Brace up,
man, and come with me to this opening of the new opera house, if only to
add to my pleasure. All the town will be there to hear the singer who
has just landed in San Francisco from Boston."
"She it was who brought you the letter from your sister?"
"Yes, yes. They were school-mates. She is beautiful, and you shall meet
her after the concert."
The "Opera House" was crowded, the front rows seating the leading men of
the community and their richly clad wives and daughters. In the back
rows, seated on benches and around the side walls were, the roughly
dressed miners and the usual flotsam of a mining town. The singer was
not of the hurdy-gurdy type so common in those days, but a "lady,"
young, lovely and accomplished. Her ballads were greeted with the
greatest enthusiasm, and soon the stage began to be showered with gold.
The miners brought her back again and again, calling the names of songs
they wished to hear. Hundreds of dollars of gold were tossed up to her,
whilst she smilingly complied with all their requests.
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