: The Squatter and the Don A Novel Descriptive of Contemporary Occurrences in California by Ruiz De Burton Mar A Amparo - Love stories; Domestic fiction; Landowners Fiction; Conflict of generations Fiction; Land tenure Fiction; California Fiction; Mexicans

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? CONCLUSION.--Out with the Invader.

"To be guided by good advice, is to profit by the wisdom of others; to be guided by experience, is to profit by wisdom of our own," said Mrs. Darrell to her husband, in her own sweet, winning way, as they sat alone in the sitting room of their Alameda farm house, having their last talk that evening, while she darned his stockings and sewed buttons on his shirts. The children had all retired for the night. Mr. and Mrs. Darrell sat up later, having much to talk about, as he would leave next day for Southern California, intending to locate--somewhere in a desirable neighborhood--a homestead claim.

"Therefore," continued Mrs. Darrell, seeing that her husband smoked his pipe in silence, adding no observations to her own, "let us this time be guided by our own past history, William--our experience. In other words, let us be wise, my husband."

"I do not wish to do anything of the kind. I think reproaches seldom do good."

"No use in crying over spilt milk, eh?"

"But how can a man learn when he is born a fool?"

Mr. Darrell smilingly bowed, and with a voice much softer than his usual stentorian tones, said:

"I understand, little wife, but I fear that my streak of perversity is a broad one, and has solely been the bane of my life; it has a fatality accompanying it. I have often seen the right way to act, and yet I have gone with my eyes wide open to do the wrong thing. And this, too, not meaning to do harm to any one, nor wishing to be malicious or mean. I don't know what power impelled me. But if you will forgive my past wickedness, I'll try to do better."

"Don't say that. Don't speak of your wickedness, for real wickedness is perversity. You have acted wrongly at times, when you have misapplied your rights and the rights of others, but you have not intentionally done wrong. You are not perverse; don't say that."

"Don't say that either, William. We will only recommence one of numerous fruitless discussions. We are not poor, because we have enough to live in comfort, and I do not despise the name of Squatter, for it is harmless enough, but I do certainly disapprove of acts done by men because they are squatters, or to become squatters. They have caused much trouble to people who never harmed them."

"They, too, the poor squatters, have suffered as much distress as they have caused, the poor hard-worked toilers."

"That is very true, but I am afraid I shall never be able to see the necessity of any one being a squatter in this blessed country of plentiful broad acres, which a most liberal government gives away for the asking."

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