Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/286



"Nothing, sir." "Will you  please  look  again  says the  disappointed  applicant  "I  came  round  Cape Horn ; they  were  to  send  me  letters  after  I  had  been out a  month  and  it  is  now  six  months  since  I  have heard a  word."  "I  told  you,  sir,  there  is  nothing here for  you ;  the  next."  This  time  a  letter  is  forth- coming. Stepping  aside,  with  trembling  hand  the recipient  tears  it  open  and  begins  to  read.  Mark  the pallor  that  shortly  overspreads  the  countenance,  the stiffening  of  the  muscles  of  the  face,  the  compression of  the  livid  lip,  the  wave  of  agony  that  mantles  the features.  In  a  moment  the  blood  which  from  every part  with  one  accord  rushed  to  the  heart  to  break  it, returns,  but  you  can  see  as  the  man  moves  off  that he  is  stricken  as  with  a  knife-stab,  without  the  mut- tered "  Oh  God,  she  is  dead  !"  The  next  in  line  may be  as  frantic  in  his  joy  as  the  other  was  desolate  in his  sorrow.  All  unconscious  of  his  surroundings,  he laughs  aloud,  kisses  the  precious  missive,  and  skips and  dances  like  a  delighted  school  girl.

There stands  one,  a  man  of  middle  age,  noble  look- ing and apparently  of  decided  character,  intently perusing some  closely  written  pages. He was  and yet is  honored  by  his  friends  at  the  east,  w^ho  say  if one  only  escape  with  honor  it  is  he. Of the  church he was  a  trusted  member,  in  his  family  an  adored husband and  father. So great  was  his  own  inward sense of  strength  and  right  intention  that  he  scorned the idea  of  demeanino-  himself,  and  gjave  it  scarcelv  a thought. But like  every  member  of  the  race,  he knew  nothino-  of  himself  until  he  was  tried. Cali- fornia opened  his  eyes,  as  thousands  of  others  have been opened,  and  showed  him  a  nature  wholly  differ- ent from what  he  supposed  himself  possessed  of. Instead of  high  religious  sentiments  and  moral  purity hitherto enjoyed,  he  finds  himself  in  the  society  of harlots,  a  gambler,  an  unbeliever. Yet as  he  reads that letter,  written  by  a  tender  loving  wife  whose faith and  trust  iu  him  the  whole  world  shall  uot  shake.