Page:California Inter Pocula.djvu/375

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pockets, the  admiration  of  the  girls,  the  envy  of  his former companions,  and  the  special  object  of  interest of the  old  folks. It was  grand  and  heroic  to  be  of California. Tamely to  settle  in  the  slow  old  home after participating  in  the  glories  of  gold-digging, gambling, and  free  fighting  was  out  of  the  question. Nor were  home  and  friends  and  occupation  to  the  more enlightened from  the  larger  cities,  ever  again  the  same after a  residence  in  San  Francisco. Speculation and commercial pursuits  after  the  old  fashion  offered  no attractions  after  having:  made  three  or  four  fortunes with lightning  rapidity  one  after  another,  though they were  swept  away  by  fire  as  fast  as  made. So gradually the  contemplated  brief  sojourn  lengthened into a  fixed  residence,  the  family  was  sent  for,  and then apparently  for  the  first  time  the  husband  and father opened  his  eyes  to  the  iniquity  around  him and went  to  work  in  company  with  wife  and  daughter to bring  about  a  better  state  of  things. And this moral morass  was  reclaimed  almost  as  speedily  as  it w^as  formed. Healthy plants  could  not  grow  in  a swamp  of  festering  corruption  The  question  was shnply should  the  country  be  reclaimed  to  virtue  or should  vice  prevail. And now  the  easy  citizen  and loose moralist  becomes  a  reformer. If the  country  is worth  making  his  home  in — and  do  his  best  he  can- not live away  from  it — then  it  is  worth  purifying  and directing in  its  young  growth. So public  gambling is suppressed,  prostitution  driven  from  the  more  promi- nent thoroughfares, libraries  are  founded,  churches built, and  schools  established ;  charitable  institutions spring up,  and  the  ocean  air,  as  it  passes  through  the streets of  the  city  and  over  the  bay,  toward  the  labor- ers in the  valleys  and  in  the  mines,  carries  with  it  less of pollution  and  blasphemy  than  formerly ;  a  long breath of  it  may  now  be  taken  without  suffocation.

Enough sudden  fortunes  were  made,  enough  rich deposits unlocked,  to  keep  alive  the  flame  of  expecta- tion. Who knows,  thought  the  patient  unsuccessful