“It’sallverywell，“saidJoeWynbrook，“forustobesittin’
　　here，slingin’lieseasyandcomfortable，withthewindwhistlin’
　　inthepinesoutside，andtherainjustliftin’theditchestofilloursluiceboxeswithgoldezwe’resmokin’andwaitin’，butItellyouwhat，boys——itain’thome！No，sir，itain’tHOME！“
　　Thespeakerpaused，glancedaroundthebright，comfortablebarroom，theshiningarrayofglassesbeyond，andthecircleofcomplacentfacesfrontingthestove，onwhichhisownbootswerecheerfullysteaming，liftedaglassofwhiskeyfromthefloorunderhischair，andinspiteofhisdeprecatingremark，tookalongdraughtofthespiritswitheverysymptomofsatisfaction。
　　“Ifyemean，“returnedCyrusBrewster，“thatitain’ttheoldfarmhouseofourboyhood，’waybackinthewoods，I’llagreewithyou；butye’lljustrememberthattherewasn’tanygoldplacerslyingroundonthemedderonthatfarm。Notmuch！Eftharhadbeen，wewouldn’thaveleftit。“
　　“Idon’tmeanthat，“saidJoeWynbrook，settlinghimselfcomfortablybackinhischair；“it’sthefamilyhearthI’mtalkin’
　　of。Thesoothin’influence，yeknow——thetidinessofthewomenfolks。“
　　“Eztothesoothin’influence，“remarkedthebarkeeper，leaninghiselbowsmeditativelyonhiscounter，’aforeIstruckthesediggin’sIhadagroceryandbar，’waybackinMizzoori，wheretherewasfiveold-fashionedfarmsjined。Blamemyskinefthemenfolksweren’tadarnedsightofteneroverinmygrocery，sittin’onbarrilsandhistin’intheirreg’larcorn-juice，thaneveranyofyoubehere——withallthesemodernimprovements。“
　　“Yedon’tcatchon，anyofyou，“returnedWynbrookimpatiently。
　　“Efitwasameremattero’buildin’housesandbecomin’familymen，Ireckonthatthisyercampisaboutprosperousenoughtodoit，andabletogetgalsenoughtomarryus，butthatwouldbeonlyborryin’troubleandlettin’loosealotofjabberin’womentogossipagin’eachotherandspileallourfriendships。No，gentlemen！Whatwewanthere——eachofus——isagoodoldmother！
　　Nothin’new-fangledorfancy，butthereg’larold-fashionedmotherwewasusedtowhenwewasboys！“
　　Thespeakerstruckawell-wornchord——rathertheworseforwear，andonethathadjangledfalselyerenow，butwhichstillproduceditseffect。Themenweresilent。Thusencouraged，Wynbrookproceeded:——
　　“Thinko’comin’homefromthegulchanightlikethisandfindin’
　　yeroldmothera-waitin’ye！Nofumblin’aroundforthematchesye’dleftinthegulch；nohigholdcussin’becausethewoodwaswetoryouforgottobringitin；nobustlin’aroundforyourdrythingsandfindin’youforgottodry’emthatmornin’——buteverythingwaitin’foryeandready。Andthen，mebbe，shebringsyeinsomedoughnutsshe’sjustcookedforye——cookedezonlySHE
　　kincook’em！TakeProssyRiggs——alongsideofmehere——forinstance！HE’Smadethebiggeststrikeyet，andisputtin’upahigh-tonedhouseonthehill。Well！he’llhevitfinishedoffandfurnishedslap-upstyle，youbet！withaChinesecook，andaBiddy，andaMexicanvaquerotolookafterhishorse——buthewon’thavenomothertohousekeep！Thatis，“hecorrectedhimselfperfunctorily，turningtohiscompanion，“you’veneverspokeo’yourmother，soI
　　reckonyou’reaboutfixeduplikeus。“
　　Theyoungmanthusaddressedflushedslightly，andthennoddedhisheadwithasheepishsmile。Hehad，however，listenedtotheconversationwithaninterestalmostchildish，andareverentadmirationofhiscomrades——qualitieswhich，combinedwithanintellectnotparticularlybrilliant，madehimalternatelythebuttandthefavoriteofthecamp。Indeed，hewassupposedtopossessthatproportionofstupidityandinexperiencewhich，inminingsuperstition，gives“luck“toitspossessor。Andthishadbeensingularlyproveninthefactthathehadmadethebiggest“strike“
　　oftheseason。
　　JoeWynbrook’ssentimentalism，albeitonlyargumentativeandhalfserious，hadunwittinglytouchedachordofsimplehistory，andtheflushwhichhadrisentohischeekwasnotentirelybashfulness。
　　Thehomeandrelationshipofwhichtheyspokesoglibly，HEhadneverknown；hewasafoundling！Ashelayawakethatnightherememberedthecharitableinstitutionwhichhadprotectedhisinfancy，themastertowhomhehadlaterbeenapprenticed；thatwasallheknewofhischildhood。Inhissimplewayhehadbeengreatlyimpressedbythestrangevalueplacedbyhiscompanionsuponthefamilyinfluence，andhehadreceivedtheirextravagancewithperfectcredulity。Inhisabsoluteignoranceandhislackofhumorhehaddetectednofalsequalityintheirsentiment。Andavaguesenseofhisresponsibility，asonewhohadbeentheluckiest，andwhowasbuildingthefirst“house“inthecamp，troubledhim。Helaystaringlywideawake，hearingthemountainwind，andfeelingwarmpuffsofitonhisfacethroughthecrevicesofthelogcabin，ashethoughtofthenewhouseonthehillthatwastobelathedandplasteredandclapboarded，andyetvoidandvacantofthatmysterious“mother“！Andthen，outofthesolitudeanddarkness，atremendousideastruckhimthatmadehimsitupinhisbunk！
　　Adayortwolater“Prossy“Riggsstoodonasand-blown，wind-sweptsuburbofSanFrancisco，beforealargebuildingwhomforbiddingexteriorproclaimedthatitwasaninstitutionofformalcharity。
　　Itwas，infact，arefugeforthevariouswaifsandstraysofill-
　　advisedorhopelessimmigration。AsProsperpausedbeforethedoor，certaintoldrecollectionsofasimilarrefugewerecreepingoverhim，and，oddlyenough，hefeltasembarrassedasifhehadbeenseekingreliefforhimself。Theperspirationstoodoutonhisforeheadasheenteredtheroomofthemanager。
　　Itchanced，however，thatthisofficial，besidesbeingamanofshrewdexperienceofhumanweakness，wasalsokindlyhearted，andhaving，afterhisfirstofficialscrutinyofhisvisitorandhisresplendentwatchchain，assuredhimselfthathewasnotseekingpersonalrelief，courteouslyassistedhiminhisstammeringrequest。
　　“IfIunderstandyou，youwantsomeonetoactasyourhousekeeper？“
　　“That’sit！Somebodytokinderlookarterthings——andme——
　　ginrally，“returnedProsper，greatlyrelieved。
　　“Ofwhatage？“continuedthemanager，withacautiousglanceattherobustyouthandgood-looking，simplefaceofProsper。
　　“Iain’tnowisepartickler——ezlongezshe’sold——yeknow。Yefollowme？Old——ezof——betwixtyouan’me，shemightbemyownmother。“
　　Themanagersmiledinwardly。Acertaindegreeofdiscretionwasnoticeableinthisrusticyouth！“Youarequiteright，“heansweredgravely，“asyoursisaminingcampwheretherearenootherwomen，Still，youdon’twantanyoneTOOoldordecrepit。
　　Thereisanelderlymaidenlady“——ButachangewastransparentlyvisibleonProsper’ssimpleface，andthemanagerpaused。
　　“Sheoughterbekindermarried，youknow——terbelikeamother，“
　　stammeredProsper。
　　“Oh，ay。Isee，“returnedthemanager，againilluminatedbyProsper’sunexpectedwisdom。
　　Hemusedforamoment。“Thereis，“hebegantentatively，“aladyinreducedcircumstances——notaninmateofthishouse，butwhohasreceivedsomerelieffromus。Shewasthewifeofawhalingcaptainwhodiedsomeyearsago，andbrokeupherhome。Shewasnotbroughtuptowork，andthis，withherdelicatehealth，haspreventedherfromseekingactiveemployment。Asyoudon’tseemtorequirethatofher，butratherwantanoverseer，andasyourpurpose，Igather，issomewhatphilanthropical，youmightinducehertoaccepta’home’withyou。Havingseenbetterdays，sheisratherparticular，“headded，withashrewdsmile。
　　SimpleProsper’sfacewasradiant。“She’llhaveaChinamanandaBiddytohelpher，“hesaidquickly。Thenrecollectingthetastesofhiscomrades，headded，halfapologetically，halfcautiously，“Efshecould，nowandthen，throwherselfintoalemmingpieorapotofdoughnuts，jestinamotherlykindo’way，itwouldpleasetheboys。“
　　“Perhapsyoucanarrangethat，too，“returnedthemanager，“butI
　　shallhavetobroachthewholesubjecttoher，andyouhadbettercallagainto-morrow，whenIwillgiveyouheranswer。“
　　“Yekinsay，“saidProsper，lightlyfingeringhismassivegoldchainandsomewhatvaguelyrecallingthelanguageofadvertisement，“thatshekinhavethecomfortsofahomeandnoquestionsasked，andfiftydollarsamonth。“
　　Rejoicedattheeasyprogressofhisplan，andhalfinclinedtobelievehimselfamiracleofcautiousdiplomacy，Prosper，twodayslater，accompaniedthemanagertothecottageonTelegraphHillwheretherelictofthelateCaptainPottingerlamentedthelossofherspouse，infullviewoftheseahehadsooftentempted。OntheirwaythitherthemanagerimpartedtoProsperhow，accordingtohearsay，thatlamentedseamanhadcarriedintothedomesticcirclethoseseverehabitsofdisciplinewhichhadearnedforhimtheprefixof“Bully“and“Belaying-pin“Pottingerduringhisstrenuouslife。“Theysaythatthoughsheisveryquietandresigned，sheonceortwicestooduptothecaptain；butthat’snotabadqualitytohave，inaroughcommunity，asIpresumeyoursis，andwouldinsureherrespect。“
　　Usheredatlastintoasmalltank-likesittingroom，whosechiefdecorationsconsistedoflargeabeloneshells，driedmarinealgae，coral，andaswordfish’sbrokenweapon，Prosper’sdisturbedfancydiscoveredthewidow，sitting，apparently，asifamongherhusband’sremainsatthebottomofthesea。Shehadadejectedyetsomewhatruddyface；herhairwasstreakedwithwhite，butprimlydisposedoverherearslikelappets，andhergarbwascleanlybutsombre。Therewasnodoubtbutthatshewasalugubriousfigure，eventoProsper’soptimisticandinexperiencedmind。Hecouldnotimagineherasbeamingonhishearth！Itwaswithsomealarmthat，aftertheintroductionhadbeencompleted，hebeheldthemanagertakehisleave。Asthedoorclosed，thebashfulProsperfeltthemurkyeyesofthewidowfixeduponhim。Agentlecough，accompaniedwiththeresignedlayingofablackmittenedhanduponherchest，suggestedagenteelpreludetoconversation，withpossiblepulmonarycomplications。