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The Awakening of Paredon Blanco 77

unloaded from a French merchant vessel, for which he paid
three thousand dollars. It was the handsomest carriage in
Southern California. Often, I remember, at the age of five
or six years, watching with great admiration the artistic
painting and coloring on the outside of the carriage doors.
There were scenes of castles, gardens and beautifully
dressed ladies and gentlemen. The soft blue broadcloth
cushions, the pretty silk fringe in pastel colors that bor-
dered the inside of the top, the embroidered straps that
hung on both sides of the back seat, the silver buckles and
hub screws! And how I loved to get in the carriage, after
I was dressed for the afternoon, and sit on the soft cushions,
and sometimes I would fall asleep.
Another incident of my childhood comes to my mind.
In the autumn of the year 1862 , my sister Juanita’s husband,
William C. Warren, had to take a prisoner to San Jose. He
planned to remain north a few weeks, take my sister on a
pleasure trip to San Francisco, and visit his brother, Staf-
ford, who lived on a farm in Alvarado. The morning they
were leaving for their trip, the family gathered to bid them
good-bye. A spring wagon was to convey them to Wil-
mington, where they were to take the steamer, Senator, for
San Francisco. Suddenly, a supreme decision seized me
to visit San Francisco also. I began to cry and plead, but
no attention was given me. When the horses started I was
standing between my father and the hind wheel, I screamed
with all my might, and entwined my little arms around the
spokes of the wheel. In an instant, Father grabbed me,
and called to their driver to stop the horses—but not be-
fore I was about to turn around with the wheel!
Comprehending my determined and soulful desire,
Father kissed me and told Mother to let me go. Mother
protested with the ever feminine protest that I did not have
suitable clothes, but Father said to get what I needed, and
putting his hand in his pocket drew forth two twenty-dollar
gold pieces which he gave to my sister with the command
that she buy nice clothes for me as soon as San Francisco
was reached. In a short time Mother came back with my
travelling necessities tied up by the four corners in a large