Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 24.djvu/421

 Diary of Rev. George Gary — IV 389 text : "Ye are the salt of the earth, but if the salt have lost his savor," &c. Perhaps it was a word in season, at least so far as he was concerned. If he should reform and be saved, "He will be as a brand plucked from the fire." Our weather is more moderate. Ther. 40. Wednesday, 27. Small drisseling rain; some of it freezes soon as it falls, so that almost everything out door is covered with sleet. We are enjoying excellent health; very good appetites and are somewhat sumptuously pro- vided for, having a plenty of good potatoes, not frozen, good bread stuffs, chickens of our own raising, and pig pork of our own fattening. While we are feasting and fattening on these good things (for which we should be thankful) we are fasting on the scarce of news, especially from the states. Oh, how long will this famine continue? Thursday, 28. Our weather continues moderate, so our snow is gradually wasting away. At prayer meeting this evening, Mr. T'Vault is with us, with the appearance of great seriousness. Friday, 29. Continues warm. Take tea at Governor Abernethy's with Mrs. Thornton; she has spent a few days with us very agreeably. Saturday, 30. Somewhat of a pleasant day. Sunday, 31. Rainy, small congregation, say twenty. [1847] Monday, February 1. Beautiful day; sun shines with considerable warmth; appearances of winter so far as snow is concerned, are gone. We have seen the snow in this place for nineteen or twenty days in succes- sion. It has not been more than three inches deep at any time in this place ; though but a short distance on the hills, it has been from one to three feet deep. From the best information I can get, hundreds of cattle have died. The most of those which came over the mountains in 1846 are dead. Tuesday, 2. Dark and rainy. Wednesday, 3. Mr. and Mrs. Thornton dine with us. The lady has been in the city a few weeks. The man