Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/322



were worshipped,  whether  they  held  a  woman  or  a skeleton. Later, families  were  brought  out,  virtue and domestic  honor  gained  the  ascendancy,  and  inde- cency slunk away  and  hid  itself. Then the  maiden and spinster  at  the  east  were  seized  with  a  desire  to visit  their  aunt  or  sister  and  see  California. Much to their  surprise,  most  of  them  found  husbands  shortly after their  arrival,  never  dreaming  of  such  a  possibil- ity. Enterprising young  men  advertised  for  wives  ; but the  demand  being  so  much  greater  than  the  sup- ply, this method  was  not  the  most  successful. Fi'e- quently, however,  through  the  medium  of  a  common friend, likenesses  of  a  very  puny  man  in  California and a  sorrowing  damsel  at  the  east  would  be  ex- changed, letters would  follow,  and  then  the  wooer would send  on  the  passage-money,  and  the  blushing fair one  hasten  over  the  sea  to  her  adorer. Old sweethearts often  came  out  to  their  lovers,  who  met and married  them  on  the  steamer  deck.

It needs  nothing  further  to  prove  the  influence  of pure  woman  on  those  destined  to  receive  happiness  at her  hand  than  to  notice  the  behavior  of  one  who  is expecting  a  wife  or  sweetheart. Some time  before  the steamer is  due,  the  greasy  hat  and  checked  shirt  are thrown aside,  and  whitewashed  of  his  past,  with  clean linen and  shaven  chin,  the  happy  expectant  is  suddenly seized with  a  desire  to  attend  church. He manifests, perhaps, a  deep  interest  in  the  Sunday-school,  and wishes to  become  a  teacher;  he  sighs  over  the  dese- crations of the  sabbath,  and  the  moral  depravity  of  the country. As the  hour  for  the  steamer  to  arrive  draws near, he  becomes  nervous,  business  seems  irksome,  he looks  in  the  glass,  pulls  out  a  gray  hair  or  two,  brushes his new  clothes,  and  walks  up  to  the  top  of  Telegraph hill, and  then  around  to  the  Merchants'  Exchange. Finally the  steamer  is  telegraphed ;  he  rushes  down  to the  wharf,  piously  curses  the  general  slowness  of  things, springs on  board  before  the  plank  is  put  out,  elbows his way  through   the   crowd,  finds   her,  and   clasps