The New York herald., 1877-12-25
HOW THE GOSPEL CAME TO JIM
OAKS

HOW THE GOSPEL CAME TO JIM
OAKS.
One Christmas Evo . strange tragedy was enacted
in the iar Northwest. Away up In Montana mining
camp was established In days when women were us
scarce In that country they In the early days
OF the settlement OF California; there In but
woman In the camp. She was young, OF fine ap-
pearance great physical strength and endurance and
indomltable nerve. Two years before she had left
unhappy home IN Wisconsin to become the wife Of u
reckless daredevil named jim Oaks, with whom sho
had shared tho viciss,tudos OF long. journey
across tho intervening plains THIS just
missed being rufuan through his wite's influence.
Sho him with noble devotion, and, although no
was incapable OF ike attachment he loved her, too,
after fashion of hts own She was mado much Of by
the camp; It would have been a sorry day for the
minor who should have shown any disrespect to
Minerva Oaks.
The day before christmas dawnsd lowering To-
ward the middle OF the afternoon huge, numbering
clouds began TO loom in the northwest. mournful
Nlnd soughcd through the gucnes The miners, hous-
Ing their picks shovels and pans took their into
the neiyhboring bottoms and wood cutting with
vengeance. All signs portondod of those fierce,
cold storms that occasionally descend upon the Dor
der, arresng torrents u chains OF Ice and freezing
even the shaggy coated buiialoes
The wagons. hcapod with freshly chopped sticks Of
cottonwood and aspen, had hardly distributed their
loads At niantfai when the wind, changing 10 tho
northeast, grew stronger and brought snow. Higher
and higher II rosc as darkness came on; faster and
faster fell tho snow. AS the cold increased tho
was condensed fine particles bit like needles
into tho cheeks OF bslatcd miners struggling toward
cabins Still swelling In volume tho
tempest appeared to affect tho earth well air;
the plains and distant mountains shaken and the
ground under the camp trcmbled like tho floors OF a
dwelling city when heavy trucks roll by along the
pavement; tho heavens swiried siganlicaIly over
head; ~ length the tempest became hurricane.
The volumes OF puverizsd snow in tho atmosphere
were now so dense piercing and the gusts
violent that it impossible to see even lighted
window at few yards distance
II was considerably past Jim Oaks supper time
But as oaks the only the camp
didn't have cook his meals he had lapsec into
habit OF coming In late TO supper, for which fault
his vile, who not OF complaining nagging
disposition, never reproachcd him.
Seven O'Clock. Mrs. Oaks ted tho fro from the
ample supply Of wood which OF tho wagons had
dropped At her door, then stepped to tho pane OF
glass, which formed the only window the diggngs,
und look into til night. The glass
cakcd inside with frost and covered the outside by
"a snowdrft oghing, the young wifc returned to her
scat by the lrc. She snuncd the candle with pair
OF snutlcrs which Jim Oaks had ingcniously carved
antelopes horn for her last birthday pres
ent and then putting her hand into tho bosom or her
dress sho drew 0ut-whaty
A well copy OF tho New Testament.
There was something covert In tho manner 10
which she brought this volume into the light. and,
thinking she heard u noise ut the door, sho thrust 1t
back again. Jim Oaks had somehow aad some mewhcro
acquired so rank detestaton oil tho Holy Scriptures
that he could not boar to hear thcm quoted from or
cv mentioned. Tho sight OF Bible affected him
exactly tho devil was described by Pat O'Grady,s
grandfather to have been affected by holy water.
Finding hat the noise was nothing but the crunch
OF setting drift sho opened the little book and be-
gan to read
70 forgive their trespasses your hosvonly
gs s ",sys NO, ss snsr neither viii
Come ali ye that labor and heavy aaen and
Thea sad Jesus his Disciples any man will come
me- let Lin deny himsol and up his cross ana
am the resrrection md the Ife; hs shat bciieveth in
though he were dead yet shall he vs; and whatsoever
These passages. which Minerva Oaks was accus-
toned TO dwell were all marked in her New Testa-
mcnt ana undcrscorcd with pencil High spirited
and able to handle rifle or revolver OCCASION,
she sincere Christian in most respects and quiet
Ia her ways
and tho Christmas Eve supper growing browncr In
front Of the nre, until nearly eight O'Clock. Then
mighty throe oil the storm threatened TO wrench the
cabin from ils foundations, she started up with .
cry
this afternoon He was going to got US somc feathers
for Christmas All, Cod II is eight o'clock And
the storm How ever can he hnd his way nomcY'
Springng to tho door she lifted the hickory latch
and drew II toward her. The mass Of snow which had
been piled against u fell aud strcamed across the
floor. and the blast, driving In moro snow, extn-
gushed tho candle
Hail"
Ina few moments she had managed 10 sweep away
part OF tho drit and close the door, Then she rclit
the candle. Next she threw OF her dress and pctti-
coats Going to an old horse hide covered trunk
In corner shc pulled out OF II her husbands spare
suit--the clothes In which ho tho thousand
at faro which let him marry aud start with hts BRIDE
.ao on s "pp ub" p
worKcd In the suces; then his old cap, tied close to
her head With comforter; then her own thick shawl
and mittens. Lighting her lantern and taking q
shovel she opened the door again. and attacked the
DRIFT until It yielded far enough TO les hor laicn the
Tho night was awful She could see nothing
through the skurry. She hardly dared 70 tnrn her
face 70 the yelling blast She houeht Of asking some
accompany her bus tho camp lay dista nco
out OF her ine Moreover she knew tho country In
every direction She could feel her way anywhere n
necessary; besides she had her lantcrn-that would
enable distinguish objects within small circle.
Tuning rosolutcly IN the direction of Wild Swan
Guch she set out to find her husband and guide him
homo
As sho emerged from tho canyon and gained tho
level OF the surrounding broken plain, strange pause
came. 1t seemed as though the winds had sud- emily
forsakcn the ncghborhood and gone rccng away into
tho mountains. She took advantage OF this sinister
calm TO hurry onward Out OF breath al last
she stumbled and iell
The lantern wont out
She h ad no matchesl
Staggering to her ieet sho heard the moan or tho
returning storm. sho sbouled:-
tJn ~
Again, with ali the might OF her voice, she lifted tho
plainsman's CALI
.'Yip, yip, yip--yahooi JimI"
No answor.
Then tho tempest rushed round her in a bufling,
ferocious whirl Of sound and wind and snow.
In tho meantime Jim Oaks had boon at ono OF his
Gulch with a splendid trophy in tho shape Of black
bIod swan drake, he was loungiug toward home when
came on and stopped in at tho last saloon Us
n pct drtn 4 rac alvuav mn coa