200 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



promptly availed themselves of this gruesome op- 

 portunity, and while they were absent two ladies 

 came in, and, seeing the vacant chairs, sat quietly 

 down in them. Presently the ghouls returned, 

 glaring at the intruders. Finally, one of them, 

 giving indignation words, said in a loud whisper: 

 "Madam — these are our chairs." Now chairs 

 being at a premium, I wondered what would hap- 

 pen. The lady who was addressed looked up 

 and smiled blandly : " Your chairs ? " she repeated, 

 sweetly. "Oh, dear, no! They belong to the 

 hotel." 



At another funeral of a county official I marked 

 the extravagant grief of the widow, who with diffi- 

 culty was restrained from flinging herself into the 

 grave. Speaking of this afterwards to a friend, 

 he said, rather brutally I thought : " That was 

 side-show. I know that woman. She has made 

 her plans already. She will marry again within 

 six months." She married again in three months. 



This appreciation of the side-show means much 

 to the people who live in the West, particularly to 

 those who live in the towns and cities. To the 

 average man of business, as to Dr. Johnson, a green 

 field is like any other green field ; Brother Jonathan 

 has no stomach for Nature's varied bills of fare ; 

 Bills Payable and Receivable engross his attention. 

 But he studies mankind (not womankind) far more 

 closely and to better practical purpose than John 

 Bull, and the study brings with it its own reward. 

 Curiously enough, he obeys the poet's rather than 

 the philosopher's injunction. His knowledge of 

 others, sound though it be, loses much of its value 



