Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1910-12-10

~ am, without enc plea lei ne
doors OF divine mercy stand opened
wide, and let every hard heart b soft
ened Come, ys disconsslats; come
forward to the mercy seat ~ We sing"
The old, soul-moving. revival hymn
was lifted In triumphant burst Of
sound. and Thomas Jefrerson's heart
began to pound like a trip-hammer.
Was this his call-his one last chance
to enter the ark of safety Just there
was the pinch. A saying of Japheth
Pettigrass', overheard in Hargis' store
on the first day of the meetings, flick
ed into his mind and stuck there:
Hits scare. nrst. last, and all the time.
with Brother Silas. He knows might
well that good bunch o. hickories.
thatll bring the blood every cut. beats
a sugar kttle out o. sight when 1t
comes to film the anxious seat" Was
1t really his call? Or was he only
scared?
The 12-year-old brain grappled
hardly with the problem which has
thrown many an older wrestler. This
he knew that while he had been lis
tening with outward ears to the rest
less champing and stamping Of the
horses among the pines, but with his
inmost soul to the burning words CT
his uncle, the preacher, a great fear
had laid hold of him-a fear mightier
than desire or shame, or love or ha-
tired, or any spring of action known to
him. 1t was lifting him to his feet; 1t
was edging him past the others on the
bench. and out into the aisle with the
mourners who were crowding the space
in front of the pulpit platform. At the
turn he heard his mothers low-mur-
INJURED Il thank Thee, o Godl" and
saw the grim, set smile on his faith
er's face. Then he fell on his knees
on the rough hewn floor, with the tall
countaineer called William Layne on
his right and on his left young girl
from the choir who was sobbing softly
in her handkerchief
To his new young life after that Z
seemed but a step to June, the queen
of the months in the valleys OF Ten
| nessee. The revival converts of Little
Zoar had the pick and choice of all
the Sundays of the year for the day
of their baptizing.
The font was of great natures own
providing. as was the mighty temple
housing tia clear pool in the creek
with the, green walled aisles in the
June forest leading down to It, and
the blue arch of the fiawless June sky
| for a dome resplendent
All Paradise was there to see and
| hear and bear witness, as a matter of
| course; and there were not wanting
farm wagon loads from the great VAL
| ley and from the Pine Knob high
lands. Major Dabney was among the
onlookers, sitting his clean-limbed
Hambletonian, and twisting his huge
white moustaches until they stood out
like strange and fierce looking horns
Also, in the outer ranks of skepticism,
Major Dabney's foreman and horse
trader, Japheth Pettigrass, found a
place. On the opposite bank of tho
stream were the few negroes owning
Major Dabney now as "Majah Boss"
as some Of them-most of them, In
fact-had once owned him as "Maws-
tub Majah"; and mingling freely with
them were the laborers, white and
black, from the Gordon iron furnace.
Thomas Jefferson brought PIP mem
cries from that solemn rite administer
ed so simply and yet so impressiely
under the June sky, with the many
pointing forest spires to lift the soul to
heights ecstatic. One was the singing
of the choir, minimized and made CO.
lestially sweet by the lack of bounding
walls and roof. Another was the sight
of his fathers face. with the grim
smile gone, and the steadfast eyes
gravely tolerant as he-Thomas Jeffer-
son--was going down into the water.
A third-and this might easily become
the most lasting of all-was the mem
DRY of how his mother clasped him in
her arms as he came up out of the
water, all wet and dripping as he war
and sobbed over him as If her hear,
would break.
Ito be contnued.)