Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1904-07-27
CHAPTER /.


Ny earliest recollections a"e Of Tab.
ernacle House; previous 10 hose all IS
dim and shadow. Tabernacle House
was an establishment kept by the Rev
Obadiah Porter, for the reception OF
some half dozen boys.
The reverend pedagogne was man
whose satyr-Gke face greatly belied his
professions II profound piety. | could
not understand, child as 1 was. how il
ever came nto his head to set up rs a
tutor, or how parents or friends could be
induced 10 confde | e education OF chill
dren to the care of man deficient IN
the commonest rudiments of learning
His original occupation was that Of
shoemaker. and his hands ST Il retained a
coarse. grimed look His lpllet-shaped
head was covered with a thick mass
of hair, which had a shaggy, ragged mp
pearance. from being cut in irregular
lengths, or rather chopped away IN
pieces His forehead was very low lie
had thick, shaggy eyebrows. and small
snake-like eyes. In stature lie was short,
Shickset. bull-necked; his arms we're re
ma rkably long, his feet splay and Ill
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was n widower, with
one daughter. SO powerfully have terri
BILE events engraven her after-lmage upon
my mind. that / can scarcely recall its
first impressions. think she must have
been about fifteen or sixteen, | being
some FIVE or six, when | first saw her
She did not bear the slightest rescm-
blance to her father; she was tall. thin;
her hair was bright red her complexion
al hos 10 har
cate. and sharply cut. To this young
lady was handed over the tuition OF her
fathers pupils
There were five besides myself There
was a strange bond Of sympathy be
tween us all-not one of as knew any
thing of our parents. One knew an
aunt another an uncle. a third a grand
mother. or grandfather, or a guard
ian. but no father or mother.
1t was a popularity of Mr.. PoTter's
establishment that he did not take boys
who had parents His advertisement in
the newspapers ran thus: The Rever-
end Obadiah Porter undertakes the ccre,
education and religious training of or
phan boys from the earliest age. I'm
exceptional references as to piety ami
discretion win be given. y. B.-No boil
Idays."
1t is not my intention to linger upon
this period or enter into any minute de
, scriptious of our uninteresting, mon0ton-
Gus life. The years crept on, and were
almost wholly passed within the pre-
cincts of Tabernacle House. II was
fine. old-fashioned dwelling. 1t had large
gardens back aud froHt-the latter he
ing screened from the road by high
waIl-besides an extensive orchard and
a paddock. Altogether. it was quite
gentleman's house. But rents are Won
derfully low in these parts. Mr.. Por-
ter WAS very well-to-do, His boarders
alone brought him in a respectable in
come; his chapel was well attended. and
he numbered many of the most prosper
Gus Mawworms Of the town among his
congregation. 10 one Of whom-a Mrs.
Humphries-this house belonged.
BY and by there were changes. One
hoy left, and then another; but others
took their places. Grim-looking Pc sons
came to take them away; but, except in
one case. We knew nothing OF their flu
ture destiny or destination tnd they
dropped out Of our lives completely. II
seemes as though we were intsHoPers
apon the world. and ought never to have
been born.
The exceptional case | mention was
that of boy named JOSIAH Took, whom
Mr.. Porter had transferred from his
cure to that Of printer in the town. as
ar apprentice. I little thought that
Cooks transference to Bury would so
materially influence my own future life
that out of that event would spring an
incident destined to shape its whole fu-
ture course.
There was one large room at the ton
of the house. in which we six boys SIC IT.
two in each Of the three beds. Cook
was my he'd fellow, and we we're fast
friends and companions. lie was held,
yenturesome boy and o.. the last rilht
of his sojourn amongst MS he proposed
the daring plan of some nsht paying us
a secret VISIT and relnting all the nd
ventures" he should experience in his
new home
Il can easily climb over the garden
wall from the next field" he said 80
look out, boys: ii you hear a stone
thrown up at your window, il vii be
me"
Six months passed away and we
rapidly fading out az our thoughts. wi. EN-.
one autumnal night We heard q sAarp
crack at our bedroom window The bold
est Of our number gently lifted the sash,
and peered out. II was q bright moon.
light night. and he saw. standing in tie
garden beneath. the well-kuown f.lrs
of our old companion.
The back Of the house was covered
beeu pruned for several years. ntd had
ebrown out it's wood somewhat wildly. A
few whispered words. and Cook WA.
mounting the tree with hand and foot
almost as easily as though he had beel
ascending ladder. When he Chamber
Ell into the room we all gathered iy.tnt
him IN a sort Of awe-struck manner.
Now. look here. boys" he said. "vha
do you think has brought me here 10
Cight?'
To see MS. we supposed
well, that 81 course bat do 80,
think it would he the thing in me t,
come and maze your mouths water witt
the story of all these nice things. unles
| had something TO pop into them -
He has brought US something nice &
eat" was the idea suggested But whel
he unfolded tho meaning of his symbol
icaI speech. our hairs positively stood o,
end. OF all the delights experienced b,
him in his new sphere ot life. that upor
which G most giowingIy duated was tn
theater. His master printed the hill
for that establishment and be was fire
Quently employed TO carry them to til
manager. He thus gained admission b,
hind the scenes. while his acQuaintunc
with the bill-Sticker gained inn an occa