for there are bigots in ail matters of taste | His folly first dawned upon Five Forks or poetry as well as in science or theology through the post-office windows. He or politics - would refuse the title of was for a long time the only man who poet to Crabbe, altogether on the strength wrote home by every mail, his letters of the absence of this element from his being always directed to the same person verses. Like his most obvious parallels - a woman. Now it so happened that in painting, he is too fond of boors and the bulk of the Five Forks correspondpot-houses to be allowed the quality of ence was usually the other way; there artistic perception. I will not argue the were many letters received the mapoint, which is, perhaps, rather a question jority being in the female hand-but of classification than of intrinsic merit: very few answered. The men received but I will venture to suggest a test which them indifferently, or as a matter of will, I think, give Crabbe a very firm, course; a few opened and read them on though, it may be, not a very lofty place. the spot with a barely repressed smile I should be unwilling to be reckoned as of self-conceit, or quite as frequently one of Macaulay's "rough and cynical glanced over them with undisguised imreaders." I admit that I can read the patience. Some of the letters began with story of the convicted felon, or of Peter" My dear husband," and some were Grimes without indulging in downright never called for. But the fact that the blubbering. Most readers, I fear, can in only regular correspondent of Five Forks these days get through pathetic poems and novels without absolutely using their pocket-handkerchiefs. But though Crabbe may not prompt such outward and visible signs of emotion, I think that he produces a more distinct titillation of the lachrymatory glands than almost any poet of his time. True, he does not appeal to emotions, accessible only through the finer intellectual perceptions, or to the thoughts which "lie too deep for tears." That prerogative belongs to men of more intense character, greater philo-repeatedly wrote to a woman who did not sophical power, and more delicate instincts. But the power of touching readers by downright pictures of homespun griefs and sufferings is one which, to my mind, implies some poetical capacity, and which clearly belongs to Crabbe.

From Macmillan's Magazine.
THE FOOL OF FIVE FORKS.

BY BRET HARTE.

He lived alone. I do not think this peculiarity arose from any wish to withdraw his foolishness from the rest of the camp, nor was it probable that the combined wisdom of Five Forks ever drove him into exile. My impression is that he lived alone from choice - a choice he made long before the camp indulged in any criticism of his mental capacity. He was much given to moody reticence, and, although to outward appearances a strong man, was always complaining of ill health. Indeed, one theory of his isolation was that it afforded him better opportunities for taking medicine, of which he habitually consumed large quantities.

never received any reply became at last quite notorious. Consequently, when an envelope was received bearing the stamp of the Dead Letter Office addressed to the Fool, under the more conventional title of "Cyrus Hawkins," there was quite a fever of excitement. I do not know how the secret leaked out, but it was eventually known to the camp that the envelope contained Hawkins's own letters returned. This was the first evidence of his weakness; any man who

reply must be a fool. I think Hawkins suspected that his folly was known to the camp, but he took refuge in symptoms of chills and fever which he at once developed, and effected a diversion with three bottles of Indian chologogue and two boxes of pills. At all events, at the end of a week he resumed a pen, stiffened by tonics, with all his old epistolatory pertinacity. This time the letters had a new address.

In those days a popular belief obtained at the mines that luck particularly favoured the foolish and unscientific. Consequently, when Hawkins struck a "pocket" in the hillside near his solitary cabin, there was but little surprise. "He will sink it all in the next hole," was the prevailing belief, predicated upon the usual manner in which the possessor of "nigger luck "disposed of his fortune. To everybody's astonishment, Hawkins, after taking out about eight thousand dollars and exhausting the pocket, did not prospect for another. The camp then waited patiently to see what he would do with his money. I think, however, that it was with the greatest difficulty their indignation was kept from taking the

form of a personal assault when it became known that he had purchased a draft for eight thousand dollars in favour of "that woman." More than this, it was finally whispered that the draft was returned to him as his letters had been, and that he was ashamed to reclaim the money at the express office. "It wouldn't be a bad speculation to go East, get some smart gal for a hundred dollars to dress herself up and represent that hag, and jest freeze on to that eight thousand," suggested a far-seeing financier. I may state here that we always alluded to Hawkins's fair unknown as "the Hag," without having, I am confident, the least justification for that epithet.

fered by each of the parties, Tom Wingate approached the subject:

"Sorter dropped heavy on Jack Hamlin the other night, didn't ye? He allows you didn't give him no show for revenge. I said you wasn't no such d―d fool didn't I, Dick?" continued the artful Wingate, appealing to a confederate.

"Yes," said Dick, promptly. "You said twenty thousand dollars wasn't goin' to be thrown around recklessly. You said Cyrus had suthin' better to do with his capital," superadded Dick, with gratuitous mendacity. "I disremember now what partickler investment you said he was goin' to make with it," he continued, appealing with easy indifference to his friend.

Of course Wingate did not reply, but looked at the Fool, who, with a troubled face, was rubbing his legs softly. After a pause he turned deprecatingly toward his visitors.

"Ye didn't enny of ye ever hev a sort of tremblin' in your legs- a kind o' shakiness from the knee down? Suthin'," he continued, slightly brightening with his topic, "suthin' that begins like chills, and yet ain't chills. A kind o' sensation of goneness here, and a kind o' feelin' as if you might die suddent ! When Wright's Pills don't somehow reach the spot, and quinine don't fetch you?"

That the Fool should gamble seemed eminently fit and proper. That he should occasionally win a large stake, according to that popular theory which I have recorded in the preceding paragraph, appeared also a not improbable or inconsistent fact. That he should, however, break the faro bank which Mr. John Hamlin had set up in Five Forks, and carry off a sum variously estimated at from ten to twenty thousand dollars, and not return the next day and lose the money at the same table, really appeared incredible. Yet such was the fact. A day or two passed without any known investment of Mr. Hawkins's recently acquired capital. "Ef he allows to send it to that hag," said one prominent citizen, "suth- "No!" said Wingate, with a curt diin' ought to be done! It's jest ruinin' rectness, and the air of authoritatively the reputation of this yer camp-this responding for his friends. "No, never sloshin' around o' capital on non-resi-had. You was speakin' of this yer indents ez don't claim it!" "It's settin' vestment." an example o' extravagance," said another, "ez is little better nor a swindle. Thais mor'n five men in this camp thet, hearin' thet Hawkins hed sent home eight thousand dollars, must jest rise up and send home their hard earnings, too! And, then, to think thet that eight thousand was only a bluff, after all, and thet it's lyin' there on call in Adams and Co.'s. bank! Well! I say it's one o' them things a vigilance committee oughter look into!"

"And your bowels all the time irregu lar?" continued Hawkins, blusking under Wingate's eye, and yet clinging despairingly to his theme like a shipwrecked mariner to his plank.

Wingate did not reply, but glanced. significantly at the rest. Hawkins evidently saw this recognition of his mental deficiency, and said, apologetically, "You was saying suthin' about my investment?'

"Yes," said Wingate, so rapidly as almost to take Hawkins's breath away "the investment you made in ——"

"Rafferty's Ditch," said the Fool, timidly.

For a moment the visitors could only stare blankly at each other. Rafferty's Ditch, the one notorious failure of Five Forks! Rafferty's Ditch, the impracticable scheme of an utterly unpractical man; Rafferty's Ditch, a ridiculous plan.

for taking water that could not be got sorry to say that with Five Forks this to a place where it wasn't wanted! Rafferty's Ditch, that had buried the fortunes of Rafferty and twenty wretched stockholders in its muddy depths!

latter condition did not carry the quality of sanctity or reverence that usually obtains among other nomads. There was consequently some little hesitation when the "And thet's it is it?" said Wingate, captain turned upon the crowd and asked after a gloomy pause. "Thet's it! for some one to act as his friend. To 'see it all now, boys. That's how ragged everybody's astonishment, and to the Pat Rafferty went down to San Fran- indignation of many, the Fool stepped cisco yesterday in store clothes, and his forward and offered himself in that capawife and four children went off in a city. I do not know whether Captain kerridge to Sacramento. Thet's why McFadden would have chosen him volthem ten workmen of his ez hedn't a untarily, but he was constrained, in the cent to bless themselves with was play-absence of a better man, to accept his in' billiards last night and eatin' isters. services. Thet's whar that money kum frum one hundred dollars to pay for thet long advertisement of the new issue of Ditch stock in the Times yesterday. Thet's why them six strangers were booked at the Magnolia Hotel yesterday. Don't you see it's thet money- and

thet Fool!"

The Fool sat silent. The visitors rose without a word.

"You never took any of them Indian Vegetable Pills?" asked Hawkins timidly of Wingate.

"No," roared Wingate, as he opened the door.

The duel never took place! The preliminaries were all arranged, the spot indicated, the men were present with their seconds, there was no interruption from without, there was no explanation or apology passed but the duel did not take place. It may be readily imagined that these facts, which were all known to Five Forks, threw the whole community into a fever of curiosity. The principals, the surgeon, and one second left town the next day. Only the Fool remained. He resisted all questioning — declaring himself held in honour not to divulge in short, conducted himself "They tell me that took with the with consistent but exasperating folly. Panacea - they was out o' the Panacea It was not until six months had passed when I went to the drug store last week that Colonel Starbottle, the second of -they say that, took with the Panacea, Calhoun Bungstarter, in a moment of they always effect a certing cure "weakness superinduced by the social But by this time Wingate and his dis-glass, condescended to explain. I should gusted friends had retreated slamming the door on the Fool and his ailments. Nevertheless in six months the whole affair was forgotten, the money had been spent the "Ditch" had been purchased by a company of Boston capitalists, fired by the glowing description of an Eastern tourist, who had spent one drunken night at Five Forks and I think even the mental condition of Hawkins might have remained undisturbed by criticism, but for a singular incident.

not do justice to the parties if I did not give that explanation in the colonel's own words. I may remark, in passing, that the characteristic dignity of Colonel Starbottle always became intensified by stimulants, and that by the same process all sense of humour was utterly eliminated.

"With the understanding that I am addressing myself confidentiaily to men of honour," said the colonel, elevating his chest above the bar-room counter of It was during an exciting political the Prairie Rose Saloon, "I trust that it campaign, when party feeling ran high, will not be necessary for me to protect that the irascible Captain McFadden, of myself from levity, as I was forced to Sacramento, visited Five Forks. During do in Sacramento on the only other a heated discussion in the Prairie Rose occasion when I entered into an explanaSaloon words passed between the cap-tion of this delicate affair, by-er-er tain and the Hon. Calhoun Bungstarter,calling the individual to a personal ending in a challenge. The captain accounter! I do not believe," added bore the infelix reputation of being a the colonel, slightly waving his glass of notorious duellist and a dead shot; the liquor in the air with a graceful gesture captain was unpopular; the captain was of courteous deprecation "knowing believed to have been sent by the oppo- what I do of the present company sition for a deadly purpose, and the cap- that such a course of action is required tain was, moreover, a stranger. I am here. Certainly not sir in the home

of Mr. Hawkins-er- the gentleman | principals being completely exhausted, who represented Mr. Bungstarter, whose and abandoned by the surgeon, who was conduct, ged, sir, is worthy of praise, unreasonably alarmed at his own condiblank me!"

Apparently satisfied with the gravity and respectful attention of his listeners, Colonel Starbottle smiled relentingly and sweetly, closed his eyes half dreamily, as if to recall his wandering thoughts, and began:

tion, Mr. Hawkins and I agreed to remove our men to Markleville. There, after a further consultation with Mr. Hawkins, an amicable adjustment of all difficulties, honourable to both parties, and governed by profound secrecy, was arranged. I believe," added the colonel, looking around and setting down his glass, no gentleman has yet expressed himself other than satisfied with the result."

"As the spot selected was nearest the tenement of Mr. Hawkins, it was agreed that the parties should meet there. They did so promptly at half past six. The morning being chilly, Mr. Hawkins ex- Perhaps it was the colonel's manner, tended the hospitalities of his house with but whatever was the opinion of Five a bottle of Bourbon whisky-of which Forks regarding the intellectual display all partook but myself. The reason for of Mr. Hawkins in this affair, there was that exception is, I believe, well known. very little outspoken criticism at the It is my invariable custom to take brandy moment. In a few weeks the whole -a wineglassful in a cup of strong thing was forgotten, except as part of the coffee, immediately on rising. It stimu- necessary record of Hawkins's blunders, tates the functions, sir, without producing which was already a pretty full one. any blank derangement of the nerves."

The barkeeper, to whom, as an expert, the colonel had graciously imparted this information, nodded approvingly, and the colonel, amid a breathless silence, went

on :

Again, some later follies conspired to obliterate the past, until, a year later, a valuable lead was discovered in the Blazing Star Tunnel, in the hill where he lived, and a large sum was offered him for a portion of his land on the hilltop. Accustomed as Five Forks had become to the exhibition of his folly, it was with astonishment that they learned that he resolutely and decidedly refused the offer. The reason that he gave was still more astounding. He was about to build!

To build a house upon property available for mining purposes was preposterous; to build at all with a roof already covering him, was an act of extravagance; to build a house of the style he proposed was simply madness!

"We were about twenty minutes in reaching the spot. The ground was measured, the weapons were loaded, when Mr. Bungstarter confided to me the information that he was unwell and in great pain! On consultation with Mr. Hawkins, it appeared that his principal in a distant part of the field was also suffering and in great pain. The symptoms were such as a medical man would pronounce 'choleraic.' I say would have pronounced, for on examination, the surgeon was also found to be — er — in pain, Yet here were facts. The plans were and, I regret to say, expressing himself made, and the lumber for the new buildin language unbecoming the occasion. ing was already on the ground, while the His impression was that some powerful shaft of the Blazing Star was being drug had been administered. On refer- sunk below. The site was, in reality, a ing the question to Mr. Hawkins, he very picturesque one the building itself remembered that the bottle of whisky par- of a style and quality hitherto unknown taken by them contained a medicine in Five Forks. The citizens, at first which he had been in the habit of taking, sceptical, during their moments of recrebut which, having failed to act upon him, ation and idleness gathered doubtingly he had concluded to be generally inef- about the locality. Day by day, in that fective, and had forgotten. His perfect climate of rapid growths, the building willingness to hold himself personally pleasantly known in the slang of Five responsible to each of the parties, his gen- Forks as "the Idiot Asylum rose beuine concern at the disastrous effect of side the green oaks and clustering firs of the mistake, mingled with his own alarm | Hawkins's Hill, as if it were part of the at the state of his system, which—er- natural phenomena. At last it was comfailed to er respond to the peculiar pleted. Then Mr. Hawkins proceeded to qualities of the medicine, was most be- furnish it with an expensiveness and excoming to him as a man of honour and a travagance of outlay quite in keeping gentleman! After an hour's delay, both with his former idiocy. Carpets, sofas,

mirrors, and finally a piano-the only gested the theory that Mr. Hawkins was one known in the county, and brought at simply drilling himself in the elaborate great expense from Sacramento-kept duties of hospitality against a probable curiosity at a fever heat. More than event in his history. A few ventured the that, there were articles and ornaments belief that the house was haunted; the which a few married experts declared imaginative editor of the Five Forks only fit for women. When the furnishing Record evolved from the depths of his of the house was complete it had occu- professional consciousness a story that pied two months of the speculative and Hawkins's sweetheart had died, and that curious attention of the camp - Mr. Haw-he regularly entertained her spirit in this kins locked the front door, put the key in beautifully furnished mausoleum. The his pocket, and quietly retired to his more occasional spectacle of Hawkins's tall humble roof, lower on the hillside! figure pacing the verandah on moonlight

I have not deemed it necessary to indi-nights lent some credence to this theory, cate to the intelligent reader all of the until an unlooked-for incident diverted all theories which obtained in Five Forks speculation into another channel. during the erection of the building. It was about this time that a certain Some of them may be readily imagined. wild, rude valley, in the neighbourhood That the Hag had by artful coyness of Five Forks, had become famous as a and systematic reticence at last com- picturesque resort. Travellers had visitpletely subjugated the Fool, and that the ed it, and declared that there were more new house was intended for the nuptial cubic yards of rough stone cliff and a bower of the (predestined) unhappy pair, waterfall of greater height than any was of course the prevailing opinion. they had visited. Correspondents had But when, after a reasonable time had written it up with extravagant rhetoric elapsed, and the house still remained un- and inordinate poetical quotation; men tenanted, the more exasperating convic- and women who had never enjoyed a suntion forced itself upon the general mind set, a tree, or a flower- - who had never that the Fool had been for the third time appreciated the graciousness or meaning imposed upon. When two months had of the yellow sunlight that flecked their elapsed and there seemed no prospect of homely doorways, or the tenderness of a a mistress for the new house, I think pub- midsummer's night, to whose moonlight lic indignation became so strong that had they bared their shirtsleeves or their the Hag arrived, the marriage would tulle dresses came from thousands of have been publicly prevented. But no miles away to calculate the height of this one appeared that seemed to answer to rock, to observe the depth of this chasm, this idea of an available tenant, and all to remark upon the enormous size of this inquiry of Mr. Hawkins as to his inten- unsightly tree, and to believe with ineffation in building a house and not renting ble self-complacency that they really ador occupying it, failed to elicit any fur- mired nature. And so it came to pass ther information. The reasons that he that, in accordance with the tastes or gave were felt to be vague, evasive, and weaknesses of the individual, the more unsatisfactory. He was in no hurry to prominent and salient points of the valley move, he said; when he was ready, it were christened, and there was a "Lace surely was not strange that he should Handkerchief Fall," and the "Tears of like to have his house all ready to receive Sympathy Cataract," and one distinhim. He was often seen upon the veran-guished orator's "Peak," and several dah of a summer evening smoking a cigar. It is reported that one night the house was observed to be brilliantly lighted from garret to basement; that a neighbour, observing this, crept toward the open parlour window, and, looking in, espied the Fool accurately dressed in evening costume, lounging upon a sofa in the drawing-room, with the easy air of socially entertaining a large party. Notwithstanding this, the house was unmistakably vacant that evening, save for the presence of the owner, as the witness afterwards testified. When this story was first related, a few practical men sug

"Mounts" of various noted people, living or dead, and an "Exclamation Point,” and a "Valley of Silent Adoration." And in course of time empty soda-water bottles were found at the base of the cataract, and greasy newspapers and fragments of ham sandwiches lay at the dusty roots of giant trees. With this, there were frequent irruptions of closely shaven and tightly cravated men and delicate, flower-faced women in the one long street of Five Forks, and a scampering of mules, and an occasional procession of dusty brown-linen cavalry.

A year after " Hawkins's Idiot Asylum "