The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1878-04-19

CHAPTER xii.
The tourist who visits san Francisco
at the present time, with the glare aud
glitter OF its million illuminations
greeting him by night, and its countless
attractions of architecture, trade and
elegance displayed by day on every
hand, can form but very faint idea Of
the old Mission that first greeted my
eyes, when, after rounding the promon-
tory and entering the Golden Gate in
the never-to-be-forgotten autumn Of '49,
we beheld a forbidding succession Of
biIlowy sand hills, covered here and
there in the distance with groves Of live
oak, aud occasionally frowniug above
the waters edge in wind-worn, castle
ated bluffs, against whose precipitous
sides the wild waves beat mournful
rerHle, with never fog whistle by day
nor a revolving light by night to guard
the adventurous mariner from the dan
gers that would even yet beset his way
but for these modern innovations upon
the oceans erewhile unbroken solitudes.
The discovery of gold in California
bad but then become Of worldwide in
terest, and the influx Of immigrants
from all parts Of the world began but
few days after our arrival
The commodities and comforts Of
modern civilization were almost wholly
unobtainable, and the few articles Of
necessity which immigrants were able
TO purchase commanded fabulous prices.
For several days my husband wan
dered about, looking in vain for employ
meut. Like every body else who beheld
the nuggets Of virgin ore brought in
daily by the miners upon whom the
tickle god of Fortune smiled, he became
badly smitten with the gold fever; and
confess that I was just about as eager
for the vicissitudeso Of a miners life as he.
Thanks TO my good constitution,
elastic spirits, and the invigoraung in
hueuce of the Calif5ruia climate, my
health was again excellent. I was
even stronger than when, i'm my child
hood days, I had made hay in sight OF
Bothwick woods or digged peat in the
edge Of the bog overlooked by Bothwick
turrets.
To few days our last dollar was gone,
and my husband, realizing the hopeless
ness Of the situation, gave way to in
toxication, and felt himself justified.
What would have become Of our chill
dren If had done likewise? And yet
women are called the weaker vessel.
All, me!
There's many an anomaly in this
world, aud womau's imaginary depend
ence and iucapability are not the least
Of them.
For several days my husband lounged
about our boarding-house, incapable,
owing TO his frequent potations, Of doing
anything, or even Of talking intelligibly.
The hotel, so-called, where we had
taken lodgings, was canvas tent, or,
rather, a succession of tents, with the
most primitive possible accommoda-
tious, aud help Of every class was as
scarce as boarders and lodgers were
plenty.
Our landlord was a busy, forid, and
fussy German, with just enough Of
knowledge of English language and
American manners TO count currency
by gold dust standards, calculate his
profits, aud make his charges according
TO the quality Of his guests. As we were
without money, we were soon without
hotel accommodations Of any sort, and,
slight as our protection from the winds
of the bay had been i'm the tent, we
found, when adrift in the open street,
that a canvas covering was better for
our needs than nothing.
7 think my husband realized some
thing Of my distress when, with our
little all slowed away in a couple Of
trunks, we sat down together upon a
hillock Of sand, the wind blowing a
gale, and driving the fine, fliuty gravel
into our faces, while poor dishgured
baby Gerald cried wildly with hunger
and pain.
"I can't see you and the kids suffer,
little woman; and it's out Of my power
to aid you while I stay here. Guess Tll
90 gold hunting" said my husband
desperately.
"And will you take 1is ~ I answered
my heart fairly in my throat.
care you an idiot, little wife ?"
The look Of scorn he gave me wa,
even more cutting than the question.
I hung my head in confusion, an,
really felt guilty Of having said some
thing exceedingly foolish.
"If l 90 to the diggings afoOt anC
empty handed, it will be as much as
can do to get along aloner he added
doggedly.
7 began to weep silently.
"Noue Of that" be exclaimed, an
grily. "If ] was only alone in th'
world I'd have no trouble to get liv
ing. You know well enough that wa
comfortably situated when I Marie,
you. was in favor with Her Majesty
and was a visitor at the homes of lord
and dukes"