St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1882-06-02

to the heart With a mighty effort
he controlled face and voice, and an
swered her calmly. She must not sus-
pect anything yet. Let her have an
other happy hOur-the last she would
ever know on earth. The minutes of
reprieve which the wretched man had
allowed himself flew rapidly. Supper
was placed on the table, and he went
through the form of eating and drink
ing. Then baby was rocked to sleep
and tucked in his downy nest for the
night. His wife came and seated her
self on his knee, asking again if he
was i'll. For Il minute he strained her
to his heart, covering her face with
passionate kisses; then putting her
away from him and pointing to chair
he said, in IA strange, hoarse voice:
''Sit down, Jessie. | have some
thing to tell you"
She obeyed, with an amazed look on
her sweet face, and yet as plainly un-
conscious of the blow that awaited her
as the lamb of the uplifted knife.
Twice her husband essayed to speak,
but his voice failed him. AT last. sum
mOning all his strength he began:
"Jessie, President Young sent for
me to-day to tell me that he had al
ready borne too long with my disobe-
dience to counsel, and that | must now
take another wife or be cut off from
the church, and-he has given me one
week in which to decide"
Jessie's cheek blanched, and for II
moment she could not reply but COM
h.,s.1f hA n
bravely:
''If we are cut off from the church
they cannot harm us. We can go to
Camp Douglas, as others have done,
and we will be safe there though, of
course" glancing around the pleasant
room, ''we shall lose the house, and
suppose the store too; but we shall be
free, and we shall have each other and
our child"
As she finished speaking her eyes
kindled, and the color came back to
her face. How sweet liberty would be
after all these years of bondage Her
husband perceived her thought. He
saw, too, that she had not even glanc-
ed at the alternative. How should he
20 on? What could he say to make
heT share his own dread of bringing
down the vengeance of heaven upon
them all by continued disobedience to
Il divine law
''JeSsie, you do not understand me, y
he said desperately. IL am not afraid
of them that can only kill the body,
but | fear Him who is able to destroy
both soul and body in hell
''Philip, you do not mean-.yOu can
L.,& I. Il
the unhappy wife, upon whom pos
sibility which she had never before
contemplated dawned at last, could
only clasp her hands in mute appeal.
81 mean that fear we may be fight
ing against God. President Young
says our children have been taken be
cause we have been disobedient, and
if we continue to rebel our baby will
he laid beside the other before another
month"
"And you believe that ?"
"GOd speaks to lis by the voice OF
his prophet. | must believe. If
doubt one word | must give up all.n
''Give up all then. Oh, Philip, thi,
religion is false-as false as it is cruel
1t yields nothing but discord and mis-
cry, and wickedness. Look at tn,
families where they say they have
obeyed the law of God The wife, i
she is not changed into Il fury, is dy
ing of Il broken heart the other WON
en- pass their lives i'll the midst o
strife and jealousy that kill all the goOC
i'll them. And then the children
had far rather bury my baby to-mor
row than have him grow up like them.
''Jessie, wife, hear me. If God com
mands thing, we must not question
his wisdom. We must look beyon,
the present for results. He knows tina
it will cost me more than life to obey
him in this thing, and he would not re
quire such a sacrifice of me if no gOOC
could come of it."
"Philipr She rose to her feet anC
stood before him. "Answer me plain
ly, and at once. Do you believe tina
God requires you to take anOthe
wife ?"
"Jessie, have little pity on me
That is the question | am trying to de
eide. | have been trying all day.
dared not come home. | could no
face You; and | feel now as though
were going mad"
The stern look faded from her face
and the fire in her eyes softened. Sh
was again the tender, loyal wife.
"FOrgive me, love-" she said, layin
: her hand on his bowed head. Il di
not mean to make the trial harder fo
you"
1t is needless to dwell upon tn
struggle, which did not nd with tn
night, but lasted throughout the week
The result was what might have bee
fOreseen. Fanaticism triumphed owe
nature, love-Over everything that ha
hitherto saved their home from pro
fanation, and when the time arrive
for making his decision known to tn
prophet, Philip said, 81 will obey"
. Jessie did what hundreds of wive
in Utah have done submitted to tn
inevitable-and after the first day sal
. nothing to influence her husbands de
cision. She had lived too long in tn
midst of such scenes not to know wh5
the end would be, and she read he
death warrant in Philips face before
= single word was spoken to reveal til
/ choice he had made.
GleaningS.