North Liberty, Connecticut, is a cheerless town even on weekdays, and on a sleety March Sabbath in 1850 its austere churchgoers have no idea that California gold will soon reach into their lives. Bret Harte follows members of this New England community as the lure of the gold fields draws them west, where their sober habits and hidden passions are put to the test.
A darker, ironic Harte novella, contrasting Puritan New England with the gold rush West. Download the free EPUB.