The Press., 1891-04-23

eager the Glances they cast up to the church choir, where sat the girls they were to marry on their return. How few returned How few married the girl of that periods choice. How little weighed the words of the minister year after ward in the hurry scurry of the San Francisco life of '49-50.
 What an innocent, unsophisticated, in- experienced lot were those forty odd young Argonauts who sat in those pews! Not one of them then could bake his own bread, turn 8 dapjack, re-seat his trousers or wash his shirt. Not one of them had dug even 8 posthole. All had vague sort of impression that California was nutshell of 8 country and that they would see each other there frequently ,and event ually all return home at or about the same time. How little they realized that one was to go to the northern and one to the southern mines and one to re- main in San Francisco, and the three never to meet againl What glittering gold mines existed in their brains even during the preaching of that sermon! Holes where the gold was put out by the shoveful, from which an occasional bowlder or pebble was picked out and flung away. ...
 The young Argonaut, church being dismissed, took his little stiff. shiny plug and went home to the last Sunday tea. And that Sunday night, on seeing her home from church for the last time, he was allowed to sit up with her almost as long as he pleased. The light glimmered long from the old homestead front parlor window. The cold north wind without roared among the leafess sycamores and crashed the branches together. It was sad, sad pleasure. The old sofa they sat upon would be sat upon by them no more for years. For years? Forever in many cases. Today, old and gray, gaunt and bent, somewhere in the gulches, up north" somewhere, hidden away in an obscure mining camp of the Tuolumne, Stanislaus or Mokelumne, up in Cariboo or down in Arizona, still he recollects that night as dream. And she? Oh, she dried her eyes and married the stay at-home five years after. A girl can't wait forever. And besides, bad reports after time reached home about him. He drank. He gambled. He found fair friends among the senoritas. And, worse than all. he made no fortune
 By spring most of the Argonauts had departed With them went the flower of the village Their absence made 8 big social gap. and that for many day. The girls they left behind tried for a time to live on hope, and afterward ''took up" and made the most of the younger generation of boys
 After many months came the first let ters from San Francisco, and then speci- mems of gold dust and gold pieces. The gold dust came in quills or in vials. mixed with black sand In the course of two years few of the
 boys" came struggling back. The first of these arrivals. remember, walked up our main street, wearing on his shoul- ders brilliant hued Mexican serape. It created a sensation. All the small boys of the village tagged on behind him." a sort of impromptu guard of honor. The serape was about all he did bring home He talked a great deal of gold and brought specimens, but not in sufficient quantity to pay all outstanding bills The next of the returned was long, gaunt, yellow case of Charges fever. He brought only gloom. Along in 1853 came few of the more fortunate who had made "raise." Two returned and paid up their creditors in full who had been by creditors given over. But few came to remain. They "staid around" home few weeks, turned up their noses at the small prices asked for drinks, cigars and stews, treated everybody, grew restless and were off again.
 Sometimes on visiting my native vil- lage I stand before one of those old fashioned houses, from whose front door thirty-four years ago there went forth for the last time the young Argonaut on his way to the ship. There is more than one such house in the village. The door is double, the knocker is still upon 1 it, the window panes are small, the front gate Is the same and up to the door the same stones lie upon the walk. But within all are strangers. tt.
 Thefather and mother are past anxious inquiry of their son. The sisters are married and live, or have died, elsewhere. A new generation is all about. They never heard of him. The great event of that period. the sailing of that ship for California, is sometimes recalled by a few-a few rapidly diminishing. His name is all but forgotten. Some have 8 dim remembrance of him. In his time he was an important young man in the village. He set the fashion in collars and the newest style of plugs. o fame, how deeting! What is generation2 A puff. A few old maids recollect him. What pity, what a shame that we do all fade as leaf!
 The recollections treated in this chapter are to me as a commencement and an ending of the shadows of 8 series of com ing events. PRENTICE MULFoRD.