Comstock Lode (Nev.) -- Fiction; Miners -- Fiction; Virginia City (Nev.) -- Fiction
"Then Sister Celeste had a new experience. In an instant she was
surrounded by a shouting, surging, struggling crowd, all eager to
contribute. There was a Babel of voices, but for once a California crowd
were awakened to full roar without an oath being heard. The boys could
not swear in the presence of Sister Celeste.
"In a few minutes between seven and eight hundred dollars was raised. It
was poured out of the hat into a buckskin purse, the purse was tied, and
handed, by the man who first addressed her, to Sister Celeste, with the
remark that it was for her poor and that when she needed more the boys
would stand in.
"Again the nun raised her eyes and in a low voice which trembled a
little, she said:
"'Please salute the gentlemen and say to them that God will keep the
account.'
"The man turned around and with an awkward laugh said: 'Boys! I am
authorized, by one of His angels, to say that for your contribution, God
has taken down your names, and given you credit.'
"Then a wild fellow cried out from the crowd:
"'Three cheers for the Angel!'
"The cheers rang out like the braying of a thousand trumpets in accord.
Then in a hoarse under-tone a voice shouted 'Tiger!' and the deep-toned
old-day California 'Tiger' rolled up the hillsides like an ocean roar.
It would have startled an ordinary woman, but Sister Celeste was looking
at the purse, and it is doubtful if she heard it at all.
"Then the first speaker called from the crowd eight men, by name, and
said:
"'You were all married men in the States and for all that I know to the
contrary, were decent, respectable gentlemen. As master of ceremonies I
delegate you, as there are no carriages in this camp, to go to the sick
woman's house, and carry her to the hospital, while the good Sister
proceeds in advance and makes a place for her.'
"This was agreed to, and the Sister was told that in half an hour she
might expect her patient.
"Then she hurried away, the crowd watching her and remarking that her
usual stately step seemed greatly quickened.
"Long afterward, the Mother Superior related that, when Sister Celeste
reached the hospital on that day, she fell sobbing into the Mother's
arms, and when she could command her voice, said: 'Those shaggy men that
I thought were all tigers are all angels disguised. O, Mother, I have
seen them as Moses and Elias were, transfigured.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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