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to set  tubs  anew  on  Sunday  in  case  of  an  extraordinary run of  sap. In California  there  was  much  necessity, much mercy,  and  sap  was  always  running.

Sunday, if  possible,  was  chosen  for  public  affairs, for arrests,  trials,  and  executions,  as  there  would  be demonstrated  greater  public  interest  on  that  day. The maxim. Dies Dominicus  non  juridicus,  had  little weight with  them. So far  as  mining-town  morality was concerned,  Sunday  was  a  day  for  anything  but work. Recreations of  any  kind  were  admissible,  and shirt-washing, bread-making,  gambling,  drinking, horse-racing, fighting,  and  hanging,  all  came  under this category.

There was  here  a  complete  return  to  primitive  ideas regarding Sunday. Like Christmas,  the  Sunday  of the  pioneer  Christians  was  a  day  of  rejoicing. In Tertullian's time,  the  word  Sabbatum  marked  the seventh, not  the  first,  day  of  the  week,  and  to  fast  on that  day  was  deemed  sinful. Indeed, if  we  may  be- lieve Justin Martyr,  there  were  Christians  who,  like our miners,  considered  it  criminal  to  keep  the  sabbath.

During this  epoch  of  abnormities,  when  a  chaos  of heterogeneous  elements  was  under  fermentation  which brought to  the  surface  the  best  and  the  basest  quali- ties of human  nature,  many  untried  experiments must be  wrought,  many  problems  solved  which  never before had  come  within  the  range  of  social  ethics. There must  be  a  re-adaptation  of  individuals  and  com- munities to new  environments. Strange remedies must be  applied  for  strange  evils  ;  new  resources  must be developed,  new  benefits  seized  and  utilized. The epoch stands  out  on  the  canvas  of  history  in  ever deepening colors ;  and  only  in  ages  to  come,  when the knowledge  of  human  actions  and  divine  laws  shall be brought  into  nearer  relationship,  shall  its  true  im- port be understood. It was  an  original  melodrama, born of  the  time ;  but  under  Thalia's  laughing  mask were hidden  the  club  and  steel  of  tragedy. The world had had  its  romance  of  religion,  of  chiv^alry,   of  the