, 1873-12-20
A M0NTE-FLAT PASTORAL.
UoW Old MINI Plunl1ctt Went
Home.
Bret tfarte's Last Story.

Bret Harte's Last Story.
From Ser,bntr,s for Jdnuarp.
think sso nil loyod him. Even aftor he mia
managed tho afruira OF tho A,nity Ditch Conl-
pauy, no ocoinmtaoratol him, although ,noat OF
us wore stockholders and lost heavily. I rcmcnt-
bor TINT tho blacksmith went go fur ns to HaY
that p" Thon1 ctapg as put thot responsibility
on tho old n,an ougEtor bo lynchol." But
tha blaoksmlth WIS not BtociEllo)der, and
the expression was locked upon rs the OK
ousable extravaganza o! a large sympathiztng
nnturo, tint, whom combined with powor-
ful frame, was unworthy Of notice. At leaBt
that waH tho way tlloy put Ii. Yot thin1s thoro
waa general focling OF regrot that this mis-
fortune wonld intor:cro with tho old lnan's long,
cherished plan Of
t'uolSo HOME"
Iatlood for tho last ton yoars he llad been
"going llono." 1lo was going home after ak
months aojonrn ut Monte Fiat. Ho wus going
home nftor tho first rains. 4Ie was going homo
whon tic rains woro oyer. Flo was going home
whon ho Ind cut tho ,imbor on Buckeye Hill,
whom thoro was pasture on Dow'a Flat, when ho
struck pay-dlrt OH Eureka Hill, whom tho Amity
Company paid It's frat dividend, when tho
an auAwer from lis wife. And 10 tho
years rolled by, tho spring raina casno
ind wont. tho wools Of Buckeye Fill were
1oyol with the ground, tho pasture On Dows
Flat grew Bcro aud dry, Euroka Hill yielded its
pay~dirt and swa1nped Its owner, tho first dlvi-
dends Of tho Anlity Company wero mado from
the assessments Of stockholders, thero woro new
county of1cors Of I1onto Flat, his wifo's answcr
had changed into persistent question, and still
old ulan plunhott remained.
It is only fair to say TINT ho Ind nado
eEyEnAls DISTINCT ESSAYS TOWARDS do1No.
Five years pofore ho had biddon goodbye to
1fonto nill with mroh cffusion nnd hand-shaking.
But he mover got any furthor than the next town.
Hero he was induced to trade tho sorrel colt ho
Tas riding for 4 bay mnra-n tranHacston that st
vast aud successful future speculation. a fow
days after, Abner Dean of Angels received
1ettor from him stating that ho waB going to
Viaaia to buy horacs. y ! nm satieticl," wroto
pllnkott; with TINT oloyated rhoto1ie for which
his correspondence WaB remarkable, ~ aIn
kattsf'ed that no ure nj Inst developing tho roal
resources Of CAlifornin. lilo world will vet louk
10 Dow's. Flat as tho great stock-raising
:entre. In view Of tho interests in
month";" It was two before he again roturn-
nj to uR, pai.nilesB. Six months lator lie waB
leain enabled to aart for tllo Eastern Statcs.
Ind this timo got as fur aa San Francisco. I
havo before mo q letter which l received rew
Days after lis arrival from which give ur ox-
raes: "You know. my dear boy, that havo
lways believed that gambling. .ns it is absurdly
,allol, ia still in its infancy in California. I
aayo always maintained that perfect system
might bo invented By which tho game Of poker
may 30 mado to Yield certain percentage to tho
Intelligent player. am not ut liberty at prea-
ent to disclose the system, hut hcforo leaving
this city intend to petfoct it." Ho seems to
havc dono 80, md returned to Monte Flat with
two dollnrs md thirky-sovon cents, tic absolute
remainder Of his capital aftor auch perfection.
It WAS not till 1868 tin. he appeared to
HAVE FINALLY SUCCEEDED
In Roing home. 1Io left us by tho overland
route-a routo which ho deelared would give
great opportunity for the discovery of undo
relopoa resources. His laRt lattor was dated
Virginia City. 1Io waa abaent three yours. At
alglltcd from tho Wlngdam stago with hair and
beard powdered with dust and aye. Thoro WAS
q certain shyncas about his grootng, quite dif-
ferent from his usual frank volubility that did
not, howoyor, tmprosB us M any accession OF
character. For Homo days ho waR reserved re-
Earding lis recent visit, contenting himself with
asserting, with moro or less aggressivencsa,
TINT he Ind IT,, always 3 s said a he , wqs going
freely and critically Of tho manners
md customs OF Now York and Boston, COM
,nented on the social changes in tho years Of lis
,y]lat Lc deemed tic fpilios incidental to a lipl,
state Of civilization. Still lator he darkly a.
iudcd to tho moral laxity OF tho higher planes
OF Eastosn society," but it was not long before ho
co1nplctcly toro away tue veil and revealed tho
naked wIckcdnegs of Now York social lfo III q
,vav I even now shuldcr to recall Vinous in
toxication, 1t appeared, was q common habit Of
tho first ladies' Of tho city; immo.alltics which
the refined Of both hexcs nigyarellinesB md
greed woro the common vices OF tho ricl,
II hayo always asserted" ho continued s'that
corruption must exist where luxury and
riches are ran1<ant, and cnpital IS not used to
develop the natural RESOURCES OF the country.
Thank YOU
WILL rAKE MINE WITHOUT SUGAR."
It iB possible that somo Of these painful de-