Page:The Prairie Flower; Or, Adventures In the Far West.djvu/123

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m New York, gave Huntly the astounding information that he was not worth a thou sand dollars beyond his obligations. I am not going to describe his feelings, nor those of his family, on finding themselves thus suddenly plunged from a state of un limited wealth to one of comparative pov erty. The effect upon the elder Huntly, was to ruin him in his own estimation for life; and it soon became apparent to his friends, that he would not long survive the shock. All his energy, his ambition, went with his property; and a cloud of melan choly and grief settled over his once bright and joyous countenance. Several warm hearted friends, among whom was my father, came forward and offered to assist him but all to no avail. He refused as sistance declaring it the chastening hand of God, to prepare him to depart to his long home. Oppression of spirits brought on physical debility, and the winds of the succeeding autumn sung a dirge over his grave.

A father and husband dead a brother and son away, perhaps dead also made the home of Lilian and her mother a house of mourning indeed; and what they suf fered for the next two years, I must leave to the imaginations of those who have felt a similar visitation of the hand of Provi dence.

After paying the debts of the estate, a remnant of property remained, to which a few friends, on pretence they owed the de ceased for this favor or that, generously added more; so that, although compara tively poor, they were in a measure above want. They left their fine mansion, to re side in a small but pleasant house, owned by my father, but for which he would re ceive no rent. Here they remained for eighteen months, laboring under a weight df affliction which those only can know who have lost friends by death,, been sud denly reduced from affluence to poverty, and seen the cold, stinging look of scorn and contempt upon the lips of those heart less beings who were wont to play the fawning sycophant, and utter words of flattery and deceit as worthless as them selves.

During the. winter of 1841-42, much was aid concerning Oregon; and, as general ly happens with every new place to which

public attention becomes particularly di rected, there were not lacking exaggerated accounts, which set it forth as the real El Dorado of the world. Whether these owed their origin to the prolific brains of certain romantic editors,- or to the more designing ones of speculators, or to both combined, (the most probable) matters not; but the effect was to set on foot a tide of emigra tion, which, had it continued to the pres ent time, without check, \\ould have made Oregon a populous country.

Among those who had caught this "western fever," as it is frequently not inappropriately termed, were a few wealthy farmers in the vicinity of Boston, with one family of whom Mrs. Huntly had an inti mate acquaintance. Being on a visit there in the winter, she soon learned, much to her surprise, that they were already make ing preparations to start, on the opening of spring, for this great El Dorado this Ultima Tltule of western emigration. Sev eral of their acquaintances were going to join them, and, above all, an eccentric lady of wealth and refinement, who, with her beautiful daughter, had for the past year been the lioness and belle of tlit aristocratic and fashionable circles of Bos ton. Of this lady who was known as Madame Mortimer, as also her daughter, who had received the subriquet of Belle Eva, the latter being her Christian name Mrs. Huntly had more than once heard; and it was with no little surprise, as may readily be imagined, she now learned of her determination to venture upon such a long, tedious, and dangerous journey; and she mentally said, "When such a person age resolves to leave all the allurements of civilization, there must be something worth going for;" and this, probably, proved one of the strongest arguments to induce her to make one of the party herself. In addition to this, her country friends were enthusiastic on the subject of Oregon, of which they had received the most glowing, and of course exaggerated accounts, and were eager in urging her to join them. Oregon City a name which sounded well to the ear, was to be their destination. Of this they already had maps, whereon the beautiful streets and squares looked very enticing. Here each and all were to make their fortune; and in the