REMINISCENCES 295 



San Francisco, Dec. 29th, '53. 



"Ye, Gods! That boy must have been in a trance, if 

 he has not awakened before the end of the year suffi- 

 ciently to continue his letter to us!" This or similar 

 words I hear my dear father murmur, when he catches 

 sight of the last date. Well, I did not sleep longer 

 nor oftener than usual since the twenty-fourth of No- 

 vember, the date of my last writing but, I worked hard 

 and lost my position at Etonbleau, which kept me search- 

 ing for another ; I worked again. To make the long story 

 short, I could not find time to have a quiet chat with you 

 and, to be honest, would not have done so to-night, if the 

 fact that you all are waiting for my letter,' did not weigh 

 heavily upon my conscience. It has been so long since 

 you heard from me. Etonbleau found business too dull 

 and gave up the hotel, preferring the life of a gentleman 

 of leisure to the worries of a hotelkeeper with doubtful 

 patronage. I consequently severed my connection with 

 him at the middle of the month. I can truthfully say 

 that we parted in excellent harmony and as soon as I 

 can manage it, I shall follow his hearty invitation to 

 visit him. 



Thus did it happen that I became again a passenger on 

 a little steamer bound for San Francisco— an unemployed 

 breadwinner. It was on the 14th of December, a beauti- 

 ful morning and the dark-blue surface of the bay as 

 smooth as a mirror; the many white sails of the myriads 

 of coasters were reflected in the sun-kissed flood which 

 our little steam-boat rapidly furrowed through. Not a 

 breeze disturbed the early morning meditation of Mother 

 Nature. The sun was slowly lifting the foggy veil from 

 the magnificent mountain view which encircles the bay 

 of San Francisco. This panorama is at once imposing 

 and exceedingly attractive; the early foliage and ver- 

 dure which the first rain of winter had seemingly coaxed 

 out, assembled a new garb, becoming and enchanting. 

 The air was agreeably cool and filled with an aroma pe- 

 culiar to the coast of the Pacific. San Franciseo seemed 

 to enjoy the magnificence of her youthful beauty, and 



