THECALIFORNIANSTALE.docx
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THECALIFORNIANSTALE.docx
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THECALIFORNIANSTALE
THECALIFORNIAN'STALE
Thirty-fiveyearsagoIwasoutprospectingontheStanislaus,
trampingalldaylongwithpickandpanandhorn,andwashingahatful
ofdirthereandthere,alwaysexpectingtomakearichstrike,
andneverdoingit.Itwasalovelyreason,woodsy,balmy,delicious,
andhadoncebeenpopulous,longyearsbefore,butnowthe
peoplehadvanishedandthecharmingparadisewasasolitude.
Theywentawaywhenthesurfacediggingsgaveout.Inoneplace,
whereabusylittlecitywithbanksandnewspapersandfirecompanies
andamayorandaldermenhadbeen,wasnothingbutawideexpanse
ofemeraldturf,withnoteventhefaintestsignthathumanlife
hadeverbeenpresentthere.ThiswasdowntowardTuttletown.
Inthecountryneighborhoodthereabouts,alongthedustyroads,
onefoundatintervalstheprettiestlittlecottagehomes,snugandcozy,
andsocobwebbedwithvinessnowedthickwithrosesthatthedoors
andwindowswerewhollyhiddenfromsight--signthatthesewere
desertedhomes,forsakenyearsagobydefeatedanddisappointed
familieswhocouldneithersellthemnorgivethemaway.Nowandthen,
halfanhourapart,onecameacrosssolitarylogcabinsoftheearliest
miningdays,builtbythefirstgold-miners,thepredecessorsofthe
cottage-builders.Insomefewcasesthesecabinswerestilloccupied;
andwhenthiswasso,youcoulddependuponitthattheoccupant
wastheverypioneerwhohadbuiltthecabin;andyoucoulddepend
onanotherthing,too--thathewastherebecausehehadoncehad
hisopportunitytogohometotheStatesrich,andhadnotdoneit;
hadratherlosthiswealth,andhadtheninhishumiliationresolved
toseverallcommunicationwithhishomerelativesandfriends,
andbetothemthenceforthasonedead.RoundaboutCalifornia
inthatdaywerescatteredahostoftheselivingdeadmen--
pride-smittenpoorfellows,grizzledandoldatforty,whosesecret
thoughtsweremadeallofregretsandlongings--regretsfortheir
wastedlives,andlongingstobeoutofthestruggleanddonewithitall.
Itwasalonesomeland!
Notasoundinallthosepeacefulexpanses
ofgrassandwoodsbutthedrowsyhumofinsects;noglimpse
ofmanorbeast;nothingtokeepupyourspiritsandmakeyouglad
tobealive.Andso,atlast,intheearlypartoftheafternoon,
whenIcaughtsightofahumancreature,Ifeltamostgratefuluplift.
Thispersonwasamanaboutforty-fiveyearsold,andhewas
standingatthegateofoneofthosecozylittlerose-cladcottages
ofthesortalreadyreferredto.However,thisonehadn't
adesertedlook;ithadthelookofbeinglivedinandpetted
andcaredforandlookedafter;andsohaditsfrontyard,
whichwasagardenofflowers,abundant,gay,andflourishing.
Iwasinvitedin,ofcourse,andrequiredtomakemyselfathome--
itwasthecustomofthecountry..
Itwasdelightfultobeinsuchaplace,afterlongweeksofdaily
andnightlyfamiliaritywithminers'cabins--withallwhichthis
impliesofdirtfloor,never-madebeds,tinplatesandcups,
baconandbeansandblackcoffee,andnothingofornamentbutwar
picturesfromtheEasternillustratedpaperstackedtothelogwalls.
Thatwasallhard,cheerless,materialisticdesolation,butherewasa
nestwhichhadaspectstorestthetiredeyeandrefreshthatsomething
inone'snaturewhich,afterlongfasting,recognizes,whenconfronted
bythebelongingsofart,howsoevercheapandmodesttheymaybe,
thatithasunconsciouslybeenfamishingandnowhasfoundnourishment.
Icouldnothavebelievedthataragcarpetcouldfeastmeso,
andsocontentme;orthattherecouldbesuchsolacetothesoul
inwall-paperandframedlithographs,andbright-coloredtidies
andlamp-mats,andWindsorchairs,andvarnishedwhat-nots,with
sea-shellsandbooksandchinavasesonthem,andthescoreoflittle
unclassifiabletricksandtouchesthatawoman'shanddistributes
aboutahome,whichoneseeswithoutknowingheseesthem,yetwould
missinamomentiftheyweretakenaway.Thedelightthatwas
inmyheartshowedinmyface,andthemansawitandwaspleased;
sawitsoplainlythatheanswereditasifithadbeenspoken.
"Allherwork,"hesaid,caressingly;"shediditallherself--
everybit,"andhetooktheroominwithaglancewhichwasfull
ofaffectionateworship.OneofthosesoftJapanesefabrics
withwhichwomendrapewithcarefulnegligencetheupperpartofa
picture-framewasoutofadjustment.Henoticedit,andrearranged
itwithcautiouspains,steppingbackseveraltimestogauge
theeffectbeforehegotittosuithim.Thenhegaveitalight
finishingpatortwowithhishand,andsaid:
"Shealwaysdoesthat.
Youcan'ttelljustwhatitlacks,butitdoeslacksomething
untilyou'vedonethat--youcanseeityourselfafterit'sdone,
butthatisallyouknow;youcan'tfindoutthelawofit.
It'slikethefinishingpatsamothergivesthechild'shair
aftershe'sgotitcombedandbrushed,Ireckon.I'veseenher
fixallthesethingssomuchthatIcandothemalljustherway,
thoughIdon'tknowthelawofanyofthem.Butsheknowsthelaw.
Sheknowsthewhyandthehowboth;butIdon'tknowthewhy;
Ionlyknowthehow."
HetookmeintoabedroomsothatImightwashmyhands;suchabedroom
asIhadnotseenforyears:
whitecounterpane,whitepillows,
carpetedfloor,paperedwalls,pictures,dressing-table,withmirror
andpin-cushionanddaintytoiletthings;andinthecornerawash-stand,
withrealchina-warebowlandpitcher,andwithsoapinachinadish,
andonarackmorethanadozentowels--towelstoocleanandwhite
foroneoutofpracticetousewithoutsomevaguesenseofprofanation.
Somyfacespokeagain,andheansweredwithgratifiedwords:
"Allherwork;shediditallherself--everybit.Nothinghere
thathasn'tfeltthetouchofherhand.Nowyouwouldthink--
ButImustn'ttalksomuch."
BythistimeIwaswipingmyhandsandglancingfromdetailtodetail
oftheroom'sbelongings,asoneisapttodowhenheisinanewplace,
whereeverythingheseesisacomforttohiseyeandhisspirit;
andIbecameconscious,inoneofthoseunaccountableways,
youknow,thattherewassomethingtheresomewherethattheman
wantedmetodiscoverformyself.Iknewitperfectly,andIknew
hewastryingtohelpmebyfurtiveindicationswithhiseye,soI
triedhardtogetontherighttrack,beingeagertogratifyhim.
Ifailedseveraltimes,asIcouldseeoutofthecornerofmyeye
withoutbeingtold;butatlastIknewImustbelookingstraight
atthething--knewitfromthepleasureissuingininvisiblewaves
fromhim.Hebrokeintoahappylaugh,andrubbedhishandstogether,
andcriedout:
"That'sit!
You'vefoundit.Iknewyouwould.It'sherpicture."
Iwenttothelittleblack-walnutbracketonthefartherwall,
anddidfindtherewhatIhadnotyetnoticed--adaguerreotype-case.
Itcontainedthesweetestgirlishface,andthemostbeautiful,
asitseemedtome,thatIhadeverseen.Themandranktheadmiration
frommyface,andwasfullysatisfied.
"Nineteenherlastbirthday,"hesaid,asheputthepictureback;
"andthatwasthedayweweremarried.Whenyouseeher--ah,justwait
tillyouseeher!
"
"Whereisshe?
Whenwillshebein?
"
"Oh,she'sawaynow.She'sgonetoseeherpeople.Theylive
fortyorfiftymilesfromhere.She'sbeengonetwoweekstoday."
"Whendoyouexpectherback?
"
"ThisisWednesday.She'llbebackSaturday,intheevening--
aboutnineo'clock,likely."
Ifeltasharpsenseofdisappointment.
"I'msorry,becauseI'llbegonethen,"Isaid,regretfully.
"Gone?
No--whyshouldyougo?
Don'tgo.She'llbedisappointed."
Shewouldbedisappointed--thatbeautifulcreature!
Ifshehadsaid
thewordsherselftheycouldhardlyhaveblessedmemore.Iwas
feelingadeep,stronglongingtoseeher--alongingsosupplicating,
soinsistent,thatitmademeafraid.Isaidtomyself:
"Iwill
gostraightawayfromthisplace,formypeaceofmind'ssake."
"Yousee,shelikestohavepeoplecomeandstopwithus--
peoplewhoknowthings,andcantalk--peoplelikeyou.Shedelights
init;forsheknows--oh,sheknowsnearlyeverythingherself,
andcantalk,oh,likeabird--andthebooksshereads,why,youwould
beastonished.Don'tgo;it'sonlyalittlewhile,youknow,
andshe'llbesodisappointed."
Iheardthewords,buthardlynoticedthem,Iwassodeepinmy
thinkingsandstrugglings.Heleftme,butIdidn'tknow.
Presentlyhewasback,withthepicturecaseinhishand,andhe
helditopenbeforemeandsaid:
"There,now,tellhertoherfaceyoucouldhavestayedtoseeher,
andyouwouldn't."
Thatsecondglimpsebrokedownmygoodresolution.Iwouldstay
andtaketherisk.Thatnightwesmokedthetranquilpipe,
andtalkedtilllateaboutvariousthings,butmainlyabouther;
andcertainlyIhadhadnosuchpleasantandrestfultimeformany
aday.TheThursdayfollowedandslippedcomfortablyaway.
Towardtwilightabigminerfromthreemilesawaycame--oneof
thegrizzled,strandedpioneers--andgaveuswarmsalutation,
clothedingraveandsoberspeech.Thenhesaid:
"Ionlyjustdroppedovertoaskaboutthelittlemadam,andwhen
isshecominghome.Anynewsfromher?
"
"Oh,yes,aletter.Wouldyouliketohearit,Tom?
"
"Well,IshouldthinkIwould,ifyoudon'tmind,Henry!
"
Henrygottheletteroutofhiswallet,andsaidhewouldskip
someoftheprivatephrases,ifwewerewilling;thenhewent
onandreadthebulkofit--aloving,sedate,andaltogether
charmingandgraciouspieceofhandiwork,withapostscriptfull
ofaf
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