South Branch intelligencer. [volume] (Romney, Va. [W. Va.]) 1830-1896, 1878-01-18
How the Gospel Cams to Jim.

established in days when women were
as scarce in that country as they. were
in the early days OF the settlement of Cal.
ifornia; there was in fact but eae wo-
men in the camp. She was yoang, of
fine appearance. great physical strength
AMI endurance and indomitablc nerve.
Two years before she had left an unhap.
py home in Wisconsin 10 bccom the wife
of reckless daredevil named jim Oaks,
with whom she had shared the vicissi
tubes OF long. slow journey across the
intervening plsins --rhis man just miss
ed being ruilian thro' his wife's infu.
ence. She loved him with noble de.
votion. and, although h was incapable
of sssr Like asnoa aSsa s ssr w s"o
made much of by the camp; it would
have bee sorry day for the miner
who should have shown any disrespect
to Minerva Oaks.
The day before Christmas dawned
lowering. Toward the middle of the
afternoon huge, numbering clouds be-
gan to loom in the northwest. A mourn
ful wind sighed through the gulches.
The miners, housing their,pcks, shovels
and pans. took their.axes into the neigh.
boring, bottom and set ut wood cutting
with a vengeance. All signs portended
one of those fierce cold storms that occa
sionally descend upon the border arrest
ing torrents in chains Of ice and freezing
even the shaggy coated buffaloes.
The wagons. heapcd with freshly chop
ped sticks of cottonwood aud aspen, had
hardly distributed their loads a. night,
f,l Ia oh, 70 q
northeast, grew stronger an brought
snow. Higher and higher it rose as dark
ness came on; faster and faster fell the
snow. AS the cold increased the snow
was condensed into fine PARTICLES that
bit like needles into the checks of helat.
ed miners struggling toward their cab
ms. Still swelling in volume the roar
Of the tempest appeared TO affect the
earth rs well as the air; the plains and
! distant mountains were shaken anil the
ground under the camp trenbled like the
floors of dwelling in city when
heavy trucks roll by along the pavement !;
the heavens swirled giglntically over
head; at length the tempest became n
hlrrcane. The volumes OF pulverizei
snow in the atmosphere were 50 dense
and piercing and The gusts were 50 vio..
/ lent that it was Impossible to see even
lighted window at u few yards dis.
lance.
1t was considerably past jim Oaks
supper time. But as Oaks was the on
/ lY man in the camp who didn't have to
cook his own meals he had iapsei into
n habit OF coming late into supper, for
which fault his wife. who was not of q
complaining or nagging disposition, new.
er reproached him.
Seven o'clock. Mrs. Oaks fed the fire
from the ample supply of wood which
one OF the wagons had dropped as her
/ door, then stepped To the pane OF glass,
which formed the Only win low in the
| diggings, aud essayed TO look ont into
the night. The glass was ca!Iel inside
with frost and covered on the outside
by a snowdrifL. Signing, the young wife
returned to her seat 10y the fire. - She
snutfud the candle with pair OF snuff
ers which Jim Oaks had inEeniously
carved out of an antelope'S horn for her
last birthday present, and then putting
I her hand into the bosom other dress she
drew out-what?
A well worn copy Of the New Testa-
ment.
There was something covert i'm the
manner in which she brought this vol.
Rme into the light. and, thinking she
heard noise at the door. she thrust it
back again Jim Oaks bad somehow
and somewhere acquired so rank de-
testation of the Holy Scriptures that he
could not bear 10 hear them quoted from
or even mentioned. The sight Of a ri.
bic affected him exactly rs tie devil was
described by Pat O'Gra ly's grandfather
to have been affected by holy water.
! Finding that the noise was nothing hut
the crunch Of a settling drift she open-
cd tho little book and began to read -
For if We forgive men their trespasses.
your Heavenly Father will also forgive
you.
But If We forgive men not their tres
passes, neither will your Father forgive
your trcspnsscs,
Come unto me al We Chat labor and
are heavy laden, AMI viii give you
rest.
Then sail Jesus unto his disciples If
any man will come after me. let him
deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me.
an 'it l'7i'IettlOl hNN Use NE he
that belicveth in me. though he we're
dead, yet shall he live and whatsoever
liveth aud believeth in me shall never
die
These passages, on which Minerva
Oaks was accustomed 70 dwell. were oh
marked in the New Testament. and nm.
. dcrscorcd with "a pencil High spirited
and able 20 handle n rifle or a revolver
T on occasion she was sincere Christian
/ in most respects aud quiet in her ways.
/ She sat, with the Testament spread o .
pen on her lap and the Christmas Eve
supper growing browuer in front Of the
/ fire. until nearly eight o'clock. Then.
as a mighty thro5 Of The storm threaten.
cl 10 wrench Tho Goblin from the r,rrln.