and the two
women wept in each other's arms together.

Men slapped each other on the back, bantered each other, and talked loud
of old Missouri and the institution of marriage.

Of all things perhaps this baby was the last they had looked for or
thought of. In a camp of thousands, where the youngest baby there, save
the boy poet, had a beard on his face, the men had forgotten to think of
children. It is quite likely they fancied that children would not grow
in the Sierras at all.

The Judge was the first to come forward as was his custom. He looked it
in the face, began to make a speech, but only could say, "It's this
glorious climate of Californy." And then he blushed to the tip of his
nose, backed out, and others came in turn to see the wonderful little
creature that had come all alone, farther than across the plains,
farther than any of them, farther than the farthest of the States, even
from the other world, to settle in the Sierras.

"Well ef that ain't the littlest!"

"Is that all the big they is?"

"Well! don't think Sandy hardly got his first planting, did he, Pike?"

"Well, that bangs me all hollow!"

"Dang my cats if it's bigger nor my thumb!"

"Devil of a little thing to make such a big row about, eh?"

Sandy was all submission and pride and tenderness, and received the
congratulations and heard the good-humored speeches of the good-humored
men as if they were all meant in compliment to him.

How radiant and even half beautiful was the plain face of poor Miss
Bunker Hill as she lifted it up before the camp now, conscious that she
had done a good thing and had a right to look the world in the face, and
receive its kindness and encouragement.

Older men and more thoughtful came up at last, to look upon the little
wonder and to read the story of this new volume fresh from the press.
They looked long and silently. They were as gentle as lambs. Death had
no terror to them, it was not half so solemn, so mysterious, as this
birth in the heart of the Sierras. Life was there, then, as well as
death. People would come and go there as elsewhere. The hand of God had
stretched over the mountain, down into the awful gorge, and set down a
little angel at their cabin doors. It was very, very welcome, and the
old men bobbed their heads with delight.

At last all was still, and the little Judge felt that this was not an
occasion to be lost. In fact, had there been a clergyman there to say a
word, it had had mo