the trunk, which did duty as a wash-stand, with
its vegetable-dish instead of a bowl (at the rancho I had a pint tin
pan when it was not in use in the kitchen); but, above and beyond all,
how superbly luxurious the magnificent bedstead, with its splendid hair
mattress, its clean, wide linen sheets, its nice square pillows, and
its large, generous blankets and quilts. And then the cozy little
supper, arrayed on a table-cloth, and the long, delightful evening
afterwards, by a fragrant fire of beech and pine, when we talked over
our past sufferings. Oh, it was delicious as a dream, and almost made
amends for the three dreadful weeks of pleasuring in the American
Valley.

LETTER _the_ TWENTY-THIRD

[_The_ PIONEER, _December_, 1855]

MINING FAILURES--DEPARTURE _from_ INDIAN BAR

SYNOPSIS

Dread of spending another winter at Indian Bar. Failure of nearly all
the fluming companies. Official report of one company. Incidental
failure of business people. The author's preparations to depart.
Prediction of early rains. High prices cause of dealers' failure to lay
in supply of provisions. Probable fatal results to families unable to
leave Bar. Rain and snow. The Squire a poor weather prophet. Pack-mule
trains with provisions fail to arrive. Amusement found in petty
litigation. Legal acumen of the Squire. He wins golden opinions. The
judgment all the prevailing party gets. What the constable got in
effort to collect judgment. Why Dr. C.'s fee was not paid. A
prescription of "calumny and other pizen doctor's stuff". A wonderful
gold specimen in the form of a basket. "Weighs about two dollars and a
half". How little it takes to make people comfortable. A log-cabin meal
and its table-service. The author departs on horseback from Indian Bar.
Her regrets upon leaving the mountains. "Feeble, half-dying invalid not
recognizable in your now perfectly healthy sister."

Letter _the_ Twenty-third

MINING FAILURES--DEPARTURE _from_ INDIAN BAR

_From our Log Cabin_, INDIAN BAR,

_November_ 21, 1852.

I suppose, Molly dear,--at least, I flatter myself,--that you have been
wondering and fretting a good deal for the last few weeks at not
hearing from Dame Shirley. The truth is, that I have been wondering and
fretting _myself_ almost into a fever at the dreadful prospect of being
compelled to spend the winter here, which, on every account, is
undesirable.

To our unbounded surprise, we found, on our return from the Ame