Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/323



her to  his  reg:enerate  heart. Gaudet tentaminc  virtus!

The men  were  relatively  superior  to  the  women. As a  rule,  the  better  class  of  men  came  to  California, and a  more  ordinary  class  of  women. The trip  to  this country was  tedious,  disgusting  to  a  sensitive,  delicate woman ; there  was  no  society  here,  no  household  con venience. It was  a  very  hard  place  for  a  wouiaii. The finer  specimens  of  womanhood  could  find  husbands at home ;  there  was  no  necessity  for  them  to  undergo the horrors  of  a  sea  voyage  to  California,  and  its  so- ciety afterward. Nevertheless, nmltitudes  of  noble and true  women  did  come ;  but  it  must  be  admitted that woman  here  in  early  times  was  not  the  intelligent, refined, and  sensible  being  that  is  found  in  older  and more settled  communities. In California  oood  hus- bands regularly  once  a  week  rolled  up  their  sleeves, and helped  wife  or  daughter  at  the  wash-tub.

To live  in  purity,  woman  must  have  the  sympathy of those  around  her;  thousands  in  California  have fallen simply  from  the  fact  that  men  had  no  faith  in them. Othello played  before  a  Californian  audience in those  days  would  have  appealed  to  sentiments strange to  the  hearts  of  many  of  the  hearers.

Now and  then  ships  from  France  and  elsewhere would enter  the  port,  with  compaiiies  of  respectable girls on  board,  who  would  be  immediately  caught  up by  gamblers  and  saloon-keepers,  to  assist  at  the  table or dispense  drinks,  at  two  hundred  and  fift}^  dollars  a month;  but  alas,  within  a  week  or  two,  despite  the vigilance of  the  proprietor,  they  would  be  mated !

Thus we  see  that  there  were  true  women  and  there were false  women  among  those  the  gold-seekers  left behind. California widows  they  were  called,  and  they were to  be  found  in  every  rural  town,  every  hotel, boarding-house, and  watering  place. Faithful, modest Avives and  mothers  some  of  them  were,  patiently waiting the  end  of  this  sudden  and  strange  family  dis- ruption. Round them  were  mouths  to  feed  and  no  re- mittance  came ;  yet    never    doubting,  the    heart-en-