The Fair Ellen

We left our pioneer in what would become Six Rivers County settling on his 40 acres of paradise. Since the area was so remote, it took weeks to get from San Francisco overland. Therefore, most substantial freight arrived by ship, landing at a pier on the south end of the bay. The only buildings in that area were saloons and hostelries, which sported as many red laterns as not. El Gordo Bay, north of the landing site, was a small fort that housed 1 cavalry officer and 5 troops. One merchant had set up a trading post and assayers office. The total population on the Bay was 36 if you didn't count the Native Americans whose population fluctuated with the seasons. Eight out of the 36 were the children of the merchant and his pleasantly plump wife. Stanislaus was a frequent guest of the merchant and his wife and he remembered his life in Paris as well as his lost love.

The millionaire pioneer had erected a simple log cabin and began to work the land. He farmed and harvested lumber, which added to his fortune. (He had little to spend it on.) His life was refreshingly simple, but he was lonely. None of the local single women suited him, so he took a schooner to San Francisco to find a bride.

When he arrived, he found a city more energetic than he remembered when he had landed there before his gold mining days. He especially admired the Victorian homes that were new then. He liked the turrets and gingerbread details. And he liked the demur young ladies brought up in those houses.

Spreading some of his wealth around the town, he was soon invited to several soirees in the homes of sucessful business men. There he was introduced to a number of eligible young ladies looking for a good marriage. Shy but determined, Stanislaus pressed his suit on several of them, but didn't get far. When he admitted his habitat and lifestyle, the ladies lost interest. Undeterred, he decided to build a Victorian mansion on his acreage, hoping to entice a bride.

He set about finding architects and builders. With every meeting he thought of additions and features he wanted his home have. Orders were made for gadgets and materials as well as the latest appliances. He would even have a water closet installed in the master suite and another off the utility porch in the back of the house.

One day as he was making the rounds of plumbing suppliers, he realized he was hungry, and spied a small tea room on the next block. Upon entering, he spied the visage of a red-haired maid having tea amid a gaggle of insipid debutantes. His heart skipped a beat. He was in love with the hair, the flawless skin and the intelligent, fearless eyes. Here indeed was the woman who would inhabit his growing estate.

After many enquiries, he located her parents, and pressed his suit. His formal approach was unnecessary because the young woman knew who he was and had contrived to place herself in his way.

The house was finished with input from both Stanislaus and his fair . . . yes . . . Ellen.

(If you don't know who Ellen is, read Sir Walter Scott's poem, "The Young Lochinvar.")