The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1875-07-23
A SIERRA WEDDING.
BY JOAQUIN MILLER.

t0getner as II he had an ague whe
he told the Judge. In fact, he stoo
around the Howling Wilderness NOR
than half day; but he could not, o
: at least would not, drink, though b
. did very many foolish things, anC
seemed Ill at ease and troubled in
/. way that was new to him.
At last he got the Judge cornered
He took him BY the collar with botl
hands, he backed him up in corner
and as he did SO his teeth chattereC
and ground together as if he stood
half naked on the everlasting snow
that surrounded him. Hepushed hi.
face down into the red apple-likt
face Of the magistrate, and began a.
liz be were about to reveal the mos
terrible crime in the annals of tn.
world. All the time be was holding
on to the Judge with both hands as
if he feared he might not listen to his
proposal, but tear away and attempt
to escape. "Good; goodp
The Judge drew a long breath. He
swelled out almost instantly to nearly
twice his usual importance. You
could have seen him grow. It was
now the Judges turn to lay hold Of
Sandy. For now, as the great, strong
man had accomplished his task, told
his secret, and done oil that was nee
essary to do, he wanted to get away,
to go home, to- go anywhere to collect
his thoughts and forest. The Judge
held him there, told him the great
advantages that would come Of it,
the high responsibility that he was
about to put his shoulders to, and
tllked to him, in fact, till he grew
white and stiff as a sign-post. Yet
all that Sandy could remember, for
almost all he said, was something
about the GLORIOUS climate of Cali
fornlaw
Never rode a King. into his capital
with such majesty as did the Judge
that day enter the Forks. He was
swelling, bursting With The import
ance Of his secret. But now he had
Sandy's permission to tell the boys,
and he went to the Howling Wilder
ness for that purpose. His face
glowed'like fire ashe stood there rub
biDg his hands above the great,
mounting blaze, and .bowihg right
and left in apatronizing sort Of way
to the miners who had sauntered into
the saloon. .
At last the little, red-faced man
turned. his back to the fife, stuck his
two hands back behind his coat-tails,
which he kept lifting up and down
and tanning carelessly, as' If in deep
thought; stood almost on tiptoe,
stuck out his round little belly, and
seemed almost to burst with bis Sc
cret.
ooh, this wonderful Californy eli
mate T. He puffed little as he said
this, and famed his coat-tail little
bit higher, jerked out his belly lit
tie bit further, and stood there as if
he expected some one to speak. But,
as the miners seemed to.think they
had heard something like this before,
or at least that the remark was not
wholly new, none Of them felt called
upon to respond.
'sWell"- the httle man tilted upon
his toes ns be said this, and took in a
long breath-"hit comes off about
the first snowfall"
He had said these words one at a
time, and by inches, as it were
slowly, deliberately, as if he knew
perfectly we'll that he had something
to say and men were bound to listen.
This time they all looked up, and
a half of them spoke And OIL
didn't he torture theml Not that he
pretended to keep his secret Of half
a day-not at ALL On the contrary
he hept talking on, and tiptoeing, and
tanning his coat-tails, and pushing
out his belly, and putting out his
cheeks, just as carelessly and indiffer-
ent as # all the world knew what he
was going to say, and was perfectly
familiar with the subject. Yes,
gentlemen" pulled the little man,
"on or about the first snowfall, the
widow, as widow, ceases TO exist.
That lovely flower, my friends, is to
be transplanted from its present bed
o--tO-into-the-wonderful climate
OF CalifornyE
The Howling Wilderness was as 81
lent as the catacombs Of home ior
nearlya a minute. The hrst thing that
was heard was something like a red
hot cannon-shot. The cinnamon
headed man behind the bar lodged
down behind his barrlcade OF sand
bags till only his bristiing red-hslr
aad six-shooter we're visible. The de-
canters tilted together as II there had
been an earthquake.
II was only Missonrian swearing.
Somebody back IN the corner SAID.
"JerusalamF-s 1T IN loin. ana
pieces; and then came forward ana
kicked the tire, and stood up py the
10 ~ Nanmu q