The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1880-01-23
FATHER WALLER.
A BEAUTIFUL ARTICLE FROM THE PEN O
CALVIN 3. MCDONALD, THE TRIPLE
THUNDERRR.
MAcpELAH OF THE OREGON PIONEERS.

MACPELAH OF THE OREGON PIONEERS.
When | returned to Salem in 1874, after
an absence of of seven years, no one was SO
much missed and lamented as dear old ia
ther Waller. Formerly, when coming into
town from his suburban cottage, and feeling
the WEAKNESS of long drawn age, he used to
make my office his resting place, and there
relate the incidents of prlmeval Oregon, and
of his own missionary adventures He had
somehow found out that had been scho-
lastic protege of the Methodist son of thun-
der, John P. Durbin, and his good old Meth
odistical heart grew warm and tender and
loving towards the poor wandering pilgrim
who had missed his way somehow beyond
the house of the good Evangelist. and had
gone to sleep on the Hill of Difficulty, and
lost his priceless roll
One bright morning in the opening Spring
time, we Ill sorted pair walknd out together
to the graves of the missionary pioneers.
where, like the Scottish antiquary in the
ancient kirkyard, we pondered over the
messy stones, while he related the life histo-
ries of the dead, brushed away the dust and
read the pious Inscriptions. One of them
ran as follows:
" Beneath this sod,
The first ever broken in Oregon
For the reception of
White Mother and Child,
Lie the remains
ANNA MARIA PITMAN,
wife Of
REV. Jason LEE,
and her infant
She sailed from New York July, 1886,
Landed in Oregon, june 1887,
Was married July 16,
July 2e, 1888,
Aged SO years.
In the full enjoyment of that love which
constrained her to leave all for Christ and
heather souls.
Lo I'VE have left all and followed Thee,
What shall we have, therefore?
Matt 1925
The larks were singing gaily beneath the
melancholy and sweet faced eminence the
bluebirds were hopping about in the bud
ding oaks; the frogs were croaking in the
adjacent marsh the old-fashioned cow bells
were heard on the adjacent hills, and the
dark, funeral frs stood around in the aspect
of speechless mourners. The old man sat
leaning against a tree in reflective contem-
plation, repeating with unspeakable pa
thos-
tYe living men come view the ground,
Where you must shortly lie !"
I turned and walked away in tumult of
passion. All there was in my nature of po-
etic sentiment was stirred up and set on fire
Inert, OIL Tile luOSI FeilSIOuSly TOI1dIGlc Spot
on the eastern shore of the Pacific Ocean, in
the most beautiful valley of the Western
World, in the immediate presence of the
/ pioneers, living and dead, who had lifted up
the sign of Christianity in the wilderness
and carried thither the burden of salvation,
and right at the gates of eternity, where
the first white mother and child from the
western shore of America had entered in,
the genius of the place was poetic, inspiring
and awful /; and my own unregenerate heart
quivered and rose up and cried out, like the
dumb spirit under the dreadful exorcism of
the Son of Kan.
Seven years after ] went back alone and
looked about. The birds were singing as
before, and Father Waller was still there !;
bnt he had lain down to sleep with his kind
| III oIA storm beaten face tnr1ed toward the
plains{of Bethlehem. TlycF had heaped up
| the grdund over the old worn out casket and
the wild fern andft6e ripening clover were
bending pver the liatle mound; but the great
good souI had -slovsd away beyond the river,
not in the seeming ST wasted and withered
age, but all radla3at and exuitant in the yigy-
or and beauty OF eternal Life.
il Farewell, brave ofsd friend, I sasl Rest
!. from your labors now your work IS done,
lind q glorious civilzatioR is spreading aronnd
kon. And as long as Willamette Jnive1ri-
tky shall be inhnbited by thoughtful science.
Vigorous manhood and girllsh beauty. and
6ile ever the new new Methodist Ghnrca
Haleuaun16all 1f ft ia spire = award AID:
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