Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-07-19

\ because grew so faint; but | would no
I faint away lest some one should see me.
t only remember that it was Mrs Colton'
g husband with another wife being "sealed" l.
> him, ns they say here. You don't know wha
: that means, Uncle Field; it is one part of ,hi
} religion of Satan, that any man may have,
! he will, three or four wives, perhaps more,
= only know that shameless man. with grow
! daughters, and the hair on his head snow
, white, has taken two, and his own wife,
, firm believer IN this-faith! looks on calm
} ly, and lives with them in peace. know
that, and my soul sickenet with disgust, bu
, did not fear; not a thought, not a dream
not shadow OF fear crossed me. | SHOULD
have despised myself forever if the idea hat
stained my soul my husband was my hush
: and-mlne-before God and mani and our
child was in heaven; how glad | was she
could never be Mormon!
81 was sorry for Mrs. Cotton, though she
did not need it, and when saw John lean.
ing over their gate, or smoking in the porch
with the old man, thought he felt so, too,
and was glad to see him more socable than
ever he was in the States. After awhile he
did not smoke, but talked with Elder Cotton,
and then would come home and expound out
of the book of Mormon to me. was very
glad to have him earnest in his religion, but
| could not be. Then he grew very thought
| ful, and had silent fit, but | touk no notice
of it, though think now he meant to have
me, but began to pine little for home, ,and
when worked in the garden, and trained
the vines about our verandah, use to wish
I be would he p me as he did Lizzy Cotton, but
| still remembered how good he was to pity
and help them.
"Oh, fool! yet had rather be fool over
again than have imagined-that am glad of
even now-I did not once suspect.
"But one day remembered every little
thing in that day even the slow ticking of
the clock, as tied up my hop-vine; and after
that went into the garden, and sat down on
little bench under tho grape trellis, and
looked at the mountains. How beautiful they
were! all purple In the shadow of sunset, and
the sky golden green above them, with
scarlet cloud floating slowly upward; hope
| shs Il never see red cloud again. Present.
ly John came and sat by me, and laid my
head on his shoulder; | was so glad to have
him there-it cured my home. sickness; once
or twice he began to say something, and stop
ped, but did not mind it wanted him to
see low line of mist creeping down can
on in the mountains, and | stood up to point
it out; SO he rose, too, and in a strange.
hurried way, began to say something about
the Mormon faith, and the duties of a believer
which | did not notice either very much-I
w Tt. II pf adj mi a.
when, like a sudden tbunder-clap at nv ear.
heard this quick, resolute sentence: 'And
SO, according TO the advice and best judgment
o! the Saints, Elizabeth Cotton will be seal
ed to me after two days, as my spiritual wife
"Then my soul fed out OF my Ups, in one
cry--I was dead--my heart turned to stone
and nothing can melt it! | did not speak,
or sigh, but sat down on the bench, and John |
talked great deal; think he rubbed nv
hands and kissed me, but did not feel it. II
went away, by-and-Sy when it was dark,into
the house and into my loom. | locked the
door and looked a: the wall till morning, then
went down and sat in a chair till night; and
drank, drank, drank, like fever. All the
time cold water, but it never reached my thirst
John came home, but he did not dare to touch
me; | was dead pse, with another spirit
in it--not his wife--she was lead and gone
to heaven on bright cloud. remember be-
ing glad of that.
"In two days more he had wife, and | was
not his any longer | staid up stairs when
he was in the house, and locked my door, till
after g. eat many days, began to feel sorry
for him. Oh! how sorry! for | knew Il
know--he will see himself some day with
my eyes, but not till die. Then .lound my
lips fall of blood one morning, and that pleas
ed me, for | knew it was q promise of the
life to come; now l should 60 to heaven
where there aren't any Mormons.
81 believe. though, people were kind to me
all the time; for remember they came and
said things to me. and one shook me little
to see If felt; and one woman cried. | was
glad of that, for couldn't cry. However.
after three months was better; worse, John
said ore day, and he brought doctor, but the
man knew as well as did-so he said moth
ing at sll, and gave me some herb tea;-tell
Aunt Martha that.
"Then | could walk out of doors, but did
not care to; only once smelt the hop-blos- !
SONS, and that could not bear, SO went out
and pulled up the hop-vine by the roots, and
laid it out, all straight in the fierce sunshine,
it died directly. In the winter John had an
other wife sealed to him.; heard somebody
say SO; he did not tell me, and if he had
could not help it. found he had taken lit
tie adobe house for those two, and anew it
was out cf tenderness for my feeling he did
so. Oh! Uncle Field! perhaps he has loved
me all this time! l know better, though,
than that! Spring came, and | was very
weak, and grew not to care about nything;
so told John he could bring those two wo-
men to this house if he wished, did not care
only nobody must ever come into my room.
He looked ashamed, and pleased too; but be
brought them, and nobody ever did come into
my room. By-nnd-by Elizabeth Cotton brought
a little baby down stairs, and its name was
CLARA. Poor child! poor little Mormon child
| hope it will die some time before it grows
up; only should not like it to come my side
of heaven, for it had blue eyes like Johns.