The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1910-03-12
CHAPTER XIII.

| CdAFIGh AhllL
The period Of our country's history
| In which these characters were formed
was one of tremendous moral earnest
ness. In that struggle in which man
pitted himself against primeval forest
and aboriginal inhabitant, the strong
est types of manhood and womanhood
were evolved, and those who oonceiv-
ed the idea Of living q righteous life
set themselves to its realization with
the same energy with which they ad-
dressed themselves to the conquest OF
nature Itself. To multitudes OF them,
this present world took a place that
In the fullest sense of the word was
secondary to that other world In which
they lived by anticipation.
David Corson was only one Of many
who, to q degree which In these less
earnest or at least more materialistic
times appears Incredible, had deter
mined to trample the world under their
VI Jet. He awoke next morning with an
lnabated purpose and at an early hour
< set resolutely about its execution. He
babe q brave farewell to Pepeeta, ex-
horted her to seek with him that prep
aration Of heart which alone could Mt
them for the future. and then with
bag of provisions over his shoulder and
an axe in his hand started forth to
carry out q plan which he had form
Cd In the night.
He began to prepare for himself
temporary booth which should shelter
him until he had erected his cabin;
and the rest Of the day was consumed
In this enterprise. At the close this
simple task was done. 80 easy Is 1t to
provide a shelter for him who seeks
protection and not luxuryl Having
onoe more satisfied his hunger, he built
o fre In front of his rude booth, and
lay down in its genial rays, his head
upon a pillow of moss. The stiffness
Of the cool, quiet evening was broken
only by the cracking Of the flames,
the quiet murmurs of the two little
rills which whispered to each other
startled interrogations as to the mean
Ing of this rude invasion, the hoot OF
owls In the tall tree tops. and the
stealthy tread Of some OF the little
creatures Of the forest who prowled
around. while seeking their prey. to
discover, II possible, the meaning OF
this great light, and the strange
noises with which their forest world
had resounded.
There came to the recumbent woods
man deep and quiet peace. He felt
new sense Of having been in some way
taken back into the fraternity Of the
, unfallen creatures of the universe, and
into the all-embracing arms OF the
great Father. He fell asleep with pure
thoughts lowering over the surface OF
his mind. like a flock Of swallows above
q crystal lake. And Nature did take
him back into that all-enfolding heart
where there IL room and q welcome
for all who do not ALLEVIATE themselves.
Her latchstrings are always out, and
forests, fields. mountains. oceans. des-
, erts even, have a silent, genial well
come for ell who enter their open doors
with reverence. sympathy and yearn-
ing. A man asleep alone In vast will
dernessl How easy 1t would be for
Nature to forget him and permit him
to sleep on foreveri What gives hin
his Importance there amid those giant
treesf Why should sun. moon. stars,
gravity, heat, cold, care for him? How
can the hand that guides the constella-
tions--those vast navies of the infinite
sea-pause to touch the eyelids Of this
atom when the time comes for him to
riser When the sleeper woke, refresh
cd and rested. in the morning, 1t was
to take up the routine Of duties which
were to be only slightly varied for
many months to come.
One after another the great trees
J succumbed to the blows Of his axe and
t from their prustrate forms he careful
, ly selected those which were best
: adapted to the structure Of his cabin
while over the others he piled the
limbs and brush and left them to dry
for the confiagration which at the end
of the hot summer should remove them
/. from the clearing.
: When the rainy days came he spent
his time In the shelter Of his little ar
, Dor cutting the Shakes" or shingles
which were to furnish the roof of Pc
peetas home.
The days and weeks ned by and the
opening in the forest grew apace. He
measured II by night with celestial
3 arithmetic, using the stars for his tri-
7 angulations. and as one after another
/ Of them became visible where before
| they had been obscured by the foliage
OF the trees. he smiled. and felt as Il
he were cutting his farm out of heav-
On instead Of earth. It was really cut
out Of bothl
His Sundays were spent at the old
homestead with his loved ones. and
|, once every week Pepeeta came with
! Steven to bring him luxuries which
: her own hands had prepared. and tc
1 pass the afternoon with him at his
Q work In the -clearing."
: Those were memorable hours. pos
sessing that threshold existence with
a which overy hour can be endowed By
! the soul Of man-anticipation-r
characterization In this way o sim
gle moment sometimes becomes almost
synchronous with eternity.
II would have been impossible to tel
: which Of the three was happiest. bul
Pspeeta was always the center Of In.
: tsrest. attention and devotion. Hel
8 whole nature seemed to be aroused and
Q called into play; all her countless
Y charms were incsssantly evoked: her
0 inimitable laughter resoundcd through
the woods and challenged the emuloui
birda to unsuccessful competition. Sc.
robustness altsrnated with gaiety. co.
quetry with gravity. Some Of the tim,