The Two Elsies Page 8

  CHAPTER VIII.

  "Next stood hypocrisy, with holy leer,Soft smiling and demurely looking down,But hid the dagger underneath the gown."

  --DRYDEN.

  While old mammy told her story to her three listeners in the veranda atIon, a train was speeding southward, bearing Edward and Zoe on theirhomeward way.

  Zoe, in charmingly becoming and elegant traveling attire, her fond younghusband by her side, ready to anticipate every wish and gratify it if inhis power, was extremely comfortable, and found great enjoyment, now inchatting gaily with him, now sitting silent by his side watching theflying panorama of forest and prairie, hill, valley, rock, river andplain.

  At length her attention was attracted to something going on within thecar.

  "Tickets!" cried the conductor, passing down the aisle, "Tickets!"

  Edward handed out his own and his wife's. They were duly punched andgiven back.

  The conductor moved on, repeating his call, "Tickets?"

  Up to this moment Zoe had scarcely noticed who occupied the seatimmediately behind herself and Edward, but now turning her head, she sawthere two young women of pleasing appearance, evidently foreigners. Bothwere looking anxiously up at the conductor who held their tickets in hishand.

  "You are on the wrong road," he was saying; "these are through-ticketsfor Utah."

  "What does he say? something is wrong?" asked the younger of the twogirls, addressing her companion in Danish.

  "I do not understand, Alma," replied the other, speaking in the sametongue. "Ah, did we but know English! I do not understand, sir; I do notknow one word you say," she repeated with a hopeless shake of the head,addressing the conductor.

  "Do you know what she says, sir?" asked the man, turning to Edward.

  "From her looks and gestures it is evident that she does not understandEnglish," replied Edward, "and I think that is what she says. Suppose youtry her with German."

  "Can't, sir; speak no language but my mother tongue. Perhaps you will dome the favor to act as interpreter?"

  "With pleasure;" and addressing the young woman, Edward asked in Germanif she spoke that language.

  She answered with an eager affirmative; and he went on to explain thatthe ticket she had offered the conductor would not pay her fare on thatroad; then asked where she wished to go.

  "To Utah, sir," she said. "Is not this the road to take us there?"

  "No, we are traveling south, and Utah lies toward the northwest; very farwest."

  "O sir, what shall we do?" she exclaimed in distress. "Will they stop thecars and let us out?"

  "Not just here; the conductor says you can get off at the next stationand wait there for a train going back to Cincinnati; it seems it musthave been there you made the mistake and left your proper route, andthere you can recover it."

  She sat silent, looking sadly bewildered and distressed.

  "I feel very sorry for you," said Zoe kindly, speaking in German; "wewould be glad to help you, and if you like to tell us your story, myhusband may be able to advise you what to do."

  "I am sure you are kind and good, dear lady, both you and the gentleman,and I will gladly tell you all," was the reply, after a moment'shesitation; and in a few rapid sentences she explained that she and Alma,her younger sister, had been left orphaned and destitute in Norway, theirnative land, and after a hard struggle of several months had fallen inwith a Mormon missionary, who gave them glowing accounts of Utah, tellingthem it was the paradise of the poor; that if they would go with him andbecome members of the Mormon Church, land would be given them, theirpoverty and hard toil would become a thing of the past, and they wouldlive in blissful enjoyment among the Latter-day Saints, where rich andpoor were treated alike--as neighbors and friends.

  She said that at first they could scarce endure the thought of leavingtheir dear, native land; but so bright was the picture drawn by theMormon, that at length they decided to go with him.

  They gathered up their few possessions, bade a tearful farewell to oldneighbors and friends, and set sail for America in company with betweentwo and three hundred other Mormon converts.

  Their expectation was to travel all the way to Salt Lake City in thecompany; but, as they neared the end of the voyage, Alma fell ill, andwhen they landed was so entirely unfit for travel that they werecompelled to remain behind for several weeks, and at an expense that sorapidly diminished their small store of money that when, at last, theyset out on their long journey across the country, they were almostliterally penniless.

  They had, however, the through-ticket to Utah--which the Mormonmissionary had made them buy before leaving them, and knowing no choice,and believing all his wily misrepresentations, they rejoiced in itspossession as the passport to an earthly paradise.

  "But we have lost our way," concluded Christine, with a look of distress,"and how are we to find it? how make sure of not again straying from theright path? Kind sir, can you, will you, give us some advice? Could I inany way earn the money to pay for our travel on this road? I know how towork, and I am strong and willing."

  Edward mused a moment, then said, "We will consider that questionpresently; but let us first have a little more talk.

  "Ah, what can be the matter?" he exclaimed in English, starting up toglance from the window; for the train had come to a sudden standstill ina bit of woods where there seemed no occasion for stopping. "What iswrong?" he asked of a man hurrying by toward the engine.

  "A wreck ahead, sir," was the reply.

  Every man in the car had risen from his seat, and was hastening to alightand view the scene of the disaster.

  "Oh, Ned, is there any danger?" asked Zoe.

  "No, dear, I think not. You won't mind if I leave you for a moment tolearn how long we are likely to be detained here?"

  "No, I won't, if you promise to be careful not to get into danger," shesaid, with some hesitation; and he hurried after the others.

  Alma and Christine, looking pale and anxious, asked Zoe what was thematter.

  She explained that there had been an accident--collision of cars--andthat the broken fragments were lying on the track, and would have to becleared away before their train could go on.

  Then Edward came back with the news that there would be a detention of anhour or more.

  Zoe uttered a slight exclamation of impatience.

  "Let us not grumble, little wife," he said, cheerily, "but be thankfulthat things are no worse. And, do you know, I trust it will prove to havebeen a good providence; inasmuch as it gives us an opportunity to make aneffort to rescue these poor dupes from the Mormon net."

  "Oh, yes," she said, her countenance brightening; "I do hope so! Let ustell them all about it, and try to persuade them not to go to Utah."

  "I shall do my best," he said; then addressing Christine again--in Germanas before--you tell me what are the teachings of Mormonism, according toyour missionary?"

  "They believe the Bible," she answered; "they preach the gospel of Christas the Bible teaches it; else how could I have listened to him? howconsented to go with him? for I know the Bible is God's word, and thatthere can be no salvation out of Christ."

  "Did he not tell you that they teach and practice polygamy?"

  "No, sir; no indeed! It surely cannot be true?"

  "I am sorry to say it is only too true," said Edward, "that the Mormonpriesthood do both teach and practice it. One of them, Orson Pratt, in asermon preached August 29, 1852, said: 'The Latter-day Saints haveembraced the doctrine of a plurality of wives as a part of theirreligious faith. It is incorporated as a part of our religion, andnecessary for our exaltation to the fullness of the Lord's glory in theeternal world.'"

  Christine looked inexpressibly shocked. "Oh, sir, are you quite sure ofit?" she cried. "Not a word of such a doctrine was spoken to us. Had itbeen we would never have set out for Utah."

  "It is a well-established fact," replied Edward; "and it is well knownalso that they conceal this doctrine from those whom they wish to catchin their net;
to them they exalt the Bible and Christ; but when the poordupes reach their promised paradise, and are unable to escape, they findthe Bible kicked into a corner, the book of Mormon substituted for it,and Joe Smith exalted above the Lord Jesus Christ."

  "Dreadful!" exclaimed Christine.

  Alma too looked greatly shocked.

  "But women may remain single if they choose?" she said, inquiringly.

  "No, indeed!" replied Edward; "Mormon theology teaches that those who arefaithful Mormons, living up to their privileges, and having a pluralityof wives will be kings in the celestial world, and their wives queens;while those who have but one wife--though they will reach heaven, if theyare faithful to the priesthood and in paying tithes--will not have aplace of honor there; and those who are not married at all will be slavesto the polygamists.

  "For this reason, among others, they desire to have many wives, and willhave them, willing or unwilling.

  "They send their missionaries abroad to recruit the Mormon ranks andsupply wives for those who want them.

  "The missionaries procure photographs of the single women whom they havepersuaded to embrace Mormonism, and these are sent on in advance of theparties of emigrants. The Mormon men who want wives are then invited tolook at the photographs and select for themselves.

  "They do so, and when the train comes in, bringing the originals of thepictures, they are there to meet it; each man seizes the girl he haschosen by photograph, and drags her away, often shrieking for help, whichno one gives. I have this on the testimony of an eyewitness, a ministerof the Presbyterian Church, who has lived for years in Utah."

  Alma grasped her sister's arm, her cheek paling, her eyes wild withaffright.

  "Oh, Christine! you know he has our likenesses; you know we gave them tohim, suspecting no harm. Oh, what shall we do?"

  "Be calm, sister; God has preserved us from that dreadful fate," saidChristine, with quivering lips. "I know not what is to become of us,penniless in a strange land, but we will never go there; no not if westarve to death."

  "You need not do that," exclaimed Zoe; "no one who is willing to workneed starve in this good land; and my husband and I will befriend you,and find you employment."

  "Oh, thanks, dear lady!" cried the sisters in a breath; "it is all weask; we are able and willing to work."

  "What can you do?" asked Edward; "what were you expecting to do in Utah?"

  "We were to have some land," said Christine; that was the promise, and wethought to raise vegetables and fruits; fowls, too, and perhaps bees; butwe can cook, wash the clothes, keep the house clean, spin, and weave, andsew."

  "Oh," said Zoe, "if you know how to do all those things well, there willbe no trouble in finding employment for you."

  "But where, dear lady?" Christine asked with hesitation. "We have nomoney to pay our way to travel far; we must find the work near at hand,or not at all."

  Zoe gave her husband a look, half inquiring half entreating; but heseemed lost in thought, and did not see it.

  He was anxious to help these poor strangers, yet without wounding thepride of independence, which he perceived and respected. Presently hespoke.

  "My wife and I live at some distance from here; we are not acquainted inthis vicinity, but know there is plenty of such work as you want in ourown. If you like, I will advance your travelling expenses, and engage tofind employment for you; and you can repay the advance when it suitsyou."

  The generous offer was accepted with deep gratitude.

  The detention of their train lasted some time longer, and presently thetalk about Mormonism was renewed.

  It was Alma who began it, by asking if a Mormon's first wife was alwayswilling that he should take a second.

  "Oh, no, no!" Zoe exclaimed; "how could she be?"

  "No," said Edward; "but she is considered very wicked if she refuses herconsent, or even ventures upon a remonstrance.

  "One day a Mormon and his family, consisting of one wife and severalchildren, were seated about their table taking a meal, when the husbandremarked that he thought of taking a second wife.

  "His lawful wife--the mother of his children sitting there--objected.Upon that he rose from his seat, went to her, and, holding her head,deliberately cut her throat from ear to ear."

  "And was executed for it?" asked Christine, while she shuddered withhorror."

  "No," said Edward; "he was promoted by the Mormon priesthood to a higherplace in the church, as one who had done a praiseworthy deed."

  "Murder a praiseworthy deed!" they cried in astonishment and indignation."How could that be?"

  "They have a doctrine that they call 'blood-atonement,'" replied Edward."Daring to teach, contrary to the express declarations of Scripture, thatthe blood of Christ is insufficient to atone for all sin, they assertthat for some sins the blood of the sinner himself must be shed or hewill never attain to eternal life, and that therefore it is a worthy deedto slay him.

  "That terrible, wicked doctrine has been made the excuse for manyassassinations, and was the ground for not only excusing the horriblecrime of which I have just told you, but for also rewarding the wretchedcriminal.

  "Polygamy is bad enough--especially as instances are not wanting of a manbeing married at the same time to a mother and her daughters, or severalsisters, and in at least one instance to mother, daughter, andgranddaughter; and Mormon theology teaches, too, that a man may lawfullymarry his own sister. Yet it is not the worst of their crimes; we have itupon the testimony of credible witnesses--Christian citizens of Salt LakeCity--that their temples and tithing-houses are 'built up by extortionand cemented with the blood of men, women, and children whose onlyoffence was that they were not in sympathy with the unrighteous decreesof this usurping priesthood.' And 'that all manner of social abominationsand domestic horrors, and mutilations, and blood-atonings, andassassinations and massacres have been perpetrated in the name and by theauthority of the Mormon priesthood.'"

  "Oh, sir, how very dreadful!" exclaimed Christine. "Are they not afraidof the judgments of God against such fearfully wicked deeds?"

  "It seems not," said Edward. "The Bible speaks of some whose consciencesare seared as with a hot iron."

  "But why is such terrible wickedness and oppression allowed by yourgovernment?"

  "There you have asked a question that many of our own people are asking,and which is difficult to answer without bringing a heavy charge againstour law-makers at Washington; a charge of gross neglect, whether inducedby bribery or not I do not pretend to decide."

  "But it makes us blush for the honor of the land we love!" cried Zoe,with heightened color and flashing eyes.