USA > California > The California pilgrim: a series of lectures > Part 8
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hundreds of lusty warriors, full armed, perfectly naked, and fierce for fight.
When all was over, the account with the state stood, nearly, thus :
ALL BUSTLEDOM DR.
To expense of furnishing Military Titles to citizens. . ..... $250,000 of giving Speculators Chances at the Treasury 500,000
Indian War Expenses. $750,000
ALL BUSTLEDOM CI.
By conquest of One Square League of Fustian. ..
.. $000,000 " One Hundred Claims in the sphere of Military glory .. , 000,000
000,000
Balance sheel.
Balance due on Wars. $750,000
Keep Faith said the account was a singular one, and the balance rather large ; though it was always difficult to give renown and glory a fixed value in the market. He also inquired of Mr. Methodics if he had been in the capital all the time these proceedings were had. He replied that he had not been absent a day, for a long while. These views of the matter he got from his friends, in the Legislature and out of it; and they had recently received Authorities and
disclosures. confirmation strong from disclosures made by some of the parties over their cups, and from the revelations of some who had fallen out with each other since, and had gone to calling hard names, and raking up charges out of these old transactions.
Mr. Methodies said, that it was one of these Legislatures that cut and carved the state into counties ; on what principle no one could tell ; for they were of the oddest and
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Counties and most disjointed shapes, and the most ill their bounds. assorted sizes, in respect to area and population, that ever mortals looked upon. The county seats in some of them were fixed in the most out of the way places, and in some, at points, where there was no house at the time, and has never been one since ; and through others there were streams flowing which were declared navigable, that, in the dry season, would neither float a skiff nor wet a dog, without the addition of " a thousand drinks," at least.
As it was a fast country, they exalted numerous places to the dignity of chartered cities ; some of which were now extinct, and sundry others had sinee prayed to shrink back into the position of towns and villages, of modest pretensions.
The fixing of the judicial districts involved, them, also in much trouble ; for they had some districts to find peculiar men for; and they had very many men for whom they wished to make districts of the right sort. From their legal Judges and dis- hosts they might even have supplied every tricts. county and town with men who thought them- selves fit to.sit upon the Supreme bench.
Keep Faith inquired if no one at that time told the story of the two Italian judges, recently promoted, that overtook a priest, mounted on a fine horse, and undertook to quiz him, by asking: How is it, sir, that you do not imitate your Lord and Master, who was "meek and sitting upon an ass?" That was my intention, said the priest, but of late so many asses have been made judges, that a poor priest ean not get one for his saddle. Whereupon the judges took leave.
Mr. Methodics said he did not hear any such story. Nor did he think that in Bustledom they had ever gone quite so low for judicial officers, though, it must be confessed that, in
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Scanty mate- some instances, judges had been made of rials.
timber a "leetle scant."
It was now almost sunset, and the chill air from the bay was coming over the capital. So Pilgrim and Keep Faith took leave of Mr. Methodics, thanking him for his lucid explanations, and went to spend the night with Rev. Mr. Winroc. That gentleman entertained them with stories of The evening. carly recollections and early life, with a nar- rative of his voyage around the Cape, and with sketches of the valley, its history, its people, and its rapid advancement, despite the bad notions of law, education, and religion, entertained by some of the people who were dwelling there.
Early in the morning they took leave of the famous valley, and, after a ride thither, breakfasted at the ancient mission. toward the North East. They could not tarry here to see and admire, and so went their way. Immediately they overtook a man driving a team of oxen, hitched to a wagon rigged for hay ; his goad was a stick, with a terrible lash on it, about in the proportion of a boa constrictor tied to a bean pole. They hailed him, and inquired if he was a settler in the valley.
He kinder reckoned he was. He was considerable of a A man of family. man himself, as well as his old woman ; and he had a right smart chance of boys; and all that was growed was six feet in their stockins.
Keep Faith inquired the number of his sons.
SETTLER. Wall, thar, you have me, stranger ; you keep the count. Thar used to was half as many as the Presidents, but they're overtook now. Washington Adams, Jefferson Madison, Monroe Adams, Jackson Van Buren, Harrison Tyler, Polk Dallas, Taylor Fillmore, Cass Butler. How many's that ? K. F. Eight !
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SET. Wall, thar's nine then ; thar's Buchanan Webster.
A long catalogue, truly, said Pilgrim. Their education must have taxed you largely, unless you were from a region of free schools. No doubt you are anxious for public schools here.
SET. Stranger, I was raised without no schoolin, so was my boys, that's growed. They can do as well as me, and that's well enough. I larned to write and cypher, evenins, one winter, payin tew dollars. I can write and reckon intrist, that's all thar's use on ; my big boys can do Schooling spoils it too. I've seed 'cadmy boys. They grow
boys.
lazy like, and powerful weak, layin by. Schoolin spiles 'em. They wont tote none arter it. My boys is a heap better 'an them that's allus ben bookin and siensen, and I 'low I'd orter know.
PIL. But they should not all engage in one business.
SET. They can do as they're a mind at twenty-one.
PIL. But then it may be too late to prepare for a new business.
SET. That ain't my business, its theirn, I'm through with 'em then.
PIL. Then you are not laboring to get public schools established in your county ?
SET. No, sir. I oppose them that is. They're a nuisance. I don't want to pay for schoolin other folks'is childern. Let 'em do it theirselves, if they want to.
PIL. But there are scores that have none to provide for them.
SET. They're misfortunate, sartin, but they'll grow out on't.
PIL. But ignorance, you know, is liable to degenerate
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The rising hope into vice and degradation. Children are the of the State. treasure and hope of a state, and the state should educate them.
SET. I 'low you can talk, but I don't know no such a-thing. Them that's got no childern has'nt no business with 'em ; let them that has take care on 'em. I don't want to see any lazy school masters, and superintenders, and 80 on, catin out everybody, and gittin their money; its an impersition.
PIL. But, sir, you need doctors, lawyers, judges, legislators, governors, ministers, and so on.
SET. Some on 'em, p'raps; but let 'em grow. Don't the trees grow ?
PIL. Yes, sir. But the natural fruit is commonly very Fruit culture. small, knotty, sour, and bitter; it needs culture, sir, to make fine fruit even.
SET. I don't raise fruits ; no use in 'em. Wheat and bauley, ingin and pork, is enough for any man's family.
Well, said Pilgrim, perhaps you are too old to learn ; but I hope your sons will take a different view of the matter. I presume you go to church.
SET. Never was thar. Never went inside such an institution. Ben to school house meetins some. Went to camp meeting wunst, jest to see how't worked. Don't caro nothin about 'emn ; commonly go huntin Sunday.
PIL. Friend, you have been taking up with the dryest A bomily. husks of this world, and you are making no preparation for the next. I ean not think you have acted a wise part, either for yourself, or your family. If you were doing more for the world to come, I am sure you would do better in this; and you never would take such views of schools and learning, and culture, and all that is beautiful
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and glorious in knowledge and art, as you have expressed. May I not hope you will reconsider and amend ?
SET. Wall, thar, its clar gone ; you're a parson. I go this road ; you go that.
So they parted ; and Pilgrim and Keep Faith kept on over the hills, into the wide, wide, valley, across the tulares, and came at night into the city of Slonghport, on an arm of the St. Jacob's, and were lodged in the house of Rev. Mr. Xylon, in the western suburb.
MORAL.
It would seem that in this late age there ought to be none in sympathy with this settler on the subject of schools and education. But we are forced to the conviction that there are many. In our state there are men of influence and character who disparage systematic education by the public, and oppose free common schools. There are thousands who are totally indifferent to the whole subject. They do not wish to agitate it, nor to be disturbed by it. They admit no obligation in the matter. They listen to no argument. They have no disposition either to think or to act.
The framers of our constitution intended that the state should be the munificent patron of schools of every grade. They made ample provision for a fund sufficient to maintain a noble system of free common schools. Statutes on the subjeet have been framed by successive legislatures of the state; but, either through imperfections in the statutes themselves, or through the inefficiency of those appointed to carry them into effect, nothing worthy of note has hitherto been accomplished. The disposal of the lands set apart by the constitution for the maintenance of schools has already
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begun. The danger is, that, in this way, they may be lost to the school fund, and that the benefit of them will in no wise acerne to the children of the state.
It becomes our first duty, therefore, to look well to the enactment of laws on the subject of education, and to endeavor to secure efficiency and good management on the part of those who are chosen to execute the laws.
And then, we are bound to do our utmost in endeavoring to correct falso views of the subject, and to raise the tone of publie sentiment in respect to it. It is all false that none but parents and guardians have any interest in schools ; that the unmarried and the childless should have no voice in the matter. The question of public schools is, in fact, a question of civil liberty, of public safety, of public economy, of wise laws, of good order, and good morals. And, in questions like these, the welfare of every one in civilized society, is deeply involved ; so that no one is exempt from an obligation to do what he can for the maintenance of a system of public schools. As a good citizen, and a lover of his kind, he ought to be earnest and active in the matter.
California in her position, and with her advantages, ought to have already been foremost among the new states in her school funds, school laws, and school advantages. If she is not so soon, we, her people, shall deserve to be set down as eraven and faithless. That we have provided so poorly for the children that are native born, and for the thousands that are flocking to our towns and cities, and into our green and golden valleys, is more than a misfortune. And it is our shame that what we have done for them, has been performed in so shiftless, and bungling a manner.
LECTURE VI.
ยท
Now I saw in my dream, when the morn arose, purpling the east, and shedding a rosy light on the wide vale, that Pilgrim and Keep Faith were already abroad, listening to the few birds that still chattered in the tree The morning and its visions. tops, surveying the ground about them, and looking for their proper road and direction, when they should depart from the city of Sloughport. The sun rose beautifully, without clouds, over the distant hills, and they saw him commence his daily circuit, as he wheeled his golden chariot up the azure vault of the firmament. This sight Pilgrim had not before witnessed in the golden coun- try ; for, hitherto, the fogs had been too dense to give way till half the morning hours were gone, in the region through which they were passing. It gave him no small degree of pleasure to gaze on a scene so inspiring as that of the sun rising in his majesty, fresh, strong, and glorious, as when he first rejoiced to run his race, and the creation was young.
They had not wandered long amid tho upland oaks, and the dry beds of narrow sloughs, where grass and rushes grew rank, when Sammy Xylon, the preacher's eldest, with a very happy face, came to summon them to prayers and Childhood. breakfast ; and amused them all the way back
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with his guileless talk of the family, the town, himself, and various things which possessed a world of importance to him.
When the morning repast was over, they took leave of the good lady of the house, and the little prattlers, for there was a row of them there, and went out to see the city. They were joined, after they had crossed a slough by some narrow planks, by Mr. Longtravel, who volunteered to show them about the town, while Rev. Mr. Xylon prepared his discourses for Sunday.
They crossed the plaza, through which ran a slough, and over it a bridge. They looked at the church of Mr. Xylon, Churches. small and neat, embowered among the trees, with a slough in sight, at the left. Some fine houses and gardens there were in that vicinity also; one or two worthy of special note, but Pilgrim was too much in haste to linger by graveled walks and flower borders.
They found other churches of different dimensions, one large and beautiful, but in danger of going under the ham- mer for debt, it was said, and another, that, like many other churches in Bustledom, had need to go under the hannner for repairs. Mr. Longtravel told them also of places where schools were taught, and religious meetings were held, which it would be hard for strangers to find without experienced guides.
Through Mexican quarter, and through French quarter they passed without much remark, because they thought it very well to observe a degree of silence when they had so little that was complimentary to say.
There were stores crowded with bottles and casks not wholly Mexican quarter. filled from the nearest slough, and bars, and boxes for musicians, and benches, and flors covered with any thing bat clean send, an l swarthy creatures, just creeping out
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from corners and holes, and from a few hours of wretched and confused sleep. These were smoking cigaritos, as they sat without chairs, and they disposed of their saliva with unmentionable caution. There were also mules and pack- saddles, and other paraphernalia, in strange juxtapositions ; and Pilgrim thought he might be dreaming, he seemed to be in so strange a looking country ; but Mr. Longtravel reassured him by saying, that visiting those quarters was, to most persons, like skinning to eels, accounted as nothing when they were used to it ; though he thought he had known
One man's gain men coming from that quarter at dubious another's loss. hours, with much to account for, but no money to pay.
They now went along the great slough, which was deep, and full of water. In it were several steamers, and some old hulks, and a few small craft. It was flanked on either side with a street; and on the streets were rows of stores, and a fair show of business in them. The people in that region had been sparing of brick, and many of the edifices hung out signals of distress, and called for repairs.
After winding about, and turning several corners, they came in front of a building, which, Mr. Longtravel told them, was the Corinthian theater. He was unable to give A building for the origin of the name, though some had im- the "school of morals." agined it was derived from the style of the architecture. Keep Faith said he was not very familiar with Grecian affairs, but he had heard of Corinthian brass, and Grecian war galleys. Mr. Longtravel remarked that the wars, in this imitation of Greece, had gone on probably without any galleys ; and as to brass in connection with the establishment, he could not think where it was, unless some of the actors might be brazen enough to afford it in consid-
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crable quantities. At all events, he thought the citizens of the place were not strictly Corinthian in their tastes, nor much given to the service of this temple, with the exception of some fashionables, who had grown strangely rich, in late years, and were now fond of talking of the " beau monde," and the " haut ton," and the " upper circles." Some of them perchance were such as, in other days, and far off regions, had been too much straitened in means, or too countryfied, to patronize the drama and the opera, and used Time & change. to go to the museum and the negro concerts. But now they were of a higher sort. They patronized the Corinthian, bepraised the tragedies and farces, and puffed the actors, as world renowned artistes ; when, forsooth, they had never been engaged in any bnt a sixpenny affair, or in a California " temple of the muses," made of wood, paste- board, paper, rags, tinsel, glue, and whitewash.
They had now got on some rods beyond the theater, when A woman whose Pilgrim recognized, after some scrutiny, a face was fanul- i ar. person whom he had known in former days. She was a gaily dressed lady, whose finery made it difficult for him to fix her identity. She had just taken leave, at the gate, of some visitors, whose conversation she had been so charmed with, that she could not part with them till she had followed them to the street; though Pilgrim thought that the lady visiters, as he saw them a little way off, were somewhat bloomer like in manners, dress, and gait. The Ifer name. lady at the gate of the stylish house, was one Miss. Wiscacre ; and she threw up both her hands, and opened both her grey eyes, in astonishment and wonder, as she got sight of Pilgrim, saying, is it you, Mr. Gaine ! How did you come here? He explained that he was on a pil- grimage, and passing hastily through some portions of the
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golden country. She insisted on his coming in to dinner, and inviting his companions also. She had prepared dinner for her visitors, but they could not remain, and so it would be no trouble to her.
Miss. Wiseaere introduced Pilgrim and his companions to
Miss. Wiseacre's Mrs. Listener her sister, and Miss. Florinthia relatives. Listener, her niece. They had recently come from the town of Fetcheasy ; and gave Pilgrim news of many old acquaintances dwelling in that region, who had left one part of the province of Sin and Misery, for a more distant one, after the terrible catastrophe of Doomsend. It was in the town of Fetcheasy that Pilgrim had first seen Miss. Wiseacre, then the girlish daughter of the man who kept the village tavern, at which he stopped, as he was on his way home from the school of Mr. Wisdom Branch, in the town of Refuge.
While at dinner, Pilgrim ventured to inquire about her situation, and if she had come to remain in the country. Pleased and ad- She said she was charmed with the climate ; mired in her prosperity. and then she was so prosperous, and she had so many advantages, and was so looked up to, she should never think of going from their lovely city, its delightful rambles, its gorgeous buildings, and its sublime prospects. Her circle of friends was small, but so intelligent and re- fined ! And she kept a carriage, and a box at the Corinthi- ian, and her house was the resort of all the notables in the city and state ! There was scarcely a stump speaker whom she had not entertained !
When she spoke of her box at the theater, Pilgrim asked her if she had not once been a strict moralist ; abjuring all Hler former man idle amusements, and vain shows; refusing ner of life. even to drink beer lest it should intoxicate ;
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shunning all danees and gay parties ; and never keeping late hours. Oh yes ! but that was long ago, when she did'nt know the world, and had not been in high life. In Bustledom, those notions of things were all given up as whimsical. "In Rome we must do as the Romans do," said Mrs. Listener, coming to the resene.
Do you find that maxim in the Bible ? said Pilgrim. She could not be sure it was there, for it was some years sinee she read the " Proverbs" through. Pilgrim thought
The maxim that was very likely ; but he could not admit
false.
either the truth or propriety of the maxim. It was just false enough to justify anything ungodly in the customs of society, and any crime among villains.
Miss. Wiseacre said, that, in her church, they never turned people out for going to theaters, balls, romps, dances, and what not; but in some of the sects they did ; but she knew women enough in Bustledom who were church members, formerly, among the sects, that now thought
What Miss, much more of going to theaters, parties, and Wiseacro knew about the sects. out on rides, and after gaieties, than they did of going to church, or to evening meetings, or to teach classes in Sunday schools, or to engage in ministering to the poor and sick, or in anything, in fact, that looked as though they were much attached to church, or minister, or holy deeds. She believed this was so common, that those ladies, who were the same here, in these matters, as they formerly were, were rather few, and ought to be highly prized by good people ; thoughi, for her part, she had not much expectation of being praised for her piety. And she was not disappointed; for people would praise everything but that.
Pilgrim inquired if there was any special reason for this 9
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indifference to religious things, and this fondness for the contrary things, on the part of so many ladies.
Oh, said Mrs. Listener, they are released from their old
Rendering a restraints, they are cut off from old employ-
reason. ments, they have few female associates, they resort to new species of excitements, they are very much noticed and flattered, they are urged to every kind of vain indulgence, they are unsettled and craving, and how could they refuse to go and sce the world for once ? And so, having gone once, and with one, they could not well refusc to go when another invited them, and so they proceeded with- ont limit. But, Mr. Pilgrim, you can't blame us; really, we don't know what else to do with ourselves in such circumstances.
And then, said Florinthia, the gentlemen are so rich, and The younger so handsome, and have such superb whiskers, Listener speaks. and we are asked to visit all kinds of shows and concerts by such honorable men-governors, generals, and judges-and they are all so lively, so witty, so amusing, so dignified, so elegant, so gentlemanly, and so gallant ; and they keep such fine horses, and private boxes, and the plays are so beautiful, the actors so sublime, the temple so gorgeous, and the actresses so refined and modest, and so agrecable, we are certain the people in Broadway and Union Square, if they knew all, would soon be quite envious of us.
Pilgrim said he could not but be sorry, at the recital of Pilgrim at vari- such facts, and the more so, because he must ance with the
ladies. beg leave to differ from his fair friends in their views of the whole matter. He said he found all the people in the land were looking to the advent of woman, to reclaim and regenerate California ; but how could slic do it
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when she herself fell in, at once, with California ways and manners, and yielded to all sorts of enticements, and gave countenance to some of the very vices and indulgences that were ruining the country !
He thought woman should be nobler and purer, if not more strict, here, than elsewhere ; since she would be happier by it, and add very much to her moral power and means of usefulness, every way. There never was a field in which she could do so much good, if she were disposed to the doing of it; nor one in which she needed more
Necessities of circumspection, self restraint, and the pureness the times. and grace of religion. For, where people were degenerate and vicious themselves, and felt that they were vile an l helpless, they could have no confidence in such as stooped half way to them in questionable practices, in order to gain their favor. And, then, wicked men were far less indulgent than good'men, toward the faults and foibles of such as professed to be christians. In fact, every false step, mistaken course, or questionable indulgence, in such a country as this, was more noticed, and, therefore, more injurious than anywhere else ; and if good people wished to be worldly, gay, frivolous, or gadding and self indulgent, it would do far less harm elsewhere than here. And, he addled, that he was happy to say, that he had met ladies in the country who agreed with him in this, and were doing accordingly.
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