EBOOK, HISTORY OF THE DONNER PARTY ***
This eBook was produced by David Schwan
.
History of the Donner Party
A Tragedy of the Sierra
By C. F. McGlashan
Truckee, Cal.
To Mrs. Elizabeth A. Keiser,
One of the Pioneer Mothers of California,
This Book is Respectfully Dedicated by the Author.
Preface.
The delirium preceding death by starvation, is full of strange
phantasies. Visions of plenty, of comfort, of elegance, flit ever before
the fast-dimming eyes. The final twilight of death is a brief
semi-consciousness in which the dying one frequently repeats his weird
dreams. Half rising from his snowy couch, pointing upward, one of the
death-stricken at Donner Lake may have said, with tremulous voice:
"Look! there, just above us, is a beautiful house. It is of costliest
walnut, inlaid with laurel and ebony, and is resplendent with burnished
silver. Magnificent in all its apartments, it is furnished like a
palace. It is rich with costly cushions, elegant tapestries, dazzling
mirrors; its floor is covered with Oriental carpets, its ceiling with
artistic frescoings; downy cushions invite the weary to repose. It is
filled with people who are chatting, laughing, and singing, joyous and
care-free. There is an abundance of warmth, and rare viands, and
sparkling wines.
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