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Show THE MINISTER'S SON (This story would have seemed perfectly per-fectly natural in California forty years ago.) IT was way back in the old flush California days that, one rainy October Oc-tober evening, a little after dusk, I found myself at a hotel at Bldwell's Bar, on the Feather River. At that period Bldwell's Bar was but a rough mining camp, not much different from a hundred other camps in California. I soon discovered that some boisterous boister-ous characters were guests in the hotel ho-tel where I had found quarters for the night. They were miners, teamsters, and stage-drivers; and when the supper sup-per was over and the teamsters and hostlers had taken care of their stock for the night, as by mutual consent all gathered in the long, low bar-room, to make a night of it. Some clustered around a rougn table to try their fortunes for-tunes at poker; the teamsters in a knot conversed upon the state of the roads, the probabilities of an early and hard winter, or the merits of their respective mules; a sententious stage-driver, stage-driver, called "Curly," was telling characteristic char-acteristic stories, and all, for a while, were in the best of liumor. At length, however, there was trouble at the poker pok-er game; a few hasty sharp words were passed between two of the players, play-ers, when they sprang to their feet, and, for three minutes, fought like tigers. tig-ers. The crowd separated the fighters, and, as they held them, asked what the trouble was. One answered hotly: "I had just anted a five-dollar piece, when the black thief stole it." "That yellow-haired vagrant never had five dollars in his life," was the reply of the other, and then the two men struggled like wild beasts to get at each other. Just then some one in the room saw something glisten at a distance on tho floor, and picking it up it proved to be the missing half eagle, and it was apparent ap-parent that the money had been brushed from the table by accident. Then mutual apologies and expressions expres-sions of respect and esteem followed between the two men, a drink was taken tak-en all around, and the game resumed. A broken-off story by "Curly" was scarcely recommenced when a man far gone in liquor reeled into the room, and, staggering up to the bar, demanded demand-ed a drink. The landlord was absent at the time, but his daughter, a kindly kind-ly faced girl, of fifteen or sixteen yeart of age, who happened to be standing near the bar, with genuine California candor, said: You have had too much bad whisky already; you can not get a drink here." At this the man commenced to assail as-sail the girl with a perfect shower of epithets, but in an instant one of tho teamsters, called "Posey," sprang up, seized th.e man, swung him to the door, and opening It, hurled him clear over the broad porch into the night. At that moment the landlady entered, and, seizing one of Posey's hands in both of hers, exclaimed, "Oh, Posey, Posey, I owe you ten thousand thanks for that noble deed." Without the change of a muscle Posey answered: "A thousand will do, my good, woman; a thousand's plenty for carrying a small load of freight like that. He's bulky, but ho don't weigh much." But the episode furnished excuse for a drink all around, and the drinks were repeated until some of the men present pres-ent had too much aboard. At last Curley, the stage-driver, proposed that a literary society should be organized; that every man in the room should join it, and that when a member was called upon he should either tell a story, sing a song, or treat the crowd. An uproar of approval followed; tho cards were put away, and the fun commenced. com-menced. I was one of the first called upon, and, to manage tho matter jn the easiest way possible, I bade the landlord land-lord "set it up" for the boys, and to give them cigars also. At this they demanded my name, and elected me a true gentleman and thorough old Cali-fornian, Cali-fornian, by acclamation, right there and then, as a bystander expressed it, "spite of his store clothes and or'nary looks." Then followed such stories as were never told outside of California, such songs as are only heard on the turbulent turbu-lent frontier, and frequent drinks. All through the evening, a young-man, young-man, almost a boy indeed, had been sitting sit-ting alone in one corner of the room. He was pale and frail looking, and had sat as if half stuplfied amid the revel, never once moving, except when the ruffian had insulted the girl, when he sprang to his feet; but the big teamster team-ster was too quick for him, and so he quietly settled back into his chair. At last, one of the men, excited with liquor, struck the youth upon the shoulder, and said, rudely: "Come, pale-face, a song, a story, or a treat." The young man rose to his feet, and said, quietly: "I cannot sing, I can not tell stories, and I do not drink." "The deuce you can't and won't," said the miner. "What kind of a white-livered monkey are you, any way," and turning to the crowd continued. con-tinued. "I say, boys what do you think of this rooster? He can't sing, can't spin a yarn, and don't drink." A general howl followed this outburst, out-burst, and the crowd gathered menacingly men-acingly around the youth. Curly, the stage driver, here interfered, inter-fered, and said: "Young man, better reconsider; the boys don't like it; try a story, or try a song, or order the poison." "But I don't drink," said the youth; "I can not sing, and can not tell stories," and, as he spoke, he turned a full, fearless face upon the excited crowd. A murmur of disapprobation began, and one rusty miner was calling attention at-tention to a "city chap as was too proud to go chats with common miners min-ers and teamsters," when the big teamster "Posey," with a wave of the hand stopped him, and marching up to the youth said: "I think there's a misunderstanding here. If you don't sing nor tell stories, nor drink, your education has been badly neglected for some kinds of business, sure; but think it over for a minute; you might do something else, perhaps." The young man looked down for a moment, and then looking up, said: ,H "I might, read you something which, perhaps, would answer in lieu of 1H song or story." H "I knowod it," said Posey. "I know- jH ed there was game in him when he H jumped out of his chair, a little while H ago, when the loafer commenced to H insult the 'Lily.' Room here, and a H light for the boy to read by!" H The crowd fell back, half moroao H and half respectful. A candle was H brought, which Posey claimed the1 re- H sponsibility of holding. The boy drew H a little volum,e from his pocket, lqok- H ed over the crowd for a moment, then H opening the book, examined it' for a H moment, as if to find tho place, and H commmenced: H "When the great and wise King I Solomon dispatched his fleets to I lOphir to gather gold, and gems, and I rare wood for the temple which he H was building, he sent with them a I Seer to mark the conduct of his men, H that each might be rewarded accord- H ing to his merits. When the land of H Ophir was reached, some of the men H went at once to the mines to dig H gold; some were employed with I trains of camels, to freight merchan- H dise and food to tho mine; some with I swift dromedaries carried the express H and gold dust between the mines I and the sea-shore. Some kept innB, I and gathered many shekels by dis- H posing of bad food and furnishing I poor beds to the miners." "That means you, landlord, said I Posey, interrupting. I The boy continued: "And the Seer H watched all these men' in their daily H and nightly employments, and took I notes of their lives. Almost every M one had left father, or mother, or sis- I ter, or sweetheart in Jerusalem, and, amid the tears and anguish of part- I ing, had promised to be faithful to I the end. But some had forgotten I their promises when far away. Some I would spend whole evenings in dis- I cussing the merits of their respective I dromedaries, and would do this night I after night, until they did not have an idea abovo the brute over which I they held control.' I "That means you, Jake Farren, and M you, old Grimes, you miserable mule- I beating infidels," said Posey. I The young man had a delightful M voice, was a beautiful reader, and, as he proceded, the interest in his I narrative increased. He read on: I "Some who were miners would I work all day, and at night spend their I last sheckel in a game which, in Ju- I dea, was known as "cinch." I "That's you, Mike Graley and Dan I McNaughton," said Posey, "ypu dis- H reputable poker playing frauds !f' Again tho reader proceded: "Some desired to bo considered dangerous I men and fighters, and would seek dlffl- I culties with men their inferiors, phy- I sically, that it might be told m the I different mining camps of Ophir that 'I they were desperate men, with whom " none might trifle." il "That's you, Sam Brown, "you cow- 'I ardly bluffer," interrupted Posey. I "And some," continued the boy, I "grew vain of foolish exploits, and I (Con? 'nued on Page 31.) I THE MINISTERS' SON 1 (Continued from Page 9.) learned to expect praise for only doing do-ing their duty." "I guess that's me," said Posey; "you are given to such thoughts, sometimes, you know you are, you big unthinking ruffian." "Almost all learned to drink of the juice of the upas tree, and when under un-der its influence they were guilty of unmanly and disgraceful acts, which would have grieved their friends in Jerusalem sorely, had they deemed such a thing possible." "That's us," said Posey, "and a I. shame it is, too." p The boy continued to read: "And M& there flocked to Ophir strange women Wf from Arabia, and Egypt, and MIdian, and other lands, and beguiled the Israelites, and made them forgetful of their duties and their vows." "That hits the most of us, too, I guess," said Posey. Still the boy read: "As the years rolled by the men grew more and I more groveling, until at last they for got to mark the beautiful sky, the de-N de-N licious earth, the wealth of trees and 1 flowers, the birth and death of sea-sons. sea-sons. Finally, the ships were loaded, and were about to sail for the holy ' motherland. Then the men flocked . v around the vessels and desired to em bark. But the Seer stood upon the strand and bade them stand back. To one he said: 'You forgot wife and parent in search of stolen, pleasures here; you are no more worthy to I speak the hallowed name of home, nor to kiss lips which are pure.' f To another he said: 'You have spent uk your time in revels, and your body is Ifr filled with diseases which you brought I upon yourself; you are among the un- JC clean and have no right to go back p, to become a burden and expense to If your friends.' J "To another he said: 'You have de- J based your mind here; you can no longer see the beauties upon the earth or in the heaven; how could you fitly approach the splendors of the templo of our mighty Solomon?' B "And so, austere and pitiless, the Seer read the sentences one after an- M k other; the ships cast off their lines, I hoisted their Bails, and put to sea. J carrying back but a chosen few of all who had come in them. "And those who remained never saw the glorious temple which was their people's pride; never looked upon the white walls, the sculptured columns, the lofty arches, the boau- 1 tlful gates, nor saw the sunlight as it 1 flashed back from the roof of bur- I niBhed gold. They witnessed none of fflm the magnificence of its dedication; IB, inhaled no breath of its rare incense; lJK lodked not upon marvellous interior 1n decorations; heard no burst of en- I chanting music, and caught no tone I of Solomon's Incomparable prayer. W1 But rather, they grew more and more L', sordid and depraved, until they were W so lost Jn utter debasement that the I watching angel filled with sediment I, the waters of the streams, which set- jv tling filled the harbors of the Ophir J coact, until ships could no more make a haven there, and finally the country coun-try wherein Solomon .dug his gold was no more known to the children of men." With this the youth ceased reading, read-ing, and nothing for a moment was heard save here and there the labored breath of some strong man, and the soft patter of the rain upon the roof. This lasted for a brief Interval, and then, with a voice swet'and full and clear as a lark's song the boy proceeded: pro-ceeded: "O men of the West! they are thinking think-ing of you On another shore tonight; They are thinking of you as their leal true, As the innocent ones they in childhood child-hood knew, When you of your homes were the light. "They are thinking, and waiting, and counting the days, Till you come to them once, more; Each morn they strain to the west their gaze, Each eve in fond voices they sound your praise, Recounting your virtues all o'er. "Be true to your manhood, be true to each trust, Where'er in life's batttle you stand; Cleanse the heart from its stain, the soul from its rust, Lift your eyes from the ground, your minds from the dust, Be true to your race and your land." The harp-like voice ceased, and it was plain that the reader had made a deep impression on all who heard it. The wife of the landlord was the first who spoke. Approaching the youth, she asked him if he was a preacher. He modestly answered that he was not, but was a clergyman's son; that he had tried mining in Plumas coun ty, but failed, and was then finding his way on foot to San Jose, where his sister, a clergyman's wife, was living; that he hoped there to obtain a situation as teacher, as ho was not strong enough to work in the mines. At this, iCurly, the stage-driver, aroused himself. "Pardners," said he, "you hear the boy. I am sorry for him so much!" and he laid a ten-dollar piece upon the table. "I'm sorrier than you," said Posey; and he covered the ten with a twenty. A miner present said: "I have no coin, but" here he drew out a buck- skin purse "I will go a little dust on the boy for the sermon he has preached"; preach-ed"; and he emptied half an ounce on the table. The rest contributed, making the landlord treasurer, and when the coin was. counted, and the dust weighed and calculated, two hundred and thirteen thir-teen dollars were handed over to the boy. The youth seemed perfectly overcome over-come with the unexpected bounty, and tried in vain to coherently thank his benefactors. By this tirie it was 10 o'clock at night, and just then the overdue stage from Qulncy, Plumas county, drove up to the door. There was the usuol excitement; all hands ruBhed out to see the new arrivals; the hostlers took the team; the passengers crawl ed from the mud wagon and entered the house, and at last the driver followed, fol-lowed, his bearskin coat and hat shining shin-ing with the rain caught in the shower. Curly, of course, knew his brother Jehu, and so sauntering up to him, said: "How are you, pard? What's the news?" "All right, Curly," was the response, re-sponse, "and no news much, except the hoys up above are cussing awful about a fellow that opened a game on them and cleaned out every sport in Qulncy one night. It was a dead open and shut steal, and when the boys found It out they would have hung him sure, but he had lit out. He got $5,000 out of the boys m four hours." And then the driver went on to ox-plain ox-plain that the sharper was but a mere boy, a little chap, pale and sick, and sentimental looking "more harmless lookin' than any gal you ever seen." Everybody turned to look at the youth who had been entertaining them, but he was gone, and a thorough thor-ough search of the premises failed to unearth him. . Next morning one of Posey's mules, covered with mud and still wet with sweat, came into camp just as the men were getting up. The poor beast was greatly disturbed, as though just in from a cruel journey. To the bridle was tied a buckskin purse, which Posey took off and opened, when he found a slip of paper, on which wa3 written the following; , "On the Honcut, 2:30 a. m. "Dear Pqsey: I could not exchange your mule for another until I reached this point. It is only eighteen mllep. Your mule is not a first-class saddle animal, but will do In an emergency. "Truly yours, "The Son of a Clergyman." !MlltlMllllllttll(lllltlltlllllllllllMlltMHIIIIflllllllllMIIIMIMIfll1lllllllllllllllllll1IIIIIMfl "P. S. I thank you for holding the H candle, and for the double eagle." Posoy read the note aloud, looked M again at his wearied mule, and then M said: M "Boys, look at old Buck, and never M again trust a man who cannot sing, M cannot tell a story, and don't drink." "B |