Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/308



ing the  tawny  hairy  skin  and  swollen  muscies — which was, indeed,  but  another  species  of  foppery. This rejoicing in  their  rags  was  like  Antisthenes,  through the holes  of  whose  clothes  Socratss  saw  rank  pride peering. In the  cities,  the  several  nationalities  re- tained their peculiar  style  of  dress,  so  that  on  the streets of  San  Francisco  were  to  be  seen  the  silver- buttoned trousers,  leather  leggings,  and  bright-colored serape of  the  Mexican,  the  shooting-coat  dress  of  the Englishman, the  corduroys  of  the  Irishman,  the  black of the  New  Englander,  and  the  Paris  fashions  of Frenchmen,  New  Yorkers,  and  southerners. Every one could  wear  what  he  pleased,  and  no  costume,  how- ever bizarre, appeared  to  attract  much  attention.

Indeed, while  there  is  so  much  in  dress  which  speaks the character  of  the  wearer,  during  this  most  import- ant and solemn  struggle  there  were  other  things  to absorb  the  mind. For here  for  a  time  the  battle  of good  and  evil  rages  fiercely,  and  before  it  is  fairly over, as,  indeed,  it  never  is,  many  will  find  themselves weather-bound, destined  never  to  gather  the  fruits  of their  toil,  destined  never  to  leave  these  accursed shores, but  forced  by  fate  to  toil  on  to  the  end,  till death relieves  them. Like the  dart  of  Abaris,  their new vocation  renders  their  past  invisible,  while  their future henceforth  is  destined  to  be  filled  with  those accidental colors  which  depend  on  the  state  of  the  eye rather than  on  the  hue  of  the  object. It will  be  a paradise  or  a  penitentiary,  as  success  or  failure  is  en- countered. Giving thus  all  for  gold,  they  are  like zealous missionaries  giving  all  for  Christ,  many  of them  dropping  or  losing  their  names,  so  that  their most intimate  companions  shall  not  know  them.

The Connecticut  Sunday  law  forbade  travel  and work except  in  cases  of  necessity  or  mercy,  and  in early  times  there  were  few  such  cases,  Massachusetts laid a  penalty  of  ten  dollars  on  every  one  who  travelled on Sunday,  except  from  necessity  or  charity. The laws of  Vermont  permitted  the  maple  sugar  makers