St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1885-12-31

the first. appreciate 1T.
"YOu've got to go" he growled, in
the same ierky tone in which he had
said "Put her out Put her out ~
"Oh, no,n said 'T've come to stay.
1t is all the more necessary for me to
stay if am the only one, but l assure
you, Bishop Evans, there are plenty
more who will come after me-"
He looked as if he were going to
strike me. have no doubt but that
he would have done so if he had dared.
But ones life is safe enough in Utah.
The killing days have gone by, and
the MormOns know it. They are afraid
of our government interfering when
they shed blood. The Bishop simply
glared with a ferOciOus look and
clinched hands, then strobe out of the
house, giving the door terrific bang
behind him. Mrs. Evans was nearly
frightened out of her wits.
"There's train from Lehigh at IL
O'clock" she began, when l interrupt
ed her. ~ didn't come to Lehigh at S
o'clock Friday afternoon" said, "tO
leave it on Saturday morning. | have
come to stay, my dear madam, as L
told your husband"
That day / attempted to find a
boarding place, the attempt consisting
in walking from house to house,
knocking at the door and asking for a
room of some sort, not being particu
lar as to size, location or furnishing.
The doors were invariably slammed in
my face, though in many cases the
slamming process was preceded by the
question, which after while became
ludicrous enough to me, "Be you a
Presby terian 2" That | was GENTLE
seemed somehow obvious enough.
Not getting a clearinghouse,
bought house-a poor little affair of
four rooms-and, though Saturday af-
ternoon was not very favorable time
for setting up housekeeping, | man
aged to get my trunks, boxes and some
provisions into it, finding that hurried
and unsatisfactory operation preferable
to returning to the Bishops house for
the night, even if he had not carried
into execution his threat to "put her
out"
Sunday morning brought divers of
his ''families" to visit me in my new
Matilda, Jane, LOreny and
Martha Ann all had their representa-
tives under my roof.
"Can you sing us tune out of your
own head 2" one of the girls asked.
l sang a few lines for her, then said :
"WOuldn't you like to get lot of
your young friends in Lehigh to come
and have a good sing this afternoon
/ have plenty of books in a big box,
and T'll teach you"
"All the young folks in Lehigh ?"
ayes; just as many as you can get"
ooh, my They'll all come !"
| never mentioned the words Sun
day-schOOl, but that is the way | be-
gan one, tlfe first in all the thirty -four
years in Lehigh.
My day-schOol grew slowly and
through bitter opposition. | had fur
nished two of the rooms with the APP
pliances sent from the East, and enough
wonder and curiosity was excited by
them to keep some of the children in
daily attendance.
But their greatest wonder was about
my religion. They became convinced
at last that l was not Presby terian,
but what was remained a mystery.
One day girl said to me in an insinu-
ating manner: "Teacher, yOu amt
Presbyterian or a MethOdy, and can't
think what you be. Don't folks have
any w you
answered "Oh, yes, IA very beau
tiful religion. | was writing some of
it this morning on the blackboard" as
indeed | had done, and | turned the
board that she might read these words
from Ephesians:
'ELet all bitterness and wrath and
anger and clamOr and evil speaking be
put away from you, with all malice.
And be We kind one to another; even
as God, for Christ's sake, has forgiven
YOU"
God was not an unknown word to
the Mormon children, for they are
taught that every Bishop becomes a
god in reward for faithful service, and
| was not surprised at the girls next
than Brigham Youngq" They seemed
profoundly impressed when | read to
them that God made the mountains.
brigham Young couldn't do that"
was one of the comments. "Did your
God make the mountains round here,
teacher? | shouldn't think He could
make them if he lives way off in the
States" One of the boys brought me
several packages of books from the
post office, and cOnfidentially informed
some of his playmates that God was
real good friend of teachers, and He
lives i'm the States, and made all the
mountains in the whole world, and
sent her books through the post office"
Though all the Mormon fathers and
mothers were opposed to the school,
and forbade the children attending,
many of them came regularly, to my
surprise. Upon questioning one of
the girls, who every day brought her
little sister with her, as to how she
dared to do so, she answered '"Father
hasn't hurt me yet, and [ know he
won't meddle with little Rachel till he's
whipped me-and I'd rather have a
beating than stay home from school,"
Bishop Evans threatened to disinherit
one of his grandchildren if she persist
ed in going to the Gentle school. The
message reached her in the street. She
stood still for moment, looking
thoughtful, then with a sudden toss of
the head she said "YOu tell grandpa
that he isn't very rich, and there's l55
besides me, and I'd
rather have an education than my
share of the property"
One night the people turned out and
stoned my house, had often wonder
ed why they did not burn it down over
my head. l certainly thought that
they would demOlish it, but | lay per-
fectly still until after while [ could
hear their speculations as to whether |
was inside, and if so, how could sleep
such cOmmotion. The next
day one of my scholars said to me
"Didn't the stones wake you up, teach
er 2"
"Oh, yes" L answered 'Ithey made
a good deal of nOisen
She gazed at me in astonishment.