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Volume 3 (1858-1859) (592 pages)
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Page: of 592
554 HUTCHINGS’ CALIFORNIA MAGAZINE.
While George’s partner was examining
hispackages from ‘‘the old folks athome,”
George unrolled those for himself: a delicate letter with a well known handwriting
made him start; he felt the incubus that
had been pressing on his heart, with the
nameless pain, was gone; and he was so
happy that he unconsciously stroked his
long beard, and felt at that moment kindly
disposed toward all mankind, and could
have taken the world in his arms, providing Ilda and the girls were included.
We can, perhaps, picture how his mind
was wrought up to maddening frenzy,
when he broke the seal, and read as follows:
Marysviu1z, January 16th, 185-. ~
George, my injured husband, I am lost
to you in this world, and the world to
come. Haye you made up your mind to
forget me? I thought you meant to forsake and not provide for me—but, when
it was too late, I knew of your hardships
and toil,and your great love for me ; forget me; pray do; and J am heartily sorry
for the cirewmstances over which no mortal seemed to have any control. George,
remember me only as a beautiful dream,
too transient, too vapory, to last. If I
can atone for the past, I shall do so, by
praying for your welfare. The court gave
me a divorce, but would not give me the
girls; and God only knows, whether you
will spare this last and only earthly
solace to me. Good bye, and may you
forget the old love vows of
Iupa Lincouy.
Alas! how poor a consolation was this
to him whose heart was thus made desolate. Forget her! that could never be.
He pressed his hands heavily before his
eyes, as though he would shut out the
revolting scene that rose before him.
When he had calmed himself sufficiently,
he handed the fatal note to his partner,
and told him to read the miner’s doom.
Then he reproached himself for all his
heavy misfortunes. “If he had not been
lured away by the voice of the golden
syren, he would now have beeu living in
domestic bliss.” After this tumult of contending emotions had somewkat subsided,
there came a reaction, and he felt, keenly
and justly felt, that he had been abused.
He tore the letter into shreds and stamped it beneath his heel; despair was
rousing the demon within him, and it
gave him a fearful strength. Yes! he
would see her; he would let her see that
he cared nothing for such a perfidious
wretch ; and Herbert Lincoln, the seducer, who. stood cursed before God and
man, he would slay him before Hda’s
eyes, and make her tremble with horror
and fear, at his mangled and bloody
corpse; and the girls, his own dear children, he would wrench from her grasp,
and place a rankling thorn in her side,
that would poison the fountain of her life.
Yes, he would see her starving, and shake
large bags of gold in her face, and refuse
to give her a dime, to buy that which
would keep soul and body together. Ah!
this would be sweet revenge—and he
laughed like a maniac.
The following Spring, he sold out his
interest in the claim, which was the richest in that whole section, for $14,000, and
started for the valley to execute his well
matured plans. He was surprised to see
what a change three years could make in
anew country. On the site where once
stood old Maggie’s tent, was now a large
house, and adjoining were large and well
cultivated fields of wheat and barley, that
waved in rank luxuriance; and Marysville, once but a little hamlet, was now a
large and populous city, and every avenue of business crowded with men in
the hot pursuit of wealth, each one pursuing his favorite scheme for moneymaking, and every man riding his own
hobby. No one in the little suburbs of
that city felt more lonely and down-hearted than George Somerville, as he walked
the streets in the shadowy moonlight.