The Coeur d'Alene press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1892-1907, 1905-01-21
CHAPTER /.

years OF my childhood. ana AT those VINO 4
Influenced il.
MY earliest recollections are OF Tab
Ornaels House; previous to those. all Is
dim and shadowy. Tabernacle House
was an establishment kept by the Rev
some half dozen boys.
The reverend pedagOgue was man
whose satyr-liks face greatly belied his
professions OF profound piety. | could
not understand. child as l was, how It
ever came into his head TO set mp O.
tutor, or how parents or friends could be
induced to eonfde the education or chill
dren TO the care OF a man deficient In
the eommonest rudiments Of learning.
His original occupation was that or a
shoemaker and his hands still retained
coarse. srimed look. His bulet-shaped
head was covered with a thick mass
Of hair, which had a shaggy, ragged ap-
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
snaks-Hke eyes. In stature he was short.
thickset, buIl-necked: his arms were re-
markedly long. his feet Splay and Ill
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was q widower. with
one daughter. So powerfully have terri
BILE events sngraven her aftsr-imags upon
my mind. that can scarcely recall Its
hrst impressions. i 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 resem-
hlauce to her father: she was tall. thin;
her hair was bright red, her complexio ion
pale, her eyes large. her features deli
"A oha aazN this Young
lady was handed over the tuition OF her
fathers pupils.
There were Eve besides myself. There
was q strange bond Of sympathy be
tween Us alI--not one Of rs knew any
thing Of our parents One knew an
aunt another an uncle, a third grand
mother. or a grandfather, or a guard
Ian, but no father or mother.
IL was q peculiarly 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 re,
education and religious training OF or
phan boys from the earliest age. In
exceptional references as to piety and
discretion will be given. n. B.-No hol-
days"
II Is not my intention to linger upon
this period, or enter into any minute de-
aCriptions Of our unintsresting. monOton-
Gus life. The years erept on, and were
almost wholly passed within the pre-
cincts OF Tabernacle House 1t was a
hns, old-fashioned dwelling It had large
gardens back and front-the latter be
ing screened from the road By a high
wall-besides an extensive orchard and
q paddock Altogether. il was quite a
dsrfuIly 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 NawwOrms 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 GHm-looking persons
came to take them away; but, except II
one case, we knew nothing OF their fu
ture destiny or destination. and theJ
dropped out Of our lives completely. /
seemed as though we were interloper'
upon the world, and ought never 10 hav'
been born.
The exceptional case I mention wal
that Of a boy named Josiah Cook, whom
Mr.. Porter had transferred from hi
care to that OF a printer In the town, q
an apprentice. | little thought tina
Cooks transferencs 10 Bury would -
materially influence my own future liz
that out Of that event would spring Al
Incident destined 10 shape Its whole III
turs course.
There was one large room at the to
Of the house. in which we six boys slept
two in each OF the three beds. Cool
was my bed fellow. and We we're fas
friends and companions. He was a bold
vsnturesome boy. and on the last nigh
Of his sojourn amongst Us he propose
the daring plan Of some night paying u
q secret visit and relating ell the "ad
ventures" he should experience in hi
heW home.
Il can easily climb over the Earde
wall from the next held,'' he ssld: -
look out, boys; II You hear a St0n
thrown up at Jour window, Il will
me"
Six months passed away and "
heard nothing more Of Cook. He wa
rapidly fading out Of our thoughts. whsI
one autumnal night we heard a Shar
crack at our bedroom window. The Dol,
est OF our number gently lifted the sasl
and pesrsd out. II was a bright moOl
light night, and be saw. standing In Il
garden beneath. the well-kn0wn GRui
OF our old companion.
The back Of the house was covers
with a Hns old pear tree. It had n,
been pruned for several years, AID In
thrown out its wood somewhat wildly.
few whispered words, and Cook Wi
mounting the tree with hand and foo
almost as easily as though he had be-,
ascending a ladder. When he clambe
ed Into the room we all gathered rUur
him In a sort Of awe-struck manner
Now. look here. boys" he said: "wh
DO you think has brought me here I
nightT'
ITO see u.s." we supposed.
well that of course; but do y,
think It would be the thing in me
come and make your mouths water wi