s in one wash of dirt.

The sojourn at the gold-camp in the summers and winters of 1851 and
1852, with its tremendous and varied incidents and experiences, was a
compelling call to Shirley's facile pen. Here was her mine. Out of her
brain, out of her soul, out of her heart of gold, out of her wealth of
understanding of and love for her fellow-men, gratefully sprang those
SHIRLEY LETTERS that have enriched the field of letters, and, reaching
beyond the grasp of worldly gain, have set her enduringly in the hearts
of mankind.

Who can tell how far-reaching and inspiring were those illuminating
pages, those vividly depicted scenes enacted on the crowded stages of
the golden-lined bars of the famous Feather River! Bret Harte reads her
graphic and pathetic account of the fallen woman and the desperate men
being driven out of camp, and lo! we have the gripping tale of The
Outcasts of Poker Flat; and from another of her recitals came the
inspiration that set him to work on that entertaining story, The Luck
of Roaring Camp. And her incidental mention of the pet frog hopping on
the bar of the hotel, in the midst of a group of onlooking miners,--was
it the setting for Mark Twain's Jumping Frog of Calaveras?

During their sojourn at Rich and Indian bars, Shirley and her husband
became rich in experience. They folded their tent and left with
depleted purse, but they had righteously invested their God-bestowed
talents. There they had freely given the best of themselves; they were
leaving the imperishable impress of high ideals.

Upon their return to San Francisco the couple rejoined delightful
friends, and established a home. But reverses of fortune came, and
Shirley found it necessary to put her accomplishments to the practical
purpose of gaining a livelihood. By the advice of her friend Ferdinand
C. Ewer she entered the San Francisco public school department, where
for long years she taught, notably in the high schools.

Shirley was small in build, with a thin face and a finely shaped head.
Her limbs were perfect in symmetry. As a girl, doubtless she had claim
to a delicate beauty. She now showed the wear and tear of her mountain
experience, coupled with an accumulation of heart-breaking trouble. She
gave prodigally of all her gifts. She interpreted life and its arts to
all discerning pupils, and by the magic of her friendly intercourse won
their confidence. Quick to discover any unusual promise in a pupil, she
indefatigably a