Year: 1875

previous, the long absent but newly
returned Californian had sucumbed
to the charms of young widow,
who felt that time must be taken by
the forelock with susceptible wealthy
bachelors, and had managed to hur-
ry on the nuptials, so that when
Hetty met the Blandfords, the sigh
ing days of bachelor bliss were. over,
and Hetty was doomed with the rest
OF Mrs. Blandford's friends to look
with envy upon the fortunate captCr
of such possessions. Nevertheless,
Hetty felt sure that Mrs. Blandford
might have taken different view of
things, had little longer time been
given to the unfortunate bachelor,
for Mrs. Blandford, if report said
true, was not the most amiable wo-
man in the world, and Hetty knew
her own personal charms were
greater, so feeling almost that Mrs.
Blandtord had really cheated her
out of something, she herself might
possibly have become possessed OF,
had she been little earlier in max
ing the acquaintance of Mr.. Bland
ford, she gave one sigh to the past
and then looked forward to the fu-
ture use, to which these people
might be, in helping her on to Cali
fornia, perhaps protecting her when
she was there, and possibly giving
her some help in securing posi-
ton, which might in the end crown
her ambitious hopes with success.


1t was still Winter in N. Ii. when
she left her fathers house. There
was no road to be seen, for the long
line of white waste was only visible
till the snow plough spread the way
for her path to the railroad station,
and the trees the night before had
loaded with new accession OF
snowy wealth from the arctic regions,
seemed mocking the hopes OF those
longing for Spring, and gave now
and then crealling groan beneath
the weight of their burden as il anx-
ions to be rid of the shostly covering
to bring into the world more comely
treasures. Hetty felt the keen blast
of the morning air inspirit heras she
stepped over the threshold and gave
one look at the stone walls, which
seemed to bound in the domain TO
which she had heretofore belonged;
and feeling that partings were too
sad not to be shortened, she hastily
seated herself by her father on the
stout OK sled, which was to take
them to the depot: gave but one
look to the old red farm house which
history, and was off to California.


BY Mr.. Blandford's directions the
whole of her wardrobe was packed
in long india-rubbcr sacks, which
the mules upon the isthmus could
carry better he said than any other
luggage, and feeling herself of more
and more consequence as people
passed her on her way to the station,
looked at her wonderingly, and at
her bags with great curiosity, she
began to think herself already a
heroine, and to consider whether she
might not yet live to become fam
Gus as traveller. A few natural
tears were shed at parting, with her
father, who would not trust himself
so far with her on her journey as
the city in the midst of mid Winter,
and feeling alone, and lonely for the
first time, she seen him depart.


There was no one to ask her or care
for where she was going, when she
reached New York. But the Bland
fords were to meet her at the Astor
House, and to that place her thoughts
were tending. 1t was raining in the
city, dismally raining. "The beauti-
full snow," of which the poet writes so
touchingly, was becoming muck and
mirc All its glory had departed,
and like the thing despiscd it really
was, it was fading from earth.


Nevertheless, Hetty grew more
cheerful as the Astor House was
reached, and Mrs. Blandford assured
her welcome friend she was only too
happy to feel she was now in the
Blandford possession entirely but
Hetty was tired, and even Mr.. Bland
ford, after little while, lost all pow
er to interest her with his wonderful
tales of life in California, his magnif-
cent ranchos, and of all the wealth of
which he was possessed. 1t is
sad, but true, that nature wearies
even with brilliancy, and so with
Hetty's dreams Notwithstanding the
preparatory illusions of life in Cali
fornia, was mingled terrors Of ocean,
dread of the isthmus, and all sorts of
horrors which an indigestible hotel
dinner, was likely to conjure. New
ertheless, reality was in her pathway,
wouldit be better or worse for herl