tales of trail and town-第2章

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his　family　in　England　and　sent　to　buzz　round　in　Americky。　　He

honey…fogled　meSally　Magregorout　of　a　better　family　than　his'n；

in　Kansas；　and　skyugled　me　away；　but　it　was　a　straight　out

marriage；　and　I　kin　prove　it。　　It　was　in　the　St。　Louis　papers；　and

I've　got　it　stored　away　safe　enough　in　my　trunk！　　You　hear　me！　　I'm

shoutin'！　　But　he　wasn't　no　old　settler　in　Mizzourihe　wasn't

descended　from　any　settler；　either！　　He　was　a　new　man　outer

Englandfresh　caughtand　talked　down　his　throat。　　And　he　fooled

MEthe　darter　of　an　old　family　that　was　settled　on　the　right　bank

of　the　Mizzouri　afore　Dan'l　Boone　came　to　Kentuckywith　his　new

philanderings。　　Then　he　broke　up；　and　went　all　to　pieces　when　we

struck　Californy；　and　left　MESally　Magregor；　whose　father　had

niggers　of　his　ownto　wash　for　Rough　and　Ready！　　THAT'S　your

Atherly！　　Take　him！　　I　don't　want　himI've　done　with　him！　　I　was

done　with　him　long　aforeafore〃a　cough　checked　her　utterance；

〃afore〃　　She　gasped　again；　but　the　words　seemed　to　strangle　in

her　throat。　　Intent　only　on　her　words　and　scarcely　heeding　her

sufferings；　Peter　was　bending　over　her　eagerly；　when　the　doctor

rudely　pulled　him　away　and　lifted　her　to　a　sitting　posture。　　But

she　never　spoke　again。　　The　strongest　restoratives　quickly

administered　only　left　her　in　a　state　of　scarcely　breathing

unconsciousness。



〃Is　she　dying？　　Can't　you　bring　her　to；〃　said　the　anxious　Peter；

〃if　only　for　a　moment；　doctor？〃



〃I'm　thinkin'；〃　said　the　visiting　doctor；　an　old　Scotch　army

surgeon；　looking　at　the　rich　Mr。　Atherly　with　cool；　professional

contempt；　〃that　your　mother　willna　do　any　more　washing　for　me　as　in

the　old　time；　nor　give　up　her　life　again　to　support　her　bairns。

And　it　isna　my　eentention　to　bring　her　back　to　pain　for　the

purposes　of　geeneral　conversation！〃



Nor；　indeed；　did　she　ever　come　back　to　any　purpose；　but　passed　away

with　her　unfinished　sentence。　　And　her　limbs　were　scarcely　decently

composed　by　the　attendants　before　Peter　was　rummaging　the　trunk　in

her　room　for　the　paper　she　had　spoken　of。　　It　was　in　an　old　work…

boxa　now　faded　yellow　clipping　from　a　newspaper；　lying　amidst

spoils　of　cotton　thread；　buttons；　and　beeswax；　which　he　even　then

remembered　to　have　seen　upon　his　mother's　lap　when　she　superadded

the　sewing　on　of　buttons　to　her　washing　of　the　miners'　shirts。　　And

his　dark　and　hollow　cheek　glowed　with　gratified　sentiment　as　he

read　the　clipping。



〃We　hear　with　regret　of　the　death　of　Philip　Atherly；　Esq。；　of　Rough

and　Ready；　California。　　Mr。　Atherly　will　be　remembered　by　some　of

our　readers　as　the　hero　of　the　romantic　elopement　of　Miss　Sallie

Magregor；　daughter　of　Colonel　'Bob'　Magregor；　which　created　such　a

stir　in　well…to…do　circles　some　thirty　years　ago。　　It　was　known

vaguely　that　the　young　couple　had　'gone　West；'a　then　unknown

region；but　it　seems　that　after　severe　trials　and　tribulations　on

the　frontier　with　savages；　they　emigrated　early　to　Oregon；　and

then；　on　the　outbreak　of　the　gold　fever；　to　California。　　But　it

will　be　a　surprise　to　many　to　know　that　it　has　just　transpired　that

Mr。　Atherly　was　the　second　son　of　Sir　Ashley　Atherly；　an　English

baronet；　and　by　the　death　of　his　brother　might　have　succeeded　to

the　property　and　title。〃



He　remained　for　some　moments　looking　fixedly　at　the　paper；　until

the　commonplace　paragraph　imprinted　itself　upon　his　brain　as　no

line　of　sage　or　poet　had　ever　done；　and　then　he　folded　it　up　and

put　it　in　his　pocket。　　In　his　exaltation　he　felt　that　even　the

mother　he　had　never　loved　was　promoted　to　a　certain　respect　as　his

father's　wife；　although　he　was　equally　conscious　of　a　new

resentment　against　her　for　her　contemptuous　allusions　to　HIS

father；　and　her　evident　hopeless　inability　to　comprehend　his

position。　　His　mother；　he　feared；　was　indeed　low！but　HE　was　his

father's　son！　　Nevertheless；　he　gave　her　a　funeral　at　Atherly；　long

remembered　for　its　barbaric　opulence　and　display。　　Thirty

carriages；　procured　from　Sacramento　at　great　expense；　were　freely

offered　to　his　friends　to　join　in　the　astounding　pageant。　　A

wonderful　casket　of　iron　and　silver；　brought　from　San　Francisco；

held　the　remains　of　the　ex…washerwoman　of　Rough　and　Ready。　　But　a

more　remarkable　innovation　was　the　addition　of　a　royal　crown　to　the

other　ornamentation　of　the　casket。　　Peter　Atherly's　ideas　of

heraldry　were　very　vague；Sacramento　at　that　time　offered　him　no

opportunity　of　knowing　what　were　the　arms　of　the　Atherlys；and　the

introduction　of　the　royal　crown　seemed　to　satisfy　Peter's　mind　as

to　what　a　crest　MIGHT　be；　while　to　the　ordinary　democratic　mind　it

simply　suggested　that　the　corpse　was　English！　　Political　criticism

being　thus　happily　averted；　Mrs。　Atherly's　body　was　laid　in　the

little　cemetery；　not　far　away　from　certain　rude　wooden　crosses

which　marked　the　burial…place　of　wanderers　whose　very　names　were

unknown；　and　in　due　time　a　marble　shaft　was　erected　over　it。　　But

when；　the　next　day；　the　county　paper　contained；　in　addition　to　the

column…and…a…half　description　of　the　funeral；　the　more　formal

announcement　of　the　death　of　〃Mrs。　Sallie　Atherly；　wife　of　the　late

Philip　Atherly；　second　son　of　Sir　Ashley　Atherly；　of　England；〃

criticism　and　comment　broke　out。　　The　old　pioneers　of　Rough　and

Ready　felt　that　they　had　been　imposed　upon；　and　that　in　some　vague

way　the　unfortunate　woman　had　made　them　the　victims　of　a　huge

practical　joke　during　all　these　years。　　That　she　had　grimly　enjoyed

their　ignorance　of　her　position　they　did　not　doubt。　　〃Why；　I

remember　onct　when　I　was　sorter　bullyraggin'　her　about　mixin'　up　my

duds　with　Doc　Simmons's；　and　sendin'　me　Whiskey　Dick's　old　rags；

she　turned　round　sudden　with　a　kind　of　screech；　and　ran　out　into

the　brush。　　I　reckoned；　at　the　time；　that　it　was　either　'drink'　or

feelin's；　and　could　hev　kicked　myself　for　being　sassy　to　the　old

woman；　but　I　know　now　that　all　this　time　that　air　critterthat

barrownet's　daughter…in…lawwas　just　laughin'　herself　into　fits　in

the　brush！　　No；　sir；　she　played　this　yer　camp　for　all　it　was　worth；

year　in　and　out；　and　we　just　gave　ourselves　away　like　speckled

idiots！　and　now　she's　lyin'　out　thar　in　the　bone　yard；　and　keeps　on

p'intin'　the　joke；　and　a…roarin'　at　us　in　marble。〃



Even　the　later　citizens　in　Atherly　felt　an　equal　resentment　against

her；　but　from　different　motives。　　That　her　drinking　habits　and　her

powerful　vocabulary　were　all　the　effect　of　her　aristocratic

alliance　they　never　doubted。　　And；　although　it　brought　the　virtues

of　their　own　superior　republican　sobriety　into　greater　contrast；

they　felt　a　scandal　at　having　been　tricked　into　attending　this

gilded　funeral　of　dissipated　rank。　　Peter　Atherly　found　himself

unpopular　in　his　own　town。　　The　sober　who　drank　from　his　free

〃Waterworks；〃　and　the　giddy　ones　who　imbibed　at　his　〃Gin　Mill；〃

equally　criticised　him。　　He　could　not　understand　it；　his　peculiar

predilections　had　been　accepted　before；　when　they　were　mere

presumptions；　why　should　they　not　NOW；　when　they　were　admitted

facts？　　He　was　conscious　of　no　change　in　himself　since　the　funeral！

Yet　the　criticism　went　on。　　Presently　it　took　the　milder　but　more

contagious　form　of　ridicule。　　In　his　own　hotel；　built　with　his　own

money；　and　in　his　own　presence；　he　had　heard　a　reckless　frequenter

of　the　bar…room　decline　some　proffered　refreshment　on　the　ground

that　〃he　only　drank　with　his　titled　relatives。〃　　A　local　humorist；

amidst　the　applause　of　an　admiring　crowd　at　the　post…office　window；

had　openly　accused　the　postmaster　of　withholding　letters　to　him

from　his　only　surviving　brother；　〃the　Dook　of　Doncherknow。〃　　〃The

ole　dooky　never　onct　missed　the　mail　to　let　me　know　wot's　goin'　on

in　me　childhood's　home；〃　remarked　the　humorist　plaintively；　〃and

yer's　this　dod…blasted　gov'ment　mule　of　a　postmaster　keepin'　me

letters　back！〃　　Letters　with　pretentious　and　gilded　coats　of　arms；

taken　from　the　decorated　inner　lining　of　cigar…boxes；　were　posted

to　prominent　citizens。　　The　nei