Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-01-23
CHAPTER l.


year. must glance back at the earlier
years Of my childhood, and at those who
Influenced it.
My earliest recollections 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-like face greatly belied his
professions of profound piety. l could
not understand child as | wns, how 1t
ever came into his head to set up as
tutor. or how parents or friends could be
Induced TO confide the education of chill
dren to the care of man deficient in
the commonest rudments of learning.
His original occupation was that OF
shoemaker and his hands still retained
coarse grimed look His bullet shaped
head was covered with thick mass
of hair. which had 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,
snakeli like eyes. In stature he was short.
thickset bul-necked; his arms were re-
x,
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was widower. with
one daughter. So powerfully have terri
BILE events engraven her after-image upon
nv mind. that | can scarcely recall its
first impressions. l think she must nave
been about fifteen or sixteen. | being
some five or six, when l first saw her.
She did not bear the slightest rescn-
eli, Tn
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 or 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 grandfather, or a guard
ian, but no father or mother.
1t was popularity Of Mr. Porter's
establishment that he did not take boys
who had parents. His advertisement IN
the newspapers ran thus: THE Rcver-
end Obadiah Porter undertakes the c*re.
education and religious training OF or
phnn boys from the earliest age. I'm
exceptional references as to pety and
discretion will be given. N. B.-No hol-
idays."
1t is not my intention to linger upon
this period, or enter into any minute de-
scriptions Of our uninteresting. monoton-
GUS life The years crept on, and were
almost wholly passed within the pre-
cncts 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-besdes an extensive orchard and
a paddock. Altogether. it was quite a
gentlemans house. But rents are Won
derfully low in these parts. Mr.. For-
ter was very well-to-do His boarders
alone brought him in 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.
Humphres-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
one case, we knew nothing Of their fu-
ture destiny or destination. and they
dropped out Of our lives completely. 1t
seemed as though we were interlopers
upon the world, and ought never to have
been born.
The exceptional case I mention was
that of a boy named Josiah Cook, whom
Mr.. Porter had transferred from his
care to that Of a printer in the town, as
an apprentice little thought that
Cooks transference to Bury would sc
materially influence my own future life
that out of that event would spring an
incident destined to shape its whole flu
ture course.
There was one large room a the tor
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 u.
secret visit and relating all the lad
ventures" he should experience in hi.
new home.
Il can easily climb over the garden
wall from the next field" he said; "s(
look out. boys; il you hear n ston,
thrown up at your window, it will b,
me-"
Six months passed away and W,
heard nothing more of Cook. He wa
rapidly fading out Of our thoughts, when
one antumnal night we heard sharl
crack at our bedroom window. The bold
est OF our number gently lifted the sash
and peered out. 1t was a bright moon
light night, and he saw, standing in tn
garden beneath. the well-known frur
of our old companion.
The back Of the house was covere,
with a fine old pear tree. 1t had no
been pruned for several years, and ha
thrown out its wood somewhat wildly. !
few whispered words. and Cook wa
mounting the tree with hand and foot
almost as easily as though he had bee
ascending ladder. When he Chamber
ed into the room we all gathered roun
him in a sort of awe-struck manner.
'Now look here. boys" he said; "wha
do you think has brought me hero tc
rizhtW
ITO see u.s." we supposed.
"Well, that OF course: but do 20
think it would be the thing in me t
come and make your mouths water wit
the story Of all these nice things. unles
had something to pop into them?'
He has brought us something nice I
eat" was the idea suggested. But whe
he unfolded the meaning of his symbo