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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (July 1, 1887)
FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH. IT was tho autumn of 75, and there you are freo from tho vices which nro had already been a light fall of common to most men ? " snow. We Reub. and I had met He turned toward me, a lluh man. three years before, on our way to the tling his dark check: "I havo always mines of Virginia City; and now ho was tried, Dick, to keep myself puro and wor. foreman of the " Gould fc Curry," and I thy of her." held a sub-office under him. We had " Her ? " I repeated. Thero was a wo. taken a strange liking to each other from man in it then. I was all interest at onc the first This was owing chiefly, I and as persistent as an ovcr-indulged think, to our utter dissimilarity in al. child. In all my knowledge of Reuben mosf every respect Day, ho had nover Iwen known to show Ho was the personification of strength more than a pausing civility to any liuly massive and solidly built throughout of our acquaintance. Ho referred to his His hair and beard were black, and thick, mother, of courso- ho'a junt tho kind of ly streaked with gray; his eyes were of a man to idolize a good mother. I thought the same hue, and could shoot lurid this within myself, but looking straight lightnings or melt into liquid softness, into hi eyes, I said -I was stoop shouldered and narrow chest- " Your mother ? Tell me of her." ed, with pulmonary tendencies, awl in- He came out and locked tho door. Tho clined toward tho blondo type. He was gravity of his faco deejned almost int the bravest man I ever knew; I was asoowl. " We'll go homo by way of the naturally, from a child, very timid. He old mines, lad," ho said. M It will U a was gentlo as a woman; I, soured with longer road, but tho exercho will do yon ill health, was often, I fear, rudo and good." gruff. Ho saved nothingbut spent his His manner toward mo was alw) surplus earnings on those who had small that of a watchful mother over a delicate wages and largo families. That ho was child. Ho drew my arm In his and strode a man universally Moved, was a natural along tho circuitou routo wo ha1 cho. sequence. seemingly, for tho time, oblivious of I was standing in tho door of tho little wy prcw. I was panting and breath, office, waiting for him to lock up for tho and ha1 tho uncomfortable filling of night He was very punctilious in tho having trespass! on forbidden ground, methods of his work, and never let to. As we reached one of tho many aban. day's tasks infringe upon thoae of toraor- doned works, ho sat down on ono of tho row. I watched him in silence for a few timber. moments, then suddenly put into words M We'll mi hero a bit, 11" Th', tho thought that had been in my mind with grave solemnity: "I've a wind t all day tell you now, what I've ofUn thought of u Reub, how has it happened, that doing, in ca ary thing hould happen, with all your knocking about the world, you know." XIII-M