"
Never was sorrow so quickly turned into joy. The man, his wife, and
children, actually began smiling before the tears on their cheeks
were dry.
Men on every western prairie were preparing their waggons for the
great rush to California; new hands were wanted on the lands, and the
immigrants who were then arriving in thousands, took the place of the
other thousands who went westward across the plains. There was
employment for everybody, and during my three years' residence on the
prairies I only saw one beggar. He was an Italian patriot, who said
he had fought for Italy; he was now begging for it in English,
badly-broken, so I said:
"You are a strong, healthy man; why don't you go to work? You could
earn eight or ten dollars a month, with board, anywhere in these
parts."
But the Italian patriot was a high-class beggar; he was collecting
funds, and had no idea of wasting his time in hard work. He gave me
to understand that I had insulted him.
Besides this patriot, there were a few horse-thieves and hog duffers
on the prairies, but these, when identified, were either stretched
under a tree or sent to Texas.
In those days the prairie farmers were all gentlemen, high-minded,
truthful, honourable, and hospitable. There were no poor houses, no
asylums. All orphans were adopted and treated as members of some
family in the neighbourhood.
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