Arizona republican., 1897-12-12

and there a cricket chirped its ves- per hymn and in the old trees beyond the road roasting fowl, at intervals, croaked contentedly. It was time when hearts may beat in harmony and souls in wordless measures make music to each other. Ait such an hour Peace spreads her gentle wings and all the turmoils of the world run to her shielding breast and sink to sleep. Softly the man put out his hand and touched his companion on the arm. The touch was light, but it was enough. What is it?" came the gentle query in response. The man moved his chair a little closer. "Jim,' he said, "can you give ne chaw of terbacker?" And the other man, in thei soft, sweet hush of the evening time, went down into his pocket for the plug.
 For years he had worked, from early hour in the morning until dark hotur of eve, cOntented, happy and al ways smiling. No matter how weary from the labors of the day, the men in his camp expected from him in the evening, smiles, jokes and good ma ture. He had recorded no failures in these particulars until now. For seven days and sevan nights no smile had creased his features, no joke had passed his lips. It was evident that his thoughts were foreign to his surroundings. His eyes had ia far off look and ha was so apparently ill at ease that the men were troubled about him. His plans for the work, and his orders as to the disposition of labor were as plain and evan as heretofore but his heart was not in it all. Night after night, rolling = easily in his blankets, he studied the stars and puzzled his brain over the problem What is slsewhere?"
 Boys, I am going down to San Fran today No tellin' when I may git back. Jest work along in the same old way, doin' what ye kin to keep things runnin' smooth till I git ! back Got business in San Fran. Fac is I'm goin' to water" And so tlhis child of nature, who had never seen a body of water larger than a mountain stream, who had spent the 1 years of his life contentedly in the hills, banning, rocking, digging and 1 delving for gold, had been struck broadside with the desire to go to sea. To see if waves were. as high and as grand as English" (the latest | conner ito his camp) had "foretold they was''
 The coast steamer surprised him.
 Her fittings and machinery were a revelation, and when she moved out into the bay his heart bounded and | pounded in unison with the noise of the screw. Am unusual storm arose that caused the captain to quickly decide upon "a seaward course. For | three days the fury of the storm
 ragged and all this time oceanward
 sailed the vessel. And Dan was sick l so sick. He sought the captain and beg
 ged, pleaded and tried his best to buy
 the haird-hearted wretch to set him 1 ashore for Gods sake,'' but the cap- 1 tain was Obdurate. At last it was
 safe to turn for the land and when
 the noble vessel touched the wharf
 there came ashore a pale, emaciated 1 trembling, weak, sick frame of man
 held up on either side by Stalwart
 smiling deck hand. It was Dan. As
 his feet crunched the sand on the
 wharf, he lifted his fishy looking eyes to the mountains in front, turned his head and looked at the ocean, then
 casting aside his sailor friends he
 fell on his knees, pressed his lips to
 the earth and, kissing it repeatedly
 he feebly but ferwently shouted:
 "Oh, Lord God! You hey blessed
 the land. And it was wurth youl blessin'. No one who knows uv |
 could have expected you to bless tha
 water. Overland, underland, rock! dirt and mud, Lord God, hey blessed you, and -and-by God, I bless you
 too, and damn all waiter, I say Amen
 Dan returned ito the hills and tx his work. His fever never recumed Today he is one of the richest men o the coast; lives in Arizona, and ha mot seen ocean or vessel since tn
 day he blessed the land.