San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1884-03-13

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II subsequently appeared, however,
that she had not told quite all the
truth. There really had been serious
trouble between her father and the
Mormons nearly year before. And
this was the nature Of IL. The Nor
mons had grown up in the settlement
where the girls people lived, and
were all mixed up among the neigh
bors. It was not easy to say who
was Mormon and who was not.
Converts were new and numerous.
A man might be "Gentile' to-day
and a Mormon tomorrow.
One of the busy women-one Of
the meddlesome and mischievous
kind found in all camps--who knew
this poor girls history better perhaps
than she suspected, told the secret
of her marriage to one of the new
Mormon elders. It was o forbidden
marriage too--a marriage on the dis
covery of which her father had be-
come very furious, and loud with
threats to all Mormons. It was true,
this busy and meddlesome woman
said, as she gadded about, as such
busy women will when idle in camp,
that the Mormon elder to whom she
was ''sealed" had never quite got pos
session of her; that her father even
did not know his daughters pretend
ed husband, had never seen him in
fact. But for all that the girl had
been married or 'sealed" to Nor
mon elder; and trouble was going to
come of it. That was why her faith
er was taking her out of the country
and away to California, Missed this
garrulous and medlesome woman
that was why she looked SO sad and
seemed so frightened all the time,
continued the gadding and garrulous
woman, mysteriously.
Now all in the world that my faith
er did on hearing the story of this
beautiful and terrified girl, was to 60
to her people, who were camped close
by our tent, and advise, even protest,
that they should take some other
route to the remote West, than this
one that lay by Salt Lake. Surely,
this was not much. Yet it was
enough to put our little Sunday train
in perpetual terror Of judgment"
from the Danites as we pushed on
across the plains. We did not see
this Miss Lane, the Mormon elders
"wife," again for months. Her faith
er either did not see fit to be advised,
or, which is more likely, found it i'm
possible then to turn aside and seek
another route, and SO crossed the
Missouri, as if it were sort of Rubi-
con, and pushed on ahead. As he
had horses and we only oxen, and
and then, too, as he travelled on Sun
days, his party had soon left our lit
Sunday train long way behind.
And oh! what motley mass Of
weary people went stretching away,
helpless, dazed, dying, across the
sands toward the setting sun {! There
we're some men with but q single
horse to carry their food and blankets.
Some men were on foot and alone.
There was q man and his wife with
/ single OK between the shafts of o
art. Many men had little. .hand-carts
which they pushed or drew along,
;ad and and silent, as some one Of
heir number fell dead by the way.
some men had wheel-barrows. Every
lay we passed dead cattle, deserted
wagons, carriages, by the roadside. a
Every night by some little stream we
amped amid new-made graves. !
But there was one conveyance, and I
me traveller, too, in all this mass Of I
moving, struggling, dying humanity, 1
hat was indescribable. This vehicle 6
vas not a carriage, not a hand-cart q
lot barrow. 1t was q long, mar. t
ow, slim, black coffin set on two '
wheels and pushed always by a tall, 4
aunt, and silent giant And il there I
Tas anything moro terrible 10 us I
hildren than the mention Of the G
)anites, it was the sight OF that cof- q
n on wheels, and the great bony I
ace and hollow eyes Of them who, a
lent and suIlen, pushed it along. !
Iy and by, and by what means OF /
radual steps know not, we began 10 4
ssociate him with that dreaded order d
Iaybe II was because the Mormons. c
ad made their great journey by the Q
droit use Of barrOws Of all kinds; C
laybe il was because be looked in '
is stern and severe silence As We
bOught q Dante should look, ttkt Q
re came TO suspect him Of being . '