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Show MRS. FITCH. " " The news of the death of Mrs. Thomas Fitch causes the present to vanish away, the past comes back so vividly that befoie the eyes there swims the vision of the flower-carpeted plains, the blue snow-capped Sierras in the distance, dis-tance, the sunbeams flooding the world all the glories that made the Golden State enchanted land in those days when hope whispered to the soul of youth that the only limit to achievement was in man's courage to grasp the opportunities around him and from them forge out an inheritance inheri-tance and name. In those days there began to appear in a literary lit-erary journal in San Francisco communications from a camp in the high Sierras that attracted immediate attention, and It was not long until it was known that a genius in the form of a beautiful beauti-ful young woman had her eyrie in the hills. Every note from her pen was clear and full, though at that time, even while she wrote, her heart was jangled out of tune by embittering environments. A few years later her husband settled in "Western "West-ern Nevada. He was then a young and not much experienced lawyer, and their life was a strenuous one indeed. Mrs. Fitch was a young matron, and in graces of person and graces of mind was most lovely. She was a wonderful conversationalist. She rwas familiar with all literature. She had the imagination imagi-nation of a poet, the solid reasoning powers of a philosopher and at the same time was an Intellectual Intel-lectual alchemist and could transmute the dullest facts of literature into gold. She was In every way biilliant and winsome and was more sincere of soul than most of her sex. She had read all that the books contained, and when they grew dull, for rest she wrote books of her own, filled with the charm of high thought, expressed in classic diction. No subject was too high for her to discuss and her clear brain could puncture a fraud in literature at a glance. She was ambitious for her brilliant husband and her steady intellect was a perpetual balance-wheel to his impetuous nature. She held up his arms when in all the world he had no other influence to stay and steady him. Still in those days she often said that there was nothing that brought any permanent happiness and peace in this world except a perfect home. Only the few who knew her well realized her indomitable courage. When an adverse fate threatened to overwhelm her and hers, she smiled at the distress and laughed misfortune to scorn. , Her sense of humor and of the ridiculous was Irrepressible and contagious. No one ever had warmer sympathies and they went out to all God's creatures. In front of her home in Hamilton, Nevada, was a stretch of heavy road, almost a quagmire. One day a team with heavily-loaded wagon became stalled there. Tne driver beat his horses shamefully, until utterly discouraged, the hear horse ceased to struggle and stood motionless, motion-less, tinder the rain of blows. Mrs. Fitch was dressed to go out calling. From her window she had watched the brutal proceeding until, unable tb bear it longer, she rushed from her home, plunged through the mud and saying to the burly driver: "You conscienceless brute, if you strike another blow I will have you arrested went to the heads of the horses, talked low and soothingly soothing-ly to them for a few minutes, rubbing their faces as she talked, then taking the near one by the bit and patting his neck said: "Come, make one more try for me,-" and the team, bending both together to the worlc, started the wagon for ten feet. After a breathing moment, the woman again called to the team and the wagon was hauled out upon the B hard ground. When the matter was referred to a H few days later, with a laugh Mrs. Fitch said: "I B got the worst of that foolishness. Don't tell Tom B but I had on my finest gown that day and it was B ruined utterly. When we reached the firm B ground with the wagon, one of those horses, not fl knowing that I was a married woman, tried to B make love to me and insisted on rubbing his nose B on my dress, though when he left home that morn- fl ing he forgot to bring along his handkerchief." fl While she had an almost masculine mind she fl was a most womanly woman. She had a horror fl alike for small gossip and for strong-minded half- fl unsexed women. She did not covet many friends, fl but was most sincere and steadfast in her friend' fl ship. She was alike at home whether on the fron- fl tier or in the most polished circles, and carried fl licr charm everywhere. She walked by her hus- band's side for forty years in adversity and pros fl perity, when his hopes were high and when they fl were blasted, and was always hia inspiration and fl his anchor. The desolation that has come to him I now must be pitiable to see, though Ills thought must be that the devoted woman fully earned the I everlasting rest that has come to her. |
