The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1909-10-20
CHAPTER I.

Hidden away in this worn and care
encumbered world are spots SO quiet
and beautiful as to make the fall Of
man seem incredible, and awaken in
the breast Of the weary traveller who
| comes suddenly upon them, a vague
and dear delusion that he has STUN
| bled into Paradise.
such an Eden existed In the extreme
western part of Ohio in the spring. Of
lS4s 1t was valley surrounded by
wooded hills and threaded by a noisy
brook which hastily made its way. as
II upon some errand Of immense i'm
portance, down to the big Miami not
many miles distant A road cut
through vast and solemn forest led
into the valley, and entering as II by
corridor and through the open portal
OF temple. the traveller saw white
farm -house nesting beneath a mighty
blackberry tree whose wide-reaching
arms sheltered # from summer sun
ana winter wind. A deep, wide lawn
OF bluegrass lay in 'front.' and a garden
OF flowers, fragrant and brilliant, on
its southern side. Stretching away in
TO the background was the farm newly
carved out of the wilderness, but al
ready in a high state of cultivation.
In this lovely valley, at the close of
long, odorous, sun drenched day In
early May, the sacred silence was bro
Ken by raucous blast from that most
unmusical of instruments, a tin dinner
norm. 1t was blown by bare-legged
country boy who seemed to take de-
light In this proclamation. BY his side.
In the vine-clad porch of the white
rarm mouse stood woman who shad-
ed her eyes with her hand as she look
ed toward a vague object In a distant
meadow. She was no longer young. AS
the light of the setting sun fell full
upon her face 1t seemed almost trans
parent. and even the unobserving must
have perceived that some deep expert
ence Of the sadness of life had added
to her character an indescribable
charm.
Thee will have to go and call him.
Stephen. for l think he has fallen into
another trance" the woman said. in n
low voice In which there was not n
trace of impatience.
The child threw down his dinner
horn, whistled to his dog and started
Springing up from where he had been
watching every expression of his mas
ter's face. the shaggy collie bounded
around him as he moved across the
lawn. while the woman watched them
with a proud and happy smile.
Unutterable and incomprehensible
emotions were awakened in the soul
OF the boy by the stiffness and beautv
OF the evening world. His senses were
not yet dulled nor his feelings faded
Through every avenue of his intelli-
gence the mystery Of the universe
stole into his sensitive spirit. II
breeze blew across the meadow he
turned his cheek to its kiss; II the
odor Of spearmint from the brookside
was waited around him he breathed
II into his nostrils with delight He
saw the shadow Of crow flying across
the field and stopped to look up and
listen for the swish of her wings and
her loud. hoarse cav as she made ber
way to the nesting grounds; then he
gazed beyond her, into the fathomIesa
depths of the blue sky, and his sonI
was stirred with an indescribable awe
But 1t was not so much the objects
themselves as the spirit pervadipg
them. which stirred the depths of tho
rhild's mind. The little pantheist saw
God everywhere. We bestow the Elf,
Of language upon a child. but the feel
ngs which that language serves only
10 interpret and express exist and glow
within him even II he be dumb. And
his gift OF language is often of ques-
tionable value. and had been so with
him. All that he felt. filled him with
owe. To him the valley was heaven.
md through II invisibiy hut unmistak-
IDLY God walked. morning. noon and |
evening.
To the child sauntering dreamily and
along. the object dimly seen
rom the farm house door began grad
ially to dissolve itself into a group OF
living beings. Two horses were at
ached to plow; one standing In the
ush grass OF the meadow. and the 9TH
n In q deep furrow traced across its
surface. The plowshare was buried \
leep In the rich. alluvial soil. and q