"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 at
Ion, a train was speeding southward, bearing Edward and Zoe on their
homeward way.
Zoe, in charmingly becoming and elegant traveling attire, her fond young
husband by her side, ready to anticipate every wish and gratify it if in
his power, was extremely comfortable, and found great enjoyment, now in
chatting gaily with him, now sitting silent by his side watching the
flying panorama of forest and prairie, hill, valley, rock, river and
plain.
At length her attention was attracted to something going on within the
car.
"Tickets!" cried the conductor, passing down the aisle, "Tickets!"
Edward handed out his own and his wife's. They were duly punched and
given back.
The conductor moved on, repeating his call, "Tickets?"
Up to this moment Zoe had scarcely noticed who occupied the seat
immediately behind herself and Edward, but now turning her head, she saw
there two young women of pleasing appearance, evidently foreigners. Both
were looking anxiously up at the conductor who held their tickets in his
hand.
"You are on the wrong road," he was saying; "these are through-tickets
for Utah."
"What does he say? something is wrong?" asked the younger of the two
girls, addressing her companion in Danish.
"I do not understand, Alma," replied the other, speaking in the same
tongue. "Ah, did we but know English! I do not understand, sir; I do not
know 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 understand
English," replied Edward, "and I think that is what she says. Suppose you
try her with German."
"Can't, sir; speak no language but my mother tongue. Perhaps you will do
me the favor to act as interpreter?"
"With pleasure;" and addressing the young woman, Edward asked in German
if she spoke that language.
She answered with an eager affirmative; and he went on to explain that
the ticket she had offered the conductor would not pay her fare on that
road; 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 far
west."
"O sir, what shall we do?" she exclaimed in distress. "Will they stop the
cars and let us out?"
"Not just here; the conductor says you can get off at the next station
and wait there for a train going back to Cincinnati; it seems it must
have been there you made the mistake and left your proper route, and
there you can recover it."
She sat silent, looking sadly bewildered and distressed.
"I feel very sorry for you," said Zoe kindly, speaking in German; "we
would be glad to help you, and if you like to tell us your story, my
husband 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's
hesitation; and in a few rapid sentences she explained that she and Alma,
her younger sister, had been left orphaned and destitute in Norway, their
native land, and after a hard struggle of several months had fallen in
with a Mormon missionary, who gave them glowing accounts of Utah, telling
them it was the paradise of the poor; that if they would go with him and
become members of the Mormon Church, land would be given them, their
poverty and hard toil would become a thing of the past, and they would
live in blissful enjoyment among the Latter-day Saints, where rich and
poor were treated alike--as neighbors and friends.
She said that at first they could scarce endure the thought of leaving
their dear, native land; but so bright was the picture drawn by the
Mormon, that at length they decided to go with him.
They gathered up their few possessions, bade a tearful farewell to old
neighbors and friends, and set sail for America in company with between
two and three hundred other Mormon converts.
Their expectation was to travel all the way to Salt Lake City in the
company; but, as they neared the end of the voyage, Alma fell ill, and
when they landed was so entirely unfit for travel that they were
compelled to remain behind for several weeks, and at an expense that so
rapidly diminished their small store of money that when, at last, they
set out on their long journey across the country, they were almost
literally penniless.
They had, however, the through-ticket to Utah--which the Mormon
missionary had made them buy before leaving them, and knowing no choice,
and believing all his wily misrepresentations, they rejoiced in its
possession 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 the
right path? Kind sir, can you, will you, give us some advice? Could I in
any way earn the money to pay for our travel on this road? I know how to
work, and I am strong and willing."
Edward mused a moment, then said, "We will consider that question
presently; but let us first have a little more talk.
"Ah, what can be the matter?" he exclaimed in English, starting up to
glance from the window; for the train had come to a sudden standstill in
a bit of woods where there seemed no occasion for stopping. "What is
wrong?" 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 alight
and 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 to
learn how long we are likely to be detained here?"
"No, I won't, if you promise to be careful not to get into danger," she
said, with some hesitation; and he hurried after the others.
Alma and Christine, looking pale and anxious, asked Zoe what was the
matter.
She explained that there had been an accident--collision of cars--and
that the broken fragments were lying on the track, and would have to be
cleared away before their train could go on.
Then Edward came back with the news that there would be a detention of an
hour or more.
Zoe uttered a slight exclamation of impatience.
"Let us not grumble, little wife," he said, cheerily, "but be thankful
that things are no worse. And, do you know, I trust it will prove to have
been a good providence; inasmuch as it gives us an opportunity to make an
effort to rescue these poor dupes from the Mormon net."
"Oh, yes," she said, her countenance brightening; "I do hope so! Let us
tell 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 German
as before--you tell me what are the teachings of Mormonism, according to
your missionary?"
"They believe the Bible," she answered; "they preach the gospel of Christ
as the Bible teaches it; else how could I have listened to him? how
consented to go with him? for I know the Bible is God's word, and that
there 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 Mormon
priesthood do both teach and practice it. One of them, Orson Pratt, in a
sermon preached August 29, 1852, said: 'The Latter-day Saints have
embraced the doctrine of a plurality of wives as a part of their
religious faith. It is incorporated as a part of our religion, and
necessary for our exaltation to the fullness of the Lord's glory in the
eternal world.'"
Christine looked inexpressibly shocked. "Oh, sir, are you quite sure of
it?" she cried. "Not a word of such a doctrine was spoken to us. Had it
been we would never have set out for Utah."
"It is a well-established fact," replied Edward; "and it is well known
also that they conceal this doctrine from those whom they wish to catch
in their net; to them they exalt the Bible and Christ; but when the poor
dupes reach their promised paradise, and are unable to escape, they find
the 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 are
faithful Mormons, living up to their privileges, and having a plurality
of 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 they
are faithful to the priesthood and in paying tithes--will not have a
place of honor there; and those who are not married at all will be slaves
to the polygamists.
"For this reason, among others, they desire to have many wives, and will
have them, willing or unwilling.
"They send their missionaries abroad to recruit the Mormon ranks and
supply wives for those who want them.
"The missionaries procure photographs of the single women whom they have
persuaded to embrace Mormonism, and these are sent on in advance of the
parties of emigrants. The Mormon men who want wives are then invited to
look at the photographs and select for themselves.
"They do so, and when the train comes in, bringing the originals of the
pictures, they are there to meet it; each man seizes the girl he has
chosen by photograph, and drags her away, often shrieking for help, which
no one gives. I have this on the testimony of an eyewitness, a minister
of the Presbyterian Church, who has lived for years in Utah."
Alma grasped her sister's arm, her cheek paling, her eyes wild with
affright.
"Oh, Christine! you know he has our likenesses; you know we gave them to
him, suspecting no harm. Oh, what shall we do?"
"Be calm, sister; God has preserved us from that dreadful fate," said
Christine, 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 we
starve to death."
"You need not do that," exclaimed Zoe; "no one who is willing to work
need 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 we
ask; 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 we
thought to raise vegetables and fruits; fowls, too, and perhaps bees; but
we can cook, wash the clothes, keep the house clean, spin, and weave, and
sew."
"Oh," said Zoe, "if you know how to do all those things well, there will
be no trouble in finding employment for you."
"But where, dear lady?" Christine asked with hesitation. "We have no
money 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 he
seemed lost in thought, and did not see it.
He was anxious to help these poor strangers, yet without wounding the
pride of independence, which he perceived and respected. Presently he
spoke.
"My wife and I live at some distance from here; we are not acquainted in
this vicinity, but know there is plenty of such work as you want in our
own. If you like, I will advance your travelling expenses, and engage to
find employment for you; and you can repay the advance when it suits
you."
The generous offer was accepted with deep gratitude.
The detention of their train lasted some time longer, and presently the
talk about Mormonism was renewed.
It was Alma who began it, by asking if a Mormon's first wife was always
willing 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 her
consent, or even ventures upon a remonstrance.
"One day a Mormon and his family, consisting of one wife and several
children, were seated about their table taking a meal, when the husband
remarked 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 with
horror."
"No," said Edward; "he was promoted by the Mormon priesthood to a higher
place 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, that
the blood of Christ is insufficient to atone for all sin, they assert
that for some sins the blood of the sinner himself must be shed or he
will never attain to eternal life, and that therefore it is a worthy deed
to slay him.
"That terrible, wicked doctrine has been made the excuse for many
assassinations, and was the ground for not only excusing the horrible
crime of which I have just told you, but for also rewarding the wretched
criminal.
"Polygamy is bad enough--especially as instances are not wanting of a man
being married at the same time to a mother and her daughters, or several
sisters, and in at least one instance to mother, daughter, and
granddaughter; and Mormon theology teaches, too, that a man may lawfully
marry his own sister. Yet it is not the worst of their crimes; we have it
upon the testimony of credible witnesses--Christian citizens of Salt Lake
City--that their temples and tithing-houses are 'built up by extortion
and cemented with the blood of men, women, and children whose only
offence was that they were not in sympathy with the unrighteous decrees
of this usurping priesthood.' And 'that all manner of social abominations
and domestic horrors, and mutilations, and blood-atonings, and
assassinations and massacres have been perpetrated in the name and by the
authority of the Mormon priesthood.'"
"Oh, sir, how very dreadful!" exclaimed Christine. "Are they not afraid
of the judgments of God against such fearfully wicked deeds?"
"It seems not," said Edward. "The Bible speaks of some whose consciences
are seared as with a hot iron."
"But why is such terrible wickedness and oppression allowed by your
government?"
"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 against
our law-makers at Washington; a charge of gross neglect, whether induced
by 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.