He knew he was going away from earthly scenes, and with faith and hope, he leaned on the arms of his Lord. Trained from his childhood in the ways of the divine life, and having walked like the holy men of old in the paths of righteousness, he had no fear as his feet touched the Dark River. He was ready to launch his soul's bark on the ocean of eternity. Methinks I see his purified spirit passing out through the Golden Gate yonder, but to sail over a sea more calm than the Pacific. It is eventide now, but "at evening time it shall be light;" and the light of God's eternal city is shed across his pathway as the Divine Pilot guides him through the Golden Gate of Paradise to the harbour of peace! CHAPTER XII THROUGH THE CITY TO THE GOLDEN GATE A Well Equipped Fire Department--Destructive Fires--Scene at the _Call_ Office--Loyalty to the Flag--The Blind Man and Bobby Burns--Street Scenes and Places of Interest--Market Street System--Mission Dolores--Effect of Pictures--Franciscan Missionaries--A Quaint Building--The Mosque a Model--The Presidio--The Spanish and American Reservation--Tents--Cemetery--The Cliff House--Sutro Baths--Museum--Seal Rocks--Farallones--Golden Gate--What it Recalls--Golden Poppy--John C. Fremont--Drake and the Golden Hind--A Convenient Harbour--First to Enter--With the Indians--Child of Destiny--A Vision of Greatness--Queen of the Golden Gate. Our walks hither and thither in San Francisco will lead us to many interesting places, and at times into the midst of exciting scenes. There is an onward sweep of the current of humanity, which is exhilarating in a high degree; there is activity on all sides; and you soon catch the spirit of the place. Men have a purpose in view, something to accomplish; and there is the entire absence of lethargy; there are no drones in the great hive. You realise that you are in a city of distances as well as surprises; and wherever you go you find some object or locality or happening that calls for comment. Hark! there is the fire alarm. The engines and hose-carts and fire ladders, with other apparatus, pass you as in the twinkling of an eye; and so skillful are the fire-laddies, and so well equipped is the department, that the devouring flames rarely ever make headway. They are quickly mastered. But it was not always so. There was a period about fifty years ago when great and destructive fires succeeded one another like a deluge and wiped out large portions of the growing city. There was then a woful lack of water, which is now most abundant, and the fire engines were very primitive in character and inadequate to the needs of the place. To-day every precaution is taken to guard against fire, and the great business blocks and the miles and miles of handsome homes are well protected.