Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-21
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necessary for us all to endure. so. az
soon as we could politely do ii. we left
| Hirinl to receive that attention while
| we broke ranks and fell upon the necks
OF the twenty eight Utah Elders as
sHripleu, You see our company swelled
the number to thirty-six, and 1 lust
| can assure YOU we did have a good
| time.
our arrival rather broke into the con-
uuct OF conference, and the afternoon
was given up to welcome speeches. reg
| ular meetings being resumed again at
p. m. followed by three meetings each
day, Tuesday and Wednesday,. And on
Thursday the chief of the village, an
outsider, invited US to remain for a
| holiday and feast ut his exuense. We
could Of course not do less than accept,
after MS kind treatment of us in as
slstlng TO entertain our conference, we
being on tho ground. Some of the BOYS
got up match game of baseball, and
When Elder Richards and / walked out
little later, they insisted upon my
acting as umpire. Well, so long as il
was non-running position l accepted,
and mad the thanks Of the winning
side.
The big dinner occurred at $3.50 p. m.
and I can just tell you 1t was II spread.
About two hundred sat down to tables
loaded with good things. Roast beef,
pork and mutton; FISH fowl and pota-
toes first course. Then plum pudding
and pastry galore.
Elder richards. Hirini and yours
truly occupied the place of honor ut a
tabie with the chief and q friend. The
decorations were the whole tops Of
tree ferns, and large bpquets. And the
guests did full justice to the viands
prepared.
After supper and evening prayer, the
tables We're cleared out ana a dance in
dulgcd In by the Maoifs. In this we
did not participate. as the mission
EtuttItpg mi ha .f H..
tinacy with the opposite sex. We
could only sit and look or. Tho music
was furnished by the Maori band, and
was really good.
Some Of our Elders varied the amuse-
meht with sort OF an orchestral pro-
gram, there being n violin, mandolin,
clartonet. two harmonious and a plano.
Elder Richards and loft early, going
% the room above which was the Ell
ders' quarters, attending to other and
more important matters About 1890,
Just as Brother Richards was getting
INTO bed, the call for after the bail"
supper was made and I not yet hav-
ing undressnd was deputized to repres-
ent the president Thus 1t was past 9
q. m. when I retired and some of us
did not turn In til or q, and we were
out again at $3.50, getting horses up and
ready for those who came that way,
and the dispensing commenced. Many
of the Maoris took the early trains and
the place soon began to look lonesome.
But we have had a glorious good time;
have had excellent meetings. and I
can say for myself I enjoyed II i'm
mensely But we were very busy Be-
tween meetings and at night planning.
arranging appointments, answering
questions. lnstructlng the Elders etc. so
that we never got sleep till 1870 and
out at $3.50 or six in the morning Also
/ had little sleep the two nights before
reaching there. and when we left on
FRIDAY. holding n u1ppfiVpr
cans in Carterton It was just a struggle
To Keep awake. But Saturday nlght
and last night we had chance to
eaten up. and are now ready for work
again.
It was really more Of pleasure even
than | had anticipated to meet old
oid Maori friends again. To remember
ana be remembered 80 kindly was very
nice.
/ have not yet seen any of my old
Walapu district people. as they did not
get down to conference 1t Is n long
way for them. But l am glad to say
that our next April conference will he
held up there. Also / expect to take
IN the district on my way to Auckland
spending most Of the month of May
IA ih1t ana adjoining district. reaching
IN June, with conferences APP
pointed from that on to September and
October. So you see l shall be busy.
we are now on cur way IN the Mahin
making final trip for Elder Richards.
The Mahia Is Hirinis Old home. and
we desired to make 1t convenient TO
lake him UP there carly. We expect
TO go on tomorrow to Napier etc.
~ an probability Elder Richards
with w. C. Caatleton, clerk Of the mis-
ion and three other Elders. win leave
on April 2Sth by the same
ooat. on which we came out. They will
each home about May e5th.
EZRA T. STEVENSON.