The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1905-01-18
CHAPTER I.


that strange, extraordinary series of
events which began in my fourteenth
year. ! must glance back at the earlier
years of my childhood, and at those who
Influenced it.
My earliest recOlections are Of Tab
ernacle House: previous TO those. all is
dim and shadowy. Tabernacle House
was an establishment kept by the Rev.
obadiah Porter. for the reception of
some half dozen boys.
The reverend pedagogue was man
whose satyr-ike face greatly belied his
professions of profound pety. l could
not understand. child as | was. how 1t
ever came into his head to set up rs
tutor, or how parents or friends could be
induced to confide the education of chill
dren to the care of a man deficient in
the commonest rudiments of learning.
His original occupation was that OF
shoemaker. and his hands still retained a
coarse, grimed look. His bullet-shnped
head was covered with thick mass
Of hair, which had a shaggy. ragged np-
pearance, from being cut In irregular
lengths, or rather chopped away In
pieces. His forehead was very low. He
had thick. shaggy eyebrows. and small
snake-like eyes. In stature he was short.
thickset. bnIl-necked: his arms were re-
markably long. his feet splay and III
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was a widower. with
one daughter. So powerfully have terri
BILE events engraven her after-image upon
my mind. that can scarcely recall Its
first impressions. ! think she must have
been about fifteen or sixteen. l being
some five or six, when l 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
pale, her eyes large, her features deli
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 us knew any
thing of our parents. One knew an
aunt, another an uncle. third grand
mother, or n grandfather, or guard
ian. but no father or mother
1t was IA popularity of Mr.. Porter'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 cfre.
education and religious training of or
phan boys from the earliest nge. I'm
exceptional references as to picty and
discretion will be given. n. B.-No hol-
days"
1t Is not my intention to linger upon
this period, or enter into any minute de-
scriptions of our embarrassing. monoton-
Gus life. The years crcpt on. and were
almost wholly passed within the pre-
cincts of Tabernacle House. 1t was a
fine Old-fashioned dwelling. 1t had large
gardens back and front---the latter be-
ing screened from the road by high
wall--besides IN extensive orchard and
a paddock. Altogether. it was quite n
gentleman's house. But rents are Won
derfully low IN these parts Mr.. For
ter was very well-to-do. His boarders
alone brought him in n respectable in
come: his chapel was well attended: and
he numbered many OF the most prosper
Gus Mawworms of the town among his
congregation. to one Of whom-a Mrs.
Humphries--this house belonged.
by and by there were changes. One
boy left. and then another; but others
took their places. Grim-looking persons
came to take them away; but, except in
o"o 49, 49,; We ', ..;,,,inr na ,a,,
,u'o "'"s IT,. ", wy.
SEEMED "a though we were entertainers
mon tho world md ought nevcr to hive
,aon hor,
~,
me eAceP''o""' '"se I 'neh.''" was
.."' v, o"' "auie' 'os'ah ,o"h' ""o.h
MT iorter h"u 'r"hsier'en from MS
care TO thht OF PRIMER III 'he town. as
an apprentice niue 'housht that
COOKS tranSference TO bnry would so
hh,eria'y influence my own future IRE
-,ha' GU, OF 'ha' event "ou'u Sprihs I'M
ine'de''' "es''hea 10 sn"pe IT'S ""o'e iu
lure COURSE
There was one large room at the top
of the house. in which we six boys slept,
two in each of the three beds, Cook
was my bed fellow. and we were fast
friends and companions. He was bold,
venturesome boy. and on the last night
of his sojourn amongst us he proposed
the daring plan of some night paying us
secret visit and relating all the "ad-
vontprnS' ha should avnapinprn 10, 10