ing socially, were wont to congregate. About the center of the open space was a large box-stove, which in winter was kept full of wood, ofttimes g

deign to hold any intercourse with his father's drudge, while the housekeeper-Major Norton being a widower-was busy about her own special work, and would have

e found the usual company pr

efore, and was, of course, an object of great attention, and plied with numerous questions by his

the year 1851, and s

ifo

eaking as J

to find out the richness of the country. It's the place for a poor man to go if he wants to become rich. What's the prospects here? I ask any one of you. A

man do in California?

it's just as well to stay here. But if he's willing to work hard, and to put by half he makes, he's sure to do well, and he may get rich. Why, I knew

lars?" suggeste

d I wasn't lucky, and had the rheumatism

nd?" guesse

ccount of two thousan

said

am. "I've been workin' ten years, a

know what I was workin' at before I went out-in a shoe shop. I just about made a poor livin', and that was all. I didn'

at you was talkin' about," said Tom Sutter. "It c

ay it could

ore?" inquire

d you may b'lieve it or not, just as you like. T

orus of admiri

ollars! Did you ev

t some make even more. What I do say is, that a feller that's industrious, and willin' to work, an' rough it, and

sure

Seth, if you were gettin'

kinder recuperate, if that's the right word. But I'm goin' back ag'in, you may bet high on that. No more work in the shoe shop for me at the old rates. I don't

st to go out there?"

ether, Dan. First-class, nigh on t

. Three hundred dollars, or even two, were beyond the convenient reach of

deal less, and you can go round th

Californy?" inq

thousand miles, and it's twice as fur, I reckon, r

urope," said Joe, who had been

hy, that's Joe Mason, isn't it?

?" said Joe, pleased

y, you're a big boy of y

--nearly

thought. Where are

ng for Maj

st into

't made your fortune

the first star

u work for the major. H

and c

?" said Seth, surveying J

es

bill won't ruin him, then. A

a better sui

thing. You deserve

ully. "Is there any chance for a

n use the handle to my name. Well, there's a chanc

e willing t

chance, it won't do you a

ou say it costs

e for a hundred dollars, if you

ong as he remained in the major's employ. There was a shoe shop in the village, where money wages were paid, but there was no vacancy; and, ev

p wishing that he were the possessor of the magic carpet mentioned in the Arabian tale, upon which the person

e gold-fields on the other side of the