The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1878-07-25

time. l told the vile WOulu pension
off the old hulk and drag her into safe
harbor, and then she and me and the
babies, which there was two OF 'em,
would go off soundings and try blue wa
ter all alone. But the wife wouldn't.
I'm told that wimmin think they can al
lus get husbands, but they never can
have but one mother-so they sticks to
her. Blessed if 1 see what they wants
of any mother after they gifts man to
fill the bread locker, and buy 'em new
stu'n-sails. So 1 bought little house
with my savin's, and put 'em all in, and
when the gold news came, come out
here. | tell yer, if there's a cranky
mother-in-law on the quarterback the
ship won't keep her course. Every
thing goes sou-sou by north, as the dev-
il steered the windmill, and the cap
tain is like lee monkey on the back
stay. gave 'em every thing but my
fiddle and dog and come out here.
P'raps when I've made my pile III go
back again and veer around the folks.
There's little Maggie, my purity little
one, she never turned agin her father,
though the others did. And if l can
only see her, take her little hand and
walk out among the birds and flowers,
and hear her talk, think l can be hap
Ply again. And if she will only call me
Father once, l want nothing more"
And the old man brushed away tear
with his sleeve.
This was Five's story, sad enough to
him, and when the fellows were disposed
to jeer him for his oddities, and l told
them that his heart was almost broken
by troubles at home, an unconscious
sympathy was felt for him forever after.
The mines did not tempt me to remain
long there. The road to fortune was
rugged and steep, and it was not long
after that babe adieu to California and
returned to civilization, to tell to won
dering auditors the stories of the distant
land. Five was the last to say good
bye, and even Bruce came and licked my
hand
Twenty years, a lifetime to many, a
weary waste so some. Where once
few scattered houses stood find to-day
thriving city, a wealthy people. For
ests of shipping line the wharves, and
white sails tiutter over the bay where
once the occasional steamer plowed
her bustling way. The broad acres
where VaQueros once drove their herd,
and called it waste land, the hard-fsted
sons of toll have dotted with thriving
farms, and the railroads join their forces
as leverage in aid of progress. The
Colonel and l had been ranging up and
down the South Joaquin valley, spying
out the lands, and worn with struggling
through quicksands and sloughs, had
sought shelter gladly from the pelting
rain that set in at nightfall. A wonder
full valley-this San Joaquin. Three
hundred level miles by seventy-five, be-
tween two mountain ranges, and along
the western side the swirling river
winds, while down from the bold Sierra
come ice-cold streams to join the tide.
Myriads of browsing sheep and cattle
trim down the luxuriant grass, and miles
and miles of fields are budding into a
promising harvest time. The cabin
stood near one of the toci of this natur-
al eclipse, where four shepherds dwelt,
whose sheep and lambs were now en-
sconced within the corral which lily
protected them from the rain. Three of
the men were inside the hut coaxing an
obstinate fire into blaze, the fourth sat
alone near the door, the bright coal in
his pipe shining like a fiery eye. The
Colonel was soon engaged IN a series of
yarns, in which I had no particular in
terest, and so l left them and stood in
the doorway.
CLOCKS as if it was going to clear
up, sir.''
6 Eff you amt got no regard for truth,
that's 80. Young teller, I kinder
thought you said that for want of suth-
in to say. Look at that thar pilin' o.
clouds; don't they look wetp'' I was
obliged to confess that they did. "Well,
did so because l wanted it to dry up,
to let us 60 on.''
"That's more like it, p'haps."
"You must have a lonely life here"
"Well, it amt excitin', but folks can
be as lonely in great city as anywhere
here on the plains. AFTER man has
been through with them things he gets
to be contented anywhere. l puts it
down that Twin is cities is unnatural
and bad. A mans got to have hisself
for company three-quarters of the time,
and he's got to take good care of it,
and got to play lone hand any way,
and don't get no chums in his six-by-
two."
"Still, think the pleasure of living
is in having good friends
$50 / thought when was young and
foolish. Experience is every thing,
young Teller, likewise is eddication,
which don't mean book-learnin', but
acts which is knocked into yer by hard
pumps. 1t makes me laugh to read
hem books which is printed at the col
eges, which says as how we are ad-
yanced in eddication Wbv douyp l.,