A TRIUMPH AND AN ESCAPE.
The afternoon preceding the night on which Charles Durant was to
appear before the public in the Town Hall of Westminster to place the
plan of salvation before the people, and bear his testimony to the
eternal truth, was wearing slowly away. By this time his name was on
everybody's lips, and nearly all knew him. As he walked abroad some
would pass him with a frown, some with a gaze of curiosity, rarely one
would smile, and less frequently still would he receive a pleasant
"good-day." If he had delighted in notoriety, here was certainly a
field in which he might enjoy that to the full limit of his desire;
but he wanted nothing of the kind. He was filled with the spirit of
his calling which was to spread the truth and labor unto the salvation
of men; and neither the insults of the insolent nor the frowns of
opponents could turn him aside from that purpose. He bore within
his breast the realization of an upright purpose, together with the
certainty of a reward to come. What were threats and annoyances to
him? And yet he sought not persecution that a cheap martyrdom might
be gained; perhaps if warned of a personal danger, in obedience to a
natural impulse, he would have shunned or gone around it, but never to
the sacrifice of one jot or tittle of principle.
His experience of less than a week in Westminster had been sufficient
for a volume of much greater proportions than this little publication,
and yet enough of it is noted here to give a fair idea of what
transpired. In that time our hero, a comparative stranger, had become
well-settled and was welcome in an honorable household, and this
without deception or any special effort to please; he had dethroned the
demon of infidelity in one good man's heart when a skilled churchman's
efforts in that direction only threatened to perpetuate the evil; had
caused another good man, indifferent to gospel measures, to become
actively interested; had defeated the churchman spoken of, on his own
ground, and had shown in an unmistakeable manner the fallacy of his
doctrine, and finally, had brought this showy patron of religion to
utter discomfiture without desiring, intending, or trying to annoy him
in any way; had set the family named and several of their neighbors to
thinking as they had never thought before; and now, as a special favor
was to address the town people in their chief public building. The Town
Hall was filled to overflowing, and when Durant entered and walked
slowly up to the platform, it is perhaps needless to say he was the
observed of all observers. There were some feelings of surprise when
Mr. Brown, the (late) infidel, arose to introduce the speaker of the
evening; he announced before doing so that the lecture would consist
of an exposition of the groundwork, and some advanced principles of
the gospel as laid down in the Bible. "Nothing will be left to be
conjectured or surmised," he said; "the speaker is familiar with the
subject and is capable of doing it justice. I speak advisedly, having
heard him before. I ask your earnest and respectful attention, and now
present to you Mr. Charles Durant, of Salt Lake City."
Notwithstanding the sacredness of the occasion, there was a burst of
applause when the speaker arose. Before him, on a table, were the Bible
and two or three other books. He entered upon his subject at once,
first explaining the principles of faith, repentance and baptism,
citing the Holy Book in support of his arguments, and making every
principle plain and lucid as he proceeded. In as extended a manner as
he could, within the time at his disposal, he developed the philosophy
and practice of true Christianity from the beginning to the present
time, leaving no salient point unmentioned, and no stone marking the
way, unturned. He occupied two hours, and there was not a listener but
gladly would have remained that much longer. The impression made was
deep; as to whether or not it was lasting, that depended largely upon
the individuals themselves.
The lawyer and the doctor and the Marshalls came forward and grasped
the speaker's hand extending sincere congratulations. The preacher
was absent. As they left the room, people could be heard making such
remarks as--"Well, that is mighty sound reasoning no matter where it
comes from;" a few asked to be introduced and one of these, an old
lady, said in a low voice, "You spoke the truth, I know it; God bless
you!"
As soon as he could make his way to Durant's side, the negro, Caesar,
said hurriedly--"You want to look a little out as you go home; I heard
a lot of fellers down the lane talking, and they said they would fix
that Mormon."
A spontaneous exclamation of surprise and disgust came from the little
party of which Durant was the center. However, it was left to the
lawyer to engage in explosiveness, and he did it in a manner which left
no doubt of what he would do in an emergency. It was finally decided
that he and the doctor should lead the way homeward, with the Marshall
family, our guest, a neighbor and the negro, following leisurely after.
The improvised mob was soon encountered and the interview was stormy
for awhile, but before the party in the rear reached the spot, the
tumult was quieted down considerably. The lawyer knew every one in the
party and if any violence was offered to the stranger, he would make
it his personal business to see that every one of them answered to the
law. This, coupled with milder and more persuasive methods, had its
effect, and one by one the rioters dispersed, at least for the present.
Mr. Durant and his friends walked home without being assaulted by so
much as an unpleasant exclamation though he fully expected trouble from
the first; but he determined to continue his labor as he had begun,
leaving the result to Providence.