Never mind, the old
fellow did nephews and nieces no harm, though he disappointed several
who had depended upon him to lift them from poverty; for in the end his
hard-earned money was lost. His only legacy was his example of thrift,
unselfishness, and integrity. When men go about gathering riches for
others, let them gather things of the spirit. The answer to this,
perhaps, is that even such riches cannot be transmitted, that every soul
must enrich itself. That is true; but a noble character is at least
inspiring, and leaves the whole world richer.
In the case of one nephew, Robert Palmer found a man who loved him but
needed none of his gold. This man was an astronomer, who, returning from
a scientific expedition to Behring Strait in 1869, paid his uncle a
visit. At that time this meant a trip of forty miles into the mountains
by stage and on horseback from the line of the newly constructed
railroad; for the narrow gauge from Colfax to Nevada City was not built
until 1876. It was a happy day for Robert Palmer when his sister's
son,--covered with dust,--scaled Fillmore Hill. Here was a meeting of
two strong men, blue-eyed Anglo-Saxons, large of frame, spare, rugged,
their fair skin tanned by the blazing sun of California.
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