USA > California > A picture of pioneer times in California, illustrated with anecdotes and stores taken from real life > Part 42
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While Mrs. Lighthead ran on, thus developing her ideas of the duties and aims of woman, Minnie's disgust and indignation were such that she could hardly listen with common patience, for every sentiment of her genuine womanhood was offended. However, commanding herself as well as it was possible, she said, in a decided, though somewhat tremulous voice:
" Mrs. Lighthead, let me again assure you that you miscon- ceive me altogether. I neither want a rich husband, nor a poor one. My brother in California needs my sisterly care and assist- ance, and he shall have both as long as they are of any use to him; for he is my darling brother, and his success is my success,
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and mine is his; nor shall any claim of another's come to inter- fere with this-the sole object of my going to California. Do please spare yourself the trouble of introducing me to any one. All I ask is to pass unnoticed on this passage to San Francisco, where I am to meet my brother." And Minnie could not refrain from adding : " I see that your ideas as to the duties of our sex are altogether different from those of my mother. According to her ideas, our sex have great duties to perform, and we are pe- culiarly gifted by God with beauties of person and mind, the better to enable us to do those duties; but if you are right, Mrs. Lighthead, our sex is low indeed in the scale of creation; yes, lower than the beasts that walk the field, for they all do their just and equal shares as assigned them; but our half of human- ยท ity, according to your view, is only intended to prey on the other half. As a belief in this would be too humiliating to me, I will retain my mother's views for the present, Mrs. Lighthead, with- out wishing to be disagreeable to you."
" Oh, certainly, Miss Wagner; retain your mother's views, they are very pretty." Here Mrs. Lighthead gave a chuckling laugh. " You are young yet. You will soon find out for your- self, especially out there in California; so we will drop the sub- ject."
Minnie now made an excuse to go below, for the very sight of this woman had become intolerable to her. She opened her trunk, and, taking out a book, kissed it, saying:
" Dear little book, you shall be my companion for the rest of this trip. You are a thousand times better than that creature calling herself a woman and a lady."
Minnie now read all the time, except during meals. When on deck she wore a wide sunshade, which, when her head was bent over her book, completely hid her face from view. She sat a lit- tle distance from Mrs. Lighthead, and avoided conversation with her as much as she could without being rude or giving offense. Mrs. Lighthead soon began to draw gentlemen around her, with whom she talked and laughed with the familiarity of old ac- quaintances. Minnie kept clear of all these persons for some time, until one day Mrs. Lighthead walked directly over to where she was seated, and said, in an affected sort of a way:
" Miss Wagner, my dear, Mr. Wild requests the honor of an introduction to you."
Minnie instantly arose, and, stepping a little aside, courtesied
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in a polite, formal manner, pretending not to see Wild's hand, which he partly extended. This cold, formal politeness rather confused Mrs. Lighthead's friend, but he tried to rally, and said :
" You seem very much interested in that book, Miss Wagner. Do you never give yourself any time to talk with your friends ?"
" Really, sir, I have no friends or acquaintances on board the steamer, except my escort, Mrs. Lighthead; and I am very much interested in this book, so my time passes as pleasantly as I could desire."
She said all this in a cold, reserved way, and remained stand- ing; evidently wishing to have it understood that she expected Mrs. Lighthead and her friend to move on, and let her resume her reading. There was no mistaking her wishes, but Wild made another effort.
" I have been in California, Miss Wagner, and am returning there again."
" Oh, you have ?" she said, in the same cold way, still not offer- ing to take her seat. Mrs. Lighthead now grew impatient, and said:
" Let us walk on, Mr. Wild.' Miss Wagner, I see, is impatient to get at her reading."
As they passed on, Minnie resumed her reading, letting her sunshade hide her face more than ever. As she seemed to read, she said to herself:
" What impudence that woman has, after I told her not to in- troduce me to any of her friends, to bring that vulgar, over- dressed fellow and introduce him to me. I fear I am going to have trouble. I see the ladies are all avoiding her already, and I think they avoid me, too, because I am under her charge. Yes; I am afraid I am going to have trouble."
The very next day Wild posted himself near her when she sat down to read, and tried to enter into conversation with her; but she only answered in monosyllables. He knew she had no pro- tector on board, for Mrs. Lighthead was worse than no pro- tector, and encouraged him in his obtrusive impudence; so he moved up close to her, and said, in a familiar tone:
" Why are you so cruel, Miss Minnie ? You are too handsome to be so cold to a person introduced to you by your escort."
Minnie started; her blood ran quickly to her face and back again, and, without answering a word, she rose from her seat to 29
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go, when Wild caught her dress, saying:
"No; don't run away. Listen to what I say."
She faced straight round towards him; and, while her eyes flashed defiance, she said:
" Take your hand off instantly, or I will call the Captain to protect me."
He let go, and shrank back like a detected thief ; and Minnie quickly disappeared towards her stateroom, exclaiming, as she threw herself into a chair:
" What on earth will I do ! I see several nice ladies here. Shall I go to that nice, old lady they call Mrs. Egbert, and ex- plain how I am situated, and ask her protection ? But if I do that, will not this creature I am with be so outrageously mad that she may defame and denounce me; and how can I convince Mrs. Egbert, in such a way as to make her satisfied to take a de- cided stand for me; or shall I go to the Captain and ask his pro- tection; but if I do, Mrs. Lighthead may throw out still worse insinuations, and I don't know what sort of a man the Captain is, though I suppose he is a good man ? Oh, mother ! Oh, Walter ! if you could only be here for ten minutes to direct me!"
Here Minnie remained in thought for a moment, and now ex- claimed:
" Yes; that will be the most dignified way, and the fairest to this woman I am with."
Just then Mrs. Lighthead entered the stateroom rather ex- cited and flushed, so Minnie had now the opportunity she wanted, and before Mrs. Lighthead had time to speak, she ad- dressed her:
" I am glad, Mrs. Lighthead, that you have come in. I want to say to you that that person you introduced to me as Mr. Wild has been most intrusively impudent to me ever since, and follows me from place to place, in attempts to get into conversation, when he knows it is disagreeable to me. Now, I appeal to you for protection against his advances, for if he persists, I will call on the Captain to protect me, if you cannot do it."
" You are wrong in this whole business, Miss Wagner. Mr. Wild is a very rich man from California. I introduced him to you because I saw he was struck with your beauty, and I was in hopes that you would find him an eligible person to be ac- quainted with, you know; and I must say I think you have treated me badly and him most shabbily."
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" Now, Mrs. Lighthead, I was placed under your charge. I would be very sorry to treat you badly, and will not do so; but did I not request that you would not introduce me to any one- rich or poor, man or woman ? I am resolved to be alone on this trip, you know, so we may as well understand each other at once. So please tell that person not to intrude on me any more."
" Well, you are a silly girl, but I see you are as obstinate as silly; so have your own way, and I will have mine. My husband is rich, and I am going to enjoy myself. I don't care who turns up the whites of their eyes at it."
Saying the last part of the sentence in a defiant tone, she strut- ted out of the stateroom.
After this, Minnie was left to herself for some time; but Mrs. Lighthead became more light every day in her deportment, and flirted and romped outrageously with the gentlemen who collected around her. She often staid with her company on deck late at night, and completely separated herself from Minnie. Sometimes boisterous men would follow her to the door of her stateroom, and make it most disagreeable to Minnie. However, she managed pretty well until she got on the Pacific side, when Mrs. Lighthead's conduct became almost openly shameful, and often insulting to Minnie. Wild became again troublesome, and took the liberty of introducing two or three of his compan- ions, who were as intrusive and impudent as himself. Minnie was now in the greatest terror, and could not imagine how to act. While in this state of mind, one Sunday, she sat all alone in a retired little nook on deck. Her prayer-book was open in her hands, but was pressed against her forehead so as to cover her eyes, from which streaming tears flowed fast. It was the first time she had yielded in this way since she left home, and now they were tears that came with the earnestness of her sup- plication to God for guidance and help. Some one came near here. She looked up, and there stood one of the two sisters she had often noticed standing or sitting together, and who were treated by every one-sailors and all-with good humor, but with the utmost respect. They were two Irish working girls, making their way to the land of high wages. The one now look- ing down on Minnie said, in a gentle, low voice:
" You are in trouble, Miss. Can I, or my sister, do anything for you ?"
" Oh, thank you," said Minnie; "I. fear not; but, then, you
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look so good and kind, and I suppose you and your sister are Catholics like myself, and you are older than I am; so, if your sister will come over and sit here with us, I will tell you what my trouble is, for I have not one in this ship to speak to; and per- haps you could help me."
So the other sister came, and they now introduced themselves as Jane and Maria Sullivan. Minnie told them her name, and that she was on her way to her brother in the mines, and how it came that she was put under Mrs. Lighthead's charge, and the terrible way she was now in; that she feared to go to the Captain lest Mrs. Lighthead would misrepresent her; and that, for the same reason, she did not go to any of the ladies for advice. " So, now, what had I better do, girls ?" said Minnie. " Give me your advice; for, when I was praying for help, you came to me."
" Indeed, Miss," said Jane, "it is you that could give the likes of us advice, and as to the help we could give you, it is very little; but we will put our heads together, just as if you were one of us, and think of what it is best to do. We-that is, Maria and I-knew all the time that you were good, from the way we saw you keep away from that lady you have the room with; and then we saw you reading from a prayer-book, and Maria found it the other day where you had been sitting, and then we saw you were a Catholic, and our hearts warmed towards you like; and when we saw you crying to-day, all so lonesome by yourself, and you so handsome and young, Maria said: " What a pity ! Go, Jane, and talk to her.' So that is the way, Miss, we came to interfere with you."
"Oh! it is no interference at all. I am most thankful to you; I feel better already." And Minnie wiped away all traces of tears. " I know God did answer my prayers."
" Well," said Jane; "we know each other now. So let us think. What do you say, Maria ?"
" Well," said Maria; " if I were Miss Minnie here, I would never again enter the stateroom of that woman, for I overheard some talk between her and the two fellows with the white vests, who are always with her; and one of them said:
" ' I will trap her in the stateroom alone yet, and I will bring down her pride. I will run the risk of this brother of hers. My six-shooter is as good as his, and has shot a man across the table before now; and she is the handsomest creature I ever saw, and shall not escape me, I am determined.'"
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Minnie trembled all over, and became as white as a cloth while listening to Maria. Then her eyes lit up with a steady, quiet, brave light, while she drew from her bosom a silver dirk-knife, about four inches long, with a two-edged blade, not more than half an inch wide in the widest place. It was of bright, sharp steel, and had an ivory handle, with a guard for the hand made of silver, so contrived and bent back that it was a support to the hand, as well as a protector. It was the well-remembered ladies' protection bowie-knife of "forty-nine." The sisters started when she showed this little weapon, but Minnie quietly said:
" Look, girls; my uncle John gave me that when I was leaving home, and showed me how to use it; and bade me never use it, ex- cept to protect my life or honor; ' and then,' said he, 'as a last resort use it, and God will give strength to your arm.' And I feel that, in such a case, I would be no coward, and that God would give strength to my arm."
As she spoke and was replacing the weapon, the girls both fixed their eyes upon her with delight and admiration that they could not conceal; and Jane, obeying a sudden impulse, reached over and kissed her cheek. All three now understood each other perfectly. No further explanations were necessary. The only question left was, what had they better do ? Jane said:
" Well, Miss Minnie, how do you think we had better help you ? We will do anything you say."
Poor Minnie now became reassured, and as brave as could be, for, as she sat between these two poor Irish girls, she felt that she had protectors that insured her safety. After a minute's pause, she said:
" Tell me how you are situated in the second cabin."
" Well, Miss, uncomfortable enough. We are to ourselves, of course; but we have to dress and undress behind a curtain, and every place for a woman in the second cabin is taken up. All honest women; but some of them are cross enough, and make trouble. I don't see in the world how you could find a place there, if that is what you are thinking of."
" Yes, Jane; that is what I was thinking of; but, from what you say, that will not do, and we must think more."
Just then Minnie saw the Captain standing some distance from where they sat in council, apparently watching them with earnest attention, and evident surprise, she supposed, at seeing her seated between the two Irish girls. In a moment Minnie's mind was made up; and, whispering to Jane, she said:
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" Come with me to the Captain."
Without hesitation, Jane obeyed. A word had never, up to this time, passed between Minnie and the Captain. Her uncom- mon beauty had often attracted his attention, but, being under the charge of such a frivolous woman as Mrs. Lighthead, gave him the impression that she must be some runaway girl from a respectable family; so, while he admired her beauty, he pitied her also, as he supposed her lost; yet her great dignity of con- duct and manner puzzled him when he thought at all about the matter. Now a new light seemed to strike him, as he saw her seated between the Irish girls, evidently taking refuge with them.
" Oh !" said he to himself: " By Heavens ! she is all right, after all, or she never would have thrown herself into that Gibraltar. Yes; I understand her perfectly now; she has, in that one move, checkmated these rascals that were dogging her, rid her- self of that worthless woman who had her in charge, established herself in the good opinion of every one, and secured a guard of honor, with which she could travel in safety all the world over; for, whatever they may say of the Irish, justly or unjustly, there is none to doubt the pre-eminent chastity of their women, high and low, taken as a class; and worthless men are seldom so foolish as to undertake the hopeless task of undermining it."
As soon as the Captain saw Minnie and Jane approaching him, he advanced a few steps to meet them; and, raising his hat to Minnie, said, with marked respect:
" Miss Wagner, I believe," and continued, as she bowed in assent: " I have not had the pleasure of an introduction, but that is unnecessary. So, please, young lady, say if I can be of any use to you."
Minnie was so agitated that she could not at first get her voice when she tried to speak, and was trembling in every limb. Jane quickly passed her strong arm around her waist, fearing she was about to faint, and said:
" Give her a little time, Captain, please, and she will tell you."
" Please, Miss Wagner, take a seat, and do not allow yourself to be so agitated. We have plenty of time, and it is my duty to attend to the wants of my passengers. So, after you rest a little, tell me what you want, and I will, I think, be able to assist you."
Minnie sat down by the Captain, and Jane remained standing;
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but the Captain, pointing to a vacant seat, said: "Please sit, also."
Minnie now, by an effort, recovered herself; and, looking up to the Captain with an expression of countenance the Captain afterwards declared to have been the sweetest he had ever seen in his life, said, in a voice yet trembling, but earnest and clear:
" Oh! Captain; I am so far from home, and so frightened, for I have no protection here; and I want to tell you everything; and I was so afraid, you see, that you might not know that I was telling you just the truth."
" Be assured, Miss Wagner, that I shall not misunderstand you; so do not be at all alarmed. Speak to me as you would to a friend; for it is my duty to be a friend to each and every pas- senger on board this steamer."
Now, Minnie, in her own gentle way, told the Captain, as she had told the girls, how she came to be with Mrs. Lighthead, and the terrible life she was leading with her for the last ten days, and how she formed the acquaintance of the two girls; and that they had offered to protect her; and that, if it were possible, she wanted to get some room or safe place, where she could sleep and stay with them for the rest of the voyage; and that she was well provided with money, and would pay for this accommoda- tion; and for which, besides, she and her brother would be ever so much obliged. She then told who her brother was and where he was in business, and taking from between the leaves of her prayer-book Walter's letter, just received before she left home, she handed it to the Captain, with a request that he would read it. The Captain assured her that the reading of the letter was un- necessary, but that he would do so to please her, at his earliest convenience, and then return it. He further assured her of his full approval of the move she had made, and that she might rely on his protection.
He then went to see the Purser, and soon returned with the news that an arrangement could be made to give a state-room to Minnie and her two friends, with the right for the girls to take their meals in the cabin at the second table.
Minnie was now truly happy. That afternoon, under the orders of the Purser, her baggage was removed to its new loca- tion, and the two girls were installed with her. Minnie's story ran fast among her fellow-passengers; and soon she became the object of interest and praise.
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" I knew all the time," said one lady, " that she was all right." " Yes," said another; " I did, too, and pitied her."
" Well, then, mamma, why did you forbid me to go to talk to her the other day, if you knew she was all right, as you say," said a nice girl of sixteen to her discerning mother. " Or, why did not some of you go and offer to help her, as those Irish girls did ?"
" You are not old enough to understand these things yet, my dear. It was necessary for Miss Wagner (I believe that is her name,) to place herself right before any of us ladies could go near her. That she has now done; and, of course, we are will- ing to take her by the hand."
" But she won't want you now, mamma; and I cannot, for the life of me, see why some of you who praise her now, and who saw all the time that she was good, did not do what those Irish girls did, when you saw her fairly driven out of her stateroom by the conduct of that woman."
" Oh ! child, you don't, I tell you, understand these matters; so say no more about it."
Mrs. Lighthead was furious at Minnie's leaving her, and went to the Captain in a rage. The Captain was seated quietly reading in his office when she appeared before him. He raised his head from his book, but never moved his position, as Mrs. Lighthead commenced:
" Captain, did you sanction that young girl leaving my pro- tection and going off with those Irish women ?"
" I approved of the course Miss Wagner took, Mrs. Light- head. Did you wish anything else, madam ?"
The Captain spoke in a slow, measured tone, without a muscle in his face moving, while his eyes were fixed on Mrs. Lighthead's countenance.
" Captain, my husband is a rich man, and lives in San Fran- cisco, and I will report this conduct of yours to him; for, of course, that conceited hussy of a girl leaving me for such com- pany is an insult to me, sir; and I will report it to my husband, sir. You can depend on that!"
" The last man in the world, Mrs. Lighthead, that you want this matter discussed before, is your husband," the Captain said, in the same quiet tone, still holding the book open before him, while his eyes were bent on his visitor with a half-contemptuous look gleaming out of them. " But if you wish it, I will go with
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you to him, and I will take a witness or two with us." And now his lips fairly curled with a contemptuous smile. Mrs. Light- head turned and flounced out of the office. From that hour Mrs. Lighthead's whole conduct was changed. She appeared to cut her gentlemen acquaintances dead, and was propriety and circumspection itself in all her conduct for the rest of the voyage.
As the steamer neared San Francisco, Mrs. Lighthead was seen to approach the Captain, and have some earnest words with him, appearing to use her handkerchief freely, as if to stop flowing tears. The interview seemed satisfactory to her, and, just as she was leaving, the Captain was heard to say :
" All right; you have nothing to fear from me, Mrs. Light- head."
So let us hope that Minnie's heroic conduct not only got her- self out of a great difficulty, but also saved from utter ruin the poor, weak creature under whose protection she had so unfortu- nately beeu placed.
Wild and his friends never again tormented Minnie; and the two Irish girls watched and cared for her as if she was some- thing sacred. She sat between them on the deck, and amused them either by talking or reading to them. She would not go to the first table to take her meals, but waited for the second, and sat between them. A rather homely young lady, observing this, said:
" I do believe she does that to show off her beauty, for I con- fess she does look charming seated there between those great, strong women; and I see the gentlemen all making excuses to pass by her so as to have a look at her."
" But how is it," said another, " that now that all the ladies and gentlemen are trying to get acquainted with her, she avoids them as much as we avoided her before? This, surely, does not look like trying to show off her beauty."
After a few days, Minnie was left entirely undisturbed with her two friends, until the steamer dropped anchor in the bay of San Francisco.
CHAPTER VII.
MINNIE'S PLAN TO MEET HER BROTHER.
It was ten in the morning when the steamer in which our little heroine came passenger reached the wharf in San Francisco. In the confusion and rush that ensued no one seemed to notice Min- nie or her two faithful companions. Oh, with what intense anxiety did Minnie watch the face of every man that rushed on board; but two hours passed, and no Walter came for his pet and darling sister. A terrible fear took possession of her that some accident had befallen him.
" Oh, girls, what will I do ? Here, a stranger and alone, and you are strangers, too. Oh, if anything should have happened Walter!"
" Dear Miss Minnie, do not forget so that God is with you. Do as you did before; do what looks right for you to do, and He will take you through all safe, you know, Miss Minnie."
" Yes, Jane, you are right, and this is no time to be a coward. What is the name of the boarding-house you were directed to by the friend who wrote to you from Stockton to come to Cali- fornia ?"
Jane then took a letter out of her pocket, and read from it the following:
"When you get to San Francisco go to a boarding-house kept by one Nicholas Donnelly and his wife, in Jackson street, a little below Mont- gomery street. She and her husband are good people, and will soon get you a place, and if they do not, write to me, and I can get you lots of places up here. If any one asks you to marry them, don't do it until you know who you are marrying, for there are some great rascals in California, as well as lots of good men. I am going to be married to a nice farmer myself next week."
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