The weekly Thibodaux sentinel and journal of the 8th Senatorial District. [volume] (Thibodaux, Lna. [i.e. La.]) 1875-1898, 1885-08-01
q | The Returning GOli-Hunttr.

ee the crowd at the Lake Shsre De-
vas big fellow wearing fur over
at and o broadbrimmeu lht. He
alked mp and down the great platform
it'll his hands in his pockets, smoking
nd singing, apparently in the best of
a.umor. One of those ln4ulsltlve men
always to ae found near a railway train,
Hho had been watching him 1or some
time, finally ventured to address him.
"From the West?"
The in lividual in fur re1npved his
cigar and replied: "You bet
aGoing East2"
"You bet"
R The inquisitive man became inter-
sested. He was going East too. It
vas eleven years since he had been east
~ Lake Michigan, and he was going
Down to see the old folks ii Pennsyl-
= yania.
"That amt marker to mf, said the
HTesterner, with great vehemence. II
went West III 10, and this3is my first
appearance this side of tie Eecl1y Noun
Il tains since. I live when I'm to home
il Maine, and that's where I'm going
snow. When left there / was boy of
% or thereabouts Do you think they
will know me now?" and he sroLed his
gray beard thoughtfully.
4Ihey will if you've got riah in the
meantime" said the inquisiive man,
making an effort to appear asif he did
not care whether the question implied
by his remark was answered OF not. He
was equally surprised when his COM
panion responded:
"That's Just it, stranger. I've been
on the coast these thirty years. Je-
rusalem! but think of it-a lifetime
almost I've had more'n thousand
Il prospects that were considered i'm
mense. I've been chasing something,
nothing, all these years. Sleeping or
|. waking I've seen the glitter Of gold.
Did You ever get that way? No, of
course you didn't. I have seen gold
everywhere, and yet could not find it.
The mountains with their snowy peaks,
the glistening ice. the sparkling frost
have all filled me with wonder, avarice,
greed. Everything that shone has
tempted me. My eyes have been
strained so long, my whole being has
been so absorbed III this cursed search,
that it tires me to look anywhere or at
anything. I like to smoke, and close
my eyes and think. A wasted life is
not pleasant for reflection. The hard
ships that / have endured, the things
that might have been, haunt me and
disgust me with myself"
"9elatives e.own East?" inquired the
4 by his side, who was getting in
y lested.
aYes, sir, my mother; and that'e
what's taking me over the divide,
stranger. A curious thing about that;
mighty curious. For thirty-five years
j hardly gave the old lady though
She wrote frequently, and / wrote
when had time, but not like I ought
to have done. was absorbed in gold
hunting, when one day received q let
ter from her containing herphotogr4ph.
She's more'n Is years old. 1t struck
me like an avalanche. Poor old moth
err says I. and as I looked up | saw
myself, wrinkled and gray. in 8 glass,
8 and observed, Poor fool boy Well,
sir, from that moment I lost interest in
gold, quartz, and placers. When |
looked at the snowy peaks, i saw my
mother. dreamed of her at night.
Her eyes were always before me, swim
ming in tears as they were the day we
parted. Finally I gave up, converted
what little property I had into dust,
and determined to go home. / don't
care who knows. Here's q 49er whu
has been lured from the gold county,
by mothers tears It will pay iaa
richer dividends than the things / hav
been chasing so long"