Page:Portland, Oregon, its History and Builders volume 2.djvu/230

224 of the moment, he would call her name, only to be reminded that she was far away, beyond the sound of human speech.

It is said that troubles never come singly; in the fall of that year the loghouse, its cellars and storerooms fairly bursting with provisions, was burned to the ground. A frost-proof apple house and a born soon followed and a few years later a large new barn stuffed with hay, the lower story containing hundreds of bushels of fruits and potatoes, was consumed by the flames. This happened at Christmas time. A heavy snow lay on the ground and the winter's stores were in ashes. One approached him pityingly, expressing regret at his hard lot. He responded with a laugh of almost boyish freedom: "This is a very small matter; my treasure is laid up in heaven. What if one of the children had been burned!" He might have said with Paul: "None of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry, which I have received of the Lord Jesus." Once, in the early morning, while on his way to market with a heavy load of farm produce and while descending a hill near home, his youngest son, still a mere boy, walking beside the yoke of cattle, at a narrow point in the road slipped and fell in such a way as to be caught by the near front wheel. The wet condition of the road caused the body to skid for several feet before the oxen could be brought to a halt and thus a tragic termination of the lad's life was averted by a rare chance; or shall we call it Providence? The boy was only slightly hurt, but his coat bearing the muddy wheel marks was hung away in a closet to be worn no more, only to be taken out at times and contemplated with feelings of deep emotion, as if it were something sacred.

Clinton Kelly reared a family who have been a credit to his name, several of them becoming valued citizens of this part of the country. His oldest son, Plympton Kelly, was a prosperous farmer of Kellys Butte, Oregon, but is now deceased. Hampton Kelly, a great Bible student and church worker, died in Wasco county, Oregon, in 1899. Archon, for many years an itinerant preacher in Oregon died in Portland in 1890. Mar- Jane became the wife of James Akin, of Benton county, Oregon, and is now deceased. John Crain died in infancy. Sarah Margaret married J. W. Kern, of Portland, and both are now deceased. Penumbra Kelly is also living in Portland. He was sheriff of this district for a number of years and also by appointment of President Arthur was United States marshal of this district for several years, while for four terms he represented Multnomah county in the state legislature. Laura F. is the wife of E. Turner, of Stockton, California. Maria Emily is the widow of Rev. John Shaver, of Portland. Fredrika B. is the wife of Rev. Martin Judy, of the southern California confemce. Dr. Richmond Kelly is a resident of Portland. Raymond, the youngest, died in infancy. The descendants of the Rev. Clinton Kelly to the third and fourth generation live in and about Portland. They constitute, with the descendants of his three brothers mentioned above, his cousins the Fawcetts and other more distant relatives, the "Kelly Clan," which holds its annual reunion at Portland the last Saturday in June.

As the years went by Clinton Kelly's nature, always sympathetic, softened to a motherly tenderness. The cry of a child, the plaint of a hurt animal never went unheeded. No poor human waif was ever turned from his door; to such he tried to restore self-respect by giving him a chance to earn an honest living. In this way he gave home and employment to manv luckless stragglers, saying to himself: "But for the grace of God I might be as they are." Nor did he turn away any who came asking help for a worthy object. He began his religious life by building a house of worship; such was his love for the house of God that he delighted to lend a hand in all such enterprises. The first church erected in Portland owed much to his assistance and there he worshiped with his family until the coming of the log schoolhouse on the very top of Mount Tabor.