Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1909-10-21
CHAPTER I.

Hidden away in this worn and care
encountered 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, vague
and dear delusion that he has stum-
bled into Paradise.
Such an Eden existed in the extreme
western part of Ohio in the spring Of
1S49. 1t was a 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 a vast and solemn forest led
into the valley and entering as If by
a corridor and through the open portal
OF temple, the traveller saw a white
farm house nesting beneath a mighty
hackberry tree whose wtde-reaching
arms sheltered 1t from summer sun
dnu winter wind. deep, wide lawn
OF bluegrass lay in front, and garden
OF mowers, 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 high state of cultivation.
In this lovely valley, at the close of
q long. odorous, sun -drenched day in
early May, the sacred silence was bro
Ken by raucous blast from that most |
unmusical of Instruments tin dinner |
horn. 1t was blown by a bare legged |
country boy who seemed to take de- |
light in this proclamation. By his side,
IN the vine-clad porch Of the white |
farm house stood a 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
apon her face it seemed almost trans
parent. and even the unobserving must
have perceived that some deep expert
ence Of the sadness of life had added
80 her character an indescribable
charm.
Thee will have to go and call him.
stephen, for | think he has fallen into
another trance" the woman said. in a
low voice in which there was not q
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 proud and happy smile
Cnutterable and incomprehensible
emotions were awakened in the soul
Of the boy by the stiffness and beauty
OF the evening world His senses were
not yet dulled nor his feelings faded.
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 it's kiss; If the
odOr Of spearmint from the brookside
was waited around him he breathed
1t into his nostrils with delight. He
saw the shadow Of a crow flying across
the field and stopped to look up and I
Listen for the swish Of her wings and
her loud, hoarse cav as she made her
way to the nesting grounds; then he
gazed beyond her, into the fathomlesa s
depths Of the blue sky. and his soul I
was stirred with an indescrlbable awe a
But II was not so much the objects
themselves as the spirit pervadjng a
them, which stirred the depths Of the
>hilds mind The little pantheist saw Y
=
IL language upon child, but the feel r
ngs which that language serves only U
% interpret and express exist and glow 0
within him even If he be dumb. And f
his gift OF language is often Of oues- h
-tonable value. and had been so with y
lim. All that he felt. filed him with a
owe. To him the valley was heaven. q
md through II invisibly but unmistak- p
ibly God walked, morning. noon and
evening. e
To the child sauntering dreamily and c
vistfully along, the object dimly seen n
rom the farm-h door began grad
Ially TO dissolve itself into a group Of ! /
living beings. Two horses were at o
ached to a plow; one standing in the g
ush grass OF the meadow. and the 9TH Il
r in a deep furrow traced across its n
urface. The plowshare was buried q
Isep In the rich. alIuvial soil and q b