through the streets until we reached the thoroughfare in
which the conflagration was raging. A long line of soldiers was drawn up
to prevent people from approaching within twenty or thirty rods of the
fire, and within the circle which they formed, were mounted policemen
with drawn sabres.

There appeared to be no effort made to extinguish the fire; the
soldiers, instead of being employed to carry water, or save goods, or in
blowing up buildings to arrest the flames, leaned on their guns, and
looked as though they didn't care if the whole city was consumed, as
long as they got enough to eat and drink. The mounted police did not
seem employed to any better purpose, and the most that I observed them
do was to chase after a poor devil who squeezed through the lines in
some way, and appeared anxious to save his property, or what there was
left of it.

"Thank God!" exclaimed a stout man at my side, "the fire is confined to
the stores of Jews. I think I'll go back to bed again."

That remark made me begin to comprehend the reason of the apathy which
prevailed. The Jews were not entitled to sympathy on account of their
religion. They paid their taxes, and were as much entitled to protection
as Episcopalians, or men of other religious principles; but the stigma
of being a Jew followed them even to Australia, where people were none
too moral, and if they had not sold their Saviour it was because no one
wished to buy, thinking the investment a bad one.

I longed to get to work, and once or twice I asked an officer standing
near me to let us pass, and assist in extinguishing the flames. The
young fop looked at me with the utmost astonishment for a moment, and
then, thinking that I was an escaped lunatic, recommenced sucking the
hilt of his sword with renewed energy, and without returning any answer
to my petition.

"Don't mind him, poor fellow," said Fred, with a laugh at my want of
success in eliciting an answer from the office: "don't you see that he
is hungry, and misses the comfort which his Mother has been in the habit
of yielding."

The sword hilt was withdrawn from the young fellow's mouth in an
instant, and his face flushed as red as his scarlet uniform. He felt the
more annoyed, because half a dozen fellows, just from the mines, all of
whom were standing near, and had heard the conversation, set up a shout
of laughter. Even the soldiers smiled when their officer's back was
turned.

If the young fellow intended to