The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-03-27
A LOGGING
CAMP HERO.

lie must nOC Only pos
sess more book and spiritual knowledge
than his parisioners; he must know at
least enough about farming and log
gipg and the tanbark industry to DIS
cuss these matters intolligently. Above
all. ho must appear to believe that he
knows nothing at all.
But when the Muskolsa residents do
take q minister to their hearts they are
loath to lose sight of him; apt, also,
TO " take it out of" the man who sue
ceeds him, slightly. Which was the
reason why Archer Gallupin, the young
man who assumed the spiritual care OF
about twenty-elght square miles OF
territory when Providence and the
Bishop saw fit to remove good ola
g Father' Andrews to Toronto, Won
dered why the Muskoka country peo-
ple had been described to him as so
hospitable and warm-hcarted and
kindly.
Everything went against the young
minister from the beginning. lie was
Just "out" from England to commence
with-a delicate younger son sent out
to Canada for the sake Of the weak
heart which bore testimony TO the
failing health Of his mothers family;
he had positive manner, for second
disadvantage. For third. the light
trotter and lighter cart which he in
sisted upon purchasing, against the
unanimous advice of his scattered par
ishloners, utterly failed to meet with
the dire disaster predicted for its first
encounter with the mud Of the rainy
seasons; fourthly-but The list is too
long for recounting.
The inevitable happened to the
young minister, of course. lie found
the first winter 80 exhilarating that,
following tho usual course of the
green Englishman," he declined to
protect himself sufficiently, and ac-
Quired severe chest trouble, two froZ-
cleaned brilliantly all the next sum-
mer as a result of his foolishness; he
gloried in The first summer, shivered
through the Grst autumn, and only
nervcd himself to face the second win
ter by sheer courage and dreams of
the second spring. He fell in love
with the belle of the Rippleville center
and was snubbed and tormcntcd and
detcsted by all the young men of that
locality in consequence. He approach
ed the goou-bye season." when all
the hardy young fellows go of to "the
camps" for the winter, with a sad heart
and a bitter sense of failure. He was
not invited to attend single "good-bye
party" anu when he told some Of the
prospective campers that he should
probably visit them before Christmas,
since he regarded the McInness log
glng camp, at least, as within his
spiritual boundaries, they laughed at
HIM openly.
" Ride forty miles to visit us 'shanty-
men," " jerred Bill darkness, brother
of the sweet girl whom the young
minister longed after; "when l sec
you I'il expect you, MIR. Gallupin, am
not aforc!''
Still, the time came when the min
lister proved his pluck and prowcss,
and when, from a logging camp peg to
hang jokes on he was transformed to a
logging camp hero. The manner of
his apothcosis was as follows:
1t was the week before Christmas,
and the young minister, making his
Christmas visits to his Pensioners, had
travcred many miles of hard-packcd
snow in the light cutter which had re-
placed the debated cart. lie drove up
the side road' to the Hardness farm
just about noontimc. He had Dromis-
cd himself to accept the inevitable
dinner invitation and to get thoroughly
warm. During the second winter the
unfortunate "grccnics" are usually
bone cold' pcrpctually, and Archer
was proving no exception to the rule.
But the young minister was not de-
stined to warm himself at the IIark-
ness fire that day.
The barnyard was deserted. The
kitchen, into which he presently let
himself, after repeated knockings, was
empty as we'll. From the 4" front
room" opening out Of it came sound
of sObs and troubled feminine voices.
Stretched out on the big bed IN the
corner lay Ben 11arkness, the young
est son of the household, white and
unconscious from the force of the
wrongly fellcd tree which had fallen
upon him at his work Of "taking out
logs" from the family "bark log"
He had dragged himself home, only to
faint on the threshold. His father
was in Toronto for day or two, the
older boys up at the McInncss camp;
Mrs. Hardness had crawlcd out of a
sick bed at Nell's summons, and there
was only the pretty object of the young
minister's alteration to care for her
mother and brother and to summon
the doctor, somehow.
"Ill get the DOCTOR" SAID young
Archer, naturally.
The grateful look which Nell gave
made his heart beat Joyously, but it
didn't strengthen The tired horse,
which was presently speeding back to-
ward Bracken, as it did the tired driv-
er. Half way to the village the young
minister was compelled to ask shelter
for his horse and go on without him. |
He covered most Of his intervening
four miles on the run, and arrived at
Bracken all but exhausted. Yet back
he would go with the doctor. And, on
the whole, it was well that he did.