The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1888-03-30

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HE FELL TO STUDYING.
angles that fit no geometric rule, and the
strange attributes that seem to have no
cause. but put the mystery, the enigma, with
its battling malady away from him at last
with q sigh, as we all do.
When he lifted his eyes a detached mass
of white cloud seemed to have lodged among
the four huge prongs that made the Eagle
Peaks and lay there motionless. To the
right and below it in fancy he could see the
mines and below them the yawning canyon
with a roaring stream at the bottom and a
gray road following it. Then suddenly the
cloud-mass stirred as from an under
wind and rolled out Of its mighty nest and
down the mountain like torrent of
froth. The air seemed stronger in the
gorge, and it spread out upon that and fell
down half way over the canyons mouth, not
unlike softly-unrolling fleece. Out from
under that suddenly rode train of car
riages and behind them a cavalcade, all
glistening and whitening in the morning
light as they came upon the plateau at the
canyons mouth like some gigantic stage
picture.
1t was q propitious moment for the
Prophets entrance, however unworthy
he and his mission, for the people at the
sight set up great acclaim. Elchard,
too, grew interested, and looking downward
saw the people from all quarters swarm
ing into the main street of the town;
then smart cavalca6e, with Bishop Farley
and DR.. Dubette in carriage at its front,
set out across the valley, and meeting the
incoming party escorted them in. Enoch
ARISEN, the bishops clerk, when his master
and party had departed, formed by in
struction a human lane Of msidens reaching
from one triumphal arch to the other, all
standing with barred heads and with flowers
in their hands and hair.
Presently the Prophets train rolled
slowly up the street The whole populace
of the valley seemed swarming there, and
down the lane from the house Elchard saw
Trean's father fastening, his bent form
seeming more erect than its won't, and his
face lit up with joyful anticipation; yes,
gladly Fastening to meet the man whose
greed and falsehood had broken him, had
lain his wife in lonely grave among
the mountains, and left in his child's blood
living bitterness.
As the Prophets carriage, the finest in
the Territory and drawn by four white
horses, entered the throng the people
parted and stood with uncovered heads
The concourse was weather-beaten, sun
burnt one, familiar with the soil, servility,
and paying tithes. Here was the man
among them into whose ear God whispered
the secrets Of the heavens and the earth,
they thought; who saw visions and had ce-
lestial revelations, they were taught; and
who, they knew, was the spiritual and tenn
poral dictator of the land in which they
lived. The ground fairly swayed beneath
them, so much of holiness was crossing it.
The Prophet, a phenomenal deceiver, was
a rather large man, Of strong presence,
silvery, sandy hair, white beard, and cold,
hard. urbane, austere, or passionate, &C
cording to the demands Of the moment.
About the mouth a look of irmness and de-
cision, that deepened upon occasion into
fiery cruelty and bulldog savagery. But
now his large face looked very placid as he
held it up toward the sun and rode forward
with his hands outspread as if to draw q
blessing down upon the people. When he
maidens bowed their heads. and as the
train passed through the human lane they
cast their flowers before the Prophet. and
children walking before his carriage
strewed blossoms along the ground to per-
fuEe the air and ease the turning wheels.
Upon the surface the thing was pretty
enough, but at heart it was heinous. In
the train were men whose hands had again
Bishops Lee and Rockwell and others.
Men whose souls were black with the be-
lief that murder, and theft, and crimes that
shall be nameless here, were righteous and
commondable when perpetrated upon those
outside Of the pale Of their religion" The
assumed Prophet himself, this man
the head, was low-born and I'M
educated, with a history clotted by crime
and uneven dealing. His stealings from
this poor people alone, upon whose col
lective neck his brutal foot rested. aggre-
gated millions. He took from the cnor-
nous fund pressed out Of the people by
tithing whatever amount he cared to year
by year, for the fund was entirely in his
hands, and during his life settlement was
never made, and erected residence in
every considerable town in the Territory
end put a wife in it; had farms and mills
and Government bonds. secretly bought
with church money, to blind the blind as to
his means of living; had q collection Of resi-
dences, palatial for the time. at Salt Lake >.
City, with more than q dozen wives to
grace, or rather disgrace, them, and in the
largest OF which he held court and dictated
the affairs of Utah to his own gain and
glory; had an oath-bound band of red
handed tools who in the name of the Lord
darkiy did away with his rivals and his
enemies, while year after year he rode
among this people. a sort of imperious
Saint-king, bringing the Almighty's will
concerning them direct from His mouth,
and ever secure in the fervor of their faith
and ignorance.
At length his carriage came to stand
still before Bishop Parley's house. and tax
ing the Bishops pro1ered hand he stepped
down on the ground, and, with a sudden
glow Of seeming sunshine in his face, began
squeezing the hard soiled fists of his fol-
lowers to right and left How it thrilled
them, poor dupes, to feel the grasp of his fat
white hand. the live touch Of this welded