Mountain Home maverick. [volume] (Mountain Home, Idaho) 1906-1911, 1909-04-08

1l.eR( lISN.M in storm, but the
Il1NN WMsN morning broke in
Ik6S Is ~ sparkling sunshine
MS 49, like a white burst of
spray from a dark,
Believing wave.
The ring of an ak cut through the
t~itter of birds, and the throbbing
notes OF meadow lark's song. On
the edge OF the clearing where Heath
cot had built bis log cabin, young
pine had been ripped up by the roots,
and In swift flashes. catching the light
as It rose and fell his ak was denud-
ing the trunk Of all branches except
two upper ones which on either side
extended an outstretched arm. Any
ether settler would have seen in the
fallen tree only so many cords OF
nrewood. but In every crude incident
Of frontier life Heathcot beheld an In
aor. spiritual meaning-saw in the
Pine felled by the wind Heaven-giv-
On cross for his Easter standard when
he should preach his great revival SER
mon on the morrow.
The blood leaped In his veins as he
swung his ak with tireless energy,
and thoughts .saped to his brain In
rising torrent of religious fervor
Standing by the compelling form of
the cross rough-hewn from their own
forests by the hand of their own
prophet he would speak to his people
= word of power such as he had never
spoken before---not even In his old
church back In
A sudden transformation swept over
the zealotfs face The angel had fed
and left only the man, the primitive
man with fierce. elemental love. jeal-
ousy, hate Crimson surged in his
cheeks: his eyes bazed
The ak rose and fell, physical la.
Dor beating into repression the stress
OF his passion But while he chopped,
cut. trimmed, while he and the helpers
summoned from the settlement bore
the cross through the woods and
planted 1t at the head of the plaza,
the sense OF disgrace that had ruined
his career and driven him into the
wilderness still goaded his soul. for
his home life had been house upon
the hilltop, its betrayed honor Knocked
at by every little dweller of the valley
And on the following day when the
settlers from far and near cabins gath
cred in the plaza, and Heathcot rose
from his knees and stood beside the
great pine cross to preach his Easter
sermon unconsciously 1t was the
spark of personal anger that lighted
his flaming denunciation of evil
IT was dramatic scene. Above. {
dull, gray sky, weighed low with heav,
clouds; budding on both sides and a
the lower end of the plaza. the rud,
shacks OF the Settlement high-walleC
beyond by the trees of the surround
ing forest; at the upper end a SWEEP
of open country stretching green L
the horizon. The cross of pine planted
at this end lifted it's clear-cut strength
against the background of the sky
Equally strong stood out the frontie
preacher in his top boots, his cordu
rows. his crimson sweater, likewis
strong In bearing the men and womel
OF his congregation who had left tn
made ways of pleasantness and peac
to blaze a new trail in history.
Only a man like Heathcot, who live,
and Iabored and fought with then
side by side. shoulder to shoulder
could have touched them. quickene
the spiritual within. and the vision c
power that had flashed before hir
while be was hewing the cross tn
day before was fulfilled When