carrying the baby, |
Willy. What with one busy prepa- /
ration and another, the day had wan |
ed, and evening was drawing on /
when they started. It was a long, /
toiling walk up Pacific street; and |
then taking a winding path over the
brow of the hill, and descending lit
tie on the side that fronts the Golden |
Gate, they stood before the cottage.
1t was a little one-stOried place with |
a garden in front full of rank, over
grown geraniums and trailing Aus
trailian vines, struggling on either |
side of the straight and weedy path.
"Tnis can all be done up nicely,you !
know" said Mr.. Harley, cheerfully. /
'There was no time for it before you
came in. 1t has been empty and neg
lected so long that it looks rather
Wild.u
Mrs. Adds answered in the same
cheerful spirit; she was so grateful to
them that she would not show any
regret. But as she was crossing the
porch to enter the doorway, shiver-
ing chill struck her that it was impos-
sible to account for. The house was
not dark. Those kind friends had
il lighted; a lamp burned OH the ta-
BILE; a fire blazed in the open CRATE;
wnat could have given her that shud-
dering chill? The children, however,
made amends for her silence, for they
were loud in theirdelighted CONNIE ats
on the new house, and their surprise
at its odd furniture.
The room was a small square apart
ment, with an open CRATE and a front
and back window. Its floor was COW
cred with checked mating, and there
were two or three curiously cOlOred
rugs laid over it. Besides q scarlet
sofa and two large chairs, much worn
and faded, there were some tiny Chi
nese tables, and little cabinet placed
on one of them. To the right, a door
opened into a smaller room, contain
ing only bed and an old walnut
clothes press. Out of that was larg-
ar room, built sideways and in the
shape of the letter L; it had two
French windows and cheerful look
put citywaIds. A small kitchen COM
pleted the house.
"Being night, it looks little dull"
observed Mr.. Evans, as they went
rooms, "and smells earthly
Iy; but that's owing to its having been
shut up so long"
1t did smell earthly. The very air
seemed close and heavy, and Mrs.
Adds thought it might be that which
,aused her strange Oppressionof spirit.
Everything needed for their comfort
was at hand, and the gentleman de-
parted, leaving grateful hearts behind
lim.
The days went on, and the feeling
If oppression, as Mrs. Adds expressed
t, wore lighter by degrees; but she al
ways had a sense of it more or less.
Only when she was at work she did
not so much as feel it. Her kind
friends had exerted themselves to get
Ter plenty of work. 1t was hard at
irst, but she had help, and got recon-
lied to it. The little room leading off
If the parlOr was made a play room
or the children. 1t was lined with
carlet chintz; the large, curiously- :
haped room, was made the bed cham
Der.
So she worked and prospered; and
,egan to put up a nice little sum ev-
nv month towards repaying Mr.. :
Evans and the other gentlemen what
hey had advanced her. Her ex-
,enses were not large. The rent of
he house was remarkably low, and :
he sometimes wondered at it, hoping
hat Mr.. Evans was not paying part
# it himself in secret. He said he I
vas not, but she could not help fear {
ng it. They had no near neighbors;
,ut farther down towards the Laguna {
vas a settlement of Spanish people, I
whose children would come up and |
,eep curiously through the garden I
ails. That the house had been in
labited by Spaniards, who must have !
luited it in hurry, was evident, for !
he furniture was all Spanish.
When it first was Mrs. Adds could |
lever distinctly trace or reccllect that
he heard her children allude to some
me they called 'the lady" She grew I
to hear them talk of her, I
,ut when she at length asked an ex-
,lanation of who lady was, there 6
eemed to be some mystery in the an '
wers. The children saw the lady ''at t
Moments" they said; they would G
Ook up from their play and see herby {
hem, and when they looked again '
he'd be gone, they did not know +
where. I
''Does she come into the garden, {
Nancy ?i asked Mrs. Adds of ner 8
ldest girl, a most intelligent child. s
'iShe comes indoors as well, MAN.
na."
"Comes indoors as we'll! What c
Ioes she say?' Z
"She never speaks at all, {" was Nan G