The Placer herald., 1874-08-01
LITTLE BESSIE.
BY BUNBFRY COBB, ESQ.

Mind, don't mean to say, in thus bring
ing myself to your attention uninvited, that
San Francisco is without charity, for it is
world to bring such grave accusation upon
my own home. There is no city in tht
world that is more entitled to stand pre-
eminent in the rank of having a charity
loving population, and none, perhaps, where
/, poor mai, 81 ffers less than in our self-samt
Frisco; but strange incident happened Il
me that has always lived in my memory
and have often marveled much that it wal
reserved for me TO witness such case o
honey flow so freely.
There is no need of my asking you if you
have eve. experienced one of those cold
drizzling rains we have here, for am SURE
YOU could not avoid t-one of those where
The unwelcome liquid comes by the barrel
or hogshead for days ard days together,
and makes you curse the weather clerk
roundly every morning, noon and nj h and
II nature and humanity is so dreary and
muddy and wet; and you wish you were -
snail that you might draw yourself within
yourself and avoid the damp that pierces
your soul 1t was at one of those ebulli-
lions, at the close of the fourth day, that
was listening five years ago last January
4nugly ensconced in my cosy office beside y
ruddy blaze that came from a CRATE filled
with Beingham Bay anthracite, smoking {"
good cigar and musing on the probabilities
of a hereafter, and wondering what man
WAS created for besides making himself and
fellow men miserable, when ! began to be
disagreeably conscious that had to 90 ou'
md face the blast. The rain beat furiousl,
against the closely curtained windows, as it
inviting me out for combat; and OCCASION
lily ne old Boreas, with spasmodic effort
stronger than usual, would make low, pro
longed howl through the chnks and crevicrs
Of the windows. | could not repress an in
voluntary shiver and hitch of my cha
nearer the fire
1t was IL O'Clock by the Office time-keeper
when began to feel drowsy, and singularI,
enough began to be singularly conscious OF
a presepce IN the room. 10 this day cant
think how it commence |, but am sure now
and was then, that there was something su-
lis IL. a i"u"tSs oN"
consequently not believer in any particu-
lar "iam," and above all things, I never
-ympath'zed with any po-cailed power Of de.
parted humans But turn which way ]
might, could feel a presence around me-
that night, and know there was no one in
The room but myself.
oon began to nod and doze, and have
a dim. shadowy recollection of thinking ]
was Under some influence, but it was as i'm
possible to resist it as to dam the Sacra-
mento, and slowly and gradually dropped
IF to sleep. knew my eyes were open
md looking directly at the burning, crack
ling Goals in the CRATE before me, and ]
could zee burning castle, and anon drag
on with many heads and blazing tongues Of
fire; but gradually the fire burned low, and
out from the depths Of the burning u~ss the
head and shoulders Of the most beautiful
We man it was ever the lot Of mortal man to
conceive rlowly formed. The hair was long
and hung in an unobstructed mass over the
beautifuily-moulded shoulders, and by the
freight looked like molten gold. The eyes
were brown, and had beseeching, hungry
but not ferocious look. Her complexion