Santa Fe daily New Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1885-1897, 1895-08-15
THE NEW BARNARD.

1t was in Maoriland in the sixties-that
Is, in the days when the diggers dreamed
not of prohibition, and when one was
much moro certain than now to get in a
mining town dram of decent stuff inca
pable of blowing the cork out.
Plainly, there was something astir
Everybody had on his best. A new bar
maid had arrived (there is no hope for the
wretches who would rob the diggers of
that comfort) at Widow Browns pub In
twos, threes or SKIES the whole place drop
ped in four or five times an hour to have
"another gaze"
She was the sole topic of conversation.
"Ain't she clean9" said one. "That WIN
q slashing feed we had today" said an
other. "Best tucker ever struck added
third, with furtive glance from beneath
the rim of hat that seemed intended as
cover for his face.
BY tho end of the week the newcomer
was no longer stranger. Everybody
knew her. She was woman of over 80,
marvelously preserved. She had never
been married, though-well, she had been
queen of many gold rushes.
The man who has spent quarter Of
century in the Australian provinces has
seen ten civilizations, anyway. There Is
ground for belief that later civilizations
have degenerated.
The woman of today is not the cook of
the past. There is an air Of cindered chops
about the present hapless creature. Today
too many matrons want their daughters to
play 'the pianner." Too many mothers
wash the clothes and get the languid girls
to bring them in. Thus tho man passing
by the clothes line is deceived. Therefore
our civilization is comparable to a needle
which has been too finely sharpened and
too much reduced at the sides. This re-
duction has been visible throughout Aus
tralia for 20 years past.
Now, the consequences of this fatal re.
lapse Of woman are manifold and terrible.
The bad cook is only slow murderess.
But there was grit in our barmaid. She
was none of these. She could produce a
meal worthy of man, and digging breeds
men. She was tidy to q hair. She WIS
trim as snug vessel, and she was hand
some.
OF course the whole district became in
fatuated with her. Diggers go that way
They sit in the solitude Of their huts and
dream of the ideal in the guise of the
handiest flesh and blood substitute. In the
night it is their companion. In this way
do single miners love million times-it
is their polygamy. They love with dis
tant, worshipful love-"the desire of the
moth for the star"
They are pleased if she visits their claim
and watches the water flying from the
sluicing nozzle. They show her the rain
bow under the jet They bring her mug
gets. And if she speaks to them be it only
"Good dayv' they fancy that their affec-
ton Is making Roadway and rejoice in ev-
cry fiber of their being
Out of her admirers the charmer reduced
the cluster to two, and between these the
contest was terrible. They hung about the
place like unto dogs chained. She ran
against one or the other, or both each min
ute. She spoke to them singly or in a pair
40 odd times an hour. 1t was evident TIC
the boys that something was looming ur
ahead
The aspirants were named Louis and
Charles, both Frenchmen and over 40.
The worst of Frenchman is that France
hangs like plumb bob before his nose,
and everything has to be regarded across
vi
conceit-it was fury.
One night there was q rumor that
Charles had struck 'pile'' in his claim
People began to bet whether our idea
would be influenced by the find. 1t was
freely asserted that night would see it de
cided.
1 was hot and restless during the even
ing, and I went down to the sea beach
two miles distant. sat on a log an(
smoked and let the sweet hum Of the Pa
cifc eat it's way into my ears This con
tent Of rcveric surpasses the pleasure o
books, and is the nearest approach to tn
pleasure of gratified love which mind I'm
distorted can discover on this crude planet
Suddenly saw figure streaming on
toward the sea. 1t was Louis.
"Don't be foolp' l said, as locket
my arm in his and led him away. He hat
been rejected Additional confirmation
was granted when the pair were seel
walking out for stroll on the morrow.
They were married didn't see tn
wedding Ga most informal transaction), a
had all my work cut out to guard Louis
May never again take such contract!
Every wedding involves a question o
sentiment. One morning the husband
went to cut wood. He returned suddenl.
and took a silent peep into his apartments
Then he stole off on tiptoe for his gun
That is the other end of the sentiment
When he returned, the room was empty
the birds had fled.
And because he couldn't find anybod,
to shoot he pinned away and grew silly
When left tho abandoned one had mad
his claim over to stranger.
From that day tho story is blank. TIL
denouement is unknown. But whereve
she is swear the scenes in the cupboar'
will be capital. As said before, she was
good cook. Some have thought that cook
cry is a form of virtue. They erred. Vir
tue Is form Of cookery. Sydney Bulle
tin.