Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/321



for women  to  have  followed  the  gold-seekers  of  1849, and to  have  endured  the  hardships  of  the  California flush times,  it  is  probable  that  as  a  whole,  and  to  a certain  extent,  they  would  have  fallen  into  excesses themselves, instead  of  withholding  their  companions entirely from  them. The patience,  modesty,  and gentleness of  the  better  sort  would  have  greatly  as- sisted the sobriety  and  magnanimity  of  the  men,  but the frivolity  and  jealousy  of  the  more  graceless  would have increased  their  intemperance  and  brutality. Much would  have  depended  on  the  view  taken  of the  question  by  the  women ;  had  they  been  there,  and had they  been  as  ready  to  sacrifice  all  for  gold ;  had they been  as  ambitious,  as  avaricious,  and  as  untram- elled by  society  as  were  the  men ;  the  intensity  of the  orgies  would  have  been  increased  ten-fold. Haply she  was  never  called  to  undergo  the  ordeal. Before her  appearance  on  the  scene  the  ebullition  had materially subsided,  and  gold-diggers  began  to  think seriously of  becoming  settlers,  and  of  making  this country their  home. The first  females  to  come — and these were  early  enough  upon  the  ground — were  the vicious and  unchaste,  who  opened  and  presided  at brilliant  saloons  and  houses  of  ill-fame,  and  sat  by the  gambler  and  assisted  him  hi  raking  in  his  gains and paying  his  losses. Flaunting in  their  gay  attire they were  civilly  treated  by  the  men,  few  of  whom, even of  the  most  respectable  and  sedate,  disdained  to visit  their  houses. On the  steamers  comino-  out,  the frail, fair  one  was  often  shown  all  the  delicate  consid- erations due to  the  fine  lady  of  immaculate  morals ; the officers  of  the  ship  were  always  at  her  command, and if  a  favorite  of  the  captain  she  was  assigned  a seat  at  his  table. On her  arrival,  merchants  and judges were  among  her  associates. There was  little social caste  or  moral  quality  in  those  days. In the absence of  the  true  the  imitation  was  made  to  answer. And so  men  went  wild  over  the  shadow  as  they  were doing in  other  things;  the  folds  of  female  drapery