The Kendrick gazette. [volume] (Kendrick, Idaho) 1892-1968, 1908-07-10

On the Mountain Top.
Over the mountains and through the
streams rode the itinerant preacher,
and behind him, on the horse, rode his
little boy. On long climb the father
dismounted, and on the steep quarter
mile before the top the boy, too,
trudged beside his father and the horse.
On the top Of the hill they paused for
rest before remounting for the long
ridge ride.
The view from the top twas inspiring.
Behind lay the foothills that receded
into the blue grass region, and ahead
rose range after range of the Cumber-
land hills the Log Mountains, the
Pine Mountains, the Blue Ridge-and
beyond Kentucky the hills Of Tennes-
see, too far to be discerned through
the haze, but surely there, beyond the
last dim and crooked line that lifted
itself, half-hill, half cloud against the
autumn sky.
The lad found a chestnut tree, and
was busy at Its root. But the father
looked this way and that way, with
ever-increasing elevation Of spirit; and
when the lad returned from his search
for nuts, the father was on his knees
and praying aloud
No one heard that prayer save God
and the boy, and the boy did not tell
Of 1t until years afterward, and then
could recall no word. But the spirit
Of the prayer became to him a life
inspiration.
First OF all, 1t was q prayer Of re-
joicing in the glory which God had
displayed on earth-a glory filling the
weird with changing beauty, with the
progress Of the season; and even now,
with the coming Of winter, painting
the forest with the fsplendor Of Gods
love Of beautiful things.
And then 1t was a prayer for the
homes In sight from the mountain TOP
for those lying In plain view In the
valleys near at hand, and those more
distant, dlscerned by the little clear.
ings or the ascending smoke Of thei1
hearthstoneA
He prayed for the men and women
In those homes, burdened with cares
ana earning a scanty living from theil
hillside farms; for the boys and girls
=, many Of them growing up without edu
cation: for the future of that bidder
but hopeful region, into which he had
come that he might give his life II
service for these people.
The father lived till his head wal
white, then died, honored and beloved
having Wrought nightly for the peopl'
Of the Southern highlands.
The son made his way into tn
: world, and won success as an inventor
but year by year he goes back agai1
into the hills, where his fathe
wrought, to stand beside his father
!. grave, and to perform an annual gif
Of love for the people Of that regiol
through an institution which Is an
swering the fathers prayer.
II ever in the passing years the prot
. lens have brought to him discourage
q ments, or the worlds temptations o
wealth and power have inclined hin
: to forget, the vision of that mountai
3 top has returned to him, and he ha
. seen again, and for the thousandt
time, the kneeling figure Of his father
q and has heard again his prayer for a.
=. the homes in sight, and the boys an
= girls within them; and his heart ha
A found a new baptism for service in th
spirit Of his fathers prayer.-Youth
Companion.
Gods Gifts.
i Into all our lives, in many simple
= familiar ways, God infuses this ell
ment OF Joy from the surprises Of lift
X which Unexpectedly brighten our day
J.. and I'LL our eyes with light He dror
i this added sweetness into His chi
+" dren's cup and makes 1t to run owe
The success we were not counting OF
the blessing we were not trying afte
- the strain of music in the midst
- drudgery, the beautiful morning pi
ture or sunset glory thrown in as "
~ pass to or from our daily business, tt
unsought word Of encouragement
n expression Of sympathy, the senten'
le that meant more for us than the wri
II er or speaker thought-these and
~ hundred others that everyone's exper
oncA can sJ11plv ArN inSf0 ncos NJ wh