USA > California > A picture of pioneer times in California, illustrated with anecdotes and stores taken from real life > Part 32
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Somehow this Sunday they were both very thoughtful, and said but little, which was uncommon; for usually, when together, they never ceased to talk of one subject or another. Several times on their way back Minnie stole an anxious side-glance into her brother's face, but made no remark. When they got home, din- ner was ready. It was set on a table, near their father's bed; so they sat down, and Minnie tried to be cheerful and to make them all feel so, for her father's sake. She laughed and talked even more than was common for her. The father felt pleased and thankful to see her so happy, but the keen eye of the mother detected uncommon anxiety beneath this show of good spirits. In the evening the mother went to vespers, leaving the brother and sister alone to take care of their father. There was a nice little fire in their father's room, so Minnie sat near it in a rock- ing-chair, while Walter read aloud for his father from a book he thought would interest him. The father, with Minnie's aid, settled himself into the most comfortable position, and seemed to be much interested in the reading, but he soon dropped off into a sound sleep. Walter closed the book, and glanced to- wards his sister to see if she too slept, for she had been so per- fectly still. To his surprise her eyes met his, full of bright- beaming light. She arose from her chair, without speaking, and removed the lamp from the little table near which Walter had been reading, and laid it on the floor just inside her own bed- room door; then, drawing a second chair close to the fire, she beckoned to her brother to come and sit near her. He did so, noiselessly, and whispered earnestly, while he took her hand in his:
" What is it, darling Minnie, that troubled you so all day ?"
" Well, nothing, dear Walter, but that I have been watching
..
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you for two or three days, and I see your poor heart is in trouble; and so is mine, too, for I know what you are thinking of."
" What did you think it was, Minnie ?"
" Oh, I know; you want to go to California."
" Who told you, Minnie ?"
" Your friend James De Forest was here yesterday to see father." If Walter could have seen his sister's face as she said this, he would have seen the slightest little blush spread over it. " And, as he was leaving, he beckoned me to follow him into the garden, and then he told me he was going; that he had just got money enough together to take him there, and that he wanted you to go with him, but that you had not quite enough of money, and that you did not know how you could leave us either."
Here Minnie's voice choked a little, so that Walter did not catch the last part of her whisper, and the only response he made was to clasp her little hands in both of his, with the gentlest pressure. She seemed to recover herself, and went on:
" Now, I want to tell you, my brother, that I approve of your going, and that I can help you. Yes, you look surprised, Walter; but I can help you, though. I am a little girl, but, Walter, I am not, you know, like a rich girl, who bas rich parents to do everything for her, and to give her everything she wants, and has never to think for herself; no, I have to think, think and plan, plan for myself often and often; so now I feel like a woman grown, and you will see that I will help you, my darling Walter; so you must tl me all your plans, and then let me think and think over them to-night."
" Oh, Minnie, you are so fond of me that you always forget your poor little self, for how could I leave dear mother and you here alone, and poor father, so sick ?" Then, dropping his whis- per still lower, he continued: "The Doctor told me there was yet great danger in father's case, and, Minnie, if anything should happen to him-"
Here his voice failed, and he could not proceed, and for some minutes both brother and sister remained silent, with their hands yet more tightly clasped; and without courage to look at each other, their gaze was on the burning embers before them. Min- nie was the first to recover her voice:
" Dear Walter," she said, " do not let such fears trouble you; see, I am a woman, you are four years older, and must be a man, as you always have been in fact. In six months you can send us
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money enough from California to make us all well-off, if not rich. Did you not see that last account, where some one writes to the President-yes, to the President at Washington-that Captain Sutter had Indians at work on the American River, who were earning for him one hundred dollars each and every day ?"
" Well, Minnie, grown or not grown, you are a woman, sure enough, and I will talk to you as I would to mother or Uncle John. In the first place, then, supposing we get mother's and father's consent, I have not the necessary money; I am fifty dol- lars short of what would be necessary to take a second-cabin passage around Cape Horn, which is the cheapest way of going to California, and is the way James De Forest intends to go. The firm owes me fifty dollars, and I met Uncle John yesterday, and he told me he would lend me twenty-five, but how to get the other fifty I am puzzled. I have thought of every one I know of, that I could ask, and of every way and plan to get it, but I was forced to believe that it was out of the question. Oh, Minnie, if I could go, and succeed in sending home money, how happy it would make me! Poor father could then have a little rest, even if he was well, and you and mother need not take any more shirts to make; for, Minnie, that will kill you both if you have to continue such work much longer. You both look pale and miserable since you have had to work on those shirts, and Uncle John and James De Forest say the same."
There were tears standing in Minnie's bright, expressive eyes, but she brushed them away, and, patting Walter on the shoulder, while she looked up in his face, she said:
"Now, Walter, dear, I want you to listen to me, for we have not much more time to talk; mother will be home in a few min- utes; I have a plan in my head," placing her hand on her fore- head, " to get this fifty dollars; I will not explain it to you just now, but be satisfied it is all right, for I will explain it to mother to-morrow, after I get her consent to let you go to California; so when you come home in the evening I will be able to tell you how it worked; so, now do not worry yourself too much about mother and myself, for it is no use, and we will do our best to take care of our health, and I want you to be strong for your journey, and for your work digging gold in California for us, you know."
Just then they heard their mother coming, apparently in com-
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pany with some one, who proved to be Uncle John, their father's brother; so Minnie arose from her seat and, hurriedly kissing her brother, whispered:
" Don't give up, Walter; we will succeed in some way."
" God bless you, my darling sister," was all that Walter had time to say as the door opened and their mother and Uncle John entered.
The father awoke from his refreshing sleep, and all had a pleasant talk. Then Uncle John left, and everything was ar- ranged as usual for the night. Minnie retired to her own little. room next to her parents, where she slept within call, should her mother need anything during the night. When she was alone she knelt by her bed, and then her night prayers were unusually long and earnest ; for, with her whole soul, she prayed for help and courage to go through with what she had undertaken. She arose from her knees, seeming to feel more calm and happy, say- ing, audibly :
" My plan is this: we make a dollar now over our family ex- penses every week. I will get mother to let me get up an hour sooner every morning, and to work an hour later every day, and in this way I can earn at least a dollar a week more. That will be two dollars a week saved. Now, to-morrow I will go to Allen & Roman's and offer to make shirts for them at the same price that Rathbone & Simonson pay, which is ten cents a shirt less than Allen & Roman now pay us, if they will advance us $50 for Walter to go to California, and take it back at two dollars each week until we have it paid. Oh! I am sure they will do it, they are so good and kind; and then they will save so much on the shirts each week. Ten cents is a good deal, and Rathbone & Simonson say that Allen & Roman are fools to pay us so much; but they knew father. It was he who fixed up their store when they began business; and they always praise him, and say he is so honest and good, and they are sorry for his accident; and Mr. Allen told me, the other day, that the shirts we made gave more satisfaction than any shirts they ever had made before, and he told me I looked pale, and that I must not work so hard, and was so kind in his way of talking to me. Oh! I know he will do it. What do I care if I am a little pale? It will only be for this year, and then-oh! yes; and then, when we hear from Wal- ter, and when he sends us home gold that he himself has dug in California ! Oh! won't that make us all so happy!"
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And here she clapped her little hands together, while her face lit up with delight at the thought; then she again ran on and murmured:
" To-morrow, yes, to-morrow, will be a great day, and I will show Walter that he was right when he said he would talk to me as if I was a woman grown. And I will tell him to ask no ques- tions, but to just go and get ready for California." Then her voice dropped to the lowest whisper, and, pressing her hands over her eyes, she continued: " Oh, how lonesome I will feel when I see the ship sailing away with poor Walter on board ! Then I will cry. Oh, yes, I can't help that; but I will soon get over it; for I will have to attend to my work, and to cheer up dear father and mother."
Thus Minnie ran on as she undressed, and, after she was in bed, she continued building castles in the air. Over and over she shaped them, till they grew almost real to her heated fancy. Her eyes, instead of closing in sleep, were wide open; fixed, in the darkness, on the happy and beautiful scenes in her coming life which her imagination pictured before her. At length she suddenly seemed to recollect that sleep she must, so as to enable her to face her work of " to-morrow." By an effort she changed her thoughts to her daily duties, and was not disappointed, for soon she was lost in dreams; but they were troubled, and the morning light found poor Minnie unrefreshed.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE GIRL'S ERRAND-ADA AND MINNIE.
Monday morning came, bright and beautiful, to all, rich and poor. Minnie, though half weary, arose, full of resolute cour- . age, and was unusually quick in her morning work. She found a good opportunity to talk with her mother. She was pleased to find that Uncle John had prepared her for Walter's prop- osition, and that both her parents had made up their minds to let Walter go, if he could in any way get the necessary amount of money without taking the little sum that lay in the savings bank, which they held as almost sacred. Minnie now explained her plan for getting the fifty dollars to her mother, and, as she did so, somehow it did not look so sure of success as it did to herself the night before. Her mother said:
" Dear child, I am satisfied that we should work a little more every day, as you say, if it would get us the money for Walter on the terms you speak of. But, Minnie dear, I fear you will find that Allen & Roman will not advance so large a sum on such security. They know father cannot work for a long time yet, and they know that it is your work and mine that supports all of us, and pays for medicine and the doctor's bills. And, though they will not doubt our honesty and good intentions, yet they will see that if anything happened to any of us, we could not pay so large a sum."
Poor Minnie's heart sank within her as she listened to her motber. Then, after a pause, in which she tried to regain her confidence and courage, she said:
" Well, dear mother, have you any objection that I should try, and see what they say ?"
" Not in the least, my dear child. Go, if you wish; and tell them that I make the request with you."
" But, mother darling, I do not want you to work longer each day than you do now, for you could not stand it. But I want you to agree that I may; for nothing hurts me, you know, for I am so strong and young, you know."
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" My darling," said her mother, kissing her, " let us not dis- pute this point until you hear what Allen & Roman say about the money."
It was not long before Minnie was on her way to Allen & Ro- man's. She took with her four shirts they had just finished. As nearer and nearer she came to Allen & Roman's place of business, less and less did the chance of her meeting with success appear; so that when she reached the door of the store her heart entirely failed her, and the proposition that looked so reasonable and so advantageous to the merchants the night before, now looked al- most ridiculous and unreasonable for any one to propose to busi- ness inen. Her breathing was short and hard, and she felt so faint that she had to stop a moment before she entered the store. She tried to collect her thoughts, and said:
" How is it that everything looks so different to me from what it did last night ? I told Walter I was as wise as a woman grown, and he said the same ; but, after all, I find I am nothing but a foolish little girl. Well, I will leave those shirts, anyway."
Poor Minnie! her heart was now at the lowest and saddest depth. The loss of her great plan to get the fifty dollars seemed to bewilder her. That plan, which was the corner-stone of all the castles she had lain awake so long the night before to build and admire. The castles, that reached away into the future of her life, making every one she loved happy, she had now to give up as absurd.
As she entered the store she felt like one in a dream. Every- thing around her had a sort of moonlight appearance. Me- chanically she handed the shirts to the clerk, and asked for a supply of unmade ones. As she spoke, her lips quivered, and it was all she could do to save herself from a burst of hysterical weeping.
Just then a beautiful little girl, dressed in the richest style, came dashing into the store from the office, full of laughter, holding a gold watch in her hand, with its long guard-chain en- tangled around her arm. She was closely pursued by her mother, calling to her :
" Here, now, you little mischief; give me that watch."
The child ran to Minnie for protection, and, almost leaping into her arms, thrust the watch into Minnie's bosom, saying:
" Don't let Ma have it."
Then followed a treaty of peace between the mother and child, in which Minnie had, of necessity, to join. During this little
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performance the mother's attention was attracted to Minnie's appearance. She had never seen her before, and there was a something about the child that fascinated Mrs. Allen. And now Minnie's dark-blue eyes lit up with an undefined hope as she saw the lady's look fixed on her.
" Did you want to see Mr. Allen?" said Ada, in her sweetest voice.
" Oh, yes, ma'am," said Minnie; " but I have given it up. It
was foolish to think of it."
" What have you given up, dear girl; and what was it that was so foolish to think of ?"
" Oh, dear Mrs. Allen, for I know now that it is to Mrs. Allen I am speaking, I have given it all up; so there is no use in tell- ing you. You would think me so foolish."
While she spoke, her color came and went alternately; but her eyes were brighter and brighter, and larger and larger, it ap- peared to Ada.
" Mr. Allen has only just gone out, and will undoubtedly be in soon again ; so, until he returns, come in and sit in the office with me, and tell me all about yourself. Perhaps I can be of some use to you."
Without speaking, Minnie followed Ada, just as one in a fairy tale follows a good Geni, who has appeared to them. She took her seat opposite Mrs. Allen, and was now calm, but excited to the utmost. Her beautiful eyes were full of truth, and in them her heart was easily seen.
" Well, Mrs. Allen," Minnie begau, "you look so kind and good, that you will not think badly of me, if I do just tell you everything-my plan and all."
" Certainly not, dear; it is just what I asked you to do," said Ada.
Then Minnie told her who she was ; how her family came to apply for work to Allen & Roman; how she left the Sisters' school to help her mother after her father's accident ; how her brother read to them every night about gold in California.
Then she told of her talk with her brother Walter the night before, and of her plan to raise the money, and how nice the plan looked that night, but how different it looked as she came near the store, and how she gave it up and was just going to leave for home when " that little angel," concluded Minnie, pointing to little Alice, who was now seated on her mother's lap, with her eyes fixed on Minnie, " flew to me, and as I put my
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arms around her, courage came back and I felt like myself again, and was able to tell you all this."
Ada had to struggle to keep Minnie from seeing how much her simple story affected her. If she had followed the impulse of her heart, she would have counted out to Minnie the coveted fifty dollars from her pocketbook, but she preferred to leave the matter to Edmund; so she said:
" Now, Minnie, as soon as Mr. Allen comes in, you go into the store and wait there while I talk with him, and I will tell you if he can find any way to help your brother to go to Califor- nia."
" Oh! Mrs. Allen," said Minnie, " I fear I am giving you too much trouble. I did not mean to do so."
" It is no trouble; I will be very glad if Mr. Allen can help your brother."
Then Ada talked on with her about various things, and was more and more pleased the better the insight she got into her generous, unselfish character.
Edmund came, and Ada and he had a talk on Minnie's busi- ness, and they soon came to a conclusion. Edmund called ber in, shook hands with her; asked for her father in the kindest way. Then he said:
" Minnie, Mrs. Allen has told me all about your wanting fifty dollars to help your brother go to California, and, also, your plan to pay it back. Your plan is a very good one, and does you great credit, but I think I have a better plan. Mrs. Allen tells me that she often wants little jobs of sewing done for herself and the children, and she proposes to give you all such in the future, and she will credit you with the amount on this fifty dol- lars I will give you now, and after Walter gets to California, if he sends me the money, then Mrs. Allen will pay you and your mother for all work done up to that time. How will that plan do, Minnie ?"
" Oh, that will be ever so much better for us all, Mr. Allen, and I will be delighted; but, you know, we will make the shirts for the store for ten cents apiece less, while we owe this money; that is, for the same price Rathbone & Simonson pay."
Edmund smiled.
" No, Minnie; not one cent less. The store has nothing to do with this fifty dollars; it comes from my private funds. You work too hard as it is, and I hope Walter will be able to send you home money, as I am sure he will be, for he is a good, steady
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boy, so that you and your poor mother will not have to work so hard, for, as I told you once before, you are looking pale."
As Edmund spoke, he counted out fifty dollars and handed it to Minnie. She was unable to say a word of thanks, but caught his hand and kissed it. Then, turning to Mrs. Allen, she whis- pered :
" May I kiss you !"
Ada at once stooped and kissed her, in the most cordial man- ner. Minnie now caught up little Alice in her arms, and, hug- ging and kissing her, she said:
" I owe all this to this little angel!'
Then she put her handkerchief to her face to hide her flowing tears, and hurried through the store, with the fifty dollars grasped hard in her little hand, and now over the pavements she almost bounded.
As Edmund and Ada walked home from the store, after Min- nie's visit, their conversation turned on the Wagner family, for Ada had become very much interested in all that concerned them. Edmund gave her all the particulars that she had not got from Minnie's own story.
" Well, Edmund," said his wife, as he concluded, " that fifty dollars you gave little Minnie did me more good than if you had spent five hundred on me in diamonds and jewelry."
" I have not the least doubt of it, my dear wife, and it does appear to me a thousand times the best way of spending money when one has it to spend."
" Oh, yes, and it gives so much more happiness than if spent for mere personal pleasure. I will, of course, give them but lit- tle work, for I see the poor things are worked to death. Had I not better, Edmund, go and see if the poor father is wanting in any necessity ?"
" Do, dear, and take sister Alice with you; but recollect they are proud, and you would hurt their feelings if you proposed to give them anything in charity." ·
" Of course," said Ada, " I could see that from the independ- ent, noble bearing of that beautiful child. No; I will take them a job of sewing, you know."
And so it was settled.
" Well," said Ada, after a pause, " how fearfully this Califor- nia excitement is spreading; it reaches the rich and the poor both ."
" Yes, dear Ada, so it does," responded Edmund.
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Then both walked on in thoughtful silence until they reached their own home.
When Minnie reached home with the money, the surprise and gratification of her parents knew no bounds, as neither supposed there was even a chance of her success. When Walter cam home in the evening he was equally surprised, and declared that Minnie was not only a little woman, but the greatest little woman in the whole State of New Jersey. Now all difficulties in the way of Walter's departure were overcome. But in this success, joy and gladness were blended. Joy that Walter could go, and sad- ness that they were parting with him. Minnie's heart seemed proud within her at the result of her day's work; but yet, when she retired to her room that night and knelt, her prayers were all murmurings of praise and thanks to God. The excitement had made her feverish, and her head was hot, so, to relieve it, she unfastened her long silky hair, and let it fall loose on her shoulders, bathed her face and hands in cold water, and then re- tired to her bed. Soon her little, weary frame was resting in sweet, refreshing sleep.
Mrs. Wagner, recollecting all poor Minnie had gone through that day, and anxious to see if her rest was quiet, arose from her seat by the father's sick-bed and went to her room. As she en- tered, she stood near the bed and elevated the light in her hand. Minnie had thrown the bed clothes back so as to leave her shoulders and arms cool and free from the weight of the clothes; . she is partly turned on her side and facing the wall; her little hands are clasped before her, as if in prayer; her hair has fallen down over the pillow in profusion to the floor, at her mother's feet, forming a picture of beauty and innocence that charmed and filled the mother's heart with happiness and pride, and a smile of almost triumph appeared on her face; but suddenly the smile disappears, and tremblingly she listens, for Minnie mur- murs: " Gold, Walter, gold, where is it ?" Oh, California! California! What do you mean to do with this beautiful child? Lure her on, and set her heart wild with fabulous stories of your riches and gold, until we shall find her on a steamer's deck away, far away on one of your great rivers, alone and unprotected, trembling in fear; for fiends in human shape are planning a fear- ful fate for her. But God, in His almighty power, is there to watch and save her, as here, in this peaceful little room, He now guards her in her sweet, refreshing sleep.
CHAPTER IX.
DESIRE TO GO TO CALIFORNIA-DEPARTURE.
To Edmund Allen everything around Newark became daily staler and staler, and terribly insipid. The whole Pacific coast appeared suddenly to loom up, aud to call for the young, ener- · getic and ambitious to come forth and build there a great nation, and be themselves first among the first. This sort of attraction was not of that sordid character that led so many to California. It was far more noble, and reached many a heart that gold alone could not have tempted to leave home and all that was dear to them on earth. Edmund became deeply interested in all the scraps of history of the Pacific coast that were every day appear- ing in the public prints, and at length became fired with an am- bition to mingle with the actors there. Ada saw the growing desire taking possession of his mind, and trembled to think of the consequences. At length, one morning after breakfast, he said to her:
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