“I feel that I cannot tliank you for your 
kindness, but if I live—” Tears rushed into 
the eyes of Thomas, and extending his hand 
with the words: “Good-by,” he left the 
room. 
***** 
In a ragged canon of the Rocky Moun¬ 
tains, a few ventursome miners pitched 
their tents preparatory to prospecting the 
surrounding country. 
Their leader, a man tall, sunburned, show¬ 
ing strength in every step and gesture, is 
Thomas Sterns. 
Working his way until he reached the 
confines of civilization, he joined a party 
of miners about starting for the mountains 
in search of gold. 
They have been over a year delving fin 
the sides of mountains, or washing the 
sands of bars—moving frequently, yet with 
varying success, ever on the lookout for 
signs of one thing—gold. 
Many of Thomas Sterns's companions 
were men of the class he renounced, but by 
Iiis exemplary habits, nearly all have re¬ 
solved to forsake their evil ways of the past. 
So firm was their faith in him, that they 
long since made him their leader; looked 
to him for council in their hardships, which 
were neither light or few. 
Reaching their present camp the evening- 
before, they barely had time to put up 
their tents and eat their suppers before 
night set in. 
By the time the sun touched the tops of 
the peaks around them next morning, each 
man was prepared to search for a new 
Eldorado. 
“Hyere goes fur good luck!” cried an 
old forty-niner, sticking liis pick in the 
ground close by his tent. 
“Elecrica!” he cried: “I’ve found it at 
last! No need to travel any further, boys!” 
“Ah!” said another bent-shouldered old 
fellow, kneeling beside the little heap of 
fresh earth; “The captain told me last 
night he believed we should make a find 
near this place.” 
“Off with your hats, boys,” cried 
another, felling his pick in another place, 
and throwing up the ground, so rich with 
precious mineral that It could be plainly 
seen, “We’re standing on sacred soil!” 
“The captain has good news, too,” ex¬ 
claimed one, as Thomas Sterns appeared 
from out a seam in the rocks. 
“Men, you have reason to rejoice. This 
is the richest pocket I ever saw.” Holding 
up a lump of nearly pure gold, as large as 
a hen’s egg. 
It is only those who are willing to work 
for wealth—for the comfort that gold 
brings—when the opportunity is given, 
who can realize the joys of these men at 
finding what had cost them so many trials. 
The labor, the privations yet to be under¬ 
gone before the earth gave up its treasure, 
was forgotten in the one thought that what 
they sought was found at last. 
For six months they toiled—scarce taking 
time to eat or sleep—and at last stood ready 
to leave. 
41 Hope was calling them away, 
Hearts the while a lingering.” 
* * * * . * 
“My son,” said Mr. Randall, one morning, 
“the best of news!” Thomas Sterns has 
fully redeekied himself. You remember 
reading, a short time since, of an attack 
upon a party of miners by Indians, and 
that their leader, a man by the name of 
Stearns, boldly exposed himself to draw 
their fire, while his comrades retreated. 
Well, it is our old friend. A full account 
is given in a letter just received from him. 
He was wounded in the side, but is fast re¬ 
covering. The Indians besieged them for 
several days, but. finding they could not 
dislodge them from their position, retreat¬ 
ed.” 
“There was something about Thomas 
that claimed respect, even when he drank 
the hardest.” 
“He speaks in the kindliest terms of you, 
and says he can never repay us the debt he 
owes. Success has attended every effort 
after leaving us. He is to-day a rich man, 
and has placed one thousand dollars in the 
bank to our credit. He has also been 
offered a large sum to write a history of 
his own and companions’ adventures in 
their search for gold. Let this be a lesson, 
son, that a kind word is never lost, but 
that it gladdens the heart, no matter where 
spoken.” 
Roguery is the last of trades. 
