Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1874-04-02

| Finding that things had taken an
| unexpected turn, l Immediately tool
advantage of the new situation. ThorI
stood sponsor for me, and his emphatic
assurance of my unprcacherlike charac
ter aud proper disregard Of the value Of
money put the Bar in good humor; SC
I explained my business, and hoped te
deserve well of the boys. And | won
the friendship of these people. not by
pandering to their tastes or falling into
their practices, but by minding my own
business. While abstaining from
rubbing agains. their prejudices, and
scrupulously avoiding all little
interference with their pleasures, l
! sympathized with them in all their
troubles, and they respected me. The
Bar, by day, did not seem to be very
bad or boisterous place; in working
hours it INDUCED in kind of feverish
rest. But it was by night that it shown
in the full glory of its appropriate
name. Then it was that the vampires
that sucked the blood Of honest labor
came forth. Shortcard men, poker
sharps, monte dealers, faro dealers and
others Of the fraternity sneaked out to
pray on the earnings Of the day, and
the Bar ran riot. 1t was then that the
great strong fellows, who were wear
ing out their lives in a daily conflict
with nature = tearing open the noun
tains and wrestling with the streams,
that others might wear the gold they
won, would gather round the gambling
tables to ''try their luck and this
thing called 'luck" in the early days
was strange thing. Existing on the
superstition that is found in the com
position Of every man, in greater or
less degree, it was phantom that
haunted all classes and entered into all
human calculations. Luck shamed
reason and set at naught all mathemati
cal certainties, and forgetting that a
mans luck was much of his own max :
ing, it was followed with persistent
faulty that led the feet Of too many
into bad and dangerous places It was
the scapegoat for all sins ana short
conlngs. 1t was the rock upon which
were built the golden castles of the
hopeful future; the shifting sand that
carried away with it the unfruitf1l and
dis lstrous past. the harvest who's.
sheaves of promise often yielded only
! bitterness and disappointment In
these tits with fortune the Bar drank
deep. 1t was dry by day, it was I'M
quenchable by night If luck was
with the boys they drank, and dallied
with it; if against them, they drank still
deeper and cursed it.
Altogether, the Bar was wild and
abandoned place but attraction with
these people taught me that there are
solvents for even crystallized wicked
ness, that there is no cloud 80 dark as
to be without siHgle streak of silver,
no nature SO rugged as to be impene-
trable Or beyond the reach of humaniz
ing influences.
had been domest icated in my new
home about month, when circum-
stance took place which seemed to
change entirely the whole routine Of
Hell Roaring. There was an arrival
one morning, and the Bar throbbed
with new sensation, quiet, unassum-
ing iady-a Mrs Hampton and her
little daughter, who sought rest and
health in the mountains. Mrs. Hamp-
ton was widow, but no one inquir
ed iuto her history. She was welcom-
ed as a new and strange element among
80 much wild, reckless life, that brought
back memories of mother, or sister, or
sweetheart far away, and the Bar was
pleased. The Bar christened the little
daughter s'Daisey," aud she was well
named. From this day a marked
change took place. Every one desired
to be well thought OF by the new
corners, dress became an object Of
solicitude, drunken yells rendiug the
quiet night were less frequent, spirits
Of vi, seemed to be quelled, and the
Bar was on its god behavior. an!
Little Daisy was everywhere as a
ministering angel. 1t there was sick
bed in the camp, Daisy was beside II
with the lutte luxuries that the hand of
| woman only knows how to prepare
TIA pour fellow was about to span out
his few last sands of life, Daisy was
there to wet the parched lips, to fill
she poor. neglected heart with hope
or to write the last message to loved
ones over and beyond the Plains
Quiet and unobtrusive, Daisy moved
about in her ministrations. AS sht
passed the saloon on her errands Of
mercy her brown hair neatly folded
over the pale forehead, her little bask
ct Of goodies on her arm, and !
word and smile for every one--oaths