Waterbury evening Democrat., 1890-03-12
markots of saoreuaento and tho soa-

tmarkots of sanremento and the sos- port
 SchoJl-houses had been built; churches
 and Sunday-schools organized; the
 streams bridged. roads over the foot
 hills made passa le for wheeled ye-
 hicles. and altogether the neighborhood
 had taken on the air and responsibilities
 of community that wished to be re-
 garded as respectable, law abiding and l conservative.
 When Jennie and Lucy Parsons re-
 turned to school again it was to San
 Francisco instead of Sacramento, and
 both father and mother went with them
 to see that they were safely settled.
 They were not feeling the stings of poverty now. and could afford little recreation. John had said, and they would attend the agricultural exhib- ition, display some of the'r own prod ucts, see the city. and mingle a little with the outside world; all in addition to getting the girls fixed in a good
 boarding place.
 Mrs. Parsons was not much inclined at first to make the trip. The journey across the plains, she said, was enough to last her her lifetime; besides, if she went, Johnny would have to 90, too, and there would be no one but Erastus remaining at home; but little persua sion from the other members of the family, and her natural desire to see how the girls were to be fixed, finally decided her to go, and arrangements were made accordingly.
 As there would be no one to cook for Erastus, Mir. and Mrs. Ritcl,ie asked h m to make his home win them for Tlprv.s :,t,
 Parsons were to be absent. but it was finally decided that ne should remain at the place and keep ''bacheior' halI' rather than leave the house alone.
 Mrs. Parsons ana the girls, therefore, baked an extra amounr of bread and pies, boiled quantity of beef to be eaten cold, and on Monday morning Erastus drove them all to the little town and saw them take the steamer for San Francisco.
 'It seems unfair to leave Erastns all alone" said Mrs. Parsons, as t ey passed ur the gang plank to the little steamer. ''He ought to have gone i'm stead Of me; there was really no need of my going. and he would have en- Joyed spending the week in the city, se.sing the sights and attend ng the lair with the girls, very much.'
 OA, "dIIs never mlQO nm CllS time,' returned her husband. "He was down and saw the far all alone last year, and it's your turn now, anyway; besides he can come down any time when l ain't too busy, and 1 wanted you to go. It'll do you good to get out little. You've worked hard all your life, wife; both of us hes. so fur es that's concerned, and now that we've got enough to be comfortable on, why, let's be comfortable; that s what i say"
 Asfor Erastus, there was strange kind of feeling hanging over him as he mount ed his seat in the spring wagon, in which they had all ridden down to the steamer, and turned his horses heads homeward. He had not expected to be lonesome when they were gone. On the contrary, he had anticipated having pretty good time of it. Not that he did not love those with whom he had always lived, for he did love them all dearly. and, for aught he knew, equally; and he expected to miss the girls. who were to be absent SO long, very greatly indeed. But just for the week during which they were all to be gone he should not get lonely he had thought There was something rather enticing in the feeling of abso- lute personal liberty; the thought that there was no ono. not even the members of his own family, to throw any restraint on his actions or to break in upon this for whole week. Besides, one or two of his particular friends among the young men of the neighborhood had promised to drop in and spend the night once or twice, and the cooking would be but just for a week. He had no doubt but he could do it about as well and as nicely as Aunt Martha or the girls And why notP Had he not seen it done every day. and three times day, ever since he could remember?
 ''It was 8 pity" he had told them when they had attempted to condole with him over the prospect of having to cook his own meals, ''It was pity if twenty-one years of observation couldn't enable man to cook decent meal of victuals," and they had said no more about it,
 But now, as he turned his horses heads away from the town and towards home, there suddenly came into his mind picture of the house and its sur- and this was followed by the queer kind of q feeling of which I have spoken, and which he did not ever remember to have experienced before. He could sec the cottage with the green blinds all closed as an intimation to any passer-by that the family was absent. His old dog, which had come with him all the weary way across the plains. and had met and welcomed him before he reached the gate on his return from short absences, ever since they settled in the valley. would not do so to-day, for he was with him in the wagon,
 The dog had become too old and stiff to take pleasure in following the wagon, as general thing, and preferred re- maining at home with the family when Erastus drove the fruit wagon to town, but when he saw preparations taking place for the trip to San Francisco he had prioked up his ears with evident interest, and when tn, entire family came out to get into the wagon. oll Bose was close at their heels, and nei- ther coaxing nor threats could induce