The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1873-02-06


in, and when the gold news came, came
out here. | tell yer if there's a cranky
mother-in-law on the quarterback the
ship won't keep her course. Everything
| goes souson by moth, as the devil steered
monkey on the lee back stay. I gave 'en
everything but my fiddle and dog. and
came out here. P'raps when I've made
my pile I'll 60 back again and vee1
around the folks. There's little Maggie
my purity little one, she never turned agir
her father, though thy father did. And il
| can only see her, and take her little
hand, and walk out among the birds and
flowers, and hear her talk, think can
be happy again. And if she will only
call me father once. | want nothing
more," and the old man brushed away a
tear with his sleeve.
| This was Five's story. sad to him, and
when the fellows were disposed to ieer at
him for his oddities, and told them that
| his heart was almost broken by troubles
at home, an unconscious pity was felt foi
| him forever after.
The mines did not tempt me to remain
long there. The road to fortune was
rugged and steep, and it was not long
| after that | bade adieu to California and
| returned to civilization, to tell wondering g
auditors the stories of the distant land
Five was the last to say goodbye, and
even Bruce came and licked my hand.
twenty years life time to many, a
| weary waste to some. Where once a few
S s,attered houses stood | find to-day a
thriving city, wealthy people. Forests
of ships line the wharves, and white
sails futter over the bay where once
the occasional steamer ploughed her bust
ling way The broad acres where ran
queros drove their herds and called it
waste land, the hard-tisted sons of toll
have dotted with thriving farms, and the
railroads Join their forces as q leverage in
aid of progress. The Colonel and had
been ranging up and down the San
Joaquin Valley, running out the lands,
and worn with struggling through quick
sands and sloughs, had sought the shelter
gladly from q pelting rain that set in at
nightfall. A wonderful valley-this San
joaquin! Three hundred level miles by
seventy-five, between two mountain
ranges, and along the western side the
swirling river winds, while down from
the bold Sierras come ice-cold streams to
Join its tide Myriads of browsing sheep
and cattle trim down the luxurlart grass
and miles of fields are budding into a
promising harvest time.
The cabin stood near one of the feet Of
this natural eclipse, where tour shepherds
dwelt, whose sheep and lambs were now
enscobced within the carral, which i'll
protected them from the cold rain. Three
of the men were inside of the hut, coax
ing an obstinate fire into a blaze, the
fourth sat alone near the door, the bright
coal in his pipe shining like a fiery eve
The Colonel was soon engaged in series
of yarns in which I had no particular in
terest, and so left them and stood in the
doorway.
Looks as if it was going to clear up,
slr.'
EFF you aint got much regard for truth
that's So"
How easily he 'copperel" my sentence
young feller, I kinder thought you
said that for want of suthin' to say. Look
at that pilin' o. clouds; don't they look
wet ?"
was obliged to confess that they did.
"Well, said so because | wanted it TO
dry up, to let us 90 on
"That's more like it p'r'aps'
You must have a very lonely life
here"
"Well, it amt excitin, but folks can be
as lonely in great city as anywhere here
en- the plain. Arter has hepn
through with them things he gets to be
contented anywhere. | put it down that
living in cities is unnatural and bad A
mans going to have hisselt for company
three-quarters of the time. and he has to
take good care of it, and when he dies
he's got to play a lone hand anyway, and
don't git no chums IN his six-by-two."
"Still | think the pleasure of living is
in having good friends"
$50 | thought when | was young and
foolish. Experience is everything, young
fellal" Which | don't mean book learn
ing but facts which is knocked inter yer
by hard bumps. 1t makes me laugh to
read them books which is printed at the
colleges, which says as how we are ad-
vanced in education. Why down in Aus
tralia there's tribes of Indians that can
holy-stone 'em all. They've got a wep-
ping they calls boomerang, which is
only bent stick, but them niggers will
jerk it into the air till you can't see it and
whiz it comes back and hits anything
LhCy wait, DCioIC vi Dtiililt VlIl. btHl
learned beggars can't do nor explain that
Them niggers have trained their eyes to
look into muddy water, and can see fish
to spear 'em-and train porpoises to catch
fish as well. So much for eddication."
"You have been in Australia, then ?"
"Of course. or couldn't tell yer of this
But it's time to turn in. Come, Bruce, :"
and here dog that had not seen before
answered his masters call and followed
him into the room. As they came to the
light / thought recognized the dog Ca
grandson of the one, afterwards learned J
and on scanning the man closely ! found
he was Five, my old mining friend.
"Why, old man from Toulomne, don't
you remember me?"
Cont say do"
"Don't you remember our camp in early
days, and Sim, and Brennan, and Bunyan
and me ?"
A cloud Of recollection seemed to pass
before his eyes, and at last he exclaimed,
"Is it possible that you're the little 'un 2"
Yes, am"
"Well, this is surprising, to say the
least am glad ter see yer; how's all
the folks?"
'sIll talk to you tomorrow, old man,
it's too late to spin yarns now;'' and we
all rolled up in our blankets, and soon
everything was quiet.
Still, dark and rainy was the morning,
when at an early hour we were aroused
by the sound of voices, and conquering q
disposition for one more nap we arose
and made ready for the fragrant coffee
and biscuits, prepared by the busy hands
of "Wacks,n who sang to his toll.
My love she is handsome,
She's not very tall,
And do think her behavior
1t does exceed all.
My love she is handsome,
Her hair it grows down.
1lal,.o-Se Ill ..s-l.I