roughing it-第71节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


is　fiery　Summer　always；　and　you　can　gather　roses；　and　eat　strawberries
and　ice…cream；　and　wear　white　linen　clothes；　and　pant　and　perspire；　at
eight　or　nine　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　then　take　the　cars；　and　at　noon
put　on　your　furs　and　your　skates；　and　go　skimming　over　frozen　Donner
Lake；　seven　thousand　feet　above　the　valley；　among　snow　banks　fifteen　feet
deep；　and　in　the　shadow　of　grand　mountain　peaks　that　lift　their　frosty
crags　ten　thousand　feet　above　the　level　of　the　sea。

There　is　a　transition　for　you！　　Where　will　you　find　another　like　it　in
the　Western　hemisphere？　　And　some　of　us　have　swept　around　snow…walled
curves　of　the　Pacific　Railroad　in　that　vicinity；　six　thousand　feet　above
the　sea；　and　looked　down　as　the　birds　do；　upon　the　deathless　Summer　of
the　Sacramento　Valley；　with　its　fruitful　fields；　its　feathery　foliage；
its　silver　streams；　all　slumbering　in　the　mellow　haze　of　its　enchanted
atmosphere；　and　all　infinitely　softened　and　spiritualized　by　distancea
dreamy；　exquisite　glimpse　of　fairyland；　made　all　the　more　charming　and
striking　that　it　was　caught　through　a　forbidden　gateway　of　ice　and　snow；
and　savage　crags　and　precipices。




CHAPTER　LVII。

It　was　in　this　Sacramento　Valley；　just　referred　to；　that　a　deal　of　the
most　lucrative　of　the　early　gold　mining　was　done；　and　you　may　still　see；
in　places；　its　grassy　slopes　and　levels　torn　and　guttered　and　disfigured
by　the　avaricious　spoilers　of　fifteen　and　twenty　years　ago。　　You　may　see
such　disfigurements　far　and　wide　over　Californiaand　in　some　such
places；　where　only　meadows　and　forests　are　visiblenot　a　living
creature；　not　a　house；　no　stick　or　stone　or　remnant　of　a　ruin；　and　not　a
sound；　not　even　a　whisper　to　disturb　the　Sabbath　stillnessyou　will　find
it　hard　to　believe　that　there　stood　at　one　time　a　fiercely…flourishing
little　city；　of　two　thousand　or　three　thousand　souls；　with　its　newspaper；
fire　company；　brass　band；　volunteer　militia；　bank；　hotels；　noisy　Fourth
of　July　processions　and　speeches；　gambling　hells　crammed　with　tobacco
smoke；　profanity；　and　rough…bearded　men　of　all　nations　and　colors；　with
tables　heaped　with　gold　dust　sufficient　for　the　revenues　of　a　German
principalitystreets　crowded　and　rife　with　businesstown　lots　worth
four　hundred　dollars　a　front　footlabor；　laughter；　music；　dancing；
swearing；　fighting；　shooting；　stabbinga　bloody　inquest　and　a　man　for
breakfast　every　morningeverything　that　delights　and　adorns　existence
all　the　appointments　and　appurtenances　of　a　thriving　and　prosperous　and
promising　young　city；and　now　nothing　is　left　of　it　all　but　a　lifeless；
homeless　solitude。　　The　men　are　gone；　the　houses　have　vanished；　even　the
name　of　the　place　is　forgotten。　　In　no　other　land；　in　modern　times；　have
towns　so　absolutely　died　and　disappeared；　as　in　the　old　mining　regions　of
California。

It　was　a　driving；　vigorous；　restless　population　in　those　days。　　It　was　a
curious　population。　　It　was　the　only　population　of　the　kind　that　the
world　has　ever　seen　gathered　together；　and　it　is　not　likely　that　the
world　will　ever　see　its　like　again。　　For　observe；　it　was　an　assemblage　of
two　hundred　thousand　young　mennot　simpering；　dainty；　kid…gloved
weaklings；　but　stalwart；　muscular；　dauntless　young　braves；　brimful　of
push　and　energy；　and　royally　endowed　with　every　attribute　that　goes　to
make　up　a　peerless　and　magnificent　manhoodthe　very　pick　and　choice　of
the　world's　glorious　ones。　　No　women；　no　children；　no　gray　and　stooping
veterans；none　but　erect；　bright…eyed；　quick…moving；　strong…handed　young
giantsthe　strangest　population；　the　finest　population；　the　most　gallant
host　that　ever　trooped　down　the　startled　solitudes　of　an　unpeopled　land。
And　where　are　they　now？　　Scattered　to　the　ends　of　the　earthor
prematurely　aged　and　decrepitor　shot　or　stabbed　in　street　affraysor
dead　of　disappointed　hopes　and　broken　heartsall　gone；　or　nearly　all
victims　devoted　upon　the　altar　of　the　golden　calfthe　noblest　holocaust
that　ever　wafted　its　sacrificial　incense　heavenward。　　It　is　pitiful　to
think　upon。

It　was　a　splendid　populationfor　all　the　slow；　sleepy；　sluggish…brained
sloths　staid　at　homeyou　never　find　that　sort　of　people　among　pioneers
you　cannot　build　pioneers　out　of　that　sort　of　material。　　It　was　that
population　that　gave　to　California　a　name　for　getting　up　astounding
enterprises　and　rushing　them　through　with　a　magnificent　dash　and　daring
and　a　recklessness　of　cost　or　consequences；　which　she　bears　unto　this
dayand　when　she　projects　a　new　surprise；　the　grave　world　smiles　as
usual；　and　says　〃Well；　that　is　California　all　over。〃

But　they　were　rough　in　those　times！　　They　fairly　reveled　in　gold；　whisky；
fights；　and　fandangoes；　and　were　unspeakably　happy。　　The　honest　miner
raked　from　a　hundred　to　a　thousand　dollars　out　of　his　claim　a　day；　and
what　with　the　gambling　dens　and　the　other　entertainments；　he　hadn't　a
cent　the　next　morning；　if　he　had　any　sort　of　luck。　　They　cooked　their　own
bacon　and　beans；　sewed　on　their　own　buttons；　washed　their　own　shirts
blue　woollen　ones；　and　if　a　man　wanted　a　fight　on　his　hands　without　any
annoying　delay；　all　he　had　to　do　was　to　appear　in　public　in　a　white　shirt
or　a　stove…pipe　hat；　and　he　would　be　accommodated。　　For　those　people
hated　aristocrats。　　They　had　a　particular　and　malignant　animosity　toward
what　they　called　a　〃biled　shirt。〃

It　was　a　wild；　free；　disorderly；　grotesque　society！　　Menonly　swarming
hosts　of　stalwart　mennothing　juvenile；　nothing　feminine；　visible
anywhere！

In　those　days　miners　would　flock　in　crowds　to　catch　a　glimpse　of　that
rare　and　blessed　spectacle；　a　woman！　　Old　inhabitants　tell　how；　in　a
certain　camp；　the　news　went　abroad　early　in　the　morning　that　a　woman　was
come！　　They　had　seen　a　calico　dress　hanging　out　of　a　wagon　down　at　the
camping…groundsign　of　emigrants　from　over　the　great　plains。　　Everybody
went　down　there；　and　a　shout　went　up　when　an　actual；　bona　fide　dress　was
discovered　fluttering　in　the　wind！　　The　male　emigrant　was　visible。　　The
miners　said：

〃Fetch　her　out！〃

He　said：　〃It　is　my　wife；　gentlemenshe　is　sickwe　have　been　robbed　of
money；　provisions；　everything；　by　the　Indianswe　want　to　rest。〃

〃Fetch　her　out！　　We've　got　to　see　her！〃

〃But；　gentlemen；　the　poor　thing；　she〃

〃FETCH　HER　OUT！〃

He　〃fetched　her　out；〃　and　they　swung　their　hats　and　sent　up　three　rousing
cheers　and　a　tiger；　and　they　crowded　around　and　gazed　at　her；　and　touched
her　dress；　and　listened　to　her　voice　with　the　look　of　men　who　listened　to
a　memory　rather　than　a　present　realityand　then　they　collected　twenty…
five　hundred　dollars　in　gold　and　gave　it　to　the　man；　and　swung　their　hats
again　and　gave　three　more　cheers；　and　went　home　satisfied。


Once　I　dined　in　San　Francisco　with　the　family　of　a　pioneer；　and　talked
with　his　daughter；　a　young　lady　whose　first　experience　in　San　Francisco
was　an　adventure；　though　she　herself　did　not　remember　it；　as　she　was　only
two　or　three　years　old　at　the　time。　　Her　father　said　that；　after　landing
from　the　ship；　they　were　walking　up　the　street；　a　servant　leading　the
party　with　the　little　girl　in　her　arms。　　And　presently　a　huge　miner；
bearded；　belted；　spurred；　and　bristling　with　deadly　weaponsjust　down
from　a　long　campaign　in　the　mountains；　evidently…barred　the　way；　stopped
the　servant；　and　stood　gazing；　with　a　face　all　alive　with　gratification
and　astonishment。　　Then　he　said；　reverently：

〃Well；　if　it　ain't　a　child！〃　And　then　he　snatched　a　little　leather　sack
out　of　his　pocket　and　said　to　the　servant：

〃There's　a　hundred　and　fifty　dollars　in　dust；　there；　and　I'll　give　it　to
you　to　let　me　kiss　the　child！〃

That　anecdote　is　true。

But　see　how　things　change。　　Sitting　at　that　dinner…table；　listening　to
that　anecdote；　if　I　had　offered　double　the　money　for　the　privilege　of
kissing　the　same　child；　I　would　have　been　refused。　　Seventeen　added　years
have　far　more　than　doubled　the　price。

And　while　upon　this　subject　I　will　remark　that　once　in　Star　City；　in　the
Humboldt　Mountains；　I　took　my　place　in　a　sort　of　long；　post…office　single
file　of　miners；　to　patiently　await　my　chance　to　peep　through　a　crack　in
the　cabin　and　get　a　sight　of　the　splendid　new　sensationa　genuine；　live
Woman！　　And　at　the　end　of　half　of　an　hour　my　turn　came；　and　I　put　my　eye
to　the　crack；　and　there　she　was；　with　one　arm　akimbo；　and　tossing　flap…
jacks　in　a　frying…pan　with　the　other。

And　she　was　one　hundred　and　sixty…five　＇Being　in　calmer　mood；　now；　I
voluntarily　knock　off　a　hundred　from　that。M。T。＇　years　old；　and　hadn't　a
tooth　in　her　head。




CHAPTER　LVIII。

For　a　few　months　I　enjoyed　what　to　me　was　an　entirely　new　phase　of
existencea　butterfly　idleness；　nothing　to　do；　nobody　to　be　responsible
to；　and　untroubled　with　financial　uneasiness。　　I　fell　in　love　with　the
most　cordial　and　sociable　city　in　the　Union。　　After　the　sage…brush　and
alkali　deserts　of　Washoe；　San　Francisco　was　Paradise　to　me。　　I　lived　at
the　best　hotel；　exhibited　my　clothes　in　the　most　conspicuous　places；
infested　the　opera；　and　learned　to　seem　enraptured　with　music　which
oftener　afflicted　my　ignorant　ear　than　enchanted　it；　if　I　had　had　the
vulgar　honesty　to　confess　it。　　However；　I　suppose　I　was　not　greatly　worse
than　the　most　of　my　countrym