The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-09

had fallen upon the family. She
was a fascinating women, with much
personal magnetism, and she swayed
{ those about her at her will Her
I two daughters, young and accomplish
Il ed, cast in their lot with their mother.
at would have been just the same,
madam, 7 said their goyernessSt the. lady.
4 chad itsbeen paganism instead of Mormon
j ism. They would have followed you. /
! Her husband would5notl give up his relig-
II ion. To the habits ola life time, ibis bust:
4 ness, his home, his park, all his affiliations
I he would bid adieufor his wifels sake, but
slhe would not become Mormon. She ac-
4 eepted the sacrifice. One lovely moon
hight night, whenatlle old English home
Twas silvered in the soft radiance, a car.
riage rolled away from the park gate, and
those whom it bore said goodbye to their
native land They took passage on a
sailing vessel for America. With them
they brought, piano. pictures all the APP,
/ pliances of aluxurioris home. With these
appurtenances they joined the Mormons on
the Missouri river, who were budding to-
gether like frightened sheep, after themur-
der of their leaders. Many belongings were
injured many must be left behind. Here
one Of the daughters married Mormon
elder twice her age. She was bright
young English girl-thissw Georgianna
many time / have glanced over the
lines Of her delicate chirography, and
turned over the water-color sketches of
English scenes in her portfolio. She died
from exposure and starvation while cross
ing the plains. Three months after her
death, the mother saw her last daughter
married to the same apostle. Her life since
has been toilsome, weary one, and she
seems an elderly women already-fnding
imagine, but little congeniality in the
other wives of her husband.
The father never joined the Mormon
church. He lived and died in Salt Lake, a
mute protest to the last against the relig-
ion which brought him there. After his
death, the property was lost in some way
and this stately Englishwoman was re-
duced to poverty in so far as a woman so
rich in herself can be poor. Sitting with
| her one day, in the single little room,
which is now her home-ftted up with the
barest necessaries- with pathetic re-
minders here and there of former days
Ia drawing Of the English church on the
wall, a cut-glass deeanter, and rare old
teapot cleaning oddly among culinary
utensils, )-sitting here | said You have
gained nothing and lost aldo you not
think you took heavy responsibility upon
yourself in coming to Zion ?"
L have wept," she said, bending her
noble gray head, while her glorious dark
eyes flashed with the fire of youth-''tears
of blood in witnessing what | and mine
have been called to suffer-but I haze
,1erer repented Of 1t 7"
Who can understand this Z?
The Mormons as a people are sober, in
dustrious and thrifty. Salt Lake at night
is quiet as New England village. They
are kind to the relatively poor-(of the alb
solutely poor there seem to be none).
They are most hospitable to strangers as
we have reason to testify. They are. dan
gerous-as are all fanatics, because their
church is their conscience. 1t is vast
system of espionage-the numerous Of |
| ficials are links in a chain which reaches |
! from the head Of the church to each dwell |
| ing in every ward. The ward bishop and |
his councillors are cognizant of the most
minute domestic details in every house. |
! All difficulties are tried and punished by
church councils" The Mormons are
trying to live out the book of Leviticus in
the nineteenth century. If they could, |
were not the menacing guns confronting
them from Camp Douglas, they would
punish adultery, disrespect to parents, &c.
as did the ancient Jews, with death.
They are most exact and accomplished
i Bible students, and oh how they love to
bring out the patriarchS, Jacob and Abra-
ham aud David, as shining examples OF
plural marriage together with their
clinching argument that Christ himself
was born of polygamous lineage. For
! their meeting and church ordinances they
evince hearty support which Protestants
would do we'll to initiate. Their prayer
meetings and Sunday School anniversaries
are crowded, and all their recreations are
connected with their church. 1t is the
privilege of the latter to send whom it
will. at all times, on mission" The
man thus summoned, leaves his plough In
the furrow, or his customer in the store.
and 0oes as did the seventy without
scrip or purse, dependent on the charity
of the world at large, as he breaches. To
many these are the only pleasure trips, ..and
greatly do they enjoy the change and
travel In their own territories, divided
into stakes of Zion, they also travel on
Emissions, , and the women, who are very
active in all sorts of church societies and
organizations, often engage in travelling
mission work. In missionary work
abroad, the doctrine Of plural marriage is
never broached. NJ. V. d.