e this grove, which was, doubtless, intended
as a sacred haunt, never dreaming that its sanctity would be invaded by
the sacrilegious sounds of modern civilization, and, above all, by the
rumble of the horse car.

All along this beauteous line of shade, musical with the melody of birds,
are elegant villas, evidently the abodes of wealth and fashion.

Back again to Sacramento, we met Mr. Charles Cummings, who gave us a
general pass over the various stage routes of that portion of the State,
and we at once went to Stockton by rail, where we took the stage for the
celebrated Calevaros trees. So stupendous appeared every tree upon the
route, that a score of times we fancied ourselves nearing the world famed
giants, but how did these monsters dwindle into comparative insignificance
when we found the real grove.

After this tedious, tiresome stage ride, it was indeed a luxury to find
ourselves safely ensconced in the large, elegant hotel in the midst of the
Calevaros, the season being quite advanced, and in consequence the hotel
less crowded. This being one of the few places in the State in which we
found cool water, we luxuriated in draught after draught of this crystal,
ice-cold beverage, and no fabled fountain of rejuvenating power could have
been more exhilarating.

Next morning, in eager anxiety, we took an early look at the great trees,
all of which are named for some person of distinction. We stood first
beside General Grant, and, as Hattie laid her hand upon the side of the
hero, she bade me start around him and see what a distance it would be to
find her again. When I was upon the opposite side I felt quite isolated
and lonely, and when I regained her companionship it seemed to have been
after a long separation. We next took a reverent look at the "Mother of
the Forest," which is eighty-seven feet in circumference and four hundred
feet in height, and we must confess that these proportions made her look
quite like an Amazon. The "Father of the Forest" was quite prostrate, his
huge bulk, as he lay upon the ground, seeming that of a fallen hero. Thus
in the vegetable as in the animal world, the female has the greater power
of endurance. Man, in spite of his conceded superiority of physical
strength and supposed mental supremacy, bows before the tornado of life,
while woman ofttimes stands erect and fearless amid the storms and winds
of years.

The heart of the Father had been bored out, and the hollow converted into