The news=record. [volume] (Enterprise, Wallowa County, Oregon) 1907-1910, 1910-03-16
CHAPTER XIV.
last-the snringtime came.


the dens and burrows from their pro-
tracted sleep, caused the seeds to swell
and burst in the bosom Of earth, and
sent the blood coursing through Da-
vid's veins, quickening all his intellec-
tual and spiritual powers.
And then, the end of his exile was
near! In a few weeks he would have
vindfcated the purity of his purpose to
attain the divine life, and have proved
himself worthy to claim the hand OF
Pepeeta!
All the winter long he had piled his
axe. Once more, now that the snow
had vanished, he set fire to the debris
which he had strewn around him, and
saw with an indescribable feeling OF
triumph and delight the open soil made
ready for his plow. He yoked team
of patient oxen to 1t and set the sharp
point deep into the black soil. Never
had the earth smelled so sweet as now
when the broad share threw 1t back In
a continuously advancing wave. Never
had that yeoman's Joy Of hearing the
ripping of roots and the grating OF iron
against stones as the great oxen set
tied to their work, strained in their
yokes and dragged the plow point
through the bosom of the earth, been
half so genuine and deep. 1t was good
to be alive, to sleep. to eat. to toll.
Cities had lost their charm. David's
sin was no longer a withering and
blasting, but a Christening and re-
straining memory. His clearing was
kingdom, his cabin a palace, and ne
was soon to have queen! He had
reserved his sowing for the last day
Of his self-imposed seclusion. which
ended with the month of May.
On the day following, having accom-
plished his vow, he would go to the
house Of God and claim his bride!
This day he would devote to that SOL
emn function Of scattering the sacred
seed Of life's chief support into the
open furrowl
No wonder a feeling Of devotion and
awe came upon him as he prepared
himself for his task; for perhaps there
is not q single act in the whole econ
omy Of life better calculated to stir a
thoughtful mind to its profoundest
depths than the sowing Of those gold
On grains which have within them the
promise and potency of life. Year after
year, century after century, millions
Of men have gone forth in the light OF
the all-beholding and life-giving sun
to cast into the bosom of the earth the
sustenance Of their childrenl 1t is q
sublime act of faith. and this sacrifice
Of a present for future good. an ac-
tual for a potential blessing, is no less
beautiful and holy because familiar
and old. The Divine Master himself
could not contemplate 1t without emo
ton and was inspired by 1t to the ut
terance Of one of his grandest para
bles.
And then the field itself inspired SOL
emn reflections and noble pride in the
| mind of the sower. 1t was his own!
He had carved 1t out of wilderness!
Here was soil which had never beer
| opened to the daylight. Here was
ground which perhaps for thousand
and not unlikely for ten Thousand
years, should send forth seed to the
sower; and he had cleared it with his
own hands! Generations and centurie.
after he should have died and been for.
gotten, men would go forth into this
field as he was doing to-day, to SOW
their seed and reap their harvests.
| He slung his bag of grain over hii
shoulder and stepped forth from hi!
cabin at the dawn of day. The clear
ing he had made was an almost per.
feet circle. All around 1t were thu
green walls Of the forest with thu
great trunks Of the beeches, whit,
and symmetrical, standing like vas
Corinthian columns supporting greer
frieze upon which rested the lofty roo
Of the immense cathedral From th'
organ-loft the music of the morning
breeze resounded, and from the choir
| the sweet antiphonals Of birds. Odor
Of pine, of balsam. of violets, of pep
permint, of fresh-plowed earth, o
bursting life, were waited across tn
vast nave from transept to transept
and fioated like incense up to heaven
The priest about to offer his sacri
flce, the sacrifice Of a broken hear
and contrite spirit. about to confes
his faith; in the beautiful and symbol
ic act Of sacrificing the present for tn
| IutuTc, SeopPSu AoAeA AAso eho VpO'
furrow.
His open countenance. bronzed witt
the sun, was lighted with love an,
alteration; his lips smiled; his eye
giowed; he lifted them to the heaven
In an unspoken prayer for the benedic
ton of the great life-giver; he drey
Into his nostrils the sweet odors. int
his lungs the pure air, into his sou
the beauty and glory Of the world. an,
then. filling his hand with the colder
grain, he flung It into the bosom Of tn
waiting earth.
All day long he strode across tn
clearing and with rhythmical swinginl
Of his brawny arm lavishly scattere,
the golden grain.
As the sun went down and the sowe
neared the conclusion of his labor, hi
emotions became deeper and yet NOR
deep. He entered more and more full,
into the true spirit and significance Q
his act. He felt that It was a sacra
ment. Thoughts Of the operation o
the mighty energies which he wa
evoiSing: Of the Divine spirit VIII
brooded over all; Of the coming int
this wilderness Of the woman who wa
to be the good angel Of his life; of tn
ceremony that was to lie enacted 1,
the little meeting house; Of the worl
to which he was dedicated In the fu
ture. kindled his soul into an ecstar
Of JOY. He ceased to be conscious o
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