other's peculiarities, and never having any 
friction iu Uie camp. Sometimes I used to 
think wft joked 1 Aunt Hetty' and ‘ Our Baby 
rather unmercifully, but a word Iroiu our 
‘Judge’ would straighten us at once. 
“ If one was sick, we all took a turn about 
in nursing and watching, but tire Judge was 
one Unit knew just what to do, and was al¬ 
ways near to do it. Tender and patient as a 
woman, we all honored him, and held lum a 
little higher in our estimation than we did 
any oue else in the camp. 
“ I forgot to tell you that a month before, 
and when * Dandy ’ and ‘ Aunt Betty w’ete 
not of our number, we had in their place 
Will Browning, who was equal to two men 
any day. Good to work and good to play, 
as smart as need be, and true to the core. 1 
think most any of us would have been glad 
to have gone with Will over the mountains, 
but he said ‘ No. stay where you are, boys; 
you arc doing well, and it I find anything 
better I will let yon know at once. Then 
come all hands of yon, aud it will be a jolly 
time when we get together again.’ 
“ You know it wasn't the pleasantest 
traveling in the world to get around two 
years ago. 
“ Wc hadn’t beard a word from Will, 
though he had been gone for a long Lime. 
Several letters had come for him, but of 
course we couldn’t forward them, having no 
idea of his whereabouts, and we bad Come 
to the conclusion that he would walk in 
upon us some time dead broke and cured ol 
Ids roving disposition. We had finished 
work one day, aud supped off three Bs, as 
we called our beans and bacon and bread ; 
the table stood just where we had left it, for 
you know that miners are not very fastidious 
in their notions. We were silting on a long 
bench which reached across the end of our 
rude cabin, talking over our day’s work, and 
speculating on what the boys were doing 
over to the let! side of us, when all at once a 
young woman stood right in our cabin door. 
“ Now, a woman in those (lays was a curi¬ 
osity among bucks here among the hills, and 
there were men in our camp who hadn't set 
eves on <>no for better that two years, bhc 
stood still, just looking at us. 1 don’t know 
what the rest thought, hut Aunt Betty said 
afterward, ‘ that it seeme 1 like a warnin’ to 
some of ns,' and lie was wondering whose 
time bad come. The Judge sat on the edge 
of the bench, and he arose aud took off his 
hat. One after another following his exam¬ 
ple slowly, each one getting up in turn and 
taking oil' his hat. 
“ We must have looked comical, for we 
all had on woolen shirts, our sleeves were 
rolled up, and our collars turned back. Our 
pants were tied about otir waists, and tucked 
in no very careful manner into our rubber 
bootlegs. Add to our costume eight faces 
unshaven and unshorn for weeks, and you 
catch some idea of our general appearance. 
11 The pale light of our sputtering candle 
added to the weirdness of the scene, and 
when‘Jack Uie Wicked’ murmured,‘To 
your knees, hoys, all at once,’ I guess we 
were all more than half inclined to obey. 
The Judge recovered himself the quickest, 
and advanced toward the door. 
“ I wish to see my brother. Will Brown¬ 
ing; 1 heard be was here,” said the most 
musical voice 1 ever heard. 
“ 1 lie was here a few months ago,’ replied 
the Judge, ‘ but we do not know where he 
is now. llow did you come, and where are 
your friends'?’ 
“ ‘ I came through the valley and shadow 
of death, I should think, for I am nearly 
dead with hunger, and for friends. I have 
the gloomiest old teamster you ever saw, 
though 1 thought it was rare good luck 
when I found him, and he engaged to lake 
me up here to Will. I paid him every cent 
of money I had, and I haven’t had a mouth¬ 
ful fir days but bad bacon. Is there any 
hotel within a short distance? If not, per¬ 
haps there is some good woman who would 
let me stay with her until I can get word to 
Will.’ 
“ I guess every man hugged to himself the 
thought that she would be obliged to stop 
with us, even for a short t ime; aud the 
Judge didn’t look very sorry, though lie 
professed to feel dreadfully for her dilemma. 
“ He said, and I am sure his full, rich voice 
must have seemed a tower of strength to her: 
‘ Will is a dear friend of ours, and if you 
will kindly allow us the honor of protecting 
his sister until lie can be communicated 
with, we should be under great obligations 
in you Wc must look very odd to you; 
but we claim to be gentlemen, and 1 assure 
you we can and will make you com for table.’ 
“ She had a perplexed look on her face 
when the Judge told her there was no 
woman living near; but she was mistress of 
the situation in a moment, and said very de¬ 
murely, though with a rather sly sparkle, 
‘ Oh, I shall he quite comfortable, but I’m 
afraid I shall be troubling you terribly.’ 
“Everyone spoke at once, ‘No trouble, 
not the least.’ And then Dandy said: 
‘Judge, if you were to introduce us to the 
inly, perhaps she would feel more at ease 
with us.’ 
“ The Judge must have been awfully smit¬ 
ten at first sight, or lie would not be guilty 
of introducing us by out' camp titles. As it 
was, lie said, “Miss Browning, allow me to . 
introduce you to M ill’s friend, Mr. South 
Carolina.’ He advanced as he was called, 
and in the most chivalric manner bowed 
over tbe lady’s extended hand. ‘ This is Mr. 
Nutmeg, another friend of your brother.’ 
“ He bowed stifly, and everywhere hut at 
her. ‘ Aunt Betty, did you know Will ? I 
believe you didn’t; but lie will be afriend all 
the same to you, Miss Browning.’ 
“ ‘ You can bet your life on that every j 
time,’ said Aunt Betty, and we were all 
ready to split by that time, tbe Judge looked 
so dignified doing the honors ol the occasion 
in such a happy manner, as he no doubt 
thought. 
“ He continued:— 1 This is Mr. Dandy ;’ I 
wish you could see the bowing and scraping. 
By that time she had taken in the drollery of 
the tiling, and when Dandy bowed so pro¬ 
foundly, swept him a courtesy that liked to 
have finished him on the spot. 
‘“Senorund Will were sworn allies; we 
used to call them David and Jonathan.’ 
“ She smiled and asked, ‘ Which are you ?’ 
And for the first and only time in my life I 
did not know what to say, but I stammered 
out, ‘ Either, ma’am.’ There wassomething 
like a snicker from our company, but the 
Judge had no eves or ears for any one but 
her; so lie kept on, and with a wave of his 
hand presented ‘ Our Baby.’ The great six- 
looter looked for all the world as though he 
would put up lip and cry, until Miss Brown¬ 
ing said, ‘ How do you do, dear? Can he 
talk ?’ and then he blurted out,' My name is 
Otis Allen.’ 
“ Jack got the start of them, and stepping 
in front of them, said in tragic: tones, ‘ Jack 
the Wicked,’ known all over the Pacific 
coast for my diabolical nets—and let me 
assist our friend—this is the Judge, who is a 
for Will, but three weeks had passed with¬ 
out a word in reply. We had all in turn of¬ 
fered to accompany Miss Browuing to San 
Francisco, but she said she. knew no one 
there; Will would he sure to come before 
long, and would be disappointed if she should 
leave; besides, hadn't she eight of tbe very 
best brothers in the world ? She would slay 
a while longer, aud she would help cook and 
mend for us, so as not to burden us too much. 
She had a few new books she had bought 
for Will, and she would read to us evenings. 
We came up an hour earlier than usual, and 
our table was always ready for us, and it bad 
many an extra touch that none but a woman 
would think of. We werea silentsetof men 
during the day, but each did his best when 
we got borne. Stories were told, songs were 
sung, and with her reading we were all en¬ 
tranced. She always called us by tbe names 
w liich were first given her, and ever so many 
times she went through the introduction, 
Then he told us that Miss Browning was “Done to a T, is it? Well,heave to! My 
very much attached to us all, but of course back’s a little stiff this morning, Miss Giles 
could not marry but one, and wc must bear That walk was pretty bard, after the day’s 
our disappointment like men. work I’d had of it.; but I wasn't going to 
“ She went and stood beside him. I wait for the carriage, as if I wanted to scein 
thought she would faint, but she did not. city bred; and I got home an hour first_ 
We all arose when the minister said, ‘Let that’s something.” 
us pray.’ When lie was pari through, the “You had your supper and fell asleep be- 
Judge sat down, completely overcome by fore they come past,” said Mm. Giles, sym- 
his feelings. I am free to say that this was pathizing iu her husband’s feeling of tri- 
thc longest prayer I ever heard. If the min- umph ; “but you must be quite ready for 
isler had been suspended between heaven 
and the other place, as we were, he would 
have made fewer words, 1 am sure. 
“ When it was over he said:—“ I am here 
to solemnize a marriage between Catharine 
F. Browning (lie must have felt an inward 
chuckle over the torture he was inflicting, 
for he paused, well, maybe only a minute, 
but it seemed an hour), and James A. Wood¬ 
ruff. If any of you know cause or just im¬ 
pediment why these two persons should not 
acting out all the parts. It seemed funnier | he joined in holy matrimony you are to de- 
to her than it did to us. She talked with clare it now, or else forever hold your peace.’ 
Smith Carolina about tbe beauties of the! “Jim had not stirred a step. The niinis- 
Soulli Carolina about the beauties of the 
Southern sky, and of the flowers and trees, 
which eclipsed anything at the North. To 
Nutmeg she praised New England, and she 
had some favorite topic to discuss with each 
of us. 
“ Of course we were all in love with her, 
but none dared to boast of having received 
any sign of preference from the lady. We 
had all proposed to her once, and some of us 
half a dozen times. She just made light of 
it; said we were crazy, and didn’t know 
ter took his hand and placed him beside the 
bride, He walked up then, and 1 guess the 
look he gave her satisfied her, for her face 
cleared up like a summer sky after a rain. 
“ The brief service was soon over that 
made the Judge a happy Benedict, aud us, 
perhaps, bachelors for life. 
“ Jim looked tip so earnest at us:—“ Boys, 
I do not deserve this happiuess as much as 
either of you ; but it has fallen to me, and I 
will do my best to make her happy. Will 
what we were about; but she came to know you not wish us God speed t ami he held 
after a while that we did. 
“ There was open war. We all acted like 
madmen, except the Judge; lie would not 
answer any of our taunts, but was most pleas¬ 
ant to all. Yet he grew to look real care¬ 
worn, and every time lie met any of us alone 
lie would say he hoped Will would come 
terror to all evil-doers and the protector of 80011, b'l^ed tons about keeping the 
distressed innocents, whenever they have peace, and appealed to our honor as men 
the good fortune to fall into his hands.’ a,,< * 0,,r b>ve fol ‘ our comrade. Kate 
“ : Yes, said the Judge, with the most im- herself had quite a little talk with each one. 
perturbable gravity, and now von know us I don’t know bow she managed it, but she 
all. and must consider us your obedient left the impression upon us all that we were 
servants ’ more likely to be accepted if we behaved our- 
“ She laughed a low, rippling laugh, and selves and kept quiet; but ’twas no go we 
said, ‘ Yes, I aiu sure I know you all now, could not. 
and 1 should like to shake hands all around, “ One evening she refused to sit down with 
it, would give me a sort of a home feeling, us to the table, and so little was eaten. She 
and you would feel better acquainted with walked up and down the room, and then 
me I guess.’ said, emphatically, ‘ I am going off—I don’t 
“ She began with the Judge, and he looked, know where; bm I must go away; this is 
while he held her hand, as though he had getting unbearable. 1 cannot meet one ol 
been translated. y°» but 1 am >'»|Wtimcd to marry you. 
out his band. Each of us was man enough 
to walk up and take it and the little brown 
band which had been given to Jim. 
“ Then we bad supper. There wasn’t 
much eaten, yet we all lived through it; 
but none of us have felt much hankering 
after weddings, since, I reckon.” 
. --- 
THE OLD COUPLE. 
[In "The Island Neighbors,” by Antoinette 
Drown Hlackweli,. Just published by the Har¬ 
per's, we find this beautiful picture of domestic 
life—portraying the happiness of an aged couple 
iu their island dove-cote.— Eds.] 
“ Is breakfast most ready, Miss Giles ?” 
said Captain Giles, coming in from bis early 
“ chores," with his old hat held politely in 
his hand ; “ because if tain’t I’ll go out aud 
hoe potatoes a spell,” 
“Most ready, capling. I’m just turning 
the meal, uml everything else is about baked 
getting unbearable. I cannot meet one of and biled. You had better lie down, after 
you but 1 am importuned to marry you. your cruise yesterday. It wouldn t pay to 
“ She’s got an awful lot of magnetism Don’t you know, gentlemen, I cannot marry go mlo the garden now. 
about her,*l tell vou; my arm and hand you all, and if 1 choose to show oue bit of “ W eiI, 1 6 uess I will. 1 Ins morning 
thrill now when I think or that first hand pleasure in the society of any one, the rest early I telt ever so little knocked up; ait 
clasp Wc hadn’t a chair in the cabin, but I are all angry. Now 1 ask you what shall I that all went off, alter a whiff of the tresli 
we gave her our best three-legged stool. She | do ? Will doesn’t come, and I am all alone. I sultair ” . 
took Off her jaunty lmt and sack, and each wish you would drop all this nonsense and A cal.eo lounge stood invitingly on one 
one sprang to take them. She didn’t seem behave yourselves. Why won’t you?’ side of the room, the nice ch.ntzof thecusli- 
... ir.n i .a l,,,. left them Itfin.r in her lai». "She looked from one to another, and ion protected by ft home- woven, partl-coloied 
breakfast." 
The captain was standing half erect, with 
one hand pressed hard against his rheumatic 
back, and tbe other resting on his knee. 
His wife glanced over at him keenly. Iler 
wifely heart was with lire breakfast which 
ought to be eaten without delay; hut the 
wifely heart came instantly uppermost. 
“ Let me get you some opodeldoc, John, 
and rub it in briskly with a woolen cloth; ’ 
“ Pshaw, no! It’s easy to get splceny. I’H 
work it off. If I once get wanned with dig. 
ging, it will go.” 
“Maybe it won’t, capling.” 
“ I’ll try it. Not much danger of rlieuma- 
tiz in summer, if one is reasonable. It wasn’t 
worth turning in at all, though, for such a 
candle-end of rest as you gave me, Miss 
Giles; but I’m pretty hungry. That’s a 
comfort!” 
The old couple drew up to the raised leaf 
of the table, which was still standing against 
the wait; and when the captain had asked 
the blessing, the old wife began pouring the 
tea, to which she added milk plentifully,but 
no sugar; and the old husband helped him¬ 
self to the salad, which lie cut up and salted, 
adding a liberal supply of peppered vinegar 
This done, they both came to a pause. 
“ Which slice of ham would you like, Mbs 
Giles?” asked the captain, eyeing the plate 
carefully in search of the best piece. 
“Don’t, make agrain of diflemice,” reach¬ 
ing out her plate. 
“ This one looks right, if it isn’t just a little 
too lean.” 
“I can make that up with gravy.” 
“ So you can,” said the delighted old man, 
nodding his approval of her merry humor. 
Then they both sat and peeled their p<> , 
toes gravely. 
“ They’re nice, for new potatoes; don't yon 
think so?” 
“ Don’t know, Miss Giles. I expect it’s in 
the cooking.” 
“They are not so very young, though, 
here are skins that would do for shoe leather 
in case of necessity, capling.” 
“ The old ones used to be as floury as meal, 
and these seem just like ’em. We shall have 
good potatoes pretty much the year round, i: 
I keep the strength to lme ’em, and you J* 
the cooking.” 
“ This is light, 1 guess, for I put in an egg 
this morning,” handing over her corn lire;, 
“ It’s real Indian sponge-cake,' lie sai l, a 
a tone of sincere belief, break ing off a crum’» 
took off her jaunty hat and sack, and each wish you would drop all this nonsense and A calico lounge stood inti .on one hc iu 
one sprang to take them. She didn’t seem behave yourselves. Why won t you ? side of the a tone of sincere belief, breaking off a m.mh 
to notice us, but left them lying in her lap. “She looked from one to another and ion protected by ft 1 ome-w o\ en, pat ti-coo.c u proiuUy . After this, nol a word 
She told us that she had some baggage a finally asked Jack * Come, you own to being blanket was spoken till breakfast was nearly over, 
little way from our house; she had left it wicked, and you have been an awful tease; comfortable, and tlu. pillow_ was fault essly flf ycn lbis couple had 
there so'as to walk in upon Will unan- won’t you reform, ami then all the rest will i white. ^ Captain Giles, * ,al broken bread together at the same table. F<r 
nounced, and instead of finding lu-r dear old | “Aunt Betty said .—“If you care for any peg. luul himself down, boots and . , ^ y iew yearg u, e wife bad been chief c < A, 
Will, she had stumbled upon such a lot of of us, make it known, and then the rest apparent good wi l. , while the husband had kept a good unpetile, 
Afcxb- , I «I'«H or-U,crc willb. a ro,v.” _0» good digrelion, ami a perpetually Yi;oro». 
“'Can you give me something real good “Thais just it—you will fight anyway, 
to cat?’ and she glanced at the table with you are getting so savage. In being lovers 
its dillv dishes and the scanty remains of I am afraid you have forgotten to be geu- 
onr supper. lleuien.” 
“That table was cleared off in a jiffy; a j “Wasn’t that a stinger for us? But we 
our supper. 
“That table was cleared off in a jiffy; a 
plate was washed, and a can of chicken 
opened. Aunt Betty made a cup of tea, 
and another stirred up some flapjacks, and 
another of us thought, to scour a knife and 
fork by running them into the ground sev¬ 
eral times. Oh, they were lively times for 
a few minutes, you’d better believe. Only 
didn’t feel it then as we have since. We 
all promised not to say a word after her de¬ 
cision was made known to us. Each one 
may have been a little elated, thinking he 
was likely to lie chosen. 
“ She sat down and put her face on her 
arm, but it was only for a moment. Then 
the Judge— lie never moved, but looked at i she said:—“ I shall ask for two days to think 
her. She did not seem to notice him, but 
watched our operations with great interest. 
of it. Next Sunday there will be a wed¬ 
ding here, and a supper afterward, which 
While she ate—aud the quaiutness of we will all help to prepare. If any one 
our surroundings did not affect, her appetite 
— we all stood around and waited upon 
her. 1 guess never a day while site lived 
with us, but what she laughed about her first 
meal there. 
“ We partitioned her off a bed-room in 
one corner, by putting up some blankets, 
and all but the Judge and Aunt Betty went 
into the storehouse to sleep. 
“ You’d think that when we got there we 
should he likely to talk over the wonderful 
event, but we didn’t; not a word was spoken 
concerning it. But I reckon there was con¬ 
siderable thinking done that night. 
“ By light we were all up and pacing in 
front of the cabin. The teamster had given 
notice of the charge he had left with us, and 
all the other boys were over there to learn 
how things were. There wasn’t a stroke of 
work done in the camp that day, and not 
much for a week. 
“ Then the Judge called us together and 
told us it wouldn’t do ; we were getting de¬ 
moralized ; that Miss Browning was unhappy 
because she felt she had interrupted our ar¬ 
rangements, and we must come right down 
to steady days’ work after that. Well, we 
tried to, but wc never could get back to old 
times. There was a good deal of rivalry 
among us, and some cutting tilings were 
said. The Judge sent letters in all directions 
speaks to me on the subject between this 
time and that, his doom is sealed.” 
“ There was an oldish man over at the 
next cabin, who seemed to have a kind of 
fatherly care over Kate. And I might as 
well say here, that all of the thirty who were 
unmarried, had offered themselves to her 
and been refused. 
“ Well, Kate and old man Howe had a 
long talk together, and then he went off and 
did not get buck till Sunday, and he brought 
a minister with him. There was some kind 
of service in the afternoon out under the trees, 
but none of us paid much attention. Our 
eyes were all for Kate, and she was crying 
softly all the time. When it was over, she 
took the preacher’s arm and talked with 
him some time. Then she went into out- 
cabin, and we all followed. Mean, wasn’t 
it ? But we did not see it in that light then. 
“ The man took the Bible from his pocket, 
and said :—“This lady informs me that you 
was laid with two covers side by side. All 
the earthenware was of a flowing dark blue. 
The thin-bladed knives aud two-tined steel 
forks were beautifully polished, and the 
spoons looked certainly of the best aud 
brightest silver; but such queer little slender 
things of a very notable pattern—possible 
lieir-looms in the family. The cloth was not 
white,but brown; yet it had been smoothly 
ironed and folded, and was spotless, except 
for one little stain, which was carefully cov¬ 
ered up a moment after by a blue plate, filled 
with leaves of crisp, green lettuce. Then 
this little table looked as tidy and pretty as 
need he. 
Mrs. Giles peeped first into the oven, with 
a splinter from the broom in her hand, one 
end of which she thrust into something 
which was baking. Then she drew back 
smiling, and said aloud to herself, “ I needn’t 
a-done that, it’s only johnny-cake !" 
Arming herself with a fork, she next 
peered into a covered pot, and gave three 
several stabs into the depths thereof. Then 
covering the pot again with its shining lid, 
she lifted it deftly out of its place, shutting 
up the gap with the iron stove lid, and 
poured off the water from the five potatoes 
which she had boiled to a turn, putting them 
hack on the fire a moment without the cover, 
to evaporate the steam and make them 
“floury.” Then she brought out an oval, 
dark blue dish, placed on it her three slices 
of thin ham, and poured over it the gravy 
thinned with water. She cut the jolinnv- 
cake into six small squares, bringing it, iu its 
yellow baking plate, bodily to the table, aud 
and said “ This lady informs me that you laid her five potatoes—all in their thin, new above those who make these assert i» - ^ ^ 
have promised to abide quietly by her deci- jackets, which had broken open beautifully— heavens are above the earth. Dm «»■ 
sion, and dwell in peace and harmony to- into a dish which the maker had intended are the highest type of purity am ’ 
gether. For her sake you will not object for a soup plate. Last of all, she added a au d an y craven who would drag t >cm J qJ . 
to come here, one by one, and take an oath minute pat of butter aud the tea-pot annul- this high estate, deserves the execia i 
which I shall dictate. It is that you reite- taneously. all good men . _ 
rate your promise with a hand on this sa- “ Come, Capling Giles.” said the snu mg destruction of bu 
cred book!" UlUeold woman, “ everything to on tbe table He who rejo.ctsa_ the de mtcb 
■■ We advanced and received it as solemn- getting cold. Don't wait a minute, if you man life ts not til to be entreated 
ly as though it was to he the last of our lives, want a nice breakfast. 1U *■ e " 01 • a0 
sense of gratitude. The table liad sometimes 
been drawn mil from the wall, " Idle sons 
and daughters sat between them ; and more 
Iroquently the mother had eaten her meals 
with children on either sullc of her, while the 
husband was far away over the waste of wa¬ 
ters—generally in pursuit of the whale, bet 
sometimes seeing a little of the world and 
dealing in merchandise. 
AU this had passed. The old couple bad. 
accumulated a sufficient competence. I be 
sons had inherited the callingol tlieii fathei, 
and the daughters tbe vocation of their moth¬ 
er. Two children had gone before tola\ da¬ 
table for them in the unseen country, which 
thej r were both ready to visit on theshoimat 
notice. But they were still living in a green 
old age. 
-- •» - -- 
WOMAN’S VIRTUE. 
It is a prevailing vice among men • 
doubting the virtue of women. To us it 
looks like not only an outrage to good taste, 
but also betokens a want of intellect, 
sides this, it betokens a besotted nature, an 
passions that would disgrace a beast, 
idea of dragging women do wn to men - L '' ' 
in point of virtue, is so repugnant to the tec - 
ings, so utterly at variance with the n 
that the utterer ought not to have a place m 
civilized society. 
We would wish to impress upon d"* 
who cast this slur upon the character ot 
women of our land, that it what lhe> CI11 " 
were true, this world of ours would be a i • 
feet bell. The women of our land are as • ‘ 
above those who make these assertion-' 11 ' 
all good men. 
He who rejoices at the destruction 1,1 llU 
man life is not fit to be entrusted w it 1 
iu the world.— Laotie. 
J 
