New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1875-01-17

- Clgnt over MS eyes. The stage rolled ava
:. and after little further delay Jep pickt
e up his carpetsack and took his way in Il
. direction pointed ont by the red dirt whic
the wheels Of the coach threw up in dust.
Is 1t was hot June morning. The sun ",
volcano in heaven; the earth beneat
seemed like a vast plain of lava as yet n,
half cooled. 1t was half past seven when /
started; at ten a man by the wayside tol
u him it was eight miles to Mokelumne Hill
hold one foot, which was chatting with th
heat, in a stream which dubbed across til
road; and here passer-by informed him
was eighteen miles to MokeluElne, an
"'bout twenty-one to Columbia" PassiD
grocery, he stopped and asked for qua
ter's worth of crackers. and when they wer
weighed he took four of them The alway
remembered the number). and, putin
down the. quarter, walked on. In the mor1
ing he had hummed softly little songs {
himself as he walked, but the songs ha
long been hushed, and he now trudge
! glimly on in silence. About P. M. b
stopped at little house and asked for
drink of water. There was solitary man il
the open door and a solitary dog on a chair
outside. The dog was Newfoundland, al,
though he barked turiously and surge,
fercely upon his chain. his looks belied him
tor his long face spoke in every Gneamen
! that he was dying for romp. So Jep walket
! up to him and stroked his shaggy head ant
1 expressed to him the belief that his appa
! rent bad humOr was all bluff; that b,
really would not hurt kitten, and the dog
I put his paws on Jep's shoulders and licked
his facee The owner apOlOgized for the dog
said he hoped he would be worth some
| thing some time, though he feared he wal
I too good-hearted to ever be of any account
1 He rendered the water, but, taking second
look at Jep. asked him If he would not pre-
I fer drink OF cool milk, and, without wait
ing for an answer, turned and went to his
milk house hard by and brought pint OF
I beverage He was half gardeper and hall
I dairyman. and lived all alone with his dog
l They were probably much alike Both
1 tried to look grum and sulle4 at strangers.
/ but they were both too good .natured to
make any attempt at being savage sue.
cess. Jep swallowed the milk without
taking his lips from the cup. and thanking
the man and shaking the paw Of the dog
About four O'clock he stopped once more
to Inquire the way. The man Of whom he
asked told him it was eleven miles by the
road to Columbia, but by taking . trail
which was plain he could save three miles
4 and . half This was a consideration, and
in answer to further inquiries he was told
! the trail led over hill IN sight, then over
[ another beyond, and there at the foot of
the second hill he would strike the main
road again where it crossed the Stanislaus.
1 lie took the trails but has never taken one
since where road could be followed. The
first hill was an Alps TO hts tired limbs-the
second d Himalaya He SAYS to this day
the chaparal and manzanita on that last
hill will be the last Things he will remember
on EARTH go horribly hot and dreary did
they seem to him
But the river was reached at last, and
for quarter the ferryman landed him on
the further bank. By this time he was
ereds indeed, and sharp pains began to
pierce his limbs like needles. Up that end.
less hill from the river he climbed, and 90
weary had he grown that he was obliged to
stop and TEST every fifty or sixty yards.
Near the summit he came to little cot.
tage. hall hid in clump Of trees beside the
road. Seeing woman ON the piazzi, he
entered the gate and approached her to ask
for cup OF waten He was lame. be. !
grimed with sweat and dust, and haggard
with fatigue The woman was young and |
pretty. and was probably some miners pet |
just imported from the East, for she was |
evidently frightened al the stranger'a an.
proach~vhich California girl would not !
haze beeuAand little nameless tricks about |
her dress made Jep believe she had made I
herself as pretty as possible. and was wait 1
ing . young husbands return. She was
dressed in simple white, with blue ribbon
around her neck and a sash or ribbon of
the same color round her waist, and had a !
little bunch OF bright fowers-pinks, Jep
thought--at her throat. Her eyes were
Drown and her hair likewise, save when
the sunlight turned it to gold. Jep tried to
ask tor water, but his tongue was so
parched he could only whisper. The look
OF tear changed to one of infinite pity at
Jep's request, and she fairly sprang to get
the water. Jep used to say that the flash
n " ifv-iv kou Co. l. |
partial to brown hair and Dyes ever since.
Again he took up his march: and now
he sun was almost set. and soon it was
zone and the night closed swiftly down,
Al last ne dlscerned lights and soon found \
himself in little town. Surprising his
quincy was over he asked for hotel, and ..
vas told there was none nearer than Co. |.
9moia. which was yet two miles away. ,,
'wo miles! Could he ever walk two miles |
lore! He continued his Journey. and az i.
=. M; found himself in the express office in :
1t was Saturday night, and the miners '
'ere thronging the Office to sell their dust. 1
! last ne made his way to the counter and. 4
lille waiting for his turn, SO fearfully did n
ls limbs pain him that he supported him. b
IF upon bis elbows on the counter to rest n
At length, in answer to the sharp b
Well, sir. what can do tor you!" ,Jen n
'ked for q letter. There was no letter for a
Up Smith: no package, no nothing. This B
as terrible. He had certainly expected a | r
tier with . remittance, and he had moth.
G. His fesol utiou was quickly taken. He
sned to civil looking miner beside him.
ID asked him if he would tell him where o,
g best hotel in town was. His idea was Re
20 straight to the landlord. tell him all nj
week or two until his remittancs 81
me. The miner said politely. Il will W
ow you. sir. good hotel" al
tie followed the miner around the corner. le
Il IN q few minutes was brought face 10 ! D
e with q woman who seemed to his tired | tv
es very Amazon. The miner said: "Mrs. il
Gra". this gentleman wants board and | wi
W u, room Tor . week. or perhaps ten de
vs.. Tho woman eyed Jep for a moment ku
[ors she answered. and in that moment flo
resolution was taken to say nothing OF III
depleted purse. for he knew It would lal
answer with her, and he was too weary ali
90 !urther. The woman spoke at last: We
esther. we has but one private room, and 1 th,
ZONES very high. Jep looked up frank it's
c!sar as ne answered: '.Madam, money ! rim
70 OBJECT In the world with me at present: wa
want is place by myself where I can he!
9uiet for few days" '.very well. Sir" thi
the womaa shortly. s.Haye yon had ! wo
pes1' Jep went to tho supner table fhe
nk cup OF tea, but could not eat one mi
nhtul. ne left the table, found bath. has
So anu an . path as hot as he could I Law
experienced instant relief for his ! will
Ing limbs He slept that night like . CHI
ionaio' que
ascending next morning to the bar room. eco
landlord the husband Of the Amazon. vol
on watch He was . short man, with low
y;gy eyebrows and fearfully broad pair I not
6ouiders. Jep refused the drink prof. thu
q him by this host, and sat down to Of