p. 10 | IN THE PINE WOODS by Mrs. S. Rosalie Sill

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · Nov 5, 1896

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 22, No. 44.

IN THE PINE WOODS.

By Mrs. S. Rosalie Sill

"I've been thinking of going into a logging camp during the winter," said Paul Howard. "My not obtaining that situation in Hamilton's store is a great disappointment to me. I must be earning in some way, or I can not complete my education."

Mrs. Howard, a pale, slight woman, was busy preparing their evening meal as her son spoke, and she paused, with the bread-knife uplifted, to say:—

"Why, Paul, dear, those logging camps have ruined many a boy. Really, I can not have you go!"

"Does not the word say: 'The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them who fear him?' Perhaps, I have a mission work to do in a logging camp, who can tell?"

"I know you are a good son, Paul. But so many have been overcome, and their good resolutions swept away as the hurrying snow."

"I know, mother. But the right way is to overcome, and not to be overcome. I am quite sure I shall not have greater temptation than did Daniel within the king's court. Walter is nearly fifteen, mother, and quite old enough to care for you. I must earn money, so I can go away to school next year. And some day I can earn enough so my mother will not have to work as she does now."

Paul pleaded his cause so well that when the men started for the great pine woods he went with them. The scenery was all new to the boy, and for the time being he was glad he was not to stand behind a counter and measure tape and ribbon, but could exercise the strength the Creator had given him.

It was late when the camp was reached, and after supper every man was glad when he could retire to his hastily prepared bed of pine boughs, to rest. Paul took out the small Bible he always carried with him, and by the light of the huge camp-fire read a chapter, and knelt down and made a silent prayer.

"What are you doing? studying Greek?" called out one.

"O, he is one of your pious lads!" said one who was called "Fearless Jim." "Let the parson alone to-night. He'll be tired enough to-morrow night to turn in, the same as the rest of us."

Paul was tired the next night. However, the Bible was read, and the silent prayer made, the same as on the previous evening. Most of the men ridiculed Paul. But there was one young man who said, after a few days: "I'd give anything, Howard, if I was as brave as you. I once professed religion myself, but I was a coward, and went back."

When Sabbath came, Paul took out the Bible and began reading to himself, when Harry Barr, the young man who had told Paul he had once professed religion, said:—

"Read a chapter aloud, Howard, I used to like reading it."

So Paul read the fourteenth chapter of John, and, strange to say, nearly all of the men ceased their conversation and listened, although no one made any comment, save Harry Barr, who said:—

"That is the most comforting thing I have heard in a long time."

That night, when Paul knelt as usual, Harry knelt beside him.

"Two parsons, I declare!" called out Fearless Jim. "If we keep on, we'll have a school of theology before long."

But Paul was so kind and obliging the men could not help regarding him with a kindly feeling, altho they at times ridiculed him.

The weather grew severe, and heavy storms ensued, the great drifts piling up, until they seemed shut in from the outside world. And to make things worse, Fearless Jim cut himself so badly that he came near dying from loss of blood.

As the next few days brought no favorable symptoms in the case of Fearless Jim, it was said by one:—

"We'll have to get a doctor out here, or Jim will go under."

"Looks as tho we could get a doctor! Why, man alive! you couldn't even go after one, unless 'twas in a balloon!"

"A slight-built fellow could manage to get over the snow on snowshoes if he knew how to rightly use 'em," said one elderly man named Andrus.

"But could he bring the doctor back on his back?" asked another.

"No. But a man that knew his business could state the case so a doctor could send something."

"To begin with, I don't suppose there are a pair of snowshoes nearer than the Indians."

"I have a splendid pair," said Andrus. "In fact, I never go into camp without them. I could go now; but I am too heavy, with the snow the way it is."

"I am not heavy," said Paul, coming forward. "And I fully understand using snowshoes. Send me, if you like."

"It's quite an undertaking," said Andrus. "It's thirty miles to the nearest town."

"There is a little cabin where a settler lives, ten miles this side of the town, I noticed," answered Paul, "Which would help, in case one became too tired."

"I see you took notice of things as we came in; your head appears to be level. I think you could go. But you'll want to take a compass, and not start in too heavy at first—you know what I mean? Save up your strength for a long pull."

Several of the men shook hands with Paul before he left on his perilous journey, and all felt their respect growing for the brave boy. Alone, upon the vast expanse of snow, Paul felt himself to be nearer to God than ever before, and almost unconsciously he repeated:—

"I know not where the islands lift Their fronded palms in air; I only know I can not drift Beyond His love and care."

He did not pause before the settler's cabin was sighted; and coming to it, he knocked at the door, and asked for food. He was kindly entertained, and invited to call upon his return. As it was getting late, Paul's host thought he had better remain over night and go into the town in the morning, do his business, and return and stay with him once more over night. To this Paul agreed, as walking on snow so poorly packed was hard work. So it was in the afternoon of the third day when Paul came into camp.

Jim had been growing weaker, and could only speak with difficulty. But he managed to say:—

"No one will dare to make fun of you in my presence, should I get well. If I do not, I thank you for your kindness to me."

"I was afeared you'd gone under," said Andrus, as he grasped Paul's hand, "and I blamed myself for having you go. However, now it's done, I'm heartily glad."

Fearless Jim did recover, and he was quite a different man. When the camp broke up, and the men were about to return home, Fearless Jim said:—

"Boys, I've got a proposal to make. I want every man of you to give Howard a dollar towards his education fund. I'll give five; not because he went after that medicine for me—I would not insult him like that, for he would not have gone for money, even if we had offered him a hundred dollars. We can afford to give him the money, because his example has shamed us until we've saved it in keeping from drink many times over. I shall always respect Christianity after this, because I've seen one person live it every day, and that is better than forty sermons to me."

Paul protested against taking the money, but when he returned home, and went to the post office; he found a check for forty dollars awaiting him.