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bearded； belted； spurred； and bristling with deadly weaponsjust down
from a long campaign in the mountains； evidently…barred the way； stopped
the servant； and stood gazing； with a face all alive with gratification
and astonishment。 Then he said； reverently：
〃Well； if it ain't a child！〃 And then he snatched a little leather sack
out of his pocket and said to the servant：
〃There's a hundred and fifty dollars in dust； there； and I'll give it to
you to let me kiss the child！〃
That anecdote is true。
But see how things change。 Sitting at that dinner…table； listening to
that anecdote； if I had offered double the money for the privilege of
kissing the same child； I would have been refused。 Seventeen added years
have far more than doubled the price。
And while upon this subject I will remark that once in Star City； in the
Humboldt Mountains； I took my place in a sort of long； post…office single
file of miners； to patiently await my chance to peep through a crack in
the cabin and get a sight of the splendid new sensationa genuine； live
Woman！ And at the end of half of an hour my turn came； and I put my eye
to the crack； and there she was； with one arm akimbo； and tossing flap…
jacks in a frying…pan with the other。
And she was one hundred and sixty…five ＇Being in calmer mood； now； I
voluntarily knock off a hundred from that。M。T。＇ years old； and hadn't a
tooth in her head。
CHAPTER LVIII。
For a few months I enjoyed what to me was an entirely new phase of
existencea butterfly idleness； nothing to do； nobody to be responsible
to； and untroubled with financial uneasiness。 I fell in love with the
most cordial and sociable city in the Union。 After the sage…brush and
alkali deserts of Washoe； San Francisco was Paradise to me。 I lived at
the best hotel； exhibited my clothes in the most conspicuous places；
infested the opera； and learned to seem enraptured with music which
oftener afflicted my ignorant ear than enchanted it； if I had had the
vulgar honesty to confess it。 However； I suppose I was not greatly worse
than the most of my countrymen in that。 I had longed to be a butterfly；
and I was one at last。 I attended private parties in sumptuous evening
dress； simpered and aired my graces like a born beau； and polkad and
schottisched with a step peculiar to myselfand the kangaroo。 In a
word； I kept the due state of a man worth a hundred thousand dollars
（prospectively；） and likely to reach absolute affluence when that silver…
mine sale should be ultimately achieved in the East。 I spent money with
a free hand； and meantime watched the stock sales with an interested eye
and looked to see what might happen in Nevada。
Something very important happened。 The property holders of Nevada voted
against the State Constitution； but the folks who had nothing to lose
were in the majority； and carried the measure over their heads。 But
after all it did not immediately look like a disaster； though
unquestionably it was one I hesitated； calculated the chances； and then
concluded not to sell。 Stocks went on rising； speculation went mad；
bankers； merchants； lawyers； doctors； mechanics； laborers； even the very
washerwomen and servant girls； were putting up their earnings on silver
stocks； and every sun that rose in the morning went down on paupers
enriched and rich men beggared。 What a gambling carnival it was！ Gould
and Curry soared to six thousand three hundred dollars a foot！ And then
all of a sudden； out went the bottom and everything and everybody went
to ruin and destruction！ The wreck was complete。
The bubble scarcely left a microscopic moisture behind it。 I was an
early beggar and a thorough one。 My hoarded stocks were not worth the
paper they were printed on。 I threw them all away。 I； the cheerful
idiot that had been squandering money like water； and thought myself
beyond the reach of misfortune； had not now as much as fifty dollars when
I gathered together my various debts and paid them。 I removed from the
hotel to a very private boarding house。 I took a reporter's berth and
went to work。 I was not entirely broken in spirit； for I was building
confidently on the sale of the silver mine in the east。 But I could not
hear from Dan。 My letters miscarried or were not answered。
One day I did not feel vigorous and remained away from the office。 The
next day I went down toward noon as usual； and found a note on my desk
which had been there twenty…four hours。 It was signed 〃Marshall〃the
Virginia reporterand contained a request that I should call at the
hotel and see him and a friend or two that night； as they would sail for
the east in the morning。 A postscript added that their errand was a big
mining speculation！ I was hardly ever so sick in my life。 I abused
myself for leaving Virginia and entrusting to another man a matter I
ought to have attended to myself； I abused myself for remaining away from
the office on the one day of all the year that I should have been there。
And thus berating myself I trotted a mile to the steamer wharf and
arrived just in time to be too late。 The ship was in the stream and
under way。
I comforted myself with the thought that may be the speculation would
amount to nothingpoor comfort at bestand then went back to my
slavery； resolved to put up with my thirty…five dollars a week and forget
all about it。
A month afterward I enjoyed my first earthquake。 It was one which was
long called the 〃great〃 earthquake； and is doubtless so distinguished
till this day。 It was just after noon； on a bright October day。 I was
coming down Third street。 The only objects in motion anywhere in sight
in that thickly built and populous quarter； were a man in a buggy behind
me； and a street car wending slowly up the cross street。 Otherwise； all
was solitude and a Sabbath stillness。 As I turned the corner； around a
frame house； there was a great rattle and jar； and it occurred to me that
here was an item！no doubt a fight in that house。 Before I could turn
and seek the door； there came a really terrific shock； the ground seemed
to roll under me in waves； interrupted by a violent joggling up and down；
and there was a heavy grinding noise as of brick houses rubbing together。
I fell up against the frame house and hurt my elbow。 I knew what it was；
now； and from mere reportorial instinct； nothing else； took out my watch
and noted the time of day； at that moment a third and still severer shock
came； and as I reeled about on the pavement trying to keep my footing；
I saw a sight！ The entire front of a tall four…story brick building in
Third street sprung outward like a door and fell sprawling across the
street； raising a dust like a great volume of smoke！ And here came the
buggyoverboard went the man； and in less time than I can tell it the
vehicle was distributed in small fragments along three hundred yards of
street。
One could have fancied that somebody had fired a charge of chair…rounds
and rags down the thoroughfare。 The street car had stopped； the horses
were rearing and plunging； the passengers were pouring out at both ends；
and one fat man had crashed half way through a glass window on o