Year: 1863




seems to think the result of their labors
worth interfering with. Nearly all their
great gatherings are held at night, and it
rarely happens that even the local police
hear of them till they are oyer. Their
baptsms are always conducted by the
light of the moon, or by torchlight when
the night is dark. Upon a spot on the
banks of the river Elbow, between Crum-
lin and Newbridge, many wild gather
ing of this kind has taken place, the men
and women dressing aud undressing by
the banks, as we once saw party of
Mormons doing in Derbyshire. Up IN
the hills, where the success of the preach
ers is greater than 10 the towns, the meet
ings are held so secretly that it is almost
impossible for stranger TO gain admit
tance. 1t is at these private gatherings
that the temptations are held out which
induce young women TO iorsake their
homes and kindred for life which they
would revol; at here. II is at these also
that miracles are occasionally performed.
We heard Of several of these miracles,
but could not succeed in seeing one, al
though there is man in Monmouthshire
who declares that he is ready to move
one of the largest mountains in the coun-
try, called Twm Barlwm, down miles
away to the moors and that he not
merely could, but would do it, only that
he does not like to injure Lord Tredegar,
whose property it partly is. The reluc-
tance of this man to remove bis neigh
boris landmark is much appreciated in
the district An actual miracle was per-
formed by another elder little time ago.
A certain man who had hump upon bis
back was introduced to Mormon meet
ing. The elders present announced that
they had taken pity on their brothers de-
formity, and, as a reward of his fidelity
to the faith, they had made up their
minds TO remove the hump. Even when
achieved by a miracle such an operation
must necessarily cause mess, and they
consequently took the man behind cur
tain to save the feelings of tue congrega-
ton. Their prayers were long and bois-
ferrous, and the audience soon began to
see the effect of them; for the curtain
scarcely reached down to the heels of the
party, and the people in front distinctly
saw stream run down the legs of the
hunchback. But if the operation was
miracle, the hump itself was no less mar
vellous, for the stream that ran down was
not Of blood, but Of sawdust, and hump
of sawdust is not usual even in these
"last days" Presently the man came
forth, straight and smiling, and a solemn
thanksgiving was held for his deliverence.
On onother occasion-this occurred in
Cardiff-a husband urged his wife, who
was not a Mormon, to go to meeting,
and promised her that she should see
there "the angels of the Lord" She
went, and during the service the lights
were turned out, and she saw figures in
white moving about. Close by her feet
she dsceraed strange small figures mo-
wing slowly, and rusting as they moved.
She was probably expected to faint here,
but she seized one of the figures at her
feet instead, and put it in her pocket
When she got home she found that it con-
sisted of few frogs in a white paper
bag. The elder declared that these were
miracles, and their dupes believed them.
A lady in Newport had an excellent SER
want, who became Mormon. She was
a good girl, and her mistress took good
deal of trouble to convince her of her
folly, and to explain to her what life in
Utah actually is. These efforts seemed
but TO confirm the girl in her intention,
and her mother prolessed her joy at her
daughters firmness, and hoped that she
would become one of the wives of Brig
ham Young, as she was pretty girl."-
London Spectator.