USA > California > The California pilgrim: a series of lectures > Part 14
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them the most good, and interfere least with their pros- perity afterward ; so that they would, in the end, feel it least, as a burden. God had spared one church ; he had spared the one he had, perhaps, because it would be the least able to rise under the pressure of a heavy calamity, or because it needed some such mercy to keep it alive at all. We might suppose this reason, or that, or both, to be the true ones, but we were too ignorant to determine the matter definitely. The judgment was sent on the city, as a whole. The community needed rebuke and chastise- ment, and it had come in tarrible severity : and thus it was that we must interpret it, as against the whok; people, taken en masse. The city might, or might not, be more wicked than others. All of them have suffered, because all have deserved ill, and needed to suffer.
Mr. Antiquary said he had been in the city from its inception, and, certainly, it had been wicked enough, and God had told the people so by tempests, floods, and now, at last, by devouring fire. Men had too soon forgotten the previous voices of alarm and rebuke. They might not forget this so quickly. They had grown insolent, proud, and self confident. They had thought Embankment could not be burned. They had trusted to their wide streets, their still nights, their well filled reservoirs, their brave and gallant firemen, their vigilant police, and their prompt and irresistible energy.
But they were now effectually taught, how vain were all sueh relianees, except the Lord kept the eity. They had done much to provoke the displeasure of Heaven. They had loved and sought the wages of iniquity. They had loved the revel and debauch. They had gone to the doors of her whose house was the grave of innocence, and had
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embraced pollution. They had traveled in company with harlots, leaving their unsuspecting wives at home. They had uttered oaths and blasphemed God. They had delighted in obscenity, and had corrupted and debauched the young and innocent. They had loved lies, and defrauded and cheated one another, and the government. They had put base creatures in power, to use them for private ends. They had been worldly and selfish, in the last degree. They had sold themselves for a piece of bread ; while character, manliness, and everything had gone for gain. Nothing was good to them which could not be coined into money, or into some sensual gratification. They had forsaken the house of God, and retused to hear his law. They had made play- houses profitable, while churches were groaning under debts. They had pampered actors, and starved clergymen. They had not only tolerated, but encouraged any and every vio- lation of the Sabbath, quite too long. They had drugged, bloated, and degraded themselves in the haunts of the drunkard and the profligate. God had not been in all their thoughts. They had said, God doth not sec ; he hideth his face ; he will not require it. They had account- ed gain better than godliness, and had been "lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God; " and God had said, " shall I not visit them for these things ; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a city as this ? "
Alas ! said Pilgrim, that it should be so ; but as you must certainly know what has transpired in the town, it is not strange, that God should visit their sins upon the people, and teach them that they are but men, that they have no assurance of anything they value, so long as they disobey and offend God ; since it is in his power to take everything away, at the moment it shall please him so to do. And
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thus they would not only expose themselves, by their evil courses, but good men would be compelled to suffer what they would not otherwise, merely from the fact of dwelling in their midst.
Mr. Sharp said he hoped the people would, from this time forward, respect the Sabbath and all good laws, and not go on again recklessly ; and that in their calculations, they would take in such an element as the providence of God; inasmuch as they could now see, very clearly, that there was such a thing, and a far more powerful thing, than they had hitherto been accustomed to regard it.
Now I saw that the grey light of morning came, and they were relieved of their charge. So there was a mutual sha- king of hands, and a separation in various directions. And, ere Pilgrim and Keep Faith reached the place of their abode, the sun rose upon the earth. But how different was the scene in Embankment, from that on which he had smiled at his going down ! Desolation sat supreme amid the ruins. Curling smoke and dust clouds enveloped her comfortless throne. Broken fragments, cinders, and ashes were strewn at her feet. And over all, for a scepter, she waved a burning brand !
MORAL.
We have always known, intellectually, that the things of this world were vain and transitory. But we have never felt the truth as we feel it now. We never could feel it so deeply before. We have been impressively taught. We now do know emphatically the emptiness and vanity of all earthly things. They were ours, but they are not. They have perished in a night. Our pomp is brought down, our
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beauty is withered away. Yesterday we had ; to-day we have not. But yesterday we reckoned our wealth by hun- dreds and by thousands. To-day we reekon our poverty by ones and by tens. And if we have no sources of comfort and happiness other than those supplied by our material possessions, we are miserable and unhappy enough, in a day like this, when we cannot but understand what poor provis- ion is made for joy by amassing wealth alone.
We have been proud and self confilent, and we have been justly rebuked. We looked on our growing city, with its vast resources, its immense trade, its increasing mimbers, its augmenting wealth, its improving aspect, and its proud structures, too much in the spirit of the ancient king who said, " Is not this great Babylon, that I have built by the might of my power ? " And now our " judgment reacheth unto heaven, and is lifted up even to the skies." To insure us permanent prosperity, to secure to us the ordinary results of our labor, we see that something more is necessary than industry, than enterprise, than energy, than watchful- ness, than perseverance, than clastic forces, than the go ahead spirit. All these we have had, and yet our riches have taken wings, our fair possessions are laid waste. We have thought, that with these we were sufficient unto ourselves, and to our aims. We were mistaken. We left out God's providence from our calculations. We took no heavenly element into our business. And these smoking ruins are the rebuke sent for our folly and our presumption.
And, then, we are chastened for our sin. The curse causeless doth not come Forgetting our dependence on God for our success in our avocations, and giving no heed to his providences, we have gone further, and have set his authority at defiance, slighted his ordinances, and trampled
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on his laws. We have wittingly displeased and affronted the Lord of all. And this calamity is the terrible reproof of our wickedness. It is the rod of anger. It is vindicative justice. We do not well to harden ourselves in this day of our visitation. It behooves us to lay our foundations anew in truth and in righteousness, in the fear of the Lord, and in obedience to his laws. We must no longer profane his name, no longer desecrate liis Sabbaths, no longer covet, no longer worship gold, no longer embrace the polluted, no longer murder the innocent. If we do not well, sin shall lie at our door. If we would escape the scourge, we must cease from sin.
14
LECTURE X.
Now I saw in my dream, that Pilgrim and Keep Faith partook of refreshments, and then retired to rest for some hours, at judge Trueside's, after the labors, struggles, and anxious watchings of the night, wherein the tempest of fire swept away the goodly city of Embankment, so long the pride of her citizens and of the great valley.
They awoke, renewed in feeling and energy, though their limbs were still stiff from over exertion. They were now As well as could introduced to one Mr. Steadyheart, whose be expected. dwelling was hard by that of the judge, and then the four went together, and examined yards, gardens, fences, fields, grain, and herds of stock, on both sides of the turbid river, shrunk to a little stream, that was winding sluggishly along.
They went out also amid the rank and astonishing growths that almost choked the ground, in the low bottoms, where were dense thiekets of willow, elder, cottonwood, and various Thickets and shrubs, over all of which wild grape, and other
grapes in the bot- tom lands. vines, were running and spreading in the most wanton luxuriance, and shutting out effectually the light of the sun from the teeming soil. Here they found men and
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maidens, women and children, busily employed. It was the vintage scason among these native vineyards ; and the small purple grapes were hanging in massive clusters from the vines. Of the fruit the travelers ate, till, on account of their having become too tart, or for some more obvious reason, they had almost ceased from conversation on any topic.
In another direction, they made their way out of the bottoms, through thickets, briers, reeds, and tangled mazes of grass and weeds, and came sheer down upon the ferry- The ferryman man, who was working over, by hand ropes, a
and his barge.
load of mountain lumber, bound to Embank- ment, and working back a huge load of supplies for the hill country, and the thirsty dwellers in regions where the water is too pure, and too cold, for the purposes of civiliza- tion, and needs a little something to correct its noxious qualities, to take the chill off, and throw down to the bottom all the carthy and deleterious substances, before held in A medicine of solution ; though it might be a question, doubtful quali- ties. whether the matter so precipitated were previously held in solution by the water, or the "with it."
And so, ere it was past the gloaming, and ere the long lines of loaded vehicles had ceased stirring up clouds of dust along the thoroughfares in sight, clouds of dust, that rose into the air, like the smoke of huge steamers, and over - topped the loftiest trees in their winged flight of silence, they came once more to their pleasant place of sojourning.
Now I saw, that they prepared for an early departure in the morning, and left not a thing unsaid they wished to say, Not forgetful of nor failed in the measure of their gratitude kindness shown. and thankfulness to those who had ministered to their wants, and to their enjoyments. When they had
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kneeled to Heaven's Eternal King, and had sung the hymn : " My God, how endless is thy love," they retired to their couch, and soon were laid in sleep's serene oblivion. The ring of the clarion voice of the crowing cock, as he The cock crow- hailed the new dawn ; hailed never before, ing. to be hailed never again, though each passing moment usher in somewhere another dawn ; the chanti- eleer's voice, I say, awoke them, just as the first faint flashes of the morning overspread the east. They rose with thanks, and craved, silently, divine protection.
They had thought to step quietly out and proceed on their journey, without disturbing the household. But they did not succeed. For Mrs. Excellence belonged to the class A woman of the described in the Proverbs. "She looketh well Scriptures. to the ways of her household, and eateth not the bread of idleness. She riseth also while it is yet night, and giveth meat to her household." So she met them, at the foot of the stairs, and invited them to a smoking break- fast, where Miss Beatitude, with her ready smile, was waiting in her seat, to do the honors.
When their repast was finished, with giving of thanks, they were invited to a seat in judge Trueside's farm wagon, which was at the door. His business took him a few miles in their direction, and he could thus set them forward a The judge help- little on their journey. They helped them- eth then on their journey, selves across the river, for the ferryman was after a homely sort. still in his dreams, and rode away, at a good speed, from the timber that belted the far famed river, into the open, arid plain.
Their rough board seat across the box was much better than a single pole to ride on, and it served to settle their stomachs and foredoom all dyspepsia. Sometimes they
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fain would have gone on foot, for comfort's sake ; but they A ride for pro- were making good progress, and would, no gress rather than
pleasure. doubt, have experience enough, by and by, of the pleasures of self propulsion. So they kept themselves in cheerful mood, looking out for deep ruts and holes, and making elliptics of their knee hinges, and talking when they could, for the noise, and without danger of biting off their tongues.
Nearly two hours were consumed thus, in passing over a road that ran through, here and there, a timber grove, and by the houses of settlers and taverners, when they were set down at a famous pleasure resort, in a grove of oaks, on the border of the now dry channel of a brook. There was a number of men about the premises, nearly all of whom were very busy in the endeavor to get up an appetite for break- fast, by means of copious draughts, that caused them to make wry faces, and to put on a look, as though the medicine were bad to take, when, in fact, no doctor could have induced them to let it alone.
They had scarcely landed on the steps, when one of the bystanders asked them if they would not moisten, and another if they would not imbibe. They said in reply, not being exactly sure they understood the lingua, that they had done nothing but drink in fresh air all the morning, and were not faint. Another came and inquired if they had liquored. They sail they were not foot sore, and had no need of any such application. Another, still, inquired if A time of an- they never soaked any. They said they did
xious solicitude. not wish to anticipate the rains, for then soaking might be inevitable. A fourth was in earnest to know if they would not have something to take. But they declined taking anything, as they did not wish to burden
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themselves with more to carry. A fifth would insist, that, at such an hour, they stood in need of a cobbler, But they could see no holes in their shoes, nor perceive any such dilapidations as a cobbler could repair.
Just then, Mr. Antiquary came out from the dining hall, and released them from their embarrassment, in a room where men could think and talk of nothing but bibbing; where they drank to introductions, drank to farewells, drank to new acquaintance, to better acquaintance, and to old Occasions for acquaintance, drank to get appetite, then taking a glass. drank to help digestion, drank to get excite- ment, then drank to steady their nerves, drank when alone to make company, in company drank to make it social, and, in short, were never in want of a reason for drinking, nor able to see one for stopping.
Mr. Antiquary explained to the landlord who they were, and whither they were proceeding. The host was very glad to meet them, and admired their wise course. He said his wife, originally, was from their region, but she now was absent from home. IIc insisted that they should take A drink less something ; so Mr Antiquary suggested a fiery than the
colored liquids, pitcher of milk. It was brought out, and then all was right between them.
Mr. Antiquary told Pilgrim and Keep Faith, that, for the present, his occupation in Embankment was gone, and so he had come out there to join them, on their march, and have the pleasure of their society sometime longer, and until he might be more useful at home. So they bade the judge and his wagon a good morning, and went on their way.
In a few minutes, they came to some stakes, driven by a little foot path, that ran through the stubble, forty paces apart, where, on a certain summer morning, at sunrise, it
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The place where being Monday, and all the preliminaries a duel was fought. having been arranged on Sunday, two promi- nent men of the state had shot at each other twice, and one of them had fallen, in all the strength and beauty of his manhood, a victim to the absurd and cruel exactions of the, so called, " code of honor."
Mr. Antiquary said, the custom of dueling, in some form, was an old one, but it was a thing much more fair for both of the parties, before the day of fire arms, and many modern inventions, than now. But it was a difficult thing to remove Not easy to do the evil, wrong and absurd as it could be away the prac- tice. shown to be. Keep Faith had onee witnessed a scene of this sort ; but it was attended with no fatal, or bloody consequences ; and then every one sought to turn it into ridicule. He could see no remedy for it, except in the prevalence of better views of the subject, in the community at large, or such views, as would pass the duelist in silence, and give him over to oblivion, so that ho could not, as now, become notorious, and be raised into consoquenco, by engaging in a duel. For, some men would even court the danger of wounds and death, in duels, for the sake of notoriety, and of position, in certain circles, and for the name of braves. The only true and effective remedy for the The most effec- evil was, of course, the doctrine of Christ, as tual remedy. set forth in the gospel, forbidding all forms of private injury, and the indulgence of a spirit of malice, or revenge, in any circumstances.
Now I saw, that they kept onward, many miles, through a rolling prairie, into the low hills on the east of the great valley, stopping, now and then, to rest themselves in some sylvan shade, or to converse with a man at his door, or to salute women and children at their new found homes, far
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Salutations by from each other, but not distant from the noise, the way. dust, and travel, that linked the world above, among the hills, to the stirring world of the valley, and the sea coast. It was late in the day when they descended from a steep and high hill, where were broken wagons, half loads of goods on the ground, wagons with wheels chained, and teams that had been ill trained, and would not go in the way they should, drivers that went hard after them, in the evil direction, and used a harsh vocabulary, which the travelers were glad to get out of the sound of, and where, since the fire, anxious owners were watching for their loads, and were ready to gather up the fragments, in case of a crash.
Proceeding on their way, they soon found themselves The dust of amid the dust of Ophir; but it was as black Ophir not yel-
low. and unpalatable as any dust they had tasted. They had not yet succeeded in picking their way across the nearly dry bed of the stream, amid rails, sticks, and holes, when they were met by a man with long hair, of no color in particular, a long, sorrel beard, hanging over his breast, and fertilized with a rich admixture of tobacco juice and free soil, and with a squint in one of his grey eyes, who announced himself as Mr. Clay Monger.
He was very anxious to show them, as new comers, good Mr. Clay Mon- locations, and to assist them in the matter of ger volunteers claims ; for, of course, they would stop in the his valuable ser-
vices. richest spot for digging in winter, the country afforded. He was extremely voluble, and gave no one else a chance to edge in a remark. He had located thousands, and sold many a claim, and his claims always paid. He was not a speculator on his own account ; he looked out for others. He never sold a claim in his life, except on the score of benevolence. He was perfectly disinterested ; only
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he had rockers, toms, and tools, he would dispose of to those who insisted on having them. He liked the looks of the new comers wonderfully ; and they might vastly benefit the place, by remaining in it and promoting its good morals, for they needed some mending.
They did not stop to listen to him long, for his stories The benevo- hung together no better than the crown of his lence is not ap-
preciated. hat and the brim, his breath was rummy, and they had heard him, or some one near him, using language, ere they came up, that did not sound like that of a consistent advocate of moral reform, so much, as that of a worshiper at the shrine of a hogshead.
So they got over into the town, and found it to consist, mainly, of one crooked, sidelong street, built on at random, and off from, likewise ; where rows of shanties, stores, grog- shops, saloons, hotels, and the tall poles of parties political, managed, ly dint of some grazing, to keep the uneven road A town in the running along between them, till it came out mines, capable of improvement. where it had room to wind away, and get up from the hollow as it could. They were not prepossessed with this town, boasting so ancient a name, and they could not consent to tarry there for the night ; though it might be a rich and prosperous town, in spite of all they saw, and did not see ; for they beheld no church, no school house, no publie hall for any but money changers, and very few commodious dwellings, that seemed to contain women and children. They did hear from some one, afterwards, of several literary men to be found there, of whom one was a graduate of a popular and ancient university at the east, and there ranked high for his genius ; and they sincerely hoped he might live to see palmier days, and pleasing changes in his town.
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They now went a nearer road than the one over which the stage coaches toiled wearisomely, and, following the ravine, toward its source, they were not long in reaching another town, rejoicing in a beautiful name, a name made A beanitful name classic by the genius of the man who sang for a mining town. the " loveliest village of the plain." But, horrors ! here was a town, miles away from any plain, famous three years for dry diggings, big lumps, and rough men, lying low in a hollow, and on the edges of a hollow scooped out by nature, at the junction of a half dozen small ravines, built so as to craze an artist of weak nerves by its very grotesqueness, and yet attaching its golden fortunes and unique structures to the classic beauty of the muse of Goldsmith. Mr. Antiquary said it reminded him of a neighbor's mule, not a very comely creature, that would answer to no other name than that of Georgiana Sophia.
The sun was setting when they reached the town, and they must perforce lodge there, though every spot seemed choking full of red dust. However, Mr. Antiqnary soon found his old friend, Mr. Thriftwise, who welcomed them to his cottage, a little way out from the crowded assemblage of They lodge ont buildings that made the town. They were of the town.
weary with the journey, and were obliged to decline an invitation to visit the places of public resort, to see how they looked by candle light, and to learn the habits and customs of men who live by their wits, of those who fail to live and grow rich by their work, and of those who carn only to spend in low debauch.
In the morning they went out to view the village. The dry bed of the main ravine ran through the lower portion, which was gravelly and full of pitfalls, having been dug ov er many times for its gold, and having yielded as much
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the last time as the first. Around this vale, and on the The features of adjacent slope, the line of buildings ran, in a the place as they
saw them. badly shaped circle. The center of the circu- lar spot consisted of a clump of mean looking houses, with a public street on every side. Of the character of those who occupied the locality no one was forward to affirm anything. The observer must decide for himself.
The buildings around were of all descriptions, and some indescribable, from the log huts of '49, and the rift clap- boards of '50, to the showy cottage, and the large hotel, that kept, at least, an imposing front, if nothing else that was of that sort. There was a large building on the side hill, whose upper story was bare and empty, but to which the Chinese, in a most uncelestial way, had added a story, from beneath, by digging out the dirt, and fronting the lower part down the hill.
There was a fine, large structure, with a saloon in it, which had been built entirely over an old, low, one story, shanty of a place, but a famous night resort, nevertheless, in such a way, that the old building was occupied, and used as' before, until the new one was finished throughout, with the exception of a portion of the lower floor ; when, at length, the ancient structure, memorable for red dust and for yellow, suffered demolition.
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