The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1907-03-03

Thank you, dears, for your pretty
Christmas gift. The ring is very beau
tlful. have grown so thin Of late my
hands are bundle Of bones, so | have
tied q string to the ring and wear IL
around my neck, since il will not fit
the finger it was intended for. l am
so glad you and Mary were pleased with
the presents | sent you. Thank Mary
for sweet childish letter. At some of
iier quaint savings j laughed outright
and Lucy (William s wife) came rum
ming in from the kitchen TO see what
was the matter. / guess 1t startled
her, for she told me she had never
heard me laugh before. You see what
a sober old fellow I have become to
be sure.
Christmas day was the last time |
left my room. We had very pleasant
time and an excellent dinner for those
who could enjoy it. Ny appetite is so
poor that ] fear I paid Lucy poor
return for all her trouble. What made
the day so pleasant for me was after
the dinner was over and we had ad-
lourned to the parlor, Lucy sat down
at your dear old piano. and taking up
some of your music began to sing and
play. She has an excellent voice and
forgot the present trials and sorrows
in the dear memories OF the past.
Emma is still in Brooklyn. Poor,
Emma tells me- 1t is only question
of u few weeks more and all her troubles
will be over What makes her case so
hopeless is that she has lost the desire
to live. She has no interest IN life and
only longs for its close. | tell Emma
that she must not think Of leaving her
mother at this time, and so [ am left
alone with William and Lucy. l have
already told you how kind they are to
me.
The first of the present month the
stake president / wrote you Of, the one
/ believe is the cause of the most of my
trouble, tried TO force his way into my
sickroom, He told William ho had bust
ness of the utmost Importance to go
when he was refused admittance, and
stormed around at a great rate. He
failed of his purpose, however, as Will
liam was firm in telling him that he
was acting for me in all things, and
that the doctor had counseled the ut
most quiet and rest in my case. I can
not tell what they intend doing, I can
only wait and see,
Oh! it is terrible. terrible to be cooped
up by sickness Just when everything /
have in the world is at stake. William
says there is q way out of 1t all, but ]
cannot be sure. His way implies an
appeal to the Mexican courts TO set
aside the stock transfers. He might
WIN there, but he cannot save them
acting as they please with me. He does
not sense the power they hold over me-,
He smiles as he writes this last, but
he is a Gentle and cannot know. He
will be careful, however, and though /
live in constant dread of blow about
to fall ! perforce must leave, and will
lingly do leave everything TO him.
There is so little of interest to write
you from a sickroom. I feel at times
that ] am q criminal weakling, and that
all the world must despise me for it.
! should throw off this feeling of men
tai and physical depression and once
more become man of action, If have
sinned, / am paying the penalty in
heaped up measure. When the warm
weather comes again / feel sure I will
come out of it all, Then, dear ones, I
Will act. If the worst is to come, will
face it as a man. One thing is GER
tain, the innocent shall not suffer as
self into the breach. A sacrifice upon
my part VIII not deter me. With my
very life I will protect you.
Oh, Alice, could | see You and our
dear Mary once more, / believe it would
give me strength. I know it is weak
ness in me, and that / have possibly for
feited the right to even hope for it,
yet the longing, of the heart cannot be
stilled, and / should be untrue to my
self should ] attempt it. I have longed
for your presence more since I have
been confined to the house. You seem
to haunt the place as never before.
Every object is eloquent of You and I
think Of you all day long, When this
terrible winter weather is over and /
come out of my chrysalis as butterfly,
| can better still my longiugs by work,
ing for you. Write me soon, as the
time drags heavily on the hands of Your
loving ORSON.