Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1905-02-18
CHAPTER l.

year, l must glance back ct the earlier
years Of my childhood. and at those who
Influenced It.
Ny earliest recollections are OF Tab
ernacle House: previous 10 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 | was. how 1t
ever came into his head to set up rs a
tutor, or how parents or friends could be
induced TO confde 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 a thick mass
Of hair. which had shaggy. ragged APP
pearance. from being cut in irregular
lengths, or rather chopped away III
pieces. His forehead was very low. lie
had thick, shaggy eyebrows, and small
snake-like eyes. In stature he was short,
thickset, bull-necked; his arms were re-
markably long. his feet splay aud i'll
shaped.
Obadiah Porter was n widower, with
ons daughter. So powerfully have terri
bic events engraven her after-image 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
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 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 a grandfather or 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 ReNer-
end Obadiah Porter undertakes the ere,
education and religious training OF or
phan boys from the earliest age. Tn
exceptional references as to piety and
discretion will be given. \. B.-No hol-
days"
1t is not my intention to linger upon
this period. or enter into any minute de
scriptions Of our uninteresting. m0noton-
GUS life. The years crept on, and were
almost wholly passed within the pre-
cincts Of Tabernacle House. 1t was Il
fine, old-fashioned dwelling. 1t had large
gardens back and front-the latter be-
ing screened from the road by a high
wall-besides an extensive orchard and
paddock Altogether. it was quite a
gentleman's house. But rents are Won
derfully low in these parts. Mr.. Por-
ter was very well-to-do. His boardcrs
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
Humphries-this house belonged.
BY and by there were changes. One
boy left. and then another; but other'
took their places. Grm-looking persons
came to take them away; but, except il
one case, we knew nothing Of their fu
ture destiny or destination, and they
dropped out OF our lives completely. i
seemed as though we were interloper'
upon the world, and ought never to have
been born.
The exceptional case l mention wa
that Of boy named Josiah Cook, whom
/ Mr.. Porter had transferred from hi
care to that OF printer in the town, n
an apprentice little thought tina
Cooks transference to Bury would 81
materially influence my own future lif
that out of that event would spring al
Incident destined to shape its whole fu
ture course.
There was one large room at the tol
of the house, in which we six boys slept
two in each OF the three beds. Cool
was my bed fellow, and we were tas
friends and companions. He was a bold
venturesome boy. and on the last nigh
OF his sojourn amongst us he propose
the daring plan Of some night paying Il
secret visit and relating all the lad
ventures" he should experience in hi
new home.
Il can easily climb over the garde
wall from the next field" he said: IS
look out, boys; if you hear a ston
thrown up at your window, it will
me-"
Six months passed away and W
heard nothing more of Cook. lie wa
rapidly fading out of our thoughts, wher
one autumnal night we heard a shar
crack at our bedroom window. The bold
est OF our number gently lifted the sasl
and peered out 1t was a bright moor
light night. and he saw, standing in tn
garden beneath. the well-known flgur
Of our old companion.
The back Of the house was covere
with fine old pear tree. 1t had nc
been pmned for several years. AID ha
thrown out its wood somewhat wildly.
few whispered words. and Cook wa
mounting the tree with hand and foo
almost as easily as though he had bee
ascending a ladder When he clambe
ed into the room we all gathered roun
him in sort OF awe-struck manner.
"Now. look here. boys" he said; "whs
do you think has brought me here I,
rightT
"To see us" we supposed.
"Well. that Of course: but do 70
think it would be the thing in me I
come and make your mouths water wit
the story Of all these nice things. unle,
had something to pop into themY"
"He has brought MS something nice
ass." was the idea suggested. But whe
he unfolded the meaning OF his symbo
lcal speech. our hairs positively stood q
end. OF all the delights experienced b
him in his new sphere OF life. that upo
which he most glowingly dilated was n
theater. His master printed the bill
for that establishment. and he was IT
quently employed to carry them to II
manager. He thus gained admission b
hind the scenes while his acquaintanS
with the bill-sticker gained him an occl
! ainnnI nrllnr fnr the nit His nrnnns