The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1876-02-20


taste and judgment to Irze them at their just
valuation. As, with the indifference Of famili-
arity, they were thrown out and disreearded by
all sorts Of explorers. he gathered them up, pre-
pared them for the foreign market, like a mer-
chant who knew their worth, and expected from
them large ana honorable profits. lie especial
ly delights in showing some touching humorous
trait In an imbecile. a drunkard, a gambler or
fallen woman. when in a pathetic mood he
takes them up, breaks the hard crust Of dcgra-
datiOn with which they are covered and In
measure concealed, washes away the nltb,
sometimes with tears, and at the last moment
reveals human soul redeemed and lighted by
some divine attribute:
"Do You think" said Mrs Trethcrick with an en-.
barrassed voice and prOdigous blush, looking down.
S np se y e hsI Guns n s . w 'Su yo H
"knd let me tail you ammo?" quericd Garry, look
And let you call me mamm,l :" assented Mrs. Ireth.
erick with an embarrassed laugh
Tey en,s ss15 Sbs yyctner csrrvs ,o ip
stantly caught sight Of the trunk. ..-,,.,..
are you DOWN away adam, MAMMA ~ she SAID win
Noe" said Mrs Trctherick looking out Of the win
only playing your DOWN away" suggested Garry
Mrs. ireiherick asserted. Garry few into the mex,
rum rSa %g syss Jack &c!
many question or Two csareins hcn " pro1sht out
some further replies from the child and before many
Of AL her earlier history But 70 do thls Mrs Irethci
9ss SSSs e Gos p'H s sy aP
long 'lme alter Mr. retherck mad apparently ceased
In thought she SLOWED tue child to rattle on unhecded
"Yon acna kod roe lint mamma ssid Carry at
ai ai.er one or Eo uneasy shiiings q position
with ahaifeinuscd, hifeinbarrasse "a laugh.
one arm around Mrs. freee meek eek, md her cSces
rvs.as on ner u9somi Oh, wny-dcie AltYr iittle
shs close her eyes and Went 10 Sleep '"' ''''
daring 10 yrcH6e ia thaI sriScsi altitude. Ana tSen,
ShstneI from some occult sympathy n the touca, %
her she BEGAN by rcmemoerlng an old pam that sne
away ali thes M ~ w. yrc,cd rs , o c p u
Gttfus-days Of an oyershadowing fear-days " pre-.
, ,,es greycnted,, win mortal agony and fear sne
say ND been ana %ondefed il was six yesrs ago. 4
It hed lived It would have been as old Garry fhe
child began to irenble and tighten thelr clasp And
SOB half ,s Sic hrew her S oa, aI and drew me
body Of the sleeping child down. down, nto her breast
s hs Sna be 'S wpEe e Ss' mat shTo
| her passed. an then-ah. me D.! the rain.
Mrs Tretherck Is one Of the most respectable
personagcs OF her sex to be met with In Mir.
Harte's works. Mrs. Decker Is an unfaithfuI
wife and a detestable woman; so is Mrs Brown:
so lie Mrs. skaggs; so is Jinny's mother. The
mother OF 1.-THE Luck OF Roaring Camp" the
mother OF Tom In the "Idyl Of Red Gulch." the
motherly MRgles, the Outcasts OF Poker Flat"
and others belong to class which cannot be
mentioned In polite society. MIR. John Oakhurst
and Jack Hamlin are gamblers. Col. Starbotte
is repusively vulgar pretender TO the character
OF chlvalrous gentleman; he is moreover,
druukard and a duellist. Old Man Plunkett is
sot so IA Johnson, one Of Mrs. skagss's hus
bands. The Fool OF Five Forks seems to he
little better than an imbecile, as does also The
Man OF Account"
When these subjects pass 10 review you are
tempted to ask whether what has been said Of
Sterne is true OF Mr. Harte: III he goes into dirty
places, It is because they are forbidden. and not
| frequented What he seeks there IL singularity
and scandal. The hllurement of this forbidden
fruit is not the fruit, but the prohibition for he
| bites 10y preference where the fruit Ia withered
or worm eaten" Seeing, however, that IN most
Of these personages he contrves TO uncover
some generous or noble quality that has escaped
destruction or degradation. you may be inclined
to answer your own query by the assertion
that uncommon humanity IN the author, a mag
nanimi,y unrestralned by conVentionalities and
not blinded by.prej udices, dictated his choice OF
characters. This, probably, is true to some ex-
tent but the stronger reason for the use ofsuch
subjects is, doubtless, the fact that their orig
inals, at any rate their suggestions, surrounded
| him on every side In California as II was when
| the seeds OF these tales were planted in his
mind. He did not create he chose from what
was ready to his hand that which appealed most
directly TO bis humor
Mr.. Hartes verses have the same general char
acter his prose. In metrica composition,
however his humor has not free play. His
fancy Is restrained by the laws OF versiacatiou :
he is hampered by rhythm and rhyme. The
use of slang, and the violation OF grammatical
| rttlaa hat ha arlts 81
appellation. dialect. The disregard Of all can
ons OF elegant composition, which the employ
ment OF SUCH dialect permits, gives wider and
| freer scope to the humorsts whims; and thus
| II happens that, so far as breadth of conception
and treatment, vigor and liveness con
cened, some Of his best metrical writings may
| be found In this class. Even were there
greater deficiency Of poetic qualities In tho
works OF this sort, the strangeness and the
boldness Of their style would, In large measure
prevent lis detection by the ordinary reader I:
Beautiful Sir, you may say SO. Thar isn't her match
l. . thar r. Gia gGa,hgsits my aaTlng ny beauty
Whoa say JscS, trOi her out; let the gentleman
| look at her PAGES.
Morgan She nothn' else, and I've got the papers
Sired BY cRippewa Chief, and twelve hundred dollars
Briggs Of ruolumne owned her. Did you know Briggs
Busted hissci 20 White Pine, and blew out hs brains
| down III FriscOP
Hedn't no sayey-hed Briggs. Thar, Jack thatI do
| quit that toOnn'l
Nothin' to What SIC Kin do. when she's got her WORK
| cut cut before her.
Hoses hOsses, you Know and likewise. too, jockeys
| Is JOckeyss
And Sin'l e,'ry man as ride knows what boss
| has got In hun.
Know the old ford on the Fork, that nearly got Flan
| gnns leaders,
Nasty N daylight, you bet and mighty rough ford In
| low water
Well, q ain't sN weeks ago that and Jedse ana
| his ncveY
Struck for tina, ford in the night in the ram and the
| water all round
Up to tanks In the Eulch, and Rattlesnake creek
| Just bnin',
Not plank Jeff In the dam an nary bridge on the
had The gray ara the Jedge had his roam and his
And after Us rundled the jest oosed from the
| top OF tue canon.
Lickity, lckiy. switch. to the ford. and Chi.
| qulta
Bucklcd right down to her work and afore could yen
| TO her rider,
Took jst at the ford and there was the ledge
| and me Standing,
And Twelve hundred dollars OF boss ncsh anoat and
| drftin 10 tAundeTl
Would ye bneye that night that hose that ar hlly