The new Northwest. [volume] (Portland, Or.) 1871-1887, 1877-03-23
CHAPTER XIV.

CHAPTER XIV
Luckily the weather was fine. Mr..
Handel, the new missionary, who had
been looked upon with suspicion by
some of the miners, with contempt by
others, and by others with scorn, while
not few regarded his coming as har-
binger of better times among them NOR
ally and spiritually, proved an agreea-
BILE acquaintance to the colony Of hardy
delivers, inasmuch as he inaugurated the
assembling of the men together on Sun
days, after the primitive fashion of the
earlier times, when men worshiped God
under the fear of savage and wild beasts
with their trusty guns beside them. 1t
was difficult to procure seats for the
many who attended upon the ministry
OF the evangelist in the open air, under
the overhanging erags that formed the
grand Embellishments of Idaho Flat.
Lumber was too scarce and expensive
a commodity, and too badly needed for
fumes and ice-boxes, to be spared by
or two of rest and sermonizing on Sun
days. But Aunt Judy, whose heart was
in the work of soul-saving, which she
was not alone in believing God unable
to perform without much human assist
ance, went assiduously to work to de-
wise ways and means to overcome the
difficulty.
With the aid of the minister, who, to
do him justice, was only too glad of
her assistance and advice, square plat
of ground was leveled and cleared of
rubbish, and upon this, with infinite la
bor from the miners, few hundred
blocks, stumps, rocks, and logs were
placed as seats. Over this uncouth ar
rangement a booth was erected, well
covered with evergreen boughs to guard
the worshipers alike against storm aud
sunshine.
1t is comparatively easy to raise re-
ligious excitement in a great city, where
men, rushed alike with necessities and
greed, get so little time to do their own
thinking over spiritual affairs that they
find it more economical, and vastly
more to their liking, to hire somebody
to work out salvation for them than tc
solve their own problem; but when you
carry the blood of Jesus as an atone
ment to the miner, who communes with
the Infinite beneath the stars, and plac,
before him the plan of salvation &C
cording to the popular idea, he vexei
you with all sorts of questions tina
would never have occurred to him haC
he remained in the old ways of though
and action.
Though the miners of Idlho Fla
worked with will in carrying ou
Aunt Judy's plans, it was not so easy
when the booth was ready for occu
pancy, to persuade them that they
needed the ministrations of Mr.. Hande
to save them from everlasting fire.
Curiosity brought them together
however, and the first Sundays service
were largely attended, the men havin
been astir from the earliest dawn, in OF
der to get through with their cooking
patching, washing, and dishwashing
For Sunday to a miner who does hi
own domestic work is very much lik
the same day to the average mother {
large family-the busiest day in th
week.
1t is not our design to follow preache
and hearers through the drift of M
Handeps arguments. They can hes
their duplicate at any Sunday mornin
service in all the land, and they al
more deeply interested just now in Edu
and John than in points of doctrin
and are probably wondering more an
and more about the romance of Idah
Flat.
Aunt Judy was particularly anxiol
that her husband-to-be be should be regei
Grated before she should become b
wife, which was one grand secret of b.
interest in the missionary and the NEE
ings. But Mr.. LaSelle was as uniu
pressible as the good lady was anxiou
~ would to heaven you had as muC
faith in the Omnipotent One as 1 hav
my DEAR" he ventured to say one da
after a very thrilling exhortation fro
the minister to all men to flee from Il
wrath to come had wrought her sens
bilities to the highest pitch of concel
for her dsrling's soul.
"Please explain" replied the go,
woman, not at all comprehending Il
meaning.
81 have sufficient faith in the Pow
that created me to believe He has t
power and will to preserve and prote
me, my dear. If there is not sparrc
falls to the ground without His cal
surely we are of more value than maj
sparrows."
"But that does not justify US in co