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JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY 
 BEAUTIFUL 
 
 A STORY OF 
 
 "OLD NAUVOO" 
 
 ON THE MISSISSIPPI 
 
 By 
 
 zMabel Adelina Sanford 
 
 Herald Publishing House 
 Independence, Missouri 
 
Copyright 1939 
 Herald Publishing House 
 
 Printed in U. S. A. 
 
3^3cfl 
 
 To 
 
 The Memory of My Husband 
 
 Albert Lee Sanford 
 
 and to My Three Chdldren 
 
 Florence, Mildred, and Albert, Jr. 
 
 All of Whom Have Had a Deep 
 
 and Abiding Love for 
 
 "Old Nauvoo" 
 
FOREWORD 
 
 I wish to make grateful acknowledgement of the 
 help that I have received in writing this historical 
 novel of Nauvoo from the History of the Church 
 of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints written and 
 compiled by President Joseph Smith and Heman 
 C. Smith, Historian of the Reorganized Church, 
 Young People's History, by Vida E. Smith, daughter 
 of Alexander Smith and wife of Heman C. Smith, 
 The Story of the Church by their daughter, Inez 
 Smith Davis, Timbers for the Temple by Elbert A. 
 Smith, son of David Smith, The Memoirs of Presi- 
 dent Joseph Smith edited by his daughter, Mary 
 Audentia Smith Anderson and from James C. Page, 
 caretaker of the Mansion House, Ward L. Christy, 
 guide, Marie Masberg, librarian of Nauvoo and my 
 mother who supplied the stories of English life. 
 
 Mabel Adelina Sanford. 
 
Chapter One 
 
 'T'he big bell on the Lancashire cotton mill clanged 
 sharply that early morning in April in the year 
 1843. The doors of the little cottages along the lane 
 flew open and men, women and children came pouring 
 forth; the women dressed in straight, loose frocks 
 of linsey-woolsey, with big calico aprons which they 
 wrapped about their bare red arms against the chill 
 of the morning; the men in homespun shirts and fus- 
 tian breeches and upon the feet of all of them, heavy 
 wooden clogs that click-clacked noisily as they trudged 
 along the hard, beaten road to the mill. 
 
 The din of shouts and loud hallooings to friends 
 and comrades echoed far and wide. It would be a 
 busy day at the mill. A heavy mist hung like a soft 
 gray blanket over the meadows. The cotton would 
 be soft and easy to handle, enabling them to work 
 swiftly and perchance earn more than their usual pit- 
 tance so the rollicking crowd went whistling and sing- 
 ing along the way. 
 
 In an upper room of the big brick house that stood 
 beneath a spreading elm tree close to the lane, a 
 ten-year-old boy awoke with a start. He had been 
 dreaming that the tramping feet and merrily whistled 
 tunes were an army with fife and drum marching upon 
 
 7 
 
8 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 the village. With a bound he was out of bed and 
 throwing open the latticed window, watched the crowd 
 as it thundered past. 
 
 He was a slim little boy with a wistful face and big 
 brown eyes under a thatch of dark, tousled hair. How 
 he envied the boys that worked in the mill! If only 
 his mother had been willing, he too, could be trudg- 
 ing along beside them and earning a shilling a day 
 carrying bobbins. A shilling a day would buy many 
 of the little luxuries they were learning to do without. 
 In time, it might even buy the concertina that his soul 
 longed to possess. But his mother was proud. Her 
 father had been a man of standing in the community, 
 the sole manufacturer of fancy wicker chairs. It was 
 not in keeping that his grandson should stoop to work 
 in the mill. 
 
 The boy had been named for his grandfather, Robert 
 Pemberton, having been born three months after the 
 old man's death. Robert was glad that he had been 
 named for his grandfather, for the old man had been 
 known far and wide for his kindness to everyone. He 
 was sorry, however, that he had been the sole manu- 
 facturer of fancy wicker chairs, for somehow, it had 
 set them apart from the rest of the villagers who were 
 farmers, blacksmiths, mill hands and common laborers. 
 
 A portrait of his grandfather hung over the mantel- 
 piece in the parlor and Robert often stood before it, 
 stroking his smooth round cheeks, thoughtfully as he 
 studied the bewhiskered countenance. 
 
 His grandmother's portrait, which hung on the op- 
 posite wall, he scarce gave a thought. She had died 
 several years before his grandfather. "A tartar if 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 9 
 
 there ever was one!" he had heard it remarked con- 
 cerning her. It had even been whispered that his mother 
 was like her, and that his Aunt Nell was like grand- 
 father. There were times when he could readily be- 
 lieve this. 
 
 His Aunt Nell, and Martha, his mother, had fallen 
 heir to the wicker business when their father had died. 
 They had married young men in their father's em- 
 ploy who were brothers, John and William Barry: big 
 handsome fellows, who could have claimed the hand 
 of any girl in the village. The boys had "had an eye 
 to business" malicious tongues had said, which, if it 
 were true, had benefited them little, for the wicker 
 business had gone from bad to worse after the old 
 man's death until there was scarcely a living in it for 
 one family, let alone two. 
 
 Nell had finally rebelled at the makeshifts they had 
 been compelled to make in order to keep up appear- 
 ances, and to Martha's mortification, had gone to work 
 in the mill, taking up her residence in one of the mill 
 cottages. Martha continued to live from hand to 
 mouth in an effort to keep up the old traditions but 
 the villagers were not deceived and were wont to 
 remark contemptuously, " 'igh life below stairs." 
 
 Robert was forbidden to play with the boys of the 
 neighborhood, who were considered rough and un- 
 cultivated, and his only companion was eight-year-old 
 Elsie, whom his aunt and uncle, having no children 
 of their own, had adopted when a tiny baby. He 
 longed for a boy companion of his own age and 
 watched the boys enviously, that early morning in 
 April, as they trudged past his chamber window, 
 
10 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 laughing and joking hilariously as they made their way 
 to the mill. 
 
 As the click-clack of their wooden clogs died away 
 in the distance, Robert turned with a sigh from the 
 window, and with an impatient gesture, reached for 
 his shirt and breeches. 
 
 A door banged below and a shrill voice reached his 
 ears. 
 
 "Peggy Doodle!" he muttered irritably. "What 
 does she want?" Peggy was their washerwoman — or 
 had been; his mother did her own washing now. 
 
 Stepping softly to the head of the stairs, he peered 
 into the kitchen below. The fragrance of steaming 
 porridge was wafted upwards. His mother stood by 
 the fireplace, stirring the porridge with one hand and 
 holding a dish in the other. In the doorway stood 
 Peggy Doodle, nervously fingering her apron. 
 
 "Won't you sit down?" invited his mother. 
 
 "Thank ye, ma'am, but I'm in a bit of a 'urry. I 
 just dropped hin ta see ow ye felt, now that Nell's 
 goin' ta Hamerica." 
 
 There was a sudden crash! The dish his mother 
 was holding had slipped from her ringers and lay 
 shattered on the hearth. 
 
 Aunt Nell going to America! What was Peggy 
 talking about? 
 
 Robert slipped back into his room, hurriedly fin- 
 ished dressing and ran downstairs. Peggy had gone, 
 and his mother, with white set face, was kneeling by 
 the hearth, picking up the pieces of broken crockery. 
 
 "Mother, mother!" he called breathlessly. "What 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 11 
 
 did Peggy mean? Is Aunt Nell really going to Amer- 
 ica?" 
 
 The door opened suddenly and Aunt Nell, flushed 
 and breathless, hurried into the room. 
 
 "Has that busybody been here?" she demanded. Her 
 sister's averted face confirmed her suspicion. "I'd like 
 to wring her neck!" 
 
 Robert's mother went quietly on picking up the 
 pieces, never saying a word or paying any more at- 
 tention to Aunt Nell than if she weren't there. Rob- 
 ert looked from one to the other, then turned to Nell 
 impulsively. 
 
 "Peggy said you were going to America!" he ex- 
 claimed excitedly. 
 
 "I am!" Her lips closed firmly. 
 
 His mother flashed an angry look at her sister. 
 
 "With the Mormons, I suppose!" 
 
 The flush on Nell's face deepened. She sank into 
 the big chair by the hearth and stared into the fire. 
 
 Robert stepped to her side. He loved his Aunt 
 Nell. She was so jolly with her laughing blue eyes 
 and rosy cheeks. There were times when he almost 
 wished that Nell had been his mother instead of 
 Martha, life would have been so much more inter- 
 esting. 
 
 The sisters were nothing alike, for Nell was slender 
 and girlish looking, while Martha was short and stout, 
 her eyes were brown and although there were only 
 two years difference between them, her dark hair was 
 fast turning gray. 
 
 Martha's face was stern and forbidding. Most 
 people were afraid of her, but Robert knew that be- 
 
12 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 neath that stern countenance lay a warm and gener- 
 ous heart and his only fear was that of displeasing 
 her. Nell wasn't afraid of her and had openly de- 
 fied her when she went to work in the mill, and now 
 she was going to America! He gloried in Nell's 
 courage. What wouldn't he give to be going to Amer- 
 ica with her! 
 
 As for the Mormons, his knowledge of them was 
 vague. He had once seen one of them, a nice, neat 
 appearing fellow, who had tried to talk to the people 
 on the village green, but had been pelted with sticks 
 and lumps of mud until he had been forced to leave. 
 They had been holding services at the hall evenings 
 and Sundays and had converted a number of the mill 
 hands and sent them to America. They had heard 
 that Nell and Will had been attending these services 
 and Martha had sniffed scornfully. 
 
 "Nell will be joining the Mormons, next thing we 
 know, and going off with them to America," she had 
 declared to her husband. 
 
 "Nonsense!" he had replied. "She wouldn't be 
 foolish enough for that!" 
 
 "Indeed she would. She'd do anything to get to 
 America!" 
 
 Robert, remembering what they had said, looked 
 at his aunt wonderingly. 
 
 "Tell us about it!" he urged. 
 
 "I'm sorry, Martha," Nell looked appealing at her 
 sister. "I meant to break it to you gently." 
 
 "Gently!" Martha snorted angrily. She was still on 
 her knees, searching diligently for broken fragments, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 13 
 
 though Robert knew she must have found them ail 
 by this time. 
 
 "Well, you know what I mean, Martha. We didn't 
 make up our minds until last night. I was up bright 
 and early this morning and came right over so as to 
 be the first to tell you. They're getting up a com- 
 pany to leave next Saturday, so we signed up to go." 
 
 "Next Saturday!" Martha arose to her feet in sud- 
 den panic. "You're not leaving next Saturday! John 
 won't be home before then." 
 
 "I know it, we're sorry about that, but Will has fin- 
 ished the hampers John left him to do and he doubts 
 if John brings home any orders for chairs. Wicker- 
 ware seems to be a thing of the past, and what few 
 orders John may get, he will be able to take care of 
 himself. It's no use, Martha, the business is done for 
 and it's useless for you to deceive yourself any longer." 
 
 "Deceive myself? Done for? If John and Will 
 had hustled around the way father did, they would 
 have had all the business they could take care of. 
 Father would turn over in his grave if he could see 
 the way things have gone. And now you're traipsing 
 off to America, all carried away by the foolish talk of 
 those bragging Americans. What do you expect to 
 do when you get there? You'll not find the streets 
 paved with gold as those Americans would have you 
 believe. Where are you getting your passage money?" 
 
 "I'm going to sell mother's jewelry." 
 
 "Mother's jewelry? The brooch and the earrings?" 
 
 Nell nodded. 
 
 "It won't be enough, but with the sale of what 
 
14 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 things we can't take with us, we think we can make 
 it." 
 
 "But mother's brooch and earrings — how can you 
 part with those?" 
 
 Nell shrugged her shoulders. 
 
 "They're old, they'll bring a good price and I won't 
 need them over there. You still have the watch and 
 chain. I thought when we divided mother's things 
 that I would never part with mine, but oh, Martha, 
 you know how I've always wanted to go to America. 
 Seems as though I'd die if I didn't get to go." 
 
 "You were always like that!" cried Martha im- 
 patiently. "Always wanting to go somewhere or to 
 do something different. You hadn't said much about 
 it lately. We were in hopes you'd given up this fool- 
 ish notion." 
 
 "Given up?" Nell laughed oddly. "Will and I have 
 talked it morning, noon and night. We couldn't give 
 it up. We're tired of rain and fog, fog and rain day 
 in and day out with barely enough to keep body 
 and soul together and no hopes of ever getting any- 
 where. Out there, land is free for the taking, the sun 
 shines day after day and there's a chance of getting 
 somewhere and being somebody. Oh, Martha, if you 
 and John would only come too, we might start a chair 
 factory and make a fortune as so many do." 
 
 "Stuff and nonsense!" retorted Martha. "This coun- 
 try was good enough for father and mother and it's 
 good enough for me! Oh, if John were only here!" 
 she moaned, pacing up and down and wringing her 
 hands. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 15 
 
 "I'm glad he's not!" retorted Nell. "He always 
 did think because he was the oldest, he could tell Will 
 what to do and what not to do, but for once Will has 
 decided for himself." 
 
 Martha turned on her sister angrily. 
 
 "So that's why you're traipsing off to America— 
 so you can do as you please!" 
 
 "Now, Martha, you know I've always done as 1 
 pleased and never regretted it either. I'm not a bit 
 sorry I went to work in the mill. I've enjoyed it and 
 made friends, but I wouldn't want to spend all my 
 days standing before a loom. We took to going to 
 the Mormon meetings just for some place to go and 
 that's how we came to hear of their wonderful plan. 
 Why, Martha, they're building a city out on the Mis- 
 sissippi River that they have named Nauvoo, where 
 there are to be no rich and no poor, but all are to 
 share alike and are to have everything they need. They 
 intend to work for the good of the whole world. 
 People are flocking there from all over the country. 
 They have been leaving England by the shiploads 
 for several years and those who have gone, have writ- 
 ten back to their people such glowing accounts of the 
 place. They say it's just beautiful there! I wish you 
 could hear them tell about it. Do come to the meet- 
 ing with us tonight," she pleaded. 
 
 Martha, who had paused to listen, suddenly drew 
 herself erect. She had passed the hall one evening, 
 had seen the rabble collected about the door and heard 
 the taunts and ribald jokes hurled at all who dared 
 enter, and her reply was characteristic. 
 
 "I wouldn't lower myself by going to such a place!" 
 
16 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Martha, Martha, why do you let pride stand in 
 your way?" asked Nell, sorrowfully. 
 
 The door opened softly and a fairylike girl with 
 wide blue eyes and flaxen curls, peeked in. 
 
 "Is mother here?" she called, then spying Nell, cried 
 joyously, "Oh, there you are!" and running forward, 
 slipped beneath Nell's encircling arm. "I've been 
 hunting for you everywhere!" 
 
 Nell laughed softly. 
 
 "Why, dearie, you were sound asleep when I left, 
 so I just slipped over to Aunt Martha's to break the 
 news, but Peggy Doodle got here first." 
 
 "Oh, she did," she murmured regretfully, then 
 turned to Martha eagerly. "Isn't it wonderful, Aunt 
 Martha, that we're going to America? You'll come 
 too, won't you, Aunt Martha," she declared, confi- 
 dently. "You and Robert and Uncle John." 
 
 Robert, who had stood listening in amazement to 
 all that had been said, suddenly sprang to life, and 
 throwing his arms about his mother's waist, cried 
 from the depths of his soul: "Oh, Mother, do let's 
 go!" 
 
 For a moment she wavered, then somewhat bruskly 
 she removed his arms, exclaiming, "Nonsense, child! 
 We'll stay right where we are! Come, it's time we 
 had breakfast," and bustling about the kitchen, set 
 out the bowls for the porridge and seizing a loaf of 
 bread, placed in it the crook of her arm and proceeded 
 to butter and cut slices that were the pride of her heart 
 — so thin, you could almost blow them away. 
 
 "I had breakfast with Will," declared Nell wearily. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 17 
 
 "Elsie was up late last night so we let her sleep. She 
 can have a dish of porridge with Robert." 
 
 The children seated themselves at the table with 
 Martha but when Robert attempted to eat, a lump 
 arose in his throat making it difficult for him to swal- 
 low. Elsie, usually talkative, ate silently, with furtive 
 glances at her Aunt Martha, who, as soon as the last 
 spoonful of porridge had disappeared said briskly, 
 "Now children run along out to play." 
 
 As if glad to escape, they slipped silently through 
 the door and out into the garden. The mist was lift- 
 ing and the sun was trying bravely to show itself. 
 
 They walked slowly down the path to the gate and 
 stood moodily watching the cows in the pasture be- 
 yond, nibbling away at the fresh young grass. A 
 flock of doves circled above their heads and came to 
 rest at their feet. Snowball, the white rabbit, hopped 
 to the bars of his hutch and sniffed inquiringly but 
 they gave no heed as they listened to the voices of 
 the two women that came floating out to them, now 
 pleading, now angry. 
 
 "What makes Aunt Martha so cross?" questioned 
 Elsie. 
 
 "She's not cross," defended Robert. "She's worried. 
 She always talks like that when she's worried." 
 
 "I'm glad my mother doesn't worry," declared Elsie 
 with a proud toss of her curls. 
 
 "She'll worry when she gets over to America." 
 Robert nodded his head sagely. "There's Indians over 
 there! They tomahawk people! I've seen pictures 
 of them." 
 
 Elsie's eyes grew wide with terror and Robert has- 
 
 J.C. B.— 2 
 
18 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 tened to reassure her. "Oh, I don't believe they'll hurt 
 you. If I was there they wouldn't!" he declared stoutly 
 and Elsie believed him, for hadn't he cared for her 
 all these years, shielding her from the rough boys, 
 carrying her books to school and sharing with her 
 whatever he might have at the moment. 
 
 "I'll ask Aunt Martha to let you go with us!" she 
 declared eagerly. 
 
 "Oh, no, mother wouldn't let me go." He dis- 
 missed the thought in a moment. "Besides, I have 
 to take care of her while father's away. It's no use 
 thinking about it. Come, let's go for a walk." 
 
 "Let's do!" cried the delighted Elsie, as she skipped 
 through the gate and down the lane, closely followed 
 by Robert. 
 
 The air was sweet with the odor of young growing 
 things. A lark sprang suddenly from the turf and 
 soared carolling into the sky. The children watched 
 and listened and suddenly their troubled thoughts van- 
 ished, their drooping spirits soared as they went trip- 
 ping merrily down the lane, stopping now and then to 
 gather violets or to exclaim over a pretty crocus. 
 
 The clickety-clack of a loom drew them to the cot- 
 tage of old Billy Waulkner. Tiptoeing softly, they 
 peered in at the window. The withered and shrunken 
 figure of the old man sat at the loom, his hand throw- 
 ing the shuttle back and forth, his eyes fixed upon the 
 pattern growing so slowly under his effort. Too old 
 to work in the mill, he like many others of the 
 villagers, wove in his own home, going to Manchester 
 every week to purchase warp, and sitting all day 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 19 
 
 and far into the night, watching the little squares com- 
 plete themselves as the cloth grew steadily. 
 
 Pausing to adjust a thread, the old man caught sight 
 of the children's faces and beckoned them to enter. 
 Elsie shrank away, but Robert, seizing her hand, 
 dragged her in. 
 
 "Come on, he won't hurt you," he whispered. He 
 had watched the old man drive away the boys of the 
 village whenever they came near and recognized that 
 he was being honored by an invitation to enter. 
 
 Once inside, Elsie forgot her fear in the fascina- 
 tion of watching the blue and white checked gingham 
 fashioned before her eyes. The man said nothing but 
 his lips curved in a pleased smile at the child's won- 
 dering gaze. She was as loath to leave as she had been 
 to enter, when Robert tugged at her apron as a signal 
 to depart. Reluctantly she turned and walked slowly 
 out the door. Robert seized her hand and together 
 they raced down the lane, coming to an abrupt halt 
 before the toffy shop of Molly Lomas. 
 
 Molly had been to town! A jar of fresh sweets 
 was in the window and Molly herself stood in the 
 doorway. She greeted them with a beaming smile. 
 
 "Well, well, if it isn't Robert and Elsie. And Elsie's 
 going to America, fancy that!" 
 
 Peggy Doodle had spread the news far and wide. 
 
 "No wonder she was in such a 'urry," thought 
 Robert. 
 
 Elsie lifted a shining face. 
 
 "Yes, ma'am, we're going Saturday!" she replied, 
 joyfully. 
 
 "Only fancy! Come here, I have a present for you." 
 
20 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Molly turned and entered the shop, the children fol- 
 lowing delightedly. A row of tempting bottles stood 
 on the shelf behind the counter. The children tingled 
 with excitement as she reached for the one contain- 
 ing big brown bull's-eyes. She filled a little bag and 
 handed it to Elsie. 
 
 "They'll help keep you amused on the boat," she 
 chuckled. "And remember now, don't forget your 
 old friend, Molly." 
 
 "Oh, thank you, ma'am, I never could forget you!" 
 declared Elsie. 
 
 How could anyone forget Molly, wondered Robert. 
 Why Molly was the first one they sent for when any- 
 one was taken sick. She was big and jolly and the min- 
 ute you saw her face in the doorway you knew you were 
 going to get well. The herbs she dosed you with were 
 the vilest tasting stuff, but you didn't mind swallow- 
 ing them if Molly was standing by. He had overheard 
 his mother telling a lady from London one day, that 
 Molly had ushered hundreds of babies into the world 
 and had never lost a case and that she charged three 
 shillings if they had it, and if not, it was all the same 
 to Molly, that she cared for the sick because she loved 
 it, not because of any profit she made out of it. She 
 had turned her front room into a toffy shop that she 
 and her husband tended between them and went to 
 Manchester every week with a big basket on her arm 
 for a fresh supply of sweets. The fresh sweets were 
 then displayed in the shop window beside a bottle 
 of leeches that always stood there, with a sign hang- 
 ing above that read "Bleeding with Leeches." Robert 
 hated the sight of the horrid things, but Molly had 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 21 
 
 told him that they were very useful in drawing the 
 bad blood from people when they were sick. 
 
 They left the shop in high glee and Elsie insisted 
 on giving Robert one of the bull's-eyes. He popped 
 it into his mouth immediately, but it was so large, 
 it made talking difficult. Finally he removed it and 
 wrapping it in his clean white handkerchief, put it in 
 his pocket. 
 
 People hailed them on every side, stopping Elsie to 
 ask all sorts of silly questions. Jenny Potts, who kept 
 the public house, called them in, where the men sat 
 at tables with their bread and cheese and mugs of 
 beer — "baggon" they called it. 
 
 One of the men called out, "Ho, missy, so you're 
 goin' ta Ham erica! Hengland ain't good enough for 
 ye, wot? Come 'ere and gimme a kiss." 
 
 Elsie shrank back and the men laughed loudly. 
 Robert stood bravely beside her, gently edging her to- 
 ward the door. Jenny, who stood smiling and rattling 
 the change in her apron pocket, handed them each a 
 penny. The children brightened. 
 
 "Oh, thank you, ma'am," they chorused. 
 
 Suddenly there was a commotion at the door. A 
 deep baying from many throats and stern commands. 
 
 "Hist!" called the men. "Here comes the squire!" 
 
 There was a shuffle of feet as a shabbily dressed 
 man arose hurriedly and slipped out the back way as 
 the squire entered the front. 
 
 Robert and Elsie stood at the door eyeing fearfully 
 the squire's pack of forty hounds that sat on their 
 haunches with lolling tongues as if waiting to devour 
 
22 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 them. Elsie gave a little scream as one of them made 
 playful overtures and the squire strode to her side. 
 
 "There, there, little girl, don't be afraid, they'll not 
 hurt you," and taking her hand, led her past the rest- 
 less, yelping pack. Robert lost no time in following 
 and breathed more freely when he had placed a safe 
 distance between them. The squire patted Elsie's 
 bright curls and dropped a shilling into her apron 
 pocket. 
 
 It was noon when they turned their footsteps to- 
 ward home. The mill hands were hurrying home 
 for their midday meal, their wooden clogs making 
 a terrible din along the highway. Their faces were 
 tense for they had been working with terrific speed 
 since six o'clock in the morning. If the cotton con- 
 tinued to hold as well till six in the evening, they 
 might possibly be able to make as much as ten shil- 
 lings. Their meal would be swallowed hurriedly and 
 bread and treacle eaten in their hands on their way 
 back to the mill. 
 
 As Robert and Elsie trudged up the garden path, 
 Martha flung open the door and Robert saw at a 
 glance that she had been crying. 
 
 "Where in the world have you children been?" she 
 demanded. 
 
 "We went for a walk," replied Elsie brightly. 
 "Where's mother?" 
 
 "She went home long ago and told me to send you 
 just as soon as you came back, so run along child." 
 
 Elsie turned without a word and soberly trotted off 
 down the lane. 
 
 Robert followed his mother into the kitchen. He 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 23 
 
 could smell fried herrings. How good they smelled! 
 He was ravenous after his long walk, but the herring 
 were chock-full of bones, every forkful bristled with 
 them. It was slow work removing them and very 
 aggravating to one so hungry. He was glad when 
 the fish were gone and he could fill up on bread and 
 treacle. He wanted to tell his mother about the hap- 
 penings of the morning, but there was an aloofness 
 about her that discouraged any attempts at conver- 
 sation. 
 
 This was the week for him to go to school in the 
 afternoon. The previous week he had gone in the 
 morning. It was an arrangement his father had per- 
 mitted on condition that he work in the shop for half 
 a day as the children who worked in the mill were 
 permitted to do. 
 
 Robert hated school, for the schoolmaster caned the 
 boys unmercifully. He had never been caned him- 
 self, but suffered almost as much as those upon whom 
 the cane fell. True, he had had his ears boxed and 
 once the master had thrown a book at his head for 
 missing a word and once or twice had had his knuckles 
 rapped with a ruler, but this was not to be compared 
 with the whalings the other boys received. 
 
 It was so difficult trying to stand with his feet on 
 the chalk line, copying sums on his slate from the 
 board, for once out of line meant being yanked out 
 of the row and sent to a corner to be caned later. 
 
 He wished himself back in the dames' school, where 
 there was no chalk line and the cane was never used. 
 The children there were very mannerly, having been 
 taught by the two dames who kept the school, to be 
 
24 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 courteous at all times. Such interesting subjects were 
 taught there too, as geography, grammar, drawing 
 and music. But his mother could no longer afford 
 the charge of sixpence a week. So for threepence at the 
 public school, he labored at the tiresome reading, writ- 
 ing and doing of sums. 
 
Chapter Two 
 
 T> obert was sorry when Saturday came, for it meant 
 being with Elsie for the last time. There was one 
 compensation, however, he and his mother were going 
 to Liverpool to see them off. His mother had stormed 
 and pleaded to no avail but would stand by her sister 
 to the last. 
 
 The little vessel with its towering sails, lay at the 
 dock and Robert could hardly contain himself when 
 he glimpsed it for the first time. He breathed the 
 smell of tar, coal and fish. The noise and confusion 
 of the hurrying throngs, shouted orders, the loading 
 of freight and the shrill hoots of passing steamboats 
 thrilled him through and through. The enthusiasm of 
 the departing emigrants made him long to be one of 
 them, treading the deck of the vessel over the track- 
 less deep. 
 
 Elsie, half frightened, clung to his hand and when 
 the order was given for all not sailing to go ashore, 
 she threw her arms about his neck and broke into wild 
 sobbing. Big, jovial Uncle Will stepped forward and 
 placed a comforting arm about them both. 
 
 "There, there, Elsie, you'll be seeing Robert again 
 before long." 
 
 Robert stared at his uncle in astonishment. It was 
 
 25 
 
26 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 not like Uncle Will to beguile them with rash prom- 
 ises. Seeing the question in Robert's eyes, he hastened 
 to add: "Yes, my boy, I feel strongly impressed that 
 you will be joining us before long." 
 
 "Why, Uncle Will," he gasped, "do you really mean 
 it?" 
 
 "I really do," he replied firmly. "You just wait and 
 see." 
 
 Robert was like one in a dream after that. He 
 scarcely saw or heard anything on the return journey, 
 so wrapped up was he in the thought that he, too, 
 might some day be going to America. 
 
 He wanted to talk it over with his mother, but her 
 eyes were red with weeping and she sat with her bon- 
 net drawn close about her face, staring straight ahead 
 in the crowded compartment of the train that was 
 bearing them slowly back to Manchester. He finally 
 gave up all hopes of conversation and shrank back 
 into his corner, giving himself up to dreams of what 
 he would do, should his uncle's impressions prove 
 true. 
 
 That night their evening meal consisted of bread 
 and treacle and a cup of tea, for their funds had been 
 considerably reduced by the trip to Liverpool and they 
 would have to "draw in their horns" as his mother 
 expressed it, for some time to come. He was hungry, 
 however, and ate with a relish, then, sensing that his 
 mother wished to be alone, strolled out into the garden, 
 when he had eaten his fill. 
 
 The strains of a concertina drew him to the gate 
 and down the lane. Old Billy Waulkner had finished 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 27 
 
 his warp, and seated on his doorstone, was singing in 
 a cracked voice: 
 
 "Hevery night w'en I go ome, 
 The monkey's hon the table, 
 Take ha stick hand knock 'im hoff, 
 Pop goes the weasel." 
 
 Robert stole softly to the old man's side and seating 
 himself on a corner of the step, listened in rapture as 
 the old man played and sang one tune after another. 
 Presently he reached over and placed the instrument 
 in the arms of the delighted boy. 
 
 ' 'ere you go, let's 'ear you now," he said kindly. 
 
 Under the old man's guidance, Robert drew out, 
 not without considerable discord, some of the old 
 familiar airs. A call from his mother, however, sent 
 him scurrying back to the house. 
 
 Martha always closed the day with a reading from 
 the big family Bible. It lay open now at the twenty- 
 third Psalm. Robert read it aloud slowly and care- 
 fully and his mother repeated the Lord's Prayer. 
 Robert then climbed the stairs to his room where he 
 lay thinking over the events of the day and listening 
 to the distant sounds of revelry coming from the mill 
 cottages; the loud laughter and occasional screams. 
 Someone was having a birthday party. Birthdays were 
 big events, the whole neighborhood congregating to 
 celebrate. They had jolly times! Robert had often 
 watched them. No doubt they were playing drop the 
 handkerchief. The screams would be from the girls 
 that were being caught and kissed. "Hussies" his 
 mother called them. 
 
28 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 He fell into an uneasy slumber and dreamed that 
 a band of Indians were holding a war dance on the 
 deck of a ship and that a terrified Elsie had thrown 
 her arms about his neck in a strangling hold. He 
 awoke with a start to the peaceful stillness of an Eng- 
 lish Sabbath day. The sunlight was streaming in at 
 the latticed window and he could hear his mother 
 stepping softly about in the kitchen below. His Sun- 
 day clothes, neatly folded, lay on the chair beside the 
 bed; his shoes freshly polished, stood beneath. He 
 put them on and went slowly down the stairs. 
 
 "You'll have to hurry, Robert," warned his mother, 
 "if we're going to get to church on time." 
 
 "Oh, Mother, I don't want to go to church today. 
 Please let me stay home this once and I promise not 
 to go outside the house." 
 
 "Indeed you'll go to church!" replied his mother 
 sternly. "We'll go together, just as we've always 
 done." 
 
 Robert was glad afterwards that his mother had 
 made him go. 
 
 There was something so uplifting in the peaceful 
 Sabbath stillness. The highway was deserted, no 
 click-clack of wooden clogs broke the silence, no din 
 of blacksmith's hammer or rattle of carts. All was 
 calm and beautiful, truly a day of rest, and Robert 
 felt lifted up in an atmosphere of religious fervor. 
 
 It was two long miles to Flixton, where the Church 
 of England stood. Robert's grandparents for genera- 
 tions had worshiped there, and now lay buried in the 
 old churchyard surrounding it. 
 
 It was a warm day and Robert's feet were lagging 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 29 
 
 when they heard the tolling of the bells in the distance. 
 The peal of eight bells in the belfry of the old church 
 tower was rung a half hour before the services and 
 Robert and his mother timed their steps accordingly. 
 During the first fifteen minutes, four men stood in 
 the belfry, a rope in each hand, and beginning with 
 the highest bell in the octave, rang the full octave of 
 eight bells with solemn persistence. To Robert, they 
 seemed to say: "Come — come — good — peo — pie — 
 come — to — church ! Come — come — good — peo — pie — 
 come — to — church!" After which the theme was 
 changed and the three lowest bells in the octave tolled 
 for ten minutes as if saying: "Come — to — church! 
 Come — to — church!" And five minutes before the 
 hour struck, the lowest bell in the octave tolled very 
 slowly and solemnly. 
 
 Robert thrilled to the tolling of the bells and as 
 they neared the church, watched anxiously as the old 
 belfry creaked and groaned, rocking to and fro with 
 every swing of the great bells. Once, the squire's 
 son, a wild harum-scarum, who regularly broke the 
 Sabbath by hunting on his father's estate, had stood 
 across from the church in his hunting togs, leaning 
 upon his gun, his dog by his side, watching the peril- 
 ous swaying of the belfry. 
 
 "Some day she's going to topple over," he remarked, 
 "and I hope I'll be here to see the fun!" 
 
 No sooner had the words left his lips than there 
 was a loud report! The dog, leaping playfully upon 
 him, had struck the trigger of the gun; a bullet went 
 straight to the heart of the young man and he fell 
 dead. 
 
30 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Martha referred to the story often as an example 
 of just retribution for ungodly conduct. Robert al- 
 ways thought of it whenever they passed the spot 
 where it had happened. 
 
 The church stood well back from the road and was 
 surrounded with the graves of the dead. The moss- 
 covered headstones of many of them were crumbling 
 into the dust, the names upon them almost obliterated. 
 Others lay flat upon the ground, forming a paving 
 from the gate, clear up to the door of the church. 
 There was something vaguely awesome in the thought 
 of those lying beneath and Robert always tiptoed 
 softly over them. He was glad his ancestors lay on 
 the other side, where people could not go tramping 
 over them. 
 
 He was relieved when they reached the door of the 
 big old church and could slip inside. The deacon, in 
 long black robe, led the way down the aisle, opened 
 the door of their pew, ushered them in and closed 
 it silently as they dropped to their knees in prayer. 
 Robert breathed a sigh of relief when this was over 
 and he could sink back into the softly-cushioned pew 
 to rest after the long walk, and look about him. 
 
 He loved the dim old church with its beautiful 
 stained glass windows, the swell of the organ and 
 the chanting of the choir, but never could understand 
 what the parson was saying, and the monotony of his 
 deep voice, always lulled him to sleep. Today, how- 
 ever, the vacant seats of Uncle Will, Aunt Nell and 
 little Elsie, smote upon his heart and he was over- 
 whelmed by the sense of loneliness that engulfed him. 
 Then, the comforting words of his uncle came to his 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 31 
 
 mind, and so far did his thoughts travel at the pos- 
 sibility of joining them in America, that he became 
 lost to his surroundings and failed to arise when the 
 closing hymn was being sung. His mother, clutching 
 
 his arm nervously, dragged him to his feet. 
 * * * 
 
 One chilly evening, as Robert and his mother sat 
 reading the Penny Weekly before the fire in the 
 kitchen, a familiar step was heard on the walk out- 
 side. 
 
 "Dad!" cried Robert, springing to his feet and 
 throwing open the door. "Oh, Dad, I'm so glad you've 
 come! We have so much to tell you." 
 
 "Hush!" warned his mother, brushing him aside, 
 "Your father's tired. Let him take off his things and 
 get warmed." 
 
 "My, but it's good to get home!" boomed John 
 Barry heartily, as Robert took his bag and Martha 
 helped him off with his coat. 
 
 He strode to the fire that blazed on the hearth and 
 held out his hands to it: "Why, you're as snug as 
 bugs in a rug in here. Outside, the fog's so thick I 
 could scarcely see my hand in front of me!" 
 
 He was a tall, handsome man with dark hair and 
 eyes and ruddy cheeks. Robert's heart swelled with 
 pride as he looked at him. 
 
 "What's happened?" he asked, looking quizzically 
 from one to the other. 
 
 "Who said anything had happened?" parried 
 Martha. 
 
 "No one needs to say anything; it's written all over 
 your faces." 
 
32 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Well, if you must know," replied his wife, "Will 
 and Nell have gone to America!" 
 
 "What! Gone to America?" He emitted a low 
 whistle. 
 
 "Yes, joined the Mormons, just as I said they would, 
 and gone off with them to America!" 
 
 John stood silent, staring into the fire. A log 
 slipped and rolled out toward the hearth. He stooped 
 and put the log back in place. Martha, her arms 
 akimbo, eyed him expectantly. 
 
 "Nell said the business was done for, that it was 
 no use deceiving ourselves any longer, and that she 
 didn't want to spend all her days in the mill, so they 
 were going out where they could get somewhere and 
 be somebody." 
 
 "She may be right, at that," replied John quietly. 
 
 "Right! What do you mean?" she demanded. 
 
 "I mean the business — what she says about that is 
 true enough, I guess. I've nearly walked my legs off 
 and only got orders for half a do2en chairs. The 
 public's fickle! They want Chippendale, Hepplewhite, 
 Sheraton, Louis XVI — anything but wicker. Wicker's 
 had its day and we're about done for!" 
 
 Martha stared in astonishment. 
 
 "Then you approve of Will and Nell going off to 
 America." 
 
 "I don't blame them. I wouldn't mind going my- 
 self!" 
 
 Robert's heart leaped at the words. 
 
 "But fancy them joining the Mormons!" persisted 
 Martha. 
 
 "Well, what's the matter with them?" asked John. 
 
 J.C. B.— 2 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 33 
 
 Martha looked at him in amazement. 
 
 "Why," she gasped, "you said yourself, you didn't 
 think Nell would be foolish enough for that. They're 
 the laughingstock of the place with their outlandish 
 ideas about religion!" 
 
 "People always make fun of something they don't 
 understand," replied John quietly. "The Mormons' 
 ideas are ahead of the times, that's all." 
 
 "Why, John, you haven't been going to their meet- 
 ings, too?" Martha was growing alarmed. 
 
 "Yes, I have. They were holding meetings where I 
 was stopping one night so I went to hear what they 
 had to say. A man by the name of Lawson preached 
 that night and a better sermon I never heard on 
 practical, everyday living. Afterwards I was intro- 
 duced to the man and he gave me some pamphlets. 
 They're in my bag. Get them for me, Robert." 
 
 "I don't want to see them!" Martha began bustling 
 about. "I'll make you a cup of tea." 
 
 "Sit down, Martha." He drew a chair toward her. 
 "I've had tea." 
 
 She sank meekly into the chair. 
 
 John nodded to Robert, who had paused with his 
 hand on the bag. He opened it and spying a neatly 
 wrapped package, asked: "What's this, Dad?" 
 
 "That's some toffy for your mother," John took 
 the package and tossed it into her lap. 
 
 Somewhat mollified, Martha exclaimed, "Why, 
 John, you needn't have done that." 
 
 Robert found the pamphlets in the bottom of the 
 bag, and while he and his mother sat eating toffy, 
 his father read to them till far into the night. Robert, 
 
 J.C. B.— 3 
 
34 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 listening intently, heard that a boy only a few years 
 older than himself, had been visited by an angel 
 while praying one day in the forest. He had been 
 attending the revival services that were being held 
 in the neighborhood by different denominations. The 
 boy desired to unite with one of them, but so great 
 was the strife and contention among them, each try- 
 ing to prove the error of the other, he was unable to 
 decide which one was right. One day, while reading 
 the first chapter of the Epistle of James, the words, 
 "If any man lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that 
 giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not, and it 
 shall be given unto him" struck him so forcibly, that 
 he went out to a little grove not far from the house 
 where he could be alone to put into practise what he 
 had just read. 
 
 It was a beautiful day, early in the spring of 1820. 
 After looking carefully about to make sure he was 
 alone, he knelt down and began to offer up a prayer 
 to God. It was his first attempt at praying vocally 
 and he had scarcely done so, when he was seized by 
 a power that overcame him. Thick darkness gathered 
 around him and he seemed doomed to sudden de- 
 struction, but exerting all his powers, he called upon 
 God to deliver him, when a pillar of light, brighter 
 than the noonday sun appeared exactly over his head. 
 It descended gradually until it fell upon him, and 
 immediately he was delivered from the power that 
 held him bound, and as the light rested upon him, he 
 saw two personages whose brightness and glory de- 
 fied description, standing above him in the air. One 
 of them spoke to him, calling him by name and said, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 35 
 
 pointing to the other, "This is my beloved Son, hear 
 Him!" 
 
 As soon as the boy could get possession of himself, 
 he asked the question that was uppermost in his mind, 
 which of the churches he should join, and was told 
 to join none of them, that their creeds were all wrong 
 and that those professors of religion were corrupt, 
 for they drew near him with their lips, but their hearts 
 were far from Him. Many other things were told 
 him, and when he came to himself, he found that he 
 was lying on his back, looking up into heaven. 
 
 A few days later he related the vision to one of the 
 preachers who was actively engaged in stirring up re- 
 ligious excitement, and was told that it was all of 
 the devil, that there was no such thing as visions and 
 revelations in these days, that all those things had 
 ceased with the apostles, and that there would never 
 be any more of them. Telling of the vision, however, 
 excited a great deal of prejudice among the professors 
 of religion and all united to persecute him. 
 
 "No wonder!" commented Martha. "The idea of 
 a boy his age telling a parson to his face that his creed 
 was all wrong." 
 
 "But Martha, it was the angel that told him that." 
 
 "Prr"! Angel, indeed, there hasn't been any angels 
 for nearly two thousand years." 
 
 "Well, is that any reason why there couldn't be? 
 You believe an angel appeared to Mary before Jesus 
 was born. You believe angels were at the tomb when 
 he was resurrected. You believe in all the angels you 
 read about in the Old Testament." 
 
36 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Well, that's different. Angels don't appear to or- 
 dinary mortals like you and me." 
 
 "Why, Martha, the people you read about in the 
 Bible were just as ordinary as we are. Anyhow, it 
 says here that the boy knew he had had a vision, and 
 he says that he felt like Paul, when he stood before 
 King Agrippa and related the vision he had had. No 
 one would believe him and he was ridiculed and perse- 
 cuted, but he knew he had seen a light and heard a 
 voice and all the persecution under heaven could not 
 make it otherwise." 
 
 Martha's face flushed angrily. 
 
 "If you want to believe that nonsense, you can, 
 but I want none of it! I'll stand by the teachings of 
 father and mother to the end!" And with that decla- 
 ration, she arose from her chair and ordered Robert 
 off to bed. 
 
Chapter Three 
 
 T^arly the next morning, Robert and his father set 
 to work, making up the orders that Mr. Barry 
 had tramped so many weary miles to find. The home 
 of fancy wicker chairs was a long, low workshop that 
 stood at the foot of the garden. Robert loved to work 
 there. His earliest memories dated from the time when 
 he had first learned to use the scissors and had been 
 set to work cutting long strips of paper to wind around 
 the arms and legs of the chairs preparatory to ship- 
 ping. Gradually he had learned to split and plane 
 the willows, weave the cane seats and help with the 
 staining and varnishing. He had enjoyed watching 
 the men manipulate the frames of seats and backs 
 and listening to their merry whistling as the chairs 
 took shape. He even liked the acrid smell of the dye 
 in the big vats where he and Elsie had sailed willow 
 boats. But today the shop seemed empty. His uncle's 
 place was vacant and Robert felt restless and unhappy. 
 His father worked silently for a time, then went 
 to the house and begged Martha to come out and 
 sit with them. She protested that she was busy and 
 couldn't spare the time, but was finally persuaded to 
 join them and then the work went forward rapidly, 
 
 37 
 
38 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 for Martha could turn her hand to any part of chair 
 making. She and Aunt Nell had always had to help 
 with the rush orders at Christmas time. Robert had 
 heard his mother tell how they had kept a dozen men 
 busy in grandfather's day, their wives and children 
 helping too during the busy season. No wonder Nell 
 had said the business was done for. It seemed too 
 bad, for the chairs were so pretty. They were as light 
 as a feather and yet so strong, they would last a 
 lifetime. 
 
 John begged Martha to accompany him to the Mor- 
 mon meeting that was being held that evening, but 
 she steadfastly refused and he went alone. He tried 
 to tell her the next day, what he had heard, but she 
 refused to listen. Robert begged to accompany him 
 that evening and Martha very reluctantly gave her 
 consent. 
 
 It was a strange experience to be going to church 
 in a hall and Robert was quite taken aback by the 
 rude remarks that were made by a group of ruffians 
 loitering about the door. His father paid not the 
 slightest heed, but said, "Good evening, boys," in such 
 a friendly fashion, that they respectfully stepped aside, 
 making room for him to enter, and Robert shame- 
 facedly followed him. 
 
 The hall was a dark, dingy place, seated with forms, 
 every inch of which seemed to be occupied as Robert 
 and his father made their way toward the upper end 
 of the room. Mr. Barry spied a small space between 
 two boys and shoved Robert into it, then squeezed 
 himself into another small space just across the aisle. 
 Robert found himself wedged in between two of the 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 39 
 
 toughest boys that attended the public school. They 
 were dressed in fustian, to which the unwholesome 
 smell of the schoolroom still clung. He was wishing 
 heartily that he had never come when the door near 
 the platform opened and two men entered, causing a 
 little stir among the audience. 
 
 One of the men seated himself in a chair beside the 
 table that stood on the platform, while the other 
 stepped forward with an engaging smile. 
 
 "Friends," he said, "I am happy to see so many of 
 you gathered here tonight. I trust you will feel well 
 repaid for coming. We are going to open our serv- 
 ices by singing an old familiar hymn and I hope you 
 will all join with us." Then in a strong, pleasing, 
 voice, he ied: "Lord we come before thee now, at 
 thy feet we humbly bow." Robert, with an ever ready 
 ear for pleasing harmony, forgot his surroundings as 
 he listened to the singing of that hymn. He had never 
 heard singing like that which filled the old hall. Some- 
 thing new and happier seemed to awake within him. 
 The fervent prayer which followed, was a continuation 
 of the sentiment expressed in the song, that the Lord 
 would indeed send a message, that would bring joy 
 and peace to the hearts of the hearers and that those 
 who were earnestly seeking the Lord might find him. 
 
 Again they sang, "Come sound His praise abroad 
 and hymns of glory sing." The speaker of the eve- 
 ning was then introduced — Elder Fielding of Liver- 
 pool. The man who was seated by the table arose 
 and came forward. Robert liked him at once. He 
 was young, tall and slender and had large blue eyes 
 
40 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 that twinkled in such a friendly way as he looked at 
 his audience. 
 
 He picked up a Bible that lay on the table and said 
 he would read from Revelations, the fourteenth chap- 
 ter and the sixth verse. "I saw another angel fly in 
 the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to 
 preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to 
 every nation and kindred and tongue and people." 
 
 "Friends," he said, "God has sent his angel to the 
 earth with the everlasting gospel, that in its simplicity 
 and its fullness, it might again be preached on the 
 earth. He has restored the organization of apostles, 
 prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers, bishops, dea- 
 cons, elders and high priests. He is giving as he gave 
 in days gone by, the gifts of the Spirit, prophecy, 
 tongues, interpretation of tongues, healings and mir- 
 acles. The church no longer walks in darkness, but 
 is illuminated by the light and power of the Spirit. 
 Christ has established his kingdom as the Bible said 
 he would, in the last days, and God speaks again to 
 His people, as He did in days of old." 
 
 In a trance, Robert listened. The man's voice was 
 like music that reached the depths of his soul and it 
 was with regret that he arose at the end of an hour 
 for the benediction. He followed his father when he 
 pressed eagerly to the front to shake hands with the 
 speaker and was astonished when he heard his father 
 inviting the man to take tea with them the following 
 evening. He wondered what his mother would say, 
 but save for a tightening of the lips, she made no sign 
 at the announcement. 
 
 Mr. Barry purchased a lobster for the occasion, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 41 
 
 which the young man heartily enjoyed, but to Martha's 
 astonishment, refused the tea which she proffered him, 
 saying that he no longer drank tea or coffee. He 
 praised Martha's preserves and tea cakes, however, till 
 she fairly glowed with pride and gradually her stiff- 
 ness vanished. 
 
 "You see, Mrs. Barry," he explained, "we go out 
 without purse or scrip and seldom have an opportunity 
 of enjoying so bountiful a repast." 
 
 "You mean to say, you receive no pay for your 
 services?" 
 
 "None whatever, Mrs. Barry. We are only too glad 
 to offer our services freely for the benefit of mankind." 
 
 Elder Fielding was bubbling over with good humor 
 and had them shaking with laughter as he cleverly 
 related some of his amusing experiences. 
 
 Martha was frankly puzzled. That the young man 
 was honest and sincere, she had no doubt, but the par- 
 sons of her acquaintance were men of great dignity, 
 held in awe by reason of their station in life. 
 
 Elder Fielding was interested in everything and even 
 went out to the shop to see the willow chairs and to 
 learn how they were put together and when Robert 
 showed him his pets, stroked the white rabbit lovingly 
 and imitated the cooing of the doves so cleverly that 
 Robert laughed heartily and clung to the young man's 
 hand affectionately. 
 
 When they returned to the house, Martha had 
 washed the dishes and set the room to rights, so they 
 seated themselves and John began asking questions. 
 
 "Why did the Mormons establish another church? 
 
42 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 What did they want of another Bible? Did they really 
 believe that God spoke to people today?" 
 
 "We do not call ourselves Mormons," replied Elder 
 Fielding. "Members of the church in former days 
 called themselves 'Saints.' Our church being based 
 on the New Testament Scripture, we call ourselves 
 'Latter Day Saints.' 'Mormon' is a nickname given to 
 us because we believe in the Book of Mormon. Mor- 
 mon was one of the writers who kept the ancient 
 records of the people who once inhabited America. 
 These records were engraven on metallic plates similar 
 to those kept by the ancient writers of the Bible. 
 
 "The Book of Mormon in no way takes the place 
 of the Bible, for nothing in the world could take the 
 place of such a wonderful book. God has preserved 
 it miraculously that through its teachings the world 
 might learn of Him and be saved. The Book of Mor- 
 mon is but an added testimony that Jesus is the Christ. 
 It tells of the people who were scattered from the 
 Tower of Babel, who crossed the ocean and went to 
 America, of another colony who were led from Jeru- 
 salem, having been told of the coming destruction of 
 that city and the captivity of the people, and warned 
 of the Lord to flee into the wilderness, where they 
 wandered for a time and at last crossed the ocean and 
 landed in Central America; and still another colony, 
 including one of the sons of Zedekiah, that was led 
 by the Lord out of Jerusalem at the time of its over- 
 throw. The Lord continued to reveal to them His 
 will and they like the descendants of Judah, who kept 
 the Biblical records, made a record also, which gives 
 additional testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 43 
 
 and the comforting assurance that the God of the past 
 still lives." 
 
 "And what became of all these people that were 
 led to America?" asked John. "Columbus found only 
 the red man." 
 
 "True," replied Elder Fielding, "but there is every 
 evidence that North and South America were once oc- 
 cupied by a vast population and a wide-spreading civ- 
 ilization. We of Europe sometimes say with a su- 
 perior air that America has no past. We call the 
 western hemisphere the New World, yet long before 
 Great Britain was inhabited, men were living in Amer- 
 ica that had reached a high state of civilization. When 
 the Spaniards arrived in Mexico, they found not simply 
 savages, but nations with armies, courts of justice, ad- 
 vanced agriculture and buildings of stone, the archi- 
 tecture of which were a marvel to the architects and 
 sculptors of Europe. Empires rose in splendor and 
 passed away, leaving abundant proofs of their energy, 
 thrift and power. The walls of their magnificent 
 temples are covered with writings, but no one can 
 decipher them until a key is found similar to the 
 Rosetta Stone that unlocked the inscriptions of Egypt." 
 
 "You mean they have ruins over there like those in 
 Egypt?" asked John, in astonishment. 
 
 "Yes, they are very similar." 
 
 John shook his head wonderingly. 
 
 "The first people who built" continued Elder Field- 
 ing, "went into moral, social and spiritual decline and 
 were entirely destroyed by pestilence and war. The 
 second people built on the ruins of the first and were 
 overcome and for the most part destroyed by a hostile 
 
44 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 race. The remainder, such as the Aztec, Incas and 
 American Indian, are but a remnant of those people, 
 that have dwindled in iniquity. Those who were in 
 charge of the records, hid them in the earth, where 
 they remained for hundreds of years, until brought 
 forth and translated by the gift and power of God. 
 
 "Our people differ from both Catholic and Prot- 
 estant churches in one matter. Our Catholic friends 
 believe in succession; that their authority and doctrines 
 have come down to them from the days of the apostles 
 in an unbroken line. Protestant churches believe that 
 there was a rather complete apostasy during the dark 
 ages. Their hope of escape from that dilemma was 
 found in the reformation. We believe in restora- 
 tion, that God moved again to restore his church 
 on earth and that the blessings of old have returned 
 and that angels are again visiting the earth." 
 
 Robert, sitting in a corner by the fireplace, hardly 
 daring to move lest his mother remember and send 
 him to bed, stirred excitedly. Instantly, his mother 
 was upon him. 
 
 "See here, young man, it's long past your bedtime. 
 Off with you!" 
 
 As if this were a signal, Elder Fielding arose, and 
 extending his hand, thanked them warmly for their 
 hospitality, and saying that he hoped to see them again 
 soon, bade them good night. 
 
 As the door closed upon him, John turned to Martha 
 eagerly. 
 
 "Those people have something that we have not! 
 Our religion is but a dead form. With your consent, 
 Martha, I'd like to join them." 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 45 
 
 "No, no, John," cried Martha, agitatedly. "Ill 
 never give my consent! If you joined the Mormons, 
 I could never lift my head again." 
 
 Without a word, John turned on his heel and climbed 
 the stairs to the chamber above. 
 
Chapter Four 
 
 TV/hen the order for chairs had been completed, 
 Mr. Barry took to the road again and Robert 
 hoped that by the time he returned, the strained rela- 
 tions existing between his father and mother would be 
 forgotten as had happened so many times before. 
 
 Life was dreary indeed, however, when his father 
 had gone, for now there was no one to whom he could 
 turn for companionship. His mother, he knew, would 
 be silent and moody for days, knowing that she had 
 made his father unhappy. He took to tramping the 
 countryside in search of adventure. 
 
 One day, he discovered a hole in the tall hedge sur- 
 rounding the estate of Squire Morris. He had often 
 passed the gates of the park, built round by a high 
 stone wall over which he could not see, and had often 
 wondered what lay beyond; now, he would see for 
 himself. Flat on his stomach he lay, wriggling this 
 way and that until he had wormed his way through 
 and rising to his feet, found himself in a shady little 
 wood, where a clear, mossy bottomed spring ran down 
 to a green meadow, murmuring among the stones. 
 The air was damp and misty from the grassy ferns 
 growing along the edge. A startled pheasant suddenly 
 took wing. A herd of shy brown deer went troop- 
 ing past. 
 
 46 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 47 
 
 Through straggling clumps and briery hollows, he 
 gained the top of a hill and caught his breath as 
 the vast estate lay spread before him. There were 
 rolling hills and a stream, like a silver ribbon, winding 
 gracefully in and out. To the left stood the great 
 house with its gables of warm red brick, the sunlight 
 flashing from its diamond paned windows. And there 
 was the driveway that led to the gate and lodge by 
 the roadside which he had so often passed. There 
 were velvety lawns of vivid green, a fountain and 
 statuary set here and there and great beds of beautiful 
 flowers. It reminded him of the Sunday school picnic 
 he had attended the summer before, when the Earl 
 of Delsmere had permitted the children to march 
 through his grounds, herded by their teachers, who 
 had sternly admonished them not to step out of line 
 or to touch a single flower under any consideration. 
 They had been hurried along with only a glimpse at 
 the beauties of the vast estate. Now, he could look 
 his fill, for the estates were very similar. He wished 
 he could pick one of the beautiful flowers to carry 
 home to his mother and stealthily crept a little nearer, 
 but on discerning the gardener busy among the flower 
 beds, shrank back, and was about to slip away when 
 he was startled by the sharp report of a gun close by — 
 a man brushed passed him, a limp hare dangling from 
 his pocket and disappeared in the thicket. 
 
 Robert stared in amazement, for he recognized the 
 man as the one who had slipped out the back door of 
 the public house as the Squire had entered the front. 
 He knew now that the man was a poacher. As the 
 fact dawned upon him, panic seized him and he started 
 
48 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 to run. He had made little headway through the un- 
 derbrush, however, when a firm hand grasped him by 
 the collar and a loud voice shouted: "You young 
 scallawag! Wot are you doin' 'ere?" 
 
 With a frantic wrench, he freed himself, and trem- 
 bling with fright, turned to face the gardener. 
 
 "W'ere's your gun?" he demanded. 
 
 "I — haven't — any — gun," stammered Robert. 
 
 "Don't lie to me! I 'eard a gun!" 
 
 "There's the man that fired the gun!" Robert pointed 
 to the poacher, who, with gun over his shoulder, was 
 just disappearing over the brow of the hill. 
 
 The gardener, in a frenzy, shook his fist in the 
 man's direction. 
 
 "Hi'll get ye yet!" he stormed, then turning to 
 Robert, shouted: " 'ow did ye get in 'ere?" 
 
 "Through a hole in the hedge," replied Robert 
 whimpering. 
 
 "Well, get back there, as quick as hever ye can, 
 and don't let me catch ye hin 'ere hagain or hi'll limb 
 ye!" 
 
 Shamed and humiliated, he retraced his steps, the 
 gardener following, until he had crawled through the 
 gap in the hedge and was safe on the other side. 
 
 What would his mother say, he wondered, if she 
 knew that he had been called a "scallawag" by a com- 
 mon gardener. He deemed it best not to tell her. 
 After that, he was more content to stay close to home 
 and to devote himself to his mother. They spent their 
 evenings reading aloud from the Bible, the Family 
 Herald and the Penny Weekly and during the day, 
 were busy in the garden. 
 
 J.C. B.— 3 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 49 
 
 Like all English women, Mrs. Barry was a great 
 lover of flowers. On one side of the house was her 
 flower garden, and a beautiful garden it was, the 
 finest in the village. In back, laid out in trim rows, 
 flourished the vegetables, beds of cabbages, beans, peas, 
 turnips, lettuce, carrots and onions. 
 
 Robert loved to work in the garden. It was so 
 pleasant when the sun shone and the birds were sing- 
 ing overhead. He could weed and hoe and dream of 
 the things he intended to do when he grew to be a 
 man, and now was added the thought of America. Had 
 Aunt Nell, Uncle Will and Elsie reached there safely, 
 he wondered. It was time they were hearing from 
 them. 
 
 One day, as he was busily engaged with his hoe 
 among the cabbages, there was borne to him on the 
 breeze, the far-off call of the huntsman's horn and the 
 familiar "yo! yo, oo!" of the hounds. He raised his 
 head and shading his eyes, scanned the distant slope. 
 Yes, they were coming, men and women on horse- 
 back, following the hounds. How beautiful they 
 looked! The women in green jackets, with long, 
 flowing skirts, perched high on side saddles, were 
 brandishing long whips. The men in scarlet coats, 
 top hats and buff corduroy breeches, were urging their 
 horses on at a gallop. 
 
 As he stood, thrilled at the sight, a soft warm body 
 brushed against his legs and dove beneath the cab- 
 bages at his feet. Carefully lifting the leaves, he be- 
 held the trembling hare. The dogs would soon be 
 upon it, tearing it to pieces, or, if the hunters reached 
 it in time, they would whip off the dogs and hold 
 
 J.C. B.-4 
 
50 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 aloft the bleeding, mutilated body. He had often 
 watched them and had turned faint and sick at the 
 sight. They should not have this one! Quick as a 
 flash he caught it, held it beneath his jacket and ran 
 with it to the shop, lifted the cover of a big chest and 
 thrust the hare inside. The hounds were coming 
 closer, they had crossed the ditch and came tearing 
 across the meadow, straight for his mother's garden. 
 He started toward them, wildly brandishing his hoe, 
 but he might as well have tried to stop the river Mer- 
 sey from flowing into the Irish Sea. On came the 
 pack! Leaping the hedge, they swept across the let- 
 tuce bed, turned and darted through the vines of peas 
 and beans, up and down they went, hither and thither, 
 and on came the hunters, close upon their heels, dash- 
 ing across the meadow, over the hedge right into his 
 mother's garden, trampling under the feet of the 
 horses, the cabbages and lettuce, turnips and onions 
 so carefully cherished. 
 
 Robert stood speechless in amazement. 
 
 "They've lost the scent!" cried the men disgustedly, 
 turning their horses this way and that, as the hounds, 
 baying deeply, with noses to the ground, raced hither 
 and thither. 
 
 A dispairing cry rent the air! Robert's mother, white 
 and trembling, stood at the door of the scullery, view- 
 ing the devastation. Sorrow gave place to wrath. Her 
 eyes flashed! 
 
 "How dare you come into my garden! You idlers! 
 Wastrels! Profligates!" 
 
 The men drew rein and stared in astonishment. The 
 women crowded about, then a hearty laugh arose, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 51 
 
 joined in by all the members of the hunting party. 
 One of the men flipped a coin, it fell at Martha's feet. 
 Picking it up, she threw it with all her might, straight 
 at the man's head. 
 
 "Take your filthy lucre and be gone!" she cried. 
 
 With a roar of laughter, the hunting party called 
 the dogs, leaped the hedge and were of? down the 
 lane. 
 
 Martha sank to the doorstone and covering her face 
 with her apron, sobbed aloud. The garden, her pride 
 and joy, was ruined, past all hope of repair. Her 
 lovely rosebushes were trampled to the ground along 
 with the hollyhocks, foxgloves and sweet william that 
 bordered the path. 
 
 Robert, with bent head, went slowly towards her. 
 
 "I'm sorry, Mother," he stammered. "I never 
 thought when I took their hare, that this would hap- 
 pen." 
 
 His mother dropped her apron and regarded him 
 through tear reddened eyelids. 
 
 "You took their hare?" she questioned in astonish- 
 ment. 
 
 "Yes, Mother," he replied meekly. "It came into 
 the garden, and hid right at my feet. The poor thing 
 was so frightened! What if it had been Snowball? I 
 couldn't bear to see them get it so I hid it. Come 
 and see." 
 
 He helped her to her feet and led her to the shop, 
 lifted the cover of the big chest and displayed the 
 frightened hare. 
 
 "You poor thing!" she cried. Then turning to Robert, 
 "You say it came straight into the garden?" 
 
52 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Yes, Mother, right at my feet." 
 
 "Then nothing would have saved the garden. They 
 were bound to follow the hare. Many's the time I've 
 watched them, tearing up wheat fields, orchards and 
 gardens, ruining good horses and risking their necks, 
 all for this senseless sport." 
 
 Robert and his mother freed the hare and returning 
 sadly to the house, were met by the postman, who 
 handed them a letter bearing a foreign postmark. 
 
 "It's from Nell!" gasped Martha. 
 
 With trembling hands, she broke the seal, and seat- 
 ing themselves on the doorstone, Robert and his mother 
 read: 
 
 Nauvoo, Illinois. 
 August 5, 1843. 
 Dear Martha: 
 
 You will be anxious to hear how things are going 
 with us. To begin with, we had a very rough passage. 
 Elsie and I spent most of the time below deck, so sick 
 we cared little about what was going on, and Will 
 spent most of his time waiting on us. I guess he 
 wished more than once that we were back in old Eng- 
 land, but all that is over and past and we are glad 
 now that we came. We landed in New Orleans and 
 came up the Mississippi River to Nauvoo. We en- 
 joyed that, for there were so many interesting things 
 to see. 
 
 Everyone has been very kind to us and there are 
 so many English people here that we feel right at 
 home. Just fancy, two thousand people landed here 
 in the spring from England, Scotland and Wales. They 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 53 
 
 are flocking here from all parts of the country and the 
 city is growing by leaps and bounds and bids fair to 
 be the largest in the Middle West. 
 
 They say that three years ago this place was nothing 
 but a swamp, with a few empty farmhouses, sur- 
 rounded by unweeded farmlands. The leaders drained 
 the swamps and laid out a city and everywhere is 
 bustling with activity. Houses are going up on every 
 side and a beautiful white stone temple is being built 
 on the hill, where it can be seen for miles up and 
 down the Mississippi River. 
 
 They have started to build a canal through the city 
 and are talking of building a dam across the river so 
 they will have power for their mills. 
 
 Their great aim is to build a city called Zion, where 
 everyone will be free and equal and there will be no 
 rich nor poor. They have suffered much persecution 
 because they do not believe in slavery or the use of 
 intoxicating liquor and because their ideals are so 
 much higher than those of the rough frontiersmen. 
 The people of Illinois were very kind to them when 
 they were driven out of Missouri and have allowed 
 them to locate here, where they have been granted a 
 wonderful charter. A man named John C. Bennet, 
 who was quartermaster of the State of Illinois, put the 
 charter through and it was signed by Stephen A. Doug- 
 las, Secretary of State. An aspiring young lawyer 
 named Abraham Lincoln, was so deeply moved by the 
 stories of massacre and suffering these people have 
 passed through, he rushed forward to the bar at the 
 final passing of the bill to congratulate Bennet per- 
 sonally and to wish the new city success. 
 
54 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 And a wonderful city it is going to be, for they 
 say there are few more sightly spots in the United 
 States. The river makes a horseshoe curve about the 
 city, so there is water on three sides of us. A Metho- 
 dist minister, who was visiting here the other day, 
 said he felt as if he were in the city of Leghorn, Italy. 
 Who knows but what some day it will be as great 
 a city, if not greater, for they want to make it a city 
 known to all the world for its pure and delightful 
 laws and its learned and patriotic people. 
 
 Professor James Kelley, A. M., an alumnus of 
 Trinity College, Dublin, has been elected president 
 of the university they have started here, for the prophet 
 is planning to have the children pass from the ele- 
 mentary grades right on through the university, so 
 that no child will be handicapped as he has been by 
 insufficient learning. 
 
 Think what a wonderful opportunity it will be for 
 our children, for, Martha, I want you to come, so 
 that Robert can receive the benefit of it also. 
 
 It's not necessary to join the church for these things 
 are open to everybody and they are asking all good 
 people to come and help build this clean, beautiful 
 city. 
 
 There are several mills, an iron foundry and a pot- 
 tery and Will thinks it'll be a good place for a chair 
 factory. Living is very cheap, in fact you can live 
 for about one-eighth what you can in England. Beef 
 and pork are a penny a pound and butter four pence 
 and in American money, corn is I2y 2 cents a bushel 
 and wheat 25c a bushel. 
 
 Talk it over with John and if you decide to come, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 55 
 
 get in touch with the agent for immigration, who has 
 been appointed in England to manage the outfitting 
 of the Mormons by co-operative buying. They have 
 been able to bring people over quite comfortably in 
 chartered ships at a cost of about four pounds per 
 person. 
 
 I must close now, as Elsie wants me to leave room 
 so she can write to Robert. Hoping to see you here 
 before long, 
 
 Love, 
 
 Nell. 
 
 And below was scribbled in a childish hand: 
 
 Dear Robert: 
 
 I wish you were here. We live near the river and 
 go bathing every day. Charley Pitman is teaching me 
 to swim. Charley and I have such good times to- 
 gether. We like to watch the boats go up and down 
 the river. When the whistle blows we run to the 
 wharf to watch the boats come in. They have a big 
 wheel on back that makes a big splash. Black men 
 work on the boats. They are slaves. There are lots 
 of Indians across the river. They come over in their 
 canoes. They are kind Indians. Mother bought me 
 a pair of moccasins like the Indian children wear. 
 Come soon. Lots of love, x x x x x x 
 
 Elsie. 
 
 "Oh, Mother, let's go!" cried Robert, springing to 
 his feet as if ready to start that very minute. 
 
56 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Mrs. Barry was silent. A far-away look came to 
 her eyes as she gazed out beyond her devastated gar- 
 den. 
 
 Robert tugged at her apron. 
 
 "Please, Mother," he begged. 
 
 "We will see when father comes," she replied ab- 
 sently. ] ■ 
 
 Robert read Elsie's note again, pausing at the name 
 "Charley Pitman" — "Charley Pitman" he murmured, 
 regarding the name with a puzzled frown, then his 
 face brightened. "Perhaps we could be chums!" 
 
 Mr. Barry's quest for orders carried him far and 
 wide and it was uncertain when he would return. 
 Robert scanned the highway frequently every day and 
 at last was rewarded by discerning a familiar figure 
 far down the road. As it drew nearer, however, he 
 stood transfixed with horror, for the man tottered 
 from side to side. It couldn't be — his father never 
 drank! Terror stricken, he ran to the house. 
 
 "Mother, Mother, father's coming and he's — he's — " 
 he broke down and sobbed. 
 
 His mother brushed passed him and hurried out 
 into the garden. Mr. Barry was tottering up the path. 
 
 "I'm sick, Martha," he cried, at sight of her. "The 
 doctor said I should go to bed, but I was bound I was 
 coming home. It's been such a struggle to get here." 
 
 He sighed heavily. 
 
 Martha put an arm about him and helped him into 
 the kitchen, then turned to Robert. 
 
 "Run and get Molly," she commanded. 
 
 "Yes, get Molly, she'll fix me up," murmured the 
 sick man. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 57 
 
 Robert was terrified. His father, so robust and 
 hearty, had never had a sick day as far back as he 
 could remember. 
 
 Molly came with her herbs and her leeches, but in 
 spite of all her efforts, the sick man lapsed into un- 
 consciousness. 
 
 "It's the fever!" she announced solemnly. "You'd 
 better get Dr. Dayton from Manchester." 
 
 Dr. Dayton came and after a thorough examination, 
 shook his head sadly. "I'm sorry, Madam," he said 
 to Martha, "but I can do nothing for him. I wish 
 I could tell you differently, but it's no use, his case is 
 hopeless. All you can do is to make him as comfort- 
 able as possible. He may live for days and he may 
 last for weeks, I have no way of telling." 
 
 Days passed; his condition remained the same, ex- 
 cept that he was rapidly becoming weaker. It was 
 evident that he could not hold out much longer. 
 Martha stood hopelessly by doing all that she could to 
 ease his suffering. In her extremity, she turned to 
 Robert for comfort, and the boy felt as if he had 
 grown up over night. 
 
 "If I'd only been kinder to him," she moaned. "He 
 was sad when he went away, because I opposed him. 
 If I had it to do over again, he'd do as he pleased. 
 Whatever shall we do without him?" 
 
 "Don't worry, Mother, I'll take care of you," com- 
 forted Robert. 
 
 "You're a good boy, Robert. I don't know what 
 I'd do without you." 
 
 The boy turned quickly to hide his tears. For his 
 
5 8 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 mother's sake he would be brave, even though his own 
 heart was breaking. 
 
 And Martha, who had held herself aloof from all 
 her neighbors, was made to shed bitter tears over their 
 generosity and acts of kindness, for all the best from 
 their scanty store was proffered her; jellies and pre- 
 serves, fruit and wine, found their way to her shelves, 
 for John's friendly ways and happy disposition had en- 
 deared him to the whole countryside. 
 
 The sick man could partake of none of their dainties 
 and Martha ate very little, but Robert's boyish appe- 
 tite welcomed the good things that were brought to 
 their door. The wine, Martha hid away for she was 
 opposed to the use of it. Not for worlds, however, 
 would she have refused the kind offerings, now that 
 her heart was chastened. 
 
 There came a day when Robert, unable to stand the 
 sound of his father's labored breathing, ran out to 
 the garden, and throwing himself upon the turf be- 
 neath an old apple tree, sobbed out his heart in despair. 
 
 The creaking of the gate aroused him, and looking 
 up, he beheld Elder Fielding striding up the path. 
 Hastily wiping away the tears, he arose to meet him. 
 
 "Hello, Robert, my lad," he greeted cheerfully, plac- 
 ing an arm about the boy's shoulders. "What's 
 troubling you, son?" 
 
 "Father's sick. He's — going — to die," he sobbed. 
 
 "No, laddie, your father is going to live!" declared 
 Elder Fielding confidently. "I've been sent here as 
 an instrument in God's hands, to show forth His heal- 
 ing power. Your father was a believer, he is entitled 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 59 
 
 to the blessings promised. I was miles away when 
 it was shown me that your father was very ill and I 
 was told to come and minister to his needs. So dry 
 your tears and take me to him." 
 
 Wonderingly, Robert led the way to his father's 
 chamber. Martha, seated at the head of the bed, arose 
 to meet them as they entered, made an effort to speak 
 but failed and burst into tears. Elder Fielding strode 
 to her side. 
 
 "Never fear, Mrs. Barry," Elder Fielding said 
 kindly. "I bring you comforting news. Your hus- 
 band will live and be a blessing to many. Will you 
 kneel with me while we have a word of prayer?" 
 
 Mrs. Barry sank to her knees beside the bed and 
 Robert knelt by her side, while Elder Fielding offered 
 an earnest prayer in behalf of the sick man. Then, 
 rising, he took from his pocket a small vial of oil and 
 anointed the head of Mr. Barry, offering a short 
 prayer. Then, placing both hands upon his head, 
 poured out his soul in fervent supplication for the re- 
 lief of the afflicted one. 
 
 The prayer ended, Elder Fielding seated himself by 
 the bed and watched earnestly for signs of returning 
 consciousness. Presently, Mr. Barry sighed and open- 
 ing his eyes, looked from one to the other in a puzzled 
 manner. Suddenly recognizing Elder Fielding, he 
 reached out his hand. 
 
 "What does this mean?" he asked, looking wonder- 
 ingly about. 
 
 "You have been a very sick man," replied Elder 
 Fielding. 
 
 John looked at Martha. "Tell me about it," he 
 
60 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 begged. But Martha was so overcome, she was un- 
 able to speak and Robert stepped forward eagerly. 
 
 "God has healed you, Father," he declared. "Dr. 
 Dayton said you were going to die, but the Lord sent 
 Elder Fielding to save you." 
 
 "To God be all the praise," stated the young man 
 humbly. 
 
 "How wonderful!" sighed John, closing his eyes, 
 as the tears coursed down his cheeks. Martha bent 
 over him, wiping away the tears. 
 
 "Things are going to be different from now on, 
 John," she said contritely. "I'll not stand in your way 
 any longer." 
 
 His face became joyous. 
 
 "I'm well!" he declared. "I want to get up." 
 
 Mrs. Barry looked doubtful, but Elder Fielding as- 
 sured her it would be all right. 
 
 "Come, Robert," he said, "Let's go find the Bible." 
 
 Downstairs, they opened the book to the fifth chap- 
 ter of James and Elder Fielding read aloud: "Is any 
 sick among you? Let him call for the elders of the 
 church; and let them pray over him, anointing him 
 with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer of 
 faith shall save the sick and the Lord shall raise him 
 up; and if he have committed sins, they shall be for- 
 given him." 
 
 "My boy," he said solemnly turning to Robert, "this 
 day has this Scripture been fulfilled." 
 
 With a strong sure tread, Mr. Barry appeared on 
 the threshold, a happy wife by his side. 
 
 "Tell us, Elder Fielding," urged John, "how you 
 knew that I was sick." 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 61 
 
 "It was shown to me in a vision," replied the young 
 man. "I saw this house; I saw your wife and boy 
 weeping; I saw you lying upon your bed, and a voice 
 spoke to me and said, 'Go, and anoint the afflicted 
 one and he shall be healed.' I came, and found every- 
 thing as it was shown to me and the blessing has been 
 yours." 
 
 "It's like the stories we read in the Bible," puzzled 
 Martha. 
 
 "It is the same," Elder Fielding assured her. "God 
 loved not the children of the past more than the chil- 
 dren of today. His promises are the same, yesterday, 
 today and forever. But now I must leave you and 
 return to my field of labor. I have been anounced 
 as the speaker for tonight in Manchester." 
 
 "Stay," cried Martha, "I'll get you a bite to eat, for 
 it's long past midday," and bustling about, she soon 
 had the table set with her best china and a dainty lunch 
 prepared and as they ate, they talked of the letter 
 that had come from Nell and the possibilities of the 
 new land. 
 
 "Go, by all means," urged the young man, "and see 
 things for yourself, for the time is coming, and is not 
 far distant, when peace shall be taken from the earth, 
 and all who will not take up their sword to fight 
 against their neighbor must flee to Zion for safety." 
 
 "Farewell, friends," he said, on departing, "when 
 we meet again may it be in Zion, where we shall all 
 rejoice together." 
 
Chapter Five 
 
 A dismal fog obscured the landscape and made 
 everything damp and disagreeable that day in 
 September when the Barrys embarked on the little 
 sailing vessel that lay at the wharf in Liverpool. 
 
 It had taken some time to dispose of their worldly 
 possessions and Robert found his mother in tears more 
 than once as she held in her hand a treasured keepsake. 
 Martha was a home-loving woman and thrifty. Every- 
 thing that came to her hand, if only a bit of string, 
 was carefully preserved, and now, after years of ac- 
 cumulating, to have everything swept from her, was 
 a severe trial, but for John's sake, she tried to face 
 things bravely. His sickness and the breaking up 
 of their home, was telling on her. White and shaken 
 she clung to her husband's arm. Robert following 
 closely, as they made their way below deck, where 
 it was so dark they could scarcely see anything at 
 first, for the lanterns hanging from the great beams, 
 gave but a dim light. Everywhere was noise and con- 
 fusion, men and women talking excitedly, babies cry- 
 ing, and chests, bundles and baggage of all sorts were 
 strewn about the floor. 
 
 Making their way to a small cleared space, John 
 seated Martha on a big chest and bade Robert to keep 
 
 62 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 63 
 
 watch while he hunted up the bedding and got the 
 bunk fixed, so she could lie down. 
 
 Robert stationed himself by her side and presently 
 a tiny girl came sidling up to him. 
 
 "Moosic, pay moosic!" she commanded, spying the 
 concertina that Robert held tightly beneath his arm, 
 for the desire of his heart had been granted. On hear- 
 ing that Robert was bound for America, old Billy 
 Waulkner had placed his concertina in the boy's arms, 
 saying: " 'ere, take hit along with you. I'll get me an- 
 other. Your grandad and me was boys together; 'e 
 was that good to me, I'd like to remember I did some- 
 thing for 'im." 
 
 Robert had been almost overcome with gratitude. 
 
 "I'll write to you," he promised, eagerly, "and tell 
 you about everything." 
 
 "Then hit's a bargain!" Bill had replied. 
 
 And now, he had no sooner stepped aboard the ves- 
 sel, than he was being importuned for music. Seat- 
 ing himself on a bundle of luggage, he began finger- 
 ing one of the plaintive melodies that the old man 
 had taught him. Instantly, a group of children that 
 had been racing madly from one end of the cabin to 
 the other, came quietly and sat wide-eyed on the floor 
 about him. Thereafter, whenever he saw that the 
 noise of the youngsters was driving his mother to dis- 
 traction, he brought out his concertina and charmed 
 them with its melody. He learned to play the hymns 
 and was called upon to accompany the singing during 
 the morning and evening devotions, and so, with much 
 practice, he soon became proficient in the art and his 
 music whiled away many a weary hour for the pas- 
 
64 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 sengers. Sometimes the strains of a merry tune would 
 set their feet to dancing, but this was frowned upon 
 by the elders and Robert, noting this, would quickly 
 change to a hymn. 
 
 Martha was seasick during the entire voyage and 
 lay weak and miserable, scarcely able to lift her head. 
 Robert and his father proved to be good sailors and 
 spent much time on deck, where they sat for hours, 
 watching the endless tossing of the sea, their hearts 
 singing for joy, that at last they were on their way 
 to America. 
 
 One day a school of dolphins filled the passengers 
 with wonder and delight as they played about the ship, 
 curving their gleaming black and white bodies, they 
 leaped high in the air, then darted like swift arrows 
 through the waves. 
 
 The white seagulls, following constantly in their 
 wake, were also a source of amusement with their 
 graceful movements on the wing, as they circled in the 
 air and skimmed lightly over the waves. And great 
 excitement prevailed when a whale was sighted, blow- 
 ing in the distance. 
 
 The dark body of a steamer bound for Europe, one 
 day emerged out of a dense fog quite near them and 
 was hailed with enthusiasm by all on board, but it 
 passed quickly and was soon lost to view. 
 
 A pocket of calm was encountered which caused 
 days of helpless drifting and much anxiety. The emi- 
 grants made it a subject of fasting and prayer and 
 soon a breeze sprang up and the ship was again on 
 her course. 
 
 J.C. B.— 4 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 65) 
 
 The provisions supplied by the agent for the voyage 
 were of the very best and more than ample; for while 
 the law required that a certain quantity be put on 
 board for each passenger, twenty pounds per head 
 above this quantity and in addition a supply of but- 
 ter and cheese was provided. 
 
 Order and cleanliness were preserved, in strong con- 
 trast to the slovenly and dirty arrangements of the 
 majority of emigrants on ship board. A committee 
 was appointed to act as police and to see that every 
 person was in bed by eight o'clock in the evening and 
 in the morning that every passenger was up, if able, 
 his bed made, the rubbish swept together, hauled up 
 in buckets and thrown overboard before seven o'clock. 
 Implicit obedience was given by the passengers to 
 those elected over them; their slightest word was law, 
 always respected and cheerfully obeyed. 
 
 Classes for all ages were conducted on board, so 
 that the children would not lose out in their schooling 
 and the older ones might have an opportunity to learn 
 something about the new country to which they were 
 going, and also the aims and ideals of the church which 
 was sponsoring the building of a city which the leaders 
 fondly hoped would be like Enoch's city of old. 
 
 But in spite of the efforts of the elders in charge, to 
 keep the emigrants busy and entertained, they all grew 
 utterly weary of the endless, tossing of the sea, and 
 when at the end of six weeks, they came in sight of 
 New Orleans, they crowded to the rail with wild 
 cheers. And there, amid the hustle and bustle, the 
 shoutings of rivermen, the screech of whistles and the 
 clanging of bells, they landed, and were conducted to 
 
 J.C. B.-5 
 
66 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 the Mississippi steamboat. There they were welcomed 
 by a group of elders from Nauvoo, who shook hands 
 with them, spoke words of cheer and helped them find 
 comfortable places on board. 
 
 The Barrys were taken to a small stateroom on the 
 upper deck, where they disposed of their bags and 
 bundles and then went out to watch the busy scene 
 about them. The river was full of boats similar to 
 the one they were on. Such strange looking craft as 
 they appeared to the eyes of the emigrants, with their 
 tower-like funnels, belching black smoke, their three 
 decks, topped with a pilot house that looked for all 
 the world like a summer pavilion with its elaborate 
 decorations and lace-like filigree. 
 
 Upon the paddle boxes and pilot houses, emblems 
 were painted in gay colors. One had a picture of a 
 waterfall, another a buffalo hunt and on others were 
 flying birds and scenes of all kinds that were very 
 entertaining to the onlookers. 
 
 Some were decked out with flags and streamers and 
 the great paddle wheels, some on the side and some 
 at the stern, churned the water into great masses of 
 yellow foam. All looked trim from bow to stern, 
 with white paint, clean and well-kept, and they rode 
 majestically, like great, white swans, on the slow rise 
 and dip of the river. 
 
 A bell sounded. 
 
 "All ashore that are going ashore!" was heard. 
 
 There was the sound of escaping steam, the big 
 wheel began to turn. Robert and his father rushed to 
 the side and leaned upon the railing. A deck hand 
 was unfastening the mooring line. He ran for 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 67 
 
 the gangplank as the wheels plunged backwards and 
 the boat backed into the middle of the river. 
 
 "We're off!" declared Mr. Barry, as the boat 
 straightened and headed upstream. 
 
 "Martha," he cried, his face beaming, as he returned 
 to her side, "do you realize you are on the Mississippi 
 River, the great Father of Waters? And this," indi- 
 cating the verdant land on either side, "is the new 
 land of America!" 
 
 His enthusiasm began to communicate itself to 
 Martha and for the first time since the journey began, 
 she commenced to take an interest in what was going 
 on about her. 
 
 The air was balmy. The river sparkled in the Oc- 
 tober sunshine. The sky was clear and blue. The 
 churning beat of the great paddle wheel and the steady 
 swish of the waves brought a soothing peace to 
 Martha. 
 
 "I must say, the motion of this boat is much more 
 pleasing than that of the one we just left," she de- 
 clared. "I'm glad that voyage is over. I never want 
 to see the ocean again as long as I live!" 
 
 Mr. Barry laughed. 
 
 "Robert and I enjoyed it." 
 
 The boy's face was radiant. He stood by the rail, 
 his hair tossed by the breeze, his eyes taking in every 
 detail as they slowly made their way upstream. 
 
 The boat rounded a curve; ahead, a crowd of people 
 stood on a levee. 
 
 "See, Dad," he cried excitedly, "the boat must be go- 
 ing to land. Are all those people going to come on 
 board?" 
 
68 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Oh, no," laughed one of the men standing near. 
 "It's a common practice to come down to the levee to 
 see the boat come in. Why, I've known all business 
 to be suspended in a town when a new boat arrived. 
 The whole populace came to the landing then. It's 
 an impressive and beautiful sight of which people 
 never seem to tire." 
 
 Just then there were two long and three short blasts 
 that made Robert nearly jump out of his skin. 
 
 "She's blowing for the landing," explained the man, 
 although the boat was still in mid-stream. 
 
 Slowly and gracefully she swung toward the levee, 
 her great paddle wheels slowing to a stop. The gang- 
 plank was swung out over the water, a black deck 
 hand balanced on the extreme tip with mooring line 
 in hand. 
 
 On and on, silently she glided. Robert was holding 
 his breath for fear she would run up on the bank 
 when jingle, jingle went the bells in the engine room; 
 for a moment the wheels churned backward and jingle 
 went the bells again; the wheels stopped, the bow 
 touched the shore, just as her momentum was spent. 
 The gangplank was lowered, several roustabouts ran 
 out the line and made it fast. 
 
 Passengers tripped down the gangplank, others 
 trotted aboard. Freight was hustled ashore and aboard 
 by a long line of sweltering black men. Then the 
 mate gave the big bell a pull to notify the near ap- 
 proach of departure. The mooring line was un- 
 fastened, the wheels plunged backward and again the 
 boat was headed upstream, while many lingered on 
 the bank cheering and waving. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 69 
 
 Robert gave a satisfied sigh. This was life! At last 
 they were out in the world of sunshine, away from 
 dismal fog, the dull life of the mill hands, and the 
 schoolmaster, who wielded his cane so vigorously. Never 
 again would the master's cane bring terror to his 
 heart. 
 
 The days passed pleasantly. Robert never tired of 
 watching the discharging and loading of freight at 
 the towns along the way; great hogsheads of molasses, 
 flour, salt, wagons, mules and household goods of every 
 description. The clatter of the gangplank, shouting 
 bosses and sweltering men; trappers heavily bearded, 
 their hair almost to their shoulders, in hunting shirt 
 and deerskin trousers, a coonskin cap on their head 
 with the tail dangling down their back, pioneer farmers 
 behind ox teams that waited on the bank. Glimpses 
 of towns in the making, groups of log cabins, their 
 chinks and crevices plastered with clay, a small bit of 
 land tilled around them, and tree stumps everywhere. 
 Islands with their Indian tepees and boatloads of In- 
 dians clambering on board to dicker with the passen- 
 gers. 
 
 Robert stared at them curiously. These were the 
 people Elder Fielding had told about that had once 
 been a white, delightsome people, but who had 
 dwindled in iniquity and become dark and loathsome. 
 
 The black men puzzled him. Where did they come 
 from? Why were they black and why were they 
 slaves. He loved their gay laughter, the thrumming 
 of their banjos and their melodious voices raised in 
 song, especially on moonlight evenings when the boat 
 had tied up for the night, navigation between islands, 
 
70 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 rocks and snags, being too treacherous for night travel. 
 
 The air grew cooler as they traveled northward. A 
 wedge of geese flew over, headed southward, honking 
 raucously. Wild ducks floated on the water, diving 
 now and again for food, their funny web feet paddling 
 the air as their heads went under. Turtles sunned 
 themselves on dead trees, bleached white. A clumsy 
 flatboat floated past, guided by a long sweeping oar, 
 its occupants, a pioneer and his family, fighting des- 
 perately to avoid the snags and rocks lying in wait 
 for them. There would be river pirates lurking in 
 the shadowed islands and roving bands of Indians 
 along the shore ere they gained a foothold on a new 
 site and turned their raft into a home. 
 
 The boat proceeded slowly on its up-river journey. 
 A white current raced along her sides. The churning 
 beat of the paddle wheel echoed along the bluffs, and 
 behind, the swing and swish of the wake wave, broke 
 along the short, clay beach. On one side of the river 
 bank rose sheer steep bluffs, on the other, vast stretches 
 of prairie, with here and there small patches of timber. 
 
 At last they reached Quincy and tied up for the 
 night. 
 
 "Our last stop!" declared one of the elders who 
 had come to meet them. "Tomorrow we'll be in Nau- 
 voo!" 
 
 Quincy, the elder pointed out, had been the place of 
 refuge for their people several years before, when they 
 had been driven out of Missouri. They had gone to 
 Missouri from Kirtland, Ohio, where they had suffered 
 much persecution because of their religious belief, al- 
 though Robert Lucas, who was governor of Ohio dur- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 71 
 
 ing their sojourn there, had written to President Martin 
 Van Buren, a letter, in which he stated that they were 
 an industrious, inoffensive people and none of them 
 had ever been charged as violators of the law. 
 
 Missouri being the extreme western frontier of the 
 United States, they had sent missionaries to the In- 
 dians from Kirtland, who traveled fifteen hundred 
 miles on foot, through a wilderness country, during 
 the worst season of the year, occupying about four 
 months, during which time they preached to tens of 
 thousands along the way, and two nations of Indians, 
 converting and organizing churches at the different 
 stopping places. 
 
 Missouri was found to be a delightful region, with 
 fertile soil that produced in abundance. It bid fair 
 to become one of the most blessed places on the globe, 
 an ideal place for the establishment of Zion, so the 
 people went there, purchased land and built homes. 
 The community grew rapidly, a publishing house, 
 schools, stores and other institutions were established 
 and a lot dedicated for the building of a temple in 
 Independence, but within two years persecution came 
 upon them. 
 
 "You people," said the elder, "who have come from 
 a law-abiding country, can hardly conceive of the 
 depredations committed by the mob element that rules 
 the western frontier. Men were dragged from their 
 homes, tarred and feathered, their leaders imprisoned; 
 houses were unroofed and helpless women and chil- 
 dren were driven over the frozen prairie without food 
 and shelter for days, many of whom were barefooted 
 and half -clothed. Mothers gave birth to babies in 
 
72 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 the cottonwoods on the bank of the Missouri River, 
 their only shelter from the storms that beat upon them 
 being pieces of rag carpet held over them by the wo- 
 men. The wife of our prophet crossed the frozen 
 Mississippi to this place, carrying two of her children 
 in her arms while two walked beside her, clutching her 
 dress, a brokenhearted woman, her husband in jail, 
 not knowing if he were alive or dead." 
 
 "But why were they driven out?" asked John. "I 
 thought this was a free country where people could 
 worship as they pleased." 
 
 "May God hasten the day," replied the elder fer- 
 vently, "when man will cease to war with man and 
 wrest from him this sacred right. Missouri is a slave 
 state. Our people are opposed to slavery, and while 
 they have pledged themselves to observe strict neu- 
 trality on the slave issue, to the Missourian today, 
 there is no neutrality. There is a large slave popu- 
 lation in Missouri, which represents considerable prop- 
 erty, for although a Negro may be purchased in Africa 
 for a few gewgaws or a bottle of whiskey, he will 
 bring from twelve to fifteen hundred dollars on the 
 New Orleans market. There is continual fear of 
 insurrection among the blacks and very drastic laws 
 have been enacted concerning them, for they are the 
 most valuable possession of the Missouri pioneer. 
 Naturally, they use every means in their power to see 
 that no menace to that property is allowed to exist. 
 The majority of our people are from the east; they 
 own no slaves and their attitude of treating the blacks 
 much as they treat the white people, no doubt caused 
 the slave owners much uneasiness. Then, too, the 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 73 
 
 Missourians were suspicious of all people who were 
 dominated by group loyalties and they feared that our 
 people would sometime dictate the politics of the 
 state. 
 
 'They were suspicious also of people whose cus- 
 toms, speech and dress were different from their own. 
 And above all, the religious convictions of our people, 
 were deeply resented. Pioneer Baptists and Metho- 
 dists were willing to concede that prophets of Biblical 
 times had revelations and talked with angels, but the 
 claim of these newcomers that they were having the 
 same experience right along, was regarded not only 
 absurd, but scandalously irreverent. 
 
 "The people of Quincy will long be remembered 
 for their kindness to the oppressed of our people. 
 Many of the settlers in Quincy are Easterners. They 
 too, are opposed to slavery and for some time strained 
 relations have existed between them and the Missouri- 
 ans, for they are often accused of harboring slaves 
 and helping them on their way to freedom. 
 
 "They invited our people to settle among them, but 
 when it was learned that a tract of land could be pur- 
 chased cheaply, fifty miles up the river, around a 
 little village called 'Commerce,' it was decided to 
 purchase it and try once more to carry out our dreams 
 of a perfected state of society, where there would 
 be no oppression. Dr. Isaac Galland, one of our chief 
 benefactors, having under his control a large quantity 
 of land in the vicinity of our city, opened both his 
 heart and his hands and bade us welcome to share 
 with him in his abundance. He sold us his large es- 
 tates on very reasonable terms and on long credit, so 
 
74 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 that we might have an opportunity of paying for them 
 without being distressed, and has since taken our 
 lands in Missouri in payment for the whole amount 
 and has given us a clear and indisputable title for the 
 same. 
 
 "Our dreams are being realized, the city is building 
 rapidly and bids fair to be the largest in the middle- 
 west. It now numbers around thirty thousand, while 
 Quincy, here, the next largest city in this vicinity, only 
 numbers fifteen hundred." 
 
Chapter Six 
 
 A ll on board were astir early the next morning, 
 watching eagerly for the first glimpse of the new 
 city. And a wonderful city it was, as it lay glittering in 
 the afternoon sunshine, half encircled by a bend of the 
 river. Its bright new dwellings surrounded by green 
 gardens, ranged upwards to a dome-shaped hill, where 
 a beautiful white stone temple was being erected. Be- 
 yond the city stretched fields of yellow grain where 
 harvesters were busily engaged. Industry and enter- 
 prize were evident upon every hand and a cry of 
 wonder and delight went up from the multitude, that 
 had thronged the railing for hours, when, rounding 
 a bend in the river, the city burst into view. Their 
 voices were hushed as the elder began to address them: 
 "Nauvoo the beautiful! The largest city in Illinois! 
 It stands as a monument to the industry of a conse- 
 crated people. Four years ago, this region was a 
 malaria-ridden lowland about the deserted city of 
 Commerce, an experimental community, consisting of 
 several empty farmhouses, then owned by Captain 
 James White, the first white settler, who came here 
 in 1824 to trade with the Sac and Fox Indians. The 
 Indians at that time had a village of five hundred 
 lodges on the hill yonder, where the city now stands, 
 
 75 
 
76 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 called Quashquema. Captain White purchased the 
 village for two hundred sacks of corn and the Indians 
 paddled across the river to Iowa. In 1839, Joseph 
 Smith purchased the property from Hugh White, son 
 of James White, and the farm of Isaac Galland lying 
 west of it, for the sum of fourteen thousand dollars, 
 and changed the name from Commerce to 'Nauvoo,' 
 a Hebrew term signifying a 'beautiful place,' and a 
 more beautiful spot for a city, would be hard to find. 
 People are flocking here by the thousands from all 
 parts of the country as well as from foreign lands." 
 
 The boat was nearing the landing. Two long and 
 three short blasts reverberated from shore to shore. 
 As the boat swung toward the wharf, a great shout 
 went up from the crowd gathered along the river, fol- 
 lowed by a song of welcome and a cheer for the new 
 arrivals. There were excited wavings of handker- 
 chiefs, hats were thrown in the air and sobs and laugh- 
 ter were heard as a familiar face was recognized. 
 
 Robert's heart beat high, as his eyes swept the crowd 
 in search of Elsie. Then, with a glad cry, he spied 
 her, with a group of children, perched on a log that 
 jutted out into the river. 
 
 "Mother, Mother, there's Elsie!" he cried, excitedly, 
 pointing to the children. 
 
 "And there's Nell," she declared happily, indicat- 
 ing a group near the end of the wharf. 
 
 "And there's Will, over yonder," shouted John, 
 waving his arm frantically. 
 
 As the gangplank was lowered, and the line made 
 fast, a stalwart man with a commanding personality, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 77 
 
 stepped forward, his hand extended, to welcome per- 
 sonally everyone that stepped ashore. 
 
 "Our prophet, Joseph Smith!" declared the elder. 
 
 Robert stared in astonishment. This man the 
 prophet? The one who claimed he had talked with 
 angels? Why, he was just an ordinary man! So dif- 
 ferent to what he had expected. Just what he had 
 expected, he was unable to determine. Certainly not 
 a man who would shake hands with everyone on board. 
 
 The crowd pressed eagerly forward. Robert was 
 propelled onward, until presently he found himself 
 face to face with the prophet. He grasped the hand 
 held out to him and looked searchingly into the face 
 of the tall man above him. A pair of keen, blue eyes, 
 looked deeply into his brown ones, a kindly voice said, 
 "Welcome to Nauvoo, my lad," and the boy's heart 
 was won. The hand was relinquished, he stepped 
 ashore, and before he could draw breath, a pair of 
 small arms were thrown about his neck and a kiss 
 landed on his ear. 
 
 "Oh, Robert, I'm so glad you've come!" Elsie's face 
 was radiant. 
 
 Robert was overwhelmed with confusion. Beside 
 him, Aunt Nell was weeping on his mother's shoulder; 
 Uncle Will was pumping his father's hand up and 
 down as if he would never let go and everybody was 
 talking at once. Aunt Nell, wiping her eyes, came 
 to his rescue. 
 
 "There, there, Elsie, don't strangle Robert, now that 
 he's reached here safely. My, such a time as I've had 
 with that child. Scarcely a bite has she eaten today. 
 And worry — ever since I told her that I wouldn't be 
 
78 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 surprised if you landed here today, she's been afraid 
 something would happen to the boat before it got 
 here." 
 
 "Why, what could happen to the boat?" asked John 
 in surprise. 
 
 "Plenty!" replied Will, grimly. "We've been hear- 
 ing a lot lately about steamboat disasters. They get 
 impaled on stumps, snags and rocks in the river, their 
 boilers blow up, they take fire and there are frequent 
 collisions. I'll admit I was a bit uneasy myself." 
 
 "My word!" exclaimed Martha, "I'm glad we didn't 
 know about it before. The land was so close on either 
 side, I felt perfectly safe, after being out of sight of 
 land for so long. I had no fear of the river, whatever, 
 and quite enjoyed this end of the voyage." 
 
 One of the elders who had accompanied them from 
 England came rushing toward them. 
 
 "You've found your folks, I see," he exclaimed, 
 briskly. "You'll be well cared for. I wish we could 
 say as much for the others. Every house is filled, they 
 say, and many are living in tents. It's going to be a 
 big problem getting them all housed for the winter. 
 I'll be glad when the Nauvoo House is ready for oc- 
 cupancy." 
 
 With an air of deep concern, he hurried away, to do 
 what he could for those who had neither friends nor 
 relatives awaiting them. 
 
 Nell and Will led the way up the embankment, 
 conversing happily. An elderly lady, her arms filled 
 with packages, was struggling up the incline to the 
 roadway, when a lad the age of Robert sprang to her 
 assistance. Martha looked at him with approval. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 79 
 
 "A little gentleman!" she commented. 
 
 "That's young Joseph, the prophet's son," replied 
 Nell. "He's the kindest boy, always going out of his 
 way to help someone. I do hope he and Robert get 
 to be friends." 
 
 The boys' eyes met as they passed. A pair of won- 
 derful dark eyes, so like his own, regarded Robert 
 gravely, then the boy smiled and passed on. Robert 
 was thrilled! Here was a boy his own age, that had 
 already won the approval of his mother, his Aunt Neil 
 hoped they would be friends. But he was the prophet's 
 son! Would he deign to be friends with an emigrant 
 boy? Wistfully he regarded the sturdy lad ahead, who 
 was assisting the old lady in such a dignified manner. 
 
 Elsie, who had been chattering like a magpie, as 
 she skipped along the road beside him, now claimed 
 his attention. 
 
 "What's the matter with you, Robert, have you lost 
 your tongue?" she queried him sharply. "You haven't 
 spoken a word yet! Aren't you glad you came?" 
 
 He turned to her in surprise. 
 
 "Of course I'm glad," he drawled, "but there's so 
 much to see, I can't talk for looking." 
 
 "Well, I can look and talk, too," she declared briskly. 
 "Do you see that white house with green shutters down 
 the road, close to the river? That's where we live. 
 We can see all the boats that go up and down and 
 watch the Indians paddling their canoes. The Indians 
 come across the river every Saturday to run races and 
 play games and we have so much fun watching them." 
 
 The house was soon reached. It was a large, two- 
 story frame cottage, situated on a four-acre plot of 
 
80 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 rich, level ground, overlooking the river and was 
 sheltered by an enormous maple. 
 
 They paused at the gate to look about them. Away 
 to the south and west, the bluffs on the farther side 
 of the river were a gray shadow under the skyline and 
 below, rippled the waters of the great Mississippi. To 
 the north and east were wooded hills and sloping 
 green pastures, overarched by a clear, blue sky, and 
 over it all a quiet peace prevailed. 
 
 "It's like a beautiful painting, come to life!" ex- 
 claimed Martha. 
 
 Nell pointed out the large clumps of "laylocks" as 
 they made their way to the house, syringa and snow- 
 ball, the beds of old-fashioned flowers, grapevines, 
 raspberry bushes and other fruiting shrubs. 
 
 "Fruit does well here," informed Will, "and we 
 have everything in abundance. The house is large — 
 too large for just the three of us, so there will be 
 plenty of room for all." 
 
 The last rays of the setting sun streamed in at the 
 window as they sat around the big table in the dining 
 room, leisurely enjoying the bountiful meal that Nell 
 had prepared for the weary travelers. Their hunger 
 satisfied, all trooped outdoors to view the sunset, for 
 the western sky was ablaze with a wonderful display 
 of colors; orange, old gold, violet and purple, all of 
 which were reflected in the water below, till the river 
 looked like a flood of shattered pearl. 
 
 "My word! What a glorious spectacle!" cried John. 
 "I never saw anything so beautiful." 
 
 "Travelers tell us the sunsets here are unrivaled," 
 replied Will. 
 
 J. C. B.— 5 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 81 
 
 Chairs were brought out from the living room and 
 all made themselves comfortable on the wide veranda 
 facing the river, as they continued to talk over all that 
 had happened since last they met. 
 
 The sun sank below the horizon, leaving streaks of 
 rose and pale yellow; a long gray cloud appeared, 
 presaging night. The stars came out, one by one and 
 a shy sickle of moon. 
 
 "Wait till the moon is full; we'll show you another 
 wonderful spectacle," claimed Will. "Moonlight on 
 the Mississippi is something never to be forgotten!" 
 
 "How does it happen that you're so fortunate in 
 your location? Not all have so choice a spot, I'll war- 
 rant," asserted John. 
 
 "A man from Maine built this house," replied Will. 
 "He built it after the pattern of his old home by the 
 seashore and thought the sight of the river would as- 
 suage his longing for the ocean, but he missed the 
 salt breezes and tang of the sea and it made him more 
 homesick than ever. Then he had a chance to get on 
 a farm, and his joy knew no bounds. All his life, 
 he had scratched around in the stones of a rocky hill- 
 side, trying to find a foothold for his garden, and now, 
 to be able to plow all day in virgin soil, without strik- 
 ing root or pebble, fills him with awe. He thinks 
 he's reached the celestial city already. He's one of 
 the happiest men in the world and one of the hardest 
 workers. That's one of the advantages of this Zion 
 we are trying to build; place a man where he can be 
 happy and his work becomes a pleasure." 
 
 "Is this idea of building Zion, going to work?" 
 asked John. 
 
 J.C. B.— 6 
 
82 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "It has to work; the success of the church depends 
 upon it. It's God's way of satisfying human needs 
 and building Christian men; our opportunity of sav- 
 ing ourselves, by spending ourselves for the good of 
 each other. We must do right in industrial life or 
 else we will be wrong in church life. The world has 
 not learned how to utilize its man power and its 
 physical resources for the uplift of mankind. Mil- 
 lions are idle, there is waste on every hand. In a 
 rich country like this, where everything is to be had in 
 abundance, people are actually starving. Something's 
 wrong; that ought not to be. It's the business of 
 the church to be 'the light of the world'; to show it 
 how to live. The church with its Zion and its steward- 
 ships, is an example of how the things of this world 
 may be used in the manner designed by God." 
 
 "It's stewardship — what do you mean by steward- 
 ships?" 
 
 "Why, every man is made a steward over his own 
 property. When a man recognizes the fact that 'the 
 earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof he realizes 
 that the things which he possesses are, after all, God's, 
 and he holds them only as God's steward, and should 
 do with them what the law of God requires." 
 
 "And what does the law of God require?" 
 
 "Well, his first responsibility as a steward, is to care 
 for his individual needs by the exercise of his powers 
 and abilities. As he accumulates more than is needed 
 for that purpose, 'one-tenth of the increase belongs to 
 God.' He then carefully husbands the remaining 
 nine-tenths until he is able to secure an inheritance. 
 If he acquires a family, his circle of responsibility in- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 83 
 
 creases and to them he owes his first responsibility. 
 But having secured an inheritance which is sufficient 
 to provide amply for himself and his dependents, then 
 his circle of responsibility enlarges again and he owes 
 something to his neighbors. That something we call 
 surplus and the surplus, like the tithe, belongs to God 
 and is consecrated, or set apart for the purpose of 
 helping others. The chief purpose of surplus is to 
 assist worthy people of ability, who lack capital, to 
 secure an inheritance. The assistance rendered is not 
 a gift, you understand, but an opportunity whereby 
 the ability of one steward is combined with the sur- 
 plus of another to assist the needy steward to a point 
 where he too, can create surplus. The flow of capital 
 from surplus producing stewards is to be a common 
 fund to accomplish some of the projects requiring a 
 greater volume of capital." 
 
 John scratched his head thoughtfully. 
 
 "I don't believe it'll work," he declared doubtfully. 
 
 "It'll work if we can put away envyings and strife," 
 replied Will. "It doesn't take a great deal of money 
 to supply a person's needs. One can only use about 
 so much anyhow." 
 
 "I guess you're right," replied John. 
 
 "Tomorrow we'll go to the Temple, where the 
 prophet is to deliver an address to the new arrivals. 
 The Temple is not completed, but services are being 
 held in the lower auditorium. After that, we'll take 
 you around and show you the city." 
 
Chapter Seven 
 
 TD obert, seated in the Temple with his father and 
 mother and a multitude of others, listened intently 
 to every word that fell from the lips of the prophet. 
 
 Very humbly he spoke, warning them not to look 
 to him for perfection, that he was merely a man, with 
 all a man's weaknesses and imperfections, who had 
 been chosen to carry out God's purposes. That he was 
 striving with them, to overcome his infirmities and 
 begged them to bear with him and with all the in- 
 firmities of the brethren in a Christlike manner, "till 
 we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowl- 
 edge of the son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the 
 measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ." 
 
 He warned them not to expect that all would be 
 harmony, peace and love, for they had come from dif- 
 ferent states and different nations and naturally there 
 would be prejudices and differences of opinion on 
 many things, that would require time to be overcome. 
 Then, too, there would be many creep in unawares, 
 who would endeavor to sow discord, strife and ani- 
 mosity among them, and by so doing bring evil upon 
 them, but these things would have to be borne pa- 
 tiently. 
 
 84 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 85 
 
 He admonished them to keep the commandments of 
 God and not to be discouraged by these things and 
 eventually they would be able to see eye to eye and 
 rejoice in the full fruition of the glory that was re- 
 served for the righteous. 
 
 "We claim no privilege," he said, "but what we feel 
 cheerfully disposed to share with our fellow citizens 
 of every denomination and every sentiment of religion: 
 and therefore say, that so far as being restricted to 
 our own faith, those who desire to locate themselves 
 in this place or the vicinity, are welcome to do so, and 
 we will hail them as citizens and friends and shall feel 
 it not only a duty, but a privilege to reciprocate the 
 kindness we have received from the benevolent and 
 kindhearted citizens of the State of Illinois." 
 
 Robert saw his father quietly lay his hand on his 
 mother's and knew that he was assuring her that she 
 would be welcome, even though she had vowed to 
 remain true to the religion of her father and mother 
 to the end. 
 
 The Barrys with a number of others, lingered after 
 the meeting had been dismissed and strolled about 
 the building. They watched the men with hammers 
 and chisels fashioning and polishing the massive pieces 
 of limestone that formed the outer wall of the Temple 
 from cellar to roof; its great pillars with their moon- 
 shaped pedestals and star and sun-crowned capitals. 
 
 A guide took them to the basement where they were 
 shown the baptismal font. It stood upon twelve oxen, 
 four on each side and two at each end, their head, 
 shoulders and forelegs projecting out from under the 
 font. 
 
86 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Why, it's like the molten sea that was built for 
 Solomon's temple!" Martha knew her Bible. 
 
 John gazed at the oxen admiringly. "What beau- 
 tiful animals!" 
 
 "They were copied after the most perfect five-year- 
 old steer that could be found in the country," stated 
 the guide, "and are an excellent likeness of the orig- 
 inal. They were carved out of pine with infinite pa- 
 tience by Elijah Fordham of New York City. It has 
 taken eight months to complete them. It is intended 
 to overlay them all with gold, so that when finished 
 they will have a grand appearance. Water for the 
 font is supplied from the well in the east end of the 
 basement which is thirty feet deep." 
 
 They returned again to the main auditorium. 
 
 "It is estimated that the whole building will cost 
 a million dollars," continued the guide, "and will ex- 
 ceed in splendor and magnificence any building in the 
 west at the present time. The cornerstone was laid on 
 April 6, 1841. The church was eleven years old that 
 day. The work is being done by skilled laborers, who 
 work nine days to provide for their families and on 
 the tenth day, work for the Temple. The stone is 
 taken from two quarries along the river, one above 
 and one below the city, that provide a good grade, 
 as you can see, of gray limestone. Besides this audi- 
 torium where the service was held today, there is to be 
 an upper auditorium and rooms above for the use of 
 the various quorums. This Temple and the one we 
 built in Kirtland, Ohio, are the only Temples in the 
 world built by direct command of God. There's not 
 a man in Nauvoo so poor but what he is proud to 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 87 
 
 give his tenth day's work, for he feels that he is hand- 
 ing down to his children a priceless heritage. 
 
 "The Temple will be visible for miles up and down 
 the river and from the surrounding country." He led 
 the way to the front of the building and pointed to- 
 ward the river. "There is no more magnificent view 
 between here and New Orleans than the one before 
 you." 
 
 Robert, who had been closely following him, caught 
 his breath at the grandeur of the scene below. The 
 great river, glinting in the noonday sun, encircled the 
 hill upon which they stood and numbers of boats were 
 passing up and down. A fairy isle, covered with 
 beautiful timber, lay between them and the farther 
 shore, where the autumn coloring of the woodland, 
 could be seen on the bluffs, rising abruptly from the 
 river. The plain below was dotted with dwellings 
 of brick, wood and stone; gristmills, sawmills, an 
 iron foundry and a pottery were also visible. 
 
 As they stood, entranced, a line of stolid oxen came 
 slowly plodding up the hill, with great blocks of stone, 
 swinging by heavy chains, beneath big carts, to be 
 put in place by eager workmen. 
 
 "What building is that there?" asked John, indicat- 
 ing a large structure to the right of them. 
 
 "That's the arsenal," replied the guide. "Nauvoo 
 has a military organization second to none in the 
 State of Illinois. It is called the 'Nauvoo Legion' and 
 numbers five thousand men. Because of the nearby 
 Indian frontier, the statute laws of the state make it 
 obligatory upon every man between the ages of eight- 
 een and forty-five to train for military service. He 
 
88 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 must provide himself with an efficient firearm and re- 
 port at a certain time when ordered by the military 
 authorities, for drill. The legislature of the state has 
 made Joseph Smith, Lieutenant General." 
 
 "You should see him on parade, John," exclaimed 
 Will, proudly, "with his chapeau decorated with os- 
 trich feathers, his blue coat and buff trousers and high 
 military boots; a commanding figure indeed. He has 
 a bodyguard of sixty horsemen armed with broad- 
 swords. His wife rides with him on parade days. She's 
 a splendid horsewoman and makes an excellent ap- 
 pearance upon their black horse, Charlie. Their son, 
 Joseph, also belongs to a small group of horsemen. 
 And you should see Bailey's boy troops — they're a 
 spectacle worth seeing. There are about six hundred 
 of them. You'll want to join them, Robert." 
 
 "There is considerable rivalry between our organiza- 
 tions, the Carthage Grays and the Quincy Blues," 
 stated the guide, "but there is no question but what 
 ours are the finest, both in appearance and in response 
 to commands." 
 
 A handsome black horse with a white star in his 
 forehead, came prancing up the hill, a sturdy lad 
 astride his back. The guide eyed them lovingly. 
 
 "Here comes Charlie now, and the prophet's son," 
 he said softly. "He comes every day to watch the 
 workmen and to dream about the future, probably, 
 for some day the boy will be taking his father's place. 
 There's a wonderful future in store for the lad!" 
 
 Robert eyed the beautiful animal, holding his head 
 so proudly. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 89 
 
 "I wish I had a horse like that to ride," he cried, 
 eagerly. 
 
 "It would be hard to find another horse like 
 Charlie," replied the guide. "He's a wonderful ani- 
 mal, so high-spirited and proud in carriage and yet 
 as kind and gentle as a kitten. He's been with the 
 family through many vicissitudes, pulling their wagon 
 from Kirtland to Missouri and from Missouri to 
 Illinois, across the rolling prairie and the frozen 
 Mississippi. He's absolutely afraid of nothing. 
 I've seen him stand close beside the cannon when 
 it was fired and act as if he enjoyed it, and 
 the thunder of the big bass drum on parade 
 days, that can be heard as far as Fort Madison, seems 
 to exhilarate him." 
 
 As the boy drew rein, the guide reached out and 
 patted the noble animal affectionately, while the work- 
 men jovially greeted young Joseph. It was evident 
 that both horse and rider were very popular. 
 
 The ringing of a bell warned that the noon hour 
 had approached and reluctantly the Barrys turned their 
 steps toward home. As they wended their way down 
 the long hill to "the flat" as the plain below was 
 called, Robert's keen eyes were alert to all about him. 
 The streets were wide and nicely laid out, with shade 
 trees of locust, elm and maple. The gardens were 
 gay with flowers and set out with fruit trees and 
 grapevines. Buildings were going up on every hand 
 and the ring of hammers echoed up and down the 
 valley. 
 
 They passed the doors of cabinetmakers, tailors, 
 watchmakers, tinsmiths, blacksmiths, doctors, lawyers, 
 
90 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 bakers and laborers of every kind. The place was 
 alive with business and the people alert, intelligent 
 and neatly dressed. Their countenances beamed with 
 happiness and friendly greetings were exchanged on 
 every hand. 
 
 "Everyone seems so happy!" commented Martha. 
 
 "So they are!" replied Nell. "They are freed from 
 the yoke of oppression and the iron hand of poverty 
 and are in a position now where they can sustain them- 
 selves. Life is more than a treadmill existence. They 
 have something now for which to live. All are to 
 be equal in things both temporal and spiritual. There 
 are to be no rich and no poor, for each is to receive 
 according to his needs. They are each to have their 
 own home with a plot of ground and an equal op- 
 portunity for development." 
 
 "Well, no wonder people are flocking here from 
 all over the world if they are to be given a home and 
 everything they need." 
 
 "But they have to earn them, Martha. The Bible 
 says, 'The idler shall not eat the bread of the laborer 
 nor wear his garments.' All who can supply their 
 own needs are bound to do so. If they are unfortu- 
 nate because of physical defects and are worthy, their 
 needs are supplied, for the strong should bear the 
 burden of the weak, but no one wants something for 
 nothing if he is able to work for it. All worth-while 
 people ask is a fighting chance and here everyone is 
 given a chance." 
 
 "They seem like a bright, intelligent people and they 
 all look clean and neat." 
 
 "The prophet is continually exhorting them to be 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 91 
 
 clean," replied Nell, "that 'God cannot dwell in un- 
 holy temples.' So they take great pride in their per- 
 sonal appearance and the appearance of their homes. 
 We have a Female Relief Society that is doing a splen- 
 did work along that line. It was organized last year 
 and the prophet's wife is president." 
 
 "The prophet's wife — what kind of a woman is 
 she?" 
 
 "One of the finest you ever met! You'll like her," 
 replied Nell with enthusiasm. 
 
 "And this boy, Joseph, is he the only child?" 
 
 "He's the oldest boy. There's Frederick and Alex- 
 ander and a girl, Julia, that they adopted. They lost 
 several children before Joseph was born; a pair of 
 twins — that's how they came to adopt Julia. She and 
 her twin brother were born the day the Smith twins 
 died and when the Murdock twins were left mother- 
 less, the Smiths adopted them. The boy died, however 
 — caught cold one night when he was sick with the 
 measles and a mob came to the door and dragged the 
 prophet out and tarred and feathered him. A draft 
 of cold air struck the child when the mob left the 
 door open." 
 
 "My word! What a life the poor woman must have 
 led!" 
 
 "She's carried a heavy burden ever since she has 
 been married to him, but she does it cheerfully and 
 well. She's a wonderful mother; training the children 
 to be kind and thoughtful of everyone. Their home 
 has always been crowded with visitors, but she makes 
 everybody welcome." 
 
 They passed the Masonic Hall, a substantial build- 
 
92 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 ing nearing completion which Will said was the finest 
 in the state, for all the cabinetmakers from home and 
 abroad had used their best skill in beautifying the in- 
 terior. 
 
 As they neared the foot of Main Street, Will pointed 
 to an old log house that stood on an eminence facing 
 the river. 
 
 "That's where the prophet lived when they first 
 came to Nauvoo. It used to be an Indian trading 
 post. It was overrun with visitors, so last year they 
 built the Mansion House over there in order to ac- 
 commodate more people." He indicated a large, sub- 
 stantial looking house that stood on the corner close 
 by. 
 
 "After it was built, they decided to make it into a 
 hotel so built that addition running out from the south 
 wing toward the east. It has twenty-two rooms in 
 all." 
 
 Robert ran to peer down at an immense foundation 
 that was being laid opposite. "What's this going to 
 be, Uncle Will?" he called. 
 
 "That's the Nauvoo House, Robert, that Elder Gay- 
 nor was wishing we had finished. It's to be a grand 
 hotel where travelers may rest. There'll be a wonder- 
 ful view for miles up and down the river." 
 
 "Fancy, Martha, no intoxicating liquors are to be 
 allowed within its doors!" Nell exclaimed trium- 
 phantly. 
 
 Martha stared in astonishment. "My word! How 
 do they expect to run a hotel without intoxicating 
 liquors?" 
 
 "That's what they intend to do!" affirmed Will. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 93 
 
 "I'm hungry!" broke in Robert. "Can't we go home 
 now?" 
 
 "We must!" replied Nell hurriedly. "Elsie will 
 be waiting for us. I told her to set the table as soon 
 as she came home from school." 
 
 "Well, folks," said Will later, as they arose from 
 the dinner table, "do you think you can amuse your- 
 selves this afternoon? I must get to work." 
 
 "Work," echoed John, "is the thing that is troubling 
 me. What are the chances of starting a chair factory?" 
 
 "Good," replied Will, "but we've got to get these 
 people housed for the winter. That's the big prob- 
 lem right now and if you want to try your hand at 
 carpentering, there's plenty to be done." 
 
 "It's as good as anything; I'm with you," agreed 
 John. 
 
 "Very well, now what are you women going to do?" 
 
 "Oh, Mother, come visit school," begged Elsie. 
 
 "Let's see," pondered Nell, "this is Friday after- 
 noon; you'll be having your program. Would you like 
 to go, Martha? They have a splendid teacher, a Mr. 
 Munroe who came from the East. He takes a great 
 interest in the children and has spelling matches, de- 
 bates, recitations and plays every Friday afternoon and 
 is developing some fine talent. I think you'd enjoy 
 hearing them." 
 
 "Oh, yes, Mother, let's go," cried Robert eagerly 
 and Martha assented. 
 
 Mr. Munroe' s pleasant face lighted as they entered 
 the schoolroom in the upper part of a big brick store 
 that stood on the corner west of the old log house. 
 
 "We're always glad to have company," he greeted 
 
94 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 cordially, as he placed seats for them facing the chil- 
 dren. 
 
 Robert was surprised at the large number present. 
 They were clean and neatly dressed and all were bright 
 and intelligent. He enjoyed the program immensely 
 and was astonished at the dramatic ability displayed, 
 especially by Hiram Clawson, who seemed to be the 
 leader and the best of the players. Another boy, Henry 
 Anderson, dressed as an old man, recited "Pity the 
 Sorrows of a Poor Old Man" so effectively that it 
 brought the tears to his eyes. 
 
 The "spell down" which ended the program, caused 
 quite a bit of excitement, for the teacher exhausted 
 the words in the spelling book and was compelled to 
 use the dictionary to down the last of them, who 
 seemed to be evenly matched. Young Joseph, the 
 smallest of those left standing, was on the end of the 
 row, spelling readily every word that came to him. 
 
 At last the teacher gave out the word "cholagogue" 
 and down they went one after another, till it came 
 to young Joseph and he spelled it correctly. 
 
 Mr. Munroe stared in astonishment. 
 
 "Why, Joseph, where did you find that word?" 
 
 "On the end of Robinson's Row, Sir, in an adver- 
 tisement for an ague cure," he replied. 
 
 "How many have seen that advertisement? Hands 
 up!" commanded Mr. Munroe. 
 
 Joseph's hand was the only one raised. 
 
 "That advertisement is there, in plain sight," de- 
 clared the teacher, "and the word is printed in large 
 letters, easily seen by anyone passing along Main 
 Street and Joseph is the only one that has noticed it 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 95 
 
 and even remembers how that difficult word is 
 spelled," whereupon he proceeded to give them a lec- 
 ture on the importance of using their eyes. 
 
 "Joseph has a wonderful memory," whispered Nell. 
 "He remembers the names and faces of everyone that 
 stops at the hotel if it's only for one night." 
 
Chapter Eight 
 
 Caturday was a big day in Nauvoo, for the men 
 had a half holiday and the Indians came from 
 across the river to join them in their jollifications. By 
 ten o'clock in the morning, a steady stream of Indians 
 came paddling across the river in their canoes. 
 
 Robert stood on the bank and watched them dipping 
 their paddles into the shining stream, apparently with- 
 out effort, yet their boats shot forward in a way 
 that indicated skillfully applied power. Their vari- 
 colored shawls, blankets and gaudy trappings, fasci- 
 nated him. The big braves resplendent in paint and 
 feathers, filled him with awe, as silent and statuesque 
 they stood about. Many of the squaws carried papooses 
 strapped to their backs and all the little Indian boys 
 were armed with bows and arrows. 
 
 Robert was especially attracted by one old Indian 
 whose face was deeply seamed, but whose expression 
 was kind and intelligent. His headdress was different 
 to the rest and he wore a necklace of bears' claws. 
 
 "That's old Keokuk," said Nell, pointing him out. 
 "He's chief of the Sac and Fox tribes. He's been 
 chief since 1812, when he made a stirring speech, de- 
 riding them for their cowardice in leaving their vil- 
 lages and the graves of their forefathers to the mercy 
 
 96 
 
 J.C. B.— 6 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 97 
 
 of their enemies. They say his grandfather was a 
 Frenchman, who married an Indian maiden. His 
 cousin, Black Hawk, was a great warrior, who made 
 lots of trouble for the early settlers. He was de- 
 feated in several wars and he and Keokuk went with 
 a party of Indians to Washington to arrange a peace 
 treaty. Black Hawk died several years ago and they 
 say he was buried in a sitting posture on a seat built 
 for that purpose, dressed in a uniform presented to 
 him by the president, and the cane given him by Henry 
 Clay, was placed upright on his left side, with his 
 hand resting upon it. He was an eloquent speaker 
 and considered a noble Indian." 
 
 "A noble Indian," repeated Martha. "I never heard 
 tell of a noble Indian. I thought they were a blood- 
 thirsty lot!" 
 
 "Oh, no, they're not," declared Nell. "The poor 
 Indians have been more sinned against than sinning. 
 They're not the cruel, bloodthirsty people we have al- 
 ways thought them. They are most responsive to a 
 sincere friendship. They never forget, nor let a kind 
 word or the smallest favor go unrewarded. These 
 Indians that are here today, are more clean and pleas- 
 ant looking than some on former visits, for the prophet 
 has had all grog shops ferrited out. It's drink that 
 turns the Indians into demons, so no drinks are al- 
 lowed on the place." 
 
 The squaws and little Indian boys had gathered 
 about the Mansion House and young Joseph was kept 
 busy setting apples on top of a stick for the little boys 
 to shoot at. It was amusing to see their glee when 
 they succeeded in hitting and how eagerly they 
 
 J.C. B.-7 
 
98 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 gathered up the apples and took them to their mothers 
 to keep for them. 
 
 One of the men made a split in a stick, stuck in a 
 coin and stood that up for the boys to shoot at. They 
 were all missing it, when an old Indian, standing near, 
 gave a grunt, jerked his bow from his shoulder, se- 
 lected an arrow from his quiver and placing it on the 
 string, drew it full length and let drive. The war- 
 rior then calmly unstrung his bow, walked slowly 
 forward, picking up the arrow from the grass and 
 then the coin, which the point of his arrow had 
 knocked out of the cleft of the stick. 
 
 "Fancy that!" ejaculated the astonished Martha. 
 
 Robert eyed the big bow and arrow wistfully. 
 
 "Oh, Mother, I wish I could try shooting with that." 
 
 The stalwart Indian turned at Robert's words, 
 looked at him keenly for a moment, then took his 
 bow from his shoulder, selected an arrow, set it on 
 the string and handed the weapon to Robert. 
 
 Quivering with excitement, Robert took it and ap- 
 plied all his strength to the task of bending the bow, 
 but could only pull the arrow up a few inches. The 
 Indian took it from him and easily drew the arrow 
 full to the head. Then, very sedately, he strode up 
 to one of the little Indian boys, seized his bow and 
 arrow and handed it to Robert. 
 
 With ease, Robert bent the bow and confidently 
 aimed at one of the apples. To his astonishment and 
 utter embarrassment, the arrow went wild and the 
 squaws, seated on the ground, voiced their disap- 
 proval in deep gutteral tones, while the faintest 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 99 
 
 flicker of a smile crossed the mobile sternness of the 
 Indian's face. 
 
 A meek and discomfitted Robert, handed the bow- 
 back to the waiting boy, who had retrieved the arrow, 
 and watched with a keener interest thereafter, the skill 
 displayed. 
 
 In the afternoon, there was a season of running, 
 jumping and wrestling between the white men and 
 the Indians, the latter stoical and noncommittal, as 
 though not a bit interested in the outcome. 
 
 When they had tired of this, they seated them- 
 selves on the ground and the prophet, through an 
 interpreter, talked to them of the Book of Mormon. 
 
 Robert was never to forget that scene. The In- 
 dians with their feather headdresses and bright colored 
 blankets, seated on the slope facing the river, were 
 awe inspiring, as they listened, unmoved, to the words 
 that fell from the lips of the interpreter. 
 
 A gentle breeze rustled the branches of the locust 
 trees, the soft lapping of the waves along the shore 
 mingled with the twitter of birds. The air was balmy 
 as spring — "Indian summer" they called it. 
 
 A feeling of pity for these unfortunates, suddenly 
 swept over Robert. He raised his eyes to the hills, 
 where once their signal fires had blazed. Farther and 
 farther back they were being driven by oncoming civil- 
 ization. The graves of their ancestors were being 
 upturned by the white man's plow. Long had they 
 fought, and to no avail. But what was that, the 
 prophet was saying as he held up the book that was 
 in his hand. 
 
 "This book, O Chief, contains many wonderful 
 
100 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 promises. You will not always be driven and hunted. 
 Some day the hearts of the white men shall be turned 
 toward you and they will care for your children. They 
 will build schools and educate them; they will give 
 them farms. Your children will till the soil and live 
 in fine homes and be as white men are and they will 
 obey the gospel and help build up Zion." 
 
 There was some conversation among the Indians 
 in their own tongue, after which Chief Keokuk arose 
 to speak. 
 
 "We feel thankful to our white friends who have 
 told us the good news concerning the book of our fore- 
 fathers. It makes us glad in here." He placed his 
 hand upon his heart. "I have the book at my wick- 
 a-up that was given me when you made a feast for 
 Keokuk, Appanoose, Kishkukosh and a hundred of 
 my warriors and their families. We have tried to 
 follow the talk you gave us, to cease killing each other 
 and to keep peace with the whites. It will soon be 
 winter. We have much to do for our wigwams are 
 poor, but we will build a council house and meet to- 
 gether and you shall read to us and teach us more 
 concerning the book of our fathers and the will of 
 the Great Spirit." 
 
 As they prepared to leave, Robert whispered to his 
 mother: "I wish I had something to give to that big 
 Indian who lent me his bow and arrow." 
 
 "Why not give him that big apple that Uncle Will 
 gave you?" 
 
 Robert hesitated. It was an enormous one. 
 
 "These are the kind they grow in America," Uncle 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 101 
 
 Will had laughingly declared when he had presented 
 it to him. 
 
 Robert dashed for the house. Returning, he hur- 
 ried after the big brave, proffering him the apple. 
 With a grunt, the old man took it and stalked away. 
 
Chapter Nine 
 
 Cunday dawned clear and bright. The sun shone 
 warmly and the river sparkled enticingly but when 
 Robert and Elsie talked of going wading Martha 
 sternly forbade it. 
 
 "This is the Sabbath!" she warned them severely. 
 "You children must get ready and go to church." 
 
 Robert demurred as usual, but when he beheld Elsie, 
 all decked out in her Sunday finery, he was eager to 
 accompany her. How dear she looked in her lace- 
 trimmed pantalets and blue merino dress over stiffly 
 starched petticoats. The dress matched her eyes and 
 her golden hair hung in ringlets about her shoulders. 
 
 Elsie was not unmindful of her attractiveness and 
 seeing the gleam of admiration in Robert's eyes, she 
 smiled happily. 
 
 "This is my Sunday dress. Do you like it?" she 
 asked, gaily pirouetting before him. 
 
 Very sedately they joined the throngs that were 
 filling the wide streets and slowly wended their way 
 in the direction of the Temple on the hill. 
 
 A stocky lad with fair hair and blue eyes, the age 
 of Robert, came hurrying to join them. 
 
 "Why, hello, Charley Pitman!" exclaimed Elsie. 
 102 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 103 
 
 Robert's heart gave a bound. Charley Pitman — 
 the boy Elsie had written about. At last he would 
 have a chum. 
 
 "Charley, this is my cousin," said Elsie, by way of 
 introduction. "He just came from England." 
 
 Charley glanced at Robert indifferently, planted 
 himself by Elsie and trotted along by her side. 
 
 Robert, oddly discomfitted, fell back a step or two, 
 but his mother and Aunt Nell, who were walking be- 
 hind, hurried him along. 
 
 Aunt Nell was pointing out the houses to his 
 mother, as they went along. The white house with 
 the green shutters was built by a family from New 
 England. The red brick house surrounded by an old- 
 fashioned garden, by people from Liverpool, England. 
 The stone house by a man from Vermont. Every 
 style of architecture was to be found she said, for 
 each had built according to the homes from which 
 they came, with trees, shrubs and many suggestions 
 of a permanent abiding place. 
 
 They passed the publishing house of the Times 
 and Seasons. The home of John Taylor, Heber C. 
 Kimball, Wilford Woodruff and others of the digni- 
 taries. 
 
 Climbing the long hill, they entered the Temple 
 and were ushered to seats that had been placed tem- 
 porarily in the lower auditorium. The prophet sat 
 on the platform among a group of broad-shouldered, 
 fine looking men in Sunday suits of fine black broad- 
 cloth, with high white stocks. Beside the prophet sat 
 his son, Joseph, who seemed ill at ease. 
 
 "Looks as if Joseph didn't enjoy being up there on 
 
104 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 the platform," whispered Robert's mother to Aunt Nell. 
 
 "He doesn't," replied Nell. "He'd much prefer 
 sitting with the boys of his own age, for he doesn't 
 like to be exalted above them, but when his father is 
 home, he always takes Joseph up in the stand with 
 him. He seems to want the congregation to know that 
 Joseph will some day take his place. In fact, one day 
 he placed his hands on the boy's head and said to the 
 congregation, 'This is my successor!' " 
 
 Nell pointed out Hyrum Smith, who, she said, was 
 devoted to his brother Joseph and associated with him 
 in the Presidency; Sidney Rigdon, also of the Presi- 
 dency, who had been a famous orator in Ohio and 
 had been converted along with a hundred and twenty- 
 seven of his congregation. Brigham Young, president 
 of the Twelve Apostles, Parley P. Pratt, editor of 
 the Millenial Star while in England; Dr. Willard 
 Richards, John Taylor and others of the Twelve who 
 had gone to England and in eleven months had bap- 
 tized fifteen hundred people. 
 
 All having taken their places, Hyrum Smith arose 
 and announced that they would all join in singing 
 "Israel Is Free." 
 
 Robert thrilled to the swing and majesty of that 
 great hymn. His discomfiture of a short time before 
 was forgotten as he joined with the rest in the closing 
 verse: 
 
 "Hail to the land of the mountain and prairie, 
 Gather to Zion's fair home in the west; 
 
 Free are her sons as the breeze round the aerie — 
 Birthplace of prophets and home of the blest. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 105 
 
 There will the saints be one, 
 
 Thither we'll gather home, 
 
 Zion, thy beauties we're yearning to see; 
 
 Saints raise the heav'nly song, 
 
 Join with the ransomed throng, 
 
 Angels the notes prolong, 
 
 Israel is free!" 
 
 As the walls of the Temple rang to the grandeur of 
 that hymn, it seemed to Robert as if they had truly 
 joined the ransomed throng and that angels did the 
 notes prolong. 
 
 Tears were streaming from the eyes of the older 
 ones as they seated themselves. They had gathered 
 from far and wide to this home in the West! Zion, 
 their beautiful Zion! Here would the Saints be one. 
 Here they would gather home. Israel was free! 
 
 A solemn hush fell upon the multitude as the 
 prophet arose to address them. An odd expectancy 
 vibrated in the air. As the prophet's eyes searched 
 the multitude, Robert became aware of a power that 
 stirred him strangely. In a manner both vibrant and 
 composed, the prophet read the first chapter of first 
 Peter, then gravely and earnestly he plead with his 
 people to be humble, to beware of pride; not seek to 
 excel one above another but to act for each other's 
 good. To pray for one another; to avoid strife and 
 backbiting. To be wise for their own soul's sake; 
 honest, open and frank in all their intercourse with 
 mankind. r « ; 
 
 "Be vigilant!" he exhorted. "Be sober. It is a day 
 of warning and not of many words! In all your trials, 
 
1 6 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 temptations and afflictions, see to it that you do not 
 betray the Christ. God has constituted mankind moral 
 agents and given them power to choose good or evil; 
 to seek after that which is good by pursuing the path- 
 way of holiness which brings peace of mind and a 
 fullness of joy and happiness; or, to pursue an evil 
 course, going on in sin and rebellion against God, 
 thereby bringing condemnation to their souls in this 
 world and an eternal loss in the world to come. God 
 has left these things optional with every individual." 
 
 In closing, the prophet stretched out his hands in 
 blessing. 
 
 "Oh, God," he supplicated, "give them wisdom 
 and keep them humble, I pray." 
 
 With bowed heads the multitude arose and with 
 tear-blinded eyes left the building and silently went 
 to their homes. 
 
 Robert, deeply impressed, was scarcely aware of 
 Charley Pitman who walked with Elsie, but in the 
 days that followed, he was made painfully aware of 
 the fact that Charley Pitman was not to be the boy 
 chum he had hoped to find. 
 
 He was patronized, bullied and derided by the inso- 
 lent Charley who mimicked his English accent, scoffed 
 at the cut of his clothes, tripped him at every oppor- 
 tunity, snatched his hat from his head and in general 
 made life miserable for him. 
 
 In spite of Charley's jibes and insults, Robert at- 
 tended school regularly. He liked the schoolmaster, 
 who was kind and considerate and he was eager to 
 learn. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 107 
 
 One day, after a heavy rain, a small, partially crip- 
 pled boy stood in the doorway of the schoolhouse, 
 looking dubiously at the mud puddles. Robert, who 
 was especially tender and considerate of the weak and 
 afflicted, offered to take the little fellow home pick- 
 aback. They started out in high glee and were passing 
 one of the largest of the puddles, when Charley Pit- 
 man deliberately jostled against them. Robert lost 
 his balance, and together, he and the little crippled 
 boy, went sprawling in the mud. A shout of laughter 
 went up, followed by a dull thud and a howl of pain. 
 Robert, lifting the bespattered crippled boy to his feet, 
 beheld young Joseph, his face suffused with anger, 
 gazing ruefully at the big umbrella dangling from 
 his hand, for he had broken it across the back of the 
 howling Charley. 
 
 "Try that again!" glared Joseph, "and see what 
 you'll get!" 
 
 Without a word, Charley slunk away. Joseph took 
 from his pocket, his clean, white handkerchief, and 
 wiped the mud from the face and hands of the sob- 
 bing crippled boy and then helped Robert carry him 
 home. 
 
 Charley Pitman, finding that Robert had a champion 
 in young Joseph, ceased tormenting him and school 
 days became more pleasant. The rebuffs, however, 
 that Robert had received at the hands of Charley, 
 made him more shy and sensitive than ever, so that 
 he went quietly about his own affairs, having little 
 to say to anyone. 
 
 He and Elsie spent much of their time together af- 
 ter school hours, wandering along the river, and young 
 
108 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Joseph often joined them. It was such a fascinating 
 place to play. One day the river would be calm as 
 a mirror, and the next, flecked with white caps and 
 high waves; sometimes it was veiled with a silvery 
 fog, from which could be heard the shouts of hidden 
 boatmen. 
 
 When the water was low, jagged rock could be seen, 
 stretching for miles along the river bed. There was 
 the curved black rock called "The Turtle" and a huge 
 spiked ledge called "The Porcupine," that looked 
 like some huge animal floating among the swirling 
 eddies. Joseph told them that many a canoe had been 
 caught in the swift current and ripped to shreds by 
 the raking ridge. 
 
 There was "The Hilt" also, where he said a steam- 
 boat had hung for hours, with straining engines and 
 thrashing wheels, the passengers making their way to 
 shore in skiffs, just in time to escape the explosion 
 that had torn the boat into fragments. 
 
 And there was the "Turk's Head" with its whirl- 
 pool below, where they had been warned that the 
 strongest swimmer would be sucked down, never to 
 rise again. It was fascinating watching the rapids, 
 leaping and swirling about the jagged rocks. 
 
 Sometimes they rowed across to the island, keeping 
 well away from the danger line that marked the seeth- 
 ing current, and catching fish in the quiet pools, cooked 
 them over a fire they kindled among the rocks. 
 
 Some days were spent hunting big rough geodes, 
 which they broke open, for they were hollow and lined 
 with beautiful crystals that sparkled like diamonds. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 109 
 
 "Who would ever dream that such homely old 
 things could be so beautiful inside," marveled Elsie. 
 
 "They're like the people that stop at the Mansion 
 House," declared Joseph. "Sometimes the roughest 
 and homeliest, are the nicest inside." 
 
 Joseph showed them a deep ravine, that ran from 
 the river up into the hills, where the water leaped 
 down over a rock wall, some fifty feet high, and then 
 ran gurgling from shelf to shelf of rock, making two 
 or three falls. At the foot was a chamber, enclosed 
 by high, rocky walls, with big trees and wild grape- 
 vines and an opening where the stream flowed down 
 to join the river. There, seated on a great log, the 
 whistle of wild ducks and the honking of geese fell 
 upon their ears. Above them was the blue sky, laced 
 by tossing branches and below, mossgrown shelves of 
 rock and a tangle of hazel thicket. It was all so 
 beautiful, the joy of living filled their young hearts 
 with gladness. 
 
 One day, as Robert and Elsie stood on the shore 
 vieing with each other as to who could skip stones 
 the farthest, a canoe swept suddenly around the bend 
 in the river and a stalwart Indian leaped ashore. 
 
 Startled, Robert seized Elsie's hand and was about 
 to run, when he recognized the man as the one to 
 whom he had given the apple. Stalking up to Robert 
 in a dignified manner, the big Indian took from his 
 belt a beautiful little bow and quiver of arrows and 
 presented them to the astonished boy. 
 
 "Oh, O!" cried Robert. "Are these for me?" 
 
 The stern features of the old man softened. 
 
110 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "You — good papoose. Me likum — paleface — heap 
 much." 
 
 He then proceeded to show Robert how to bend 
 the bow and send an arrow straight and true. 
 
 Elsie stood watching them, then suddenly rushed 
 forward. 
 
 "Oh, Robert, let me try!" she cried. 
 
 "Ugh! Squaw — no — shoot," the Indian said with a 
 stolidity that made her feel very uncomfortable, as 
 she backed away. 
 
 Silent and statuesque the big Indian stood, watching 
 Robert's efforts. 
 
 "That — heap — good," he finally said, in approval, 
 and with a contented expression on his face, pushed 
 his canoe out into the river and took his departure. 
 
 Robert and Elsie stood watching him, as he paddled 
 silently across the broad expanse of water towards the 
 farther shore, then, as the canoe merged into the 
 shadows, they ran to the house with their treasure. 
 
 "There, Martha, what did I tell you?" cried Nell, 
 triumphantly. "An Indian never forgets a kindness, 
 nor lets the smallest favor go unrewarded." 
 
Chapter Ten 
 
 '"pHE warmth of early autumn changed suddenly. The 
 breeze that had blown balmily from the south, 
 whirled suddenly around to the north, whipping an- 
 grily down the valley turning the river into a raging 
 torrent that roared and beat upon the shore. White 
 caps' foamed and danced; great high waves came roll- 
 ing in, strewing logs and rubbish in their wake. 
 
 The rain came down in torrents, that tore and lashed 
 at woods and prairies, overflowing creeks and gullies 
 till the roads were ankle deep in mud. 
 
 The last of the clumsy prairie schooners, drawn by 
 stolid oxen and heavy-footed plow horses, lurched 
 over the trails of thick, black mud, leading to the 
 city. No longer would travelers venture along the 
 difficult roads. 
 
 Winter closed in with snowstorms beginning early 
 in November and cold winds that howled across the 
 prairie. The river became a solid sheet of ice, strong 
 enough to carry teams from state to state. 
 
 The emigrants had all found shelter, and though 
 some were a bit crowded, made the best of things, 
 knowing that when spring opened up again, they 
 would be able to better their condition. 
 
 Winter was a busy time. The men had wood to 
 
 ill 
 
112 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 get out and worked together, making a jolly time of 
 it, sawing and chopping, joking and laughing with 
 many a test of strength and speed in which the prophet 
 joined, cutting and hauling with his own hands and 
 team. 
 
 There were corn huskings and quilting bees. Classes 
 of all kinds were conducted for old and young. Some 
 studied Latin, others Hebrew, that they might be able 
 to read the Bible in the original. 
 
 There was a Dramatic Company, sponsored by 
 Thomas A. Lyne, who had played second tragedian 
 to some of the most famous actors of the day, and 
 was an actor of no mean fame himself. He and his 
 brother-in-law, George J. Adams, known to the stage 
 world as "Mormon Adams," had once put on a per- 
 formance of Richard III in Philadelphia, while 
 on a missionary tour, and earned money to hire a hall 
 in which to preach. 
 
 Hyrum and John Clawson and several of the women 
 also, had considerable dramatic ability and gave a 
 number of theatrical performances of Shakespeare's 
 plays. 
 
 Skating on the river became a favorite pastime. 
 Robert and Elsie spent so much time on the ice, they 
 soon became numbered among the prettiest skaters, 
 their grace and swiftness in skimming over the ice 
 attracting much admiration and praise. 
 
 One day, young Joseph suggested that he and Robert 
 skate across the river and visit the Indians in their 
 winter quarters. Armed with long poles, lest they 
 slip through an air hole and be compelled to climb 
 out, they struck out. They made good progress, al- 
 
 J.C. B.-7 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 113 
 
 though the ice was rough, for a strong north wind was 
 blowing, which carried them along with little effort 
 on their part. They passed ox teams drawn up at the 
 island where wood choppers were plying their axes 
 among the timber, and swept across to the opposite 
 shore. 
 
 They found the Indians very comfortable in their 
 lodge, with a warm fire in the center and couches of 
 blankets and furs surrounding it. The women were 
 busily at work, weaving mats and baskets; little girls 
 were sewing red and blue beeds on moccasins; the 
 boys were making bows and arrows and Robert's old 
 friend sat fashioning a pipe. Robert offered him some 
 apples that he had in his pocket and the old man ac- 
 cepted them with a laconic grunt. Before leaving, one 
 of the women set a pan of corn and beans before 
 them which the boys ate with a relish, although there 
 was but one wooden spoon between them. 
 
 They started back across the ice in the face of the 
 wind, fighting with bent heads every inch of the way. 
 The air cut like a knife. Their faces were stiff; their 
 hands and feet numb. It seemed as if they had gone 
 miles and miles when Robert ventured to lift his head 
 and glance shoreward. They had covered only half 
 the distance but his eyes grew wide in amazement as 
 they rested upon the city rising from the terraced 
 slope opposite. It was a veritable fairyland! Sleet 
 had covered every bush and tree and they sparkled 
 like diamonds in the sunshine. 
 
 Spirals of wood smoke were rising from many 
 chimneys and the last rays of the setting sun set all 
 the window panes ablaze. 
 
 J.C. B.-8 
 
114 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Joseph!" he called. Catching up with him he 
 seized his arm and pointed shoreward. Joseph, rais- 
 ing his eyes, caught his breath. 
 
 "Nauvoo the beautiful!" he murmured, "the city 
 of father's dreams." 
 
 A cold blast swept down the valley, spinning them 
 around. A sledge piled high with firewood drew 
 near, the stolid oxen, with bowed heads, plodding 
 shoreward. With glad shouts they caught up with 
 it and hanging on behind were drawn to shore. 
 
 A week later, as the Barrys sat at dinner, the door 
 opened suddenly and Robert's old friend entered, a 
 fat, wild turkey dangling from his hand which he 
 proffered to Robert. A place was quickly made for 
 him at the table and with a pleased grunt, the old 
 man seated himself and proceeded to devour raven- 
 ously, everything that was set before him. 
 * * * * 
 
 Spring came early. A balmy breeze blew over the 
 land melting the snow and the open fields became 
 dark and bare. The ice in the river began to creak 
 and groan. There was a roaring and grinding and 
 then a sound like heavy cannonading as great jagged 
 masses of ice went crashing and roaring down the 
 stream. 
 
 Crowds gathered on the shore to watch the awe- 
 inspiring sight. 
 
 Soon the ice was gone and the river flowed on. Wild 
 geese began to make their appearance, flying in a 
 wedge, following the river and disappearing in the 
 distant north. The "pussies" on the willows, burst 
 their winter jackets and presented velvety gray cat- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 1 1 5 
 
 kins. Robert and Elsie gathered armfuls and carried 
 them home, filling every vase and jar available. Sprays 
 of purple lilac bloomed on every hand, filling the air 
 with their fragrance. 
 
 Prairie schooners began again to make their appear- 
 ance and the crack of whips and the geeing and haw- 
 ing of the drivers, echoed far and wide. 
 
 Building was resumed and new houses began to go 
 up on every side, while the ring of hammers and sing- 
 ing of saws once more echoed throughout the valley. 
 
 The Indians put out in their canoes and came pad- 
 dling across the wide expanse of water. Robert's old 
 friend came again to the door of the Barry s, bringing 
 a quarter of venison, but he was sad and depressed. 
 
 "Indians must go!" he declared solemnly. "White 
 man promise land — we build wigwams — now must go 
 — no place for Indian — we go setting sun," he pointed 
 toward the west. "Leave dead — they weep — no find 
 us. Long time my people here. Now go — no place 
 for Indian." 
 
 The Barrys listened sadly, their hearts going out in 
 sympathy to the poor, driven people. 
 
 As the old man turned to leave, Will impulsively 
 took from a stand his Book of Mormon and placed it 
 in the old man's hands. 
 
 "Here, have someone read it to you," he said. 
 "You'll have land, houses, money and many things 
 to make you happy. The promise is here, in this book. 
 White man's promises fail, but God," he pointed up- 
 ward, "The Great Spirit, will not fail you." 
 
 One bright, sunny day, the steamer Maid of Iowa 
 
1 1 6 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 came churning up the river. Hammers and saws were 
 dropped and all raced to the wharf to wave caps, 
 shawls and branches of willow. They shouted through 
 cupped hands. They clapped one another on the back, 
 giddy with delight at the sight of the steamboat, not 
 knowing whom it brought. 
 
 The Barrys were as excited as the rest and joined 
 in the shouts and songs of welcome. To the joy of 
 Robert and his father and mother, Elder Fielding was 
 the first to step ashore with his parents, brothers and 
 sisters, their faces radiant with joy at reaching "The 
 City Beautiful." 
 
 "Two hundred and fifty of us left Liverpool in 
 January," they announced, "and were detained in St. 
 Louis until the ice had gone out of the river." 
 
 The Barrys gave them a royal welcome and insisted 
 on taking them home to be refreshed before they 
 sought out their living quarters. 
 
 In April, great excitement prevailed throughout the 
 city. The new Masonic Building was to be dedicated 
 and over five hundred members of the Masonic fra- 
 ternity from various parts of the country had assembled 
 for the ceremony. How fine they looked with their 
 high gray beaver hats, broadcloth capes, ruffled shirts 
 and polished riding boots. 
 
 A procession formed at the house of Henry Miller 
 and was accompanied by the Nauvoo Brass Band. 
 Robert, thrilled with excitement, joined the group of 
 boys standing near and with them, followed the band 
 to the Masonic Building, where crowds had gathered 
 to watch the entrance of the dignitaries, for there was 
 not room for all inside. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 117 
 
 The dedicatory ceremonies were to be performed by 
 the Worshipful Master Hyrum Smith, Elder Erastus 
 Snow was to deliver the Masonic address and Dr. 
 Golforth and the prophet were to address the as- 
 sembly. Dinner was to be served to all visiting 
 Masons at the expense of the Nauvoo Lodge. 
 
 A group of elderly men stood under the shade trees 
 near the building, their faces showing deep concern, 
 their voices rumbling in disapproval over the event 
 that was taking place. Robert listened in wide-eyed 
 astonishment. 
 
 "It's not right!" declared one of them vigorously. 
 "Dedicating this building while the Temple yonder 
 stands unfinished." 
 
 "You're right, Brother," spoke up another. "We've 
 been warned that unless the Temple is finished within 
 a specified time, it'll be rejected and yet time and money 
 have been spent beautifying this building that might 
 well have been put on the Temple yonder." 
 
 A young man who was passing, paused at the words 
 and turned upon the old man scornfully. "This is 
 the finest building, the most substantial and best fin- 
 ished in the western states. You should be proud 
 of the fact?" 
 
 "Proud?" A white-haired old gentleman with a 
 commanding personality faced the young man defiantly 
 and raising his hand impressively cried: "Pride 
 will yet be the downfall of this people! The Temple 
 will be rejected and not one stone left upon another!" 
 
 A hush fell upon the group! It was like a prophecy. 
 Robert felt stunned. He glanced nervously in the di- 
 rection of the hill where the beautiful white stone 
 
118 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 temple stood glistening in the noonday sun. The 
 roof had been enclosed, the tower erected and the 
 angel Moroni glistened from its lofty spire. Rejected? 
 What was the man talking about? 
 
 "Why should we seek to have the finest Masonic 
 building in the state?" the old gentleman questioned 
 ironically. 
 
 "Because we have the most members," declared the 
 young man. "Warsaw, Carthage and Quincy have 
 only from eight to twenty-five, while we have around 
 three hundred." 
 
 "And how do the other lodges feel about that?" 
 
 The young man shifted uneasily. 
 
 "They're jealous!" spoke up another quickly. "And 
 they're working to bring about the termination of the 
 lodge here for fear we'll control the Grand Lodge 
 of the state." 
 
 "Naturally," replied the elderly gentleman, "so why 
 should we persist in incurring their enmity?" 
 
 "Because it's an organization worth fighting for!" 
 declared the young man defiantly. "Heber C. Kimball 
 said that if all men were Masons and lived up to 
 their profession, the world would be in a much better 
 state than it is now." 
 
 "That may be," conceded the elderly gentleman, 
 "but the introduction of a secret order within our ranks 
 is a mistake. We know of none authorized by the 
 church and they are entirely unnecessary, for there 
 is nothing enjoined in any of them that is noble, kind 
 and good that is not enjoined in the gospel covenant." 
 
 The young man was silent. The groups gradually 
 dispersed and Robert hurried home to his dinner. 
 
Chapter Eleven 
 
 "TVyfissiONARiES from home and abroad returned for the 
 General Conference held in the Temple on April 
 6. Robert, lingering about the building heard thun- 
 derous tones issuing from within. Curious to hear 
 what it was all about, he slipped into a seat in the 
 back part of the room. Hyrum Smith was addressing 
 the congregation. 
 
 "A band of horse thieves and counterfeiters are 
 hiding within the city!" he declared. "Our people 
 will be made to suffer for the sins of these men. Every 
 crime under the sun is being committed in this wild, 
 frontier country and our people are beginning to be 
 blamed for it. 
 
 "I demand in the presence of God, that you will 
 exert your wit and your power to bring all such evil 
 characters to justice. If you do not, the curse of God 
 will rest upon you. Such things would rum any 
 people. Should I catch a Latter Day Saint stealing, he 
 is the last man to whom I would show mercy!" 
 
 He then stated the position of the church regarding 
 evildoers and read the law from the books of the 
 church. 
 
 "He that keepeth the laws of God, hath no need 
 to break the laws of the land!" he solemnly reiterated. 
 
 119 
 
120 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Consternation was depicted on the face of the listen- 
 ers. They lingered in groups about the Temple after 
 dismissal, talking in awed tones of the evils that were 
 taking place. 
 
 "The gangs around Warsaw and Carthage are do- 
 ing everything they can to turn their citizens against 
 us," stated one. "They're turning cattle loose and 
 committing all sorts of deviltry and then swearing up 
 and down that the Mormons have done it. They'll 
 not rest till they've driven us out of here." 
 
 Many incidents were recounted that had incurred 
 the enmity of the people of Missouri before they had 
 been driven out of there. An elderly lady began to 
 sob. Her husband led her away. 
 
 "They were in the Haun's Mill massacre," said one 
 of the men pityingly. "Their son was hacked to pieces 
 with a corn knife and lies buried with sixteen others 
 in an old well out there." 
 
 "It's not only the enemies without that are to be 
 feared," spoke up another, "there are enemies within 
 the ranks as well. They're plotting against the prophet 
 right now, seeking his overthrow. There's no telling 
 what mischief will be brewing before long!" 
 
 The old, white-haired gentleman, who at the dedi- 
 cation of the Masonic building, had declared that the 
 Temple would be rejected, now stood before them. 
 
 "We've not been sufficiently humble," he declared 
 impressively. "We've been bragging about our troops 
 being the finest in the state; our city the largest; our 
 Temple the most magnificent building in the middle 
 west. The raising of a standard of peace is one 
 of the chief duties devolving upon us and yet the 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 121 
 
 martial spirit prevails and flourishes in every quarter, 
 giving us the appearance of hostility while as a re- 
 ligious body we are crying peace unto all people. Our 
 prophet has warned us to be wise and to be humble 
 but we have failed to heed his counsel." 
 
 The multitude bowed their heads and separating, 
 thoughtfully made their way to their homes. 
 
 A few months later, a scene of wild confusion was 
 taking place. 
 
 The Fosters, Higbees, Laws and others had been 
 expelled from the church for plotting against the 
 prophet. Immediately they had set up a printing press 
 and published the first edition of a paper they had 
 named The Nauvoo Expositor, which was filled with 
 vile and slanderous stories. The city council had been 
 called; they had declared the paper a nuisance; a 
 posse had been sent to the office and they had thrown 
 the press, type, paper and fixtures into the street. 
 
 White faced and trembling, Robert stood watching 
 the destruction, while the dissenters struck out right 
 and left. 
 
 "We'll get Joseph Smith and the city council or ex- 
 terminate everybody!" they cried. 
 
 "This is disgraceful!" declared the old white-haired 
 gentleman, appearing on the scene. "These men should 
 have had a hearing before their property was de- 
 stroyed. It's contrary to the feelings of the American 
 people to interfere with the press. Public opinion is 
 already inflamed; they are only waiting for an op- 
 portunity to strike." 
 
 The old man was right. The city was soon in an 
 uproar over what had taken place! 
 
122 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Inflammatory speeches were made from pulpit and 
 rostrum. The press, especially at Warsaw, opened its 
 columns to the most slanderous reports that could be 
 invented. Mobs began collecting on every side and 
 Joseph and Hyrum Smith took refuge in Iowa. 
 
 The dissenters, swearing vengeance, left the city, 
 taking their families with them. 
 
 There was fear and consternation in the home of 
 the Barrys. 
 
 Rumors had reached them that Nauvoo would soon 
 be destroyed and every man, woman and child, put to 
 death. That twelve hundred of their enemies were 
 encamped at Carthage, six hundred more at Warsaw 
 and other bodies of men were preparing to come from 
 points in Missouri. Four thousand of the citizens of 
 Nauvoo had armed themselves, prepared to defend 
 the city. 
 
 Martha paced the floor, wringing her hands. 
 
 "Why, O why, did we ever leave England!" she 
 cried. 
 
 "Don't worry, Martha," comforted Nell. "The 
 prophet has written to Governor Ford urging him to 
 come to the city. He'll see that we're protected." 
 
 But Governor Ford did not come to the city. He 
 
 went to Carthage instead and was seen walking arm 
 
 in arm with the dissenters. Joseph and Hyrum then 
 
 decided to go to Carthage and surrender themselves 
 
 for trial in order to save the city from attack, trusting 
 
 Governor Ford to protect them. 
 * * * 
 
 The quiet beauty of an early June morning brooded 
 over the valley. The river danced and sparkled in 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 123 
 
 the sunshine. The early morning song of the robin, 
 bluebird and meadowlark was like a beautiful chorus 
 as Robert hurried down the river road to the field op- 
 posite the Mansion House. There a scene was taking 
 place in bitter contrast to the quiet beauty of the sur- 
 roundings. Twenty-five horsemen hurried to and fro 
 with their final preparations for their journey to 
 Carthage. 
 
 Eighteen of them were under arrest charged with 
 riot in the destruction of The Nauvoo Expositor and 
 were going voluntarily and without guard to surrender 
 themselves for trial at Carthage, the county seat of 
 Hancock County eighteen miles away. 
 
 Robert watched them wonderingly. Their way led 
 through hostile territory where enemies lay in wait to 
 take their lives and yet their faces were brave and 
 resolute, inspiring all who had gathered to watch 
 their departure. 
 
 The prophet strode among them giving brief com- 
 mands, then detached himself from the group and 
 walked to the river where he gazed long and earnestly 
 at the Nauvoo House in process of construction, at 
 the old Homestead and the Mansion House. His gaze 
 then lifted lovingly to the Temple on the hill. With 
 a sigh he turned and went directly to the sweet faced 
 woman who stood with a group of frightened chil- 
 dren in the doorway of the Mansion House and 
 gathered her into his arms. His boys stood white 
 faced and trembling while Julia sobbed aloud. When 
 at last the prophet turned to them, young Joseph 
 flung himself into his father's arms and wild sobs 
 escaped him. The father's hands were placed on the 
 
124 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 boy's head and his lips moved in prayer, then with 
 a lingering handclasp he turned and strode swiftly 
 to the waiting men, gave a command and all sprang 
 to their saddles and moved forward. 
 
 Robert slipped away to a quiet spot by the river and 
 threw himself down beneath a flowering locust. His 
 heart was heavy with grief for young Joseph, for the 
 safety of the prophet and the men that were with 
 him. 
 
 He loved the prophet; he was so friendly, with 
 always a pleasant word for everyone. Often he had 
 stopped to watch them at their play and sometimes 
 had joined them in their sports. He was their hero 
 for he was a big man, six feet two inches tall. He 
 would accept any man's challenge in a wrestling match 
 and few could best him for he often indulged in 
 wrestling for the sake of relaxation. 
 
 Mounted on his favorite horse, Joe Duncan, on 
 parade days, he was a commanding figure in his bril- 
 liant uniform as he reviewed the troops. 
 
 "Oh," sighed Robert, "If anything happens to the 
 prophet, what shall we do?" 
 
 At noon a messenger came riding into the city and 
 a crowd gathered about him. 
 
 "The men are returning," he announced, "with a 
 company of militia. They're coming to gather up 
 the state arms." 
 
 "The state arms!" 
 
 Consternation seized the hearts of the listeners. 
 
 "Why must we give up the state arms?" they de- 
 manded. "It's orders!" the man answered crisply. 
 "Captain Dunn is being sent here with sixty armed 
 
JOSEPHS CITY BEAUTIFUL 125 
 
 men. He stopped the prophet within four miles of 
 Carthage and got him to sign the order. Captain 
 Dunn's heart then seemed to fail him, for he begged 
 the prophet to return with him and oversee the gather- 
 ing up of the arms. They're on their way now." 
 
 Weary and covered with dust, the prophet and his 
 little band of horsemen, returned, accompanied by the 
 militia. 
 
 There were questions and protests, those who were 
 numbered among the people that had been driven 
 out of Missouri fearing another massacre. 
 
 The prophet tried to reassure them, but he was 
 ;olemn and depressed and twice during the afternoon 
 rode down to the Mansion House to see his family 
 and to bid them a lingering farewell. 
 
 "He seems to feel that it's the last time he'll see 
 them," declared one of the men who had accom- 
 panied him to Carthage. "Those of us not under ar- 
 rest, were going to return, after seeing him safely 
 there, and after signing the order for the state arms, 
 we said good-by to him, intending to return with Dunn's 
 men. He turned to us then and said: T am going 
 like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a sum- 
 mer's morning. I have a conscience void of offense 
 toward God and toward all men. If they take my life, 
 I shall die an innocent man and it shall be said of 
 me He was murdered in cold blood.' 
 
 "Captain Dunn, however, insisted that Joseph re- 
 turn with him, although the prophet assured him 
 there would be no trouble, that our people always 
 respected any demand made in legal form." 
 
 All afternoon, the work of gathering up the state 
 
126 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 arms went forward and they were stacked in front of 
 the Masonic Hall. 
 
 At six o'clock that evening, the prophet and his 
 litttle band started again for Carthage, Captain Dunn 
 and his troops following soon after. 
 
 Early the next morning, a messenger reported that 
 they had reached Carthage safely around midnight, 
 having been in the saddle most of the time since early 
 morning. That the Carthage Greys were in camp on 
 the town square and that as they entered, ribald shouts 
 and jeers had greeted them. Captain Dunn's men 
 were commanded to stand aside, that they might 
 "shoot the Mormon prophet." They had proceeded 
 to Hamilton's Hotel amid violent threats and pro- 
 fanity, where they had been given quarters for the 
 night, the Governor, the apostates from Nauvoo and 
 other desperate men who had sworn to take the life 
 of the prophet, being housed under the same roof. 
 
 Later, another messenger reported that Joseph and 
 Hyrum had been arrested on a charge of treason 
 against the State of Illinois and without examination, 
 had been committed to jail. 
 
 The days wore slowly on. Rumor brought threats 
 that the charge of treason could never be sustained 
 and that the mob had vowed that the two men should 
 never be allowed to escape. 
 
Chapter Twelve 
 
 At noon of the third day, Governor Ford arrived 
 in Nauvoo with a troop of the Carthage Greys and 
 a personal escort. Rumors had reached him that 
 outrages were being committed in the city and the 
 people of Warsaw and Carthage had urged him to 
 strike terror into the Mormon people by an exhibi- 
 tion of the force of the state. 
 
 The twelve hundred assembled at Carthage and the 
 six hundred at Warsaw, had been eagerly awaiting 
 orders to march into the city. The governor had 
 agreed to their importunings and three days' prepara- 
 tions had been made for the expedition. 
 
 Observing, however, that the men were becoming 
 more excited and inflammatory as the preparations ad- 
 vanced, and threats of destroying the city and murder- 
 ing the inhabitants, came to his ears, the governor 
 awoke to the fact that a plan had been formed by 
 the dissenters, who had been stirring up the strife, 
 to get the troops into Nauvoo. Then, under cover of 
 the night, they were to fire upon his troops and lay 
 it to the Mormons. Upon learning their plans, he 
 ordered the troops disbanded, and leaving eight mem- 
 bers of the Carthage Greys to guard the jail, came 
 himself to Nauvoo to acquaint the people of the hatred 
 
 127 
 
128 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 that prevailed against them and to warn them that 
 if any open or secret violence was committed on the 
 persons or property of those who had taken part 
 against them, that it would mean destruction of their 
 city and the extermination of their people. 
 
 Governor Ford accepted the hospitality of Emma 
 Smith and ate dinner with her at noon in the Mansion 
 House, assuring her that all would be well with the 
 prisoners. 
 
 After dinner, the governor mounted the floor of 
 a building that was being erected opposite, and ad- 
 dressed between five and six thousand people who had 
 been hurriedly called together. 
 
 He told them of the many scandalous reports in 
 circulation against them, and that these reports, 
 whether true or false, were believed by the people. 
 He warned them what would happen if vengeance 
 was sought against those who had taken part against 
 their leaders, and promised that their leaders should 
 be protected and given a fair trial. He then took a 
 vote as to whether they would strictly observe the 
 laws, even in opposition to their prophet and leaders 
 and was delighted to find that the vote was unani- 
 mous to sustain the law under all circumstances. 
 
 Gratified at the respect accorded him, and at the 
 orderliness that prevailed throughout the city, the gov- 
 ernor and his men took their departure just as the sun 
 was setting. 
 
 Not long after his departure, a messenger, covered 
 with dust, galloped wildly past the home of the Barrys 
 and drew rein at the Mansion House. John, Will and 
 
 J.C. B.— 8 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 129 
 
 Robert, seized with a premonition of evil, ran with 
 others to hear what the man had to say. 
 
 "Joseph and Hyrum have been assassinated! A mob 
 of a hundred and fifty or more, with blackened faces, 
 stormed the jail at six o'clock and shot them to death. 
 John Taylor is badly wounded but Willard Richards 
 is unharmed!" 
 
 With these words flung over his shoulder, the young 
 man entered the house and closed the door after him. 
 
 There was a solemn hush. The crowd was stunned 
 into silence! Presently a man asked quietly, "Who was 
 that young man?" 
 
 "He's Lorenzo Wassen, a nephew of Emma Smith," 
 someone replied. 
 
 "Then the report is true!" declared the man sadly. 
 
 The men bowed their heads. Now that the ex- 
 pected had really happened, their sorrow was too deep 
 for words. They parted, each seeking the solitude of 
 their own home. 
 
 A black pall settled down over the city. With 
 strained faces, people gathered about the Temple, but 
 no word was spoken. Messengers began to arrive. A 
 letter to Emma Smith and Major-General Dunham 
 from Willard Richards was read aloud, in which he 
 warned them to be still, not to rush out of the city, 
 but to be prepared for an attack from Missouri 
 mobbers. He assured them that the governor would 
 render every assistance and had sent out orders for 
 troops. That the people of Carthage feared that the 
 Mormons would go out and take vengeance, but that 
 he had pledged his word that his people would stay 
 home and no violence be committed. 
 
 J.C. B.-9 
 
130 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 One of the first to arrive from Carthage was Sam- 
 uel H. Smith, worn and weary and half sick. He told 
 how he had been riding into Carthage on horseback, 
 alone, and had met the mob as they were fleeing. On 
 learning that he was a brother of the prophet, they 
 had opened fire and pursued him at top speed for two 
 hours, but he had managed to elude them. He com- 
 plained of a pain in his side and seemed almost too 
 ill to walk, but bravely joined the thousands that lined 
 the streets at the muffled roll of a drum, and sorrow- 
 fully watched the procession that accompanied the 
 wagon, covered with green boughs, beneath which lay 
 the bodies of his two brothers. 
 
 A shudder ran through the crowd as the wagon 
 approached and heart-rending sobs and lamentations 
 swept the crowd, as they followed to the Mansion 
 House. 
 
 The floor of the building opposite, which had been 
 used the day before by the governor, when he had 
 assured them that their leaders would be protected, 
 was used as a platform again, and Willard Richards, 
 who, with John Taylor, had never left the side of their 
 beloved leaders, but had sought to sustain and com- 
 fort them by their presence, now addressed the multi- 
 tude. 
 
 "You are anxious, I know, to hear the details of 
 this sad happening. Joseph and Hyrum were arrested, 
 as you know, for treason, and committed to prison un- 
 til discharged by due course of law. 
 
 "It soon began to be rumored that there was noth- 
 ing against these men, that the law could not reach 
 them, but powder and ball would. The governor was 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 131 
 
 made acquainted with these facts, but on the morning 
 of the twenty-seventh, disbanded the McDonough 
 troops and sent them home, took Captain Dunn's 
 company of cavalry and came here to Nauvoo, leav- 
 ing Joseph and Hyrum guarded by eight men at the 
 jail and a company in town of sixty men as a corps 
 in reserve. 
 
 "John Taylor and I had permits from the gover- 
 nor to lodge with the prisoners in jail, and knowing 
 the threats that the two Smiths should never leave 
 Carthage alive, we were greatly alarmed for their per- 
 sonal safety. 
 
 "We had passed the day as best we could, reading, 
 writing and singing. The jailor and his wife had been 
 very kind, making us as comfortable as possible. They 
 had given us a pleasant room on the second floor, but 
 Joseph and Hyrum were restless and the prophet ex- 
 pressed himself as having a presentiment of uneasiness 
 as to his safety such as he had never experienced be- 
 fore when in the hands of his enemies. He longed 
 to see his family again and cried out: 'Oh, that I 
 could preach to the Saints in Nauvoo once more.' 
 
 "About five o'clock in the afternoon, the sound of 
 tramping feet came to our ears. Rushing to the win- 
 dow, we beheld the mob, their faces blackened with 
 powder. There was a scuffle with the guards, the re- 
 port of guns, a rush of feet on the stairs, shouts and 
 filthy oaths. 
 
 "We all rushed to the door and put our shoulders 
 against it, the lock being useless. The mob started 
 shooting through the door. A ball struck Hyrum on 
 
132 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 the side of his nose and he sank to the floor, exclaim- 
 ing, Tra a dead man!' 
 
 "The mob then pushed the door open. John Taylor 
 and I had heavy walking sticks in our hands and par- 
 ried the guns as they were thrust through the door. 
 Streams of fire and deadly balls belched forth from 
 the fire-arms, mingled with shouts and oaths. Every 
 moment the crowd became more dense, pressed on by 
 those in the rear, and seeing no hope of escape, John 
 Taylor made a spring for the window, which was open. 
 He was on the point of leaping out, when a ball from 
 the door struck him in the thigh and he fell to the floor 
 and rolled under the bed close by. 
 
 "Then Joseph leaped for the window, when two 
 balls pierced him from the door and he fell outward, 
 exclaiming, O Lord, My God!' and fell on his left 
 side, a dead man. 
 
 "A cry was raised — 'He's leaped the window!' and 
 the mob on the stairs and in the entry, ran out. 
 
 "I reached my head out the window, and watched 
 some seconds to see if there were any signs of life, 
 regardless of my own, determined to see the end of 
 him I loved. Being fully satisfied that he was dead, 
 and expecting a return of the mob to the room, I 
 rushed toward the dungeon or inner prison at the 
 head of the stairs. John Taylor called out, 'Take me!' 
 I caught him under my arm, rushed into the dungeon 
 and covered him with a bed, in such a manner as 
 not likely to be perceived and stood before the door 
 waiting to be shot, but suddenly, panic-stricken, the 
 mob fled away. 
 
 "Thus two, among the most noble martyrs, have 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 133 
 
 sealed the truth of their divine mission by being shot 
 by a mob for their religion." 
 
 Richards paused, overcome with emotion. 
 
 The Barrys, listening intently, were deeply stirred. 
 Martha turned to Nell. 
 
 "So this is your land of religious freedom!" she 
 sniffed scornfully. 
 
 Before Nell could reply, Willard Richards recov- 
 ered himself and continued: "A panic seized the town 
 and inside of two hours, Carthage was deserted. Ham- 
 ilton House alone was occupied and there the killed 
 and wounded were taken and a few good Samaritans 
 cared for them. 
 
 "Governor Ford, returning from his visit to Nauvoo, 
 halted the two messengers we sent with the tragic 
 news. He was very much frightened and commanding 
 them to accompany him, he hurried on to Carthage. 
 There he denounced the people for their folly and 
 leaving them to their fate, rode on toward Quincy. 
 
 "The inhabitants of Warsaw are panic stricken and 
 have sent their women and children across the river 
 to Alexander, fearing that the Nauvoo Legion will 
 try to avenge the martyrs' death, but men and breth- 
 ren, we seek not revenge and must do all in our power 
 to allay the excitement that now exists. Instead of 
 an appeal to arms, we must appeal to the majesty of 
 the law and be content with whatever judgment it 
 shall award; and should the law fail, we must leave 
 the matter with God. Be peaceable, quiet citizens, 
 doing the work of righteousness and rejoice that you 
 are found worthy to live and die for God." 
 
 Robert, standing with the multitude, was pressed 
 
134 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 close to the Mansion House. From within issued the 
 sounds of sobbing and moaning. The window of the 
 big dining room was open and he could see the bodies 
 of the two men lying within, the family clustered 
 about them. He saw young Joseph on his knees by 
 his father's side and heard him crying: "O, my father, 
 my father!" 
 
 His weeping mother was sobbing: "Joseph, Joseph, 
 my husband, my husband! Have they taken you from 
 me at last?" 
 
 Lucy Smith, the mother of Joseph and Hyrum, was 
 calling upon God for strength to endure the sight of 
 her two sons stretched out before her. "My God, my 
 God," she cried, "Why hast thou forsaken this fam- 
 ily?" 
 
 Robert could endure no more. He wormed his 
 way through the crowd, raced home and throwing 
 himself on the couch in the living room sobbed as 
 if his heart would break. Presently he heard the 
 kitchen door open and hushed voices speaking. One 
 he recognized as Aunt Nell's. 
 
 "You'll have to be brave for their sake, Savilla," 
 she was saying. 
 
 Savilla — the girl that helped with the work at the 
 Mansion House. She and Aunt Nell were great 
 friends. 
 
 "I had to get away! I couldn't stand it," sobbed 
 Savilla. "Poor Emma, whatever will become of her! 
 She's expecting, you know." 
 
 "No, I didn't know. The poor soul!" Nell was 
 shocked. "When is it to be?" 
 
 "Next November." 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 135 
 
 Robert sneezed unexpectedly. There was an omi- 
 nous silence; then Nell with flushed face appeared in 
 the doorway of the living room. 
 
 "Robert, what are you doing here?" she demanded. 
 
 "I have a headache," he replied truthfully. Without 
 a word, Nell returned to the kitchen. There was a 
 whispered consultation, then Robert heard the door 
 open and their footsteps taking the path down to 
 the river. 
 
 Robert's headache increased as night came on for 
 everything seemed to be in commotion — horsemen rac- 
 ing up and down, lights flickering here and there, 
 men and women passing, winds moaning and all night 
 long the slow beat — beat of the big bass drum. 
 
 At eight o'clock the next morning the doors of the 
 Mansion House were thrown open and Robert passed 
 in the long grief stricken line that viewed the bodies. 
 All day long a steady stream of weeping humanity 
 flowed in at the west door and out at the north door. 
 
 In the midst of terror and alarm the simple rites 
 were attended to and the bodies carried to their last 
 resting place — a temporary tomb built in the hillside 
 near the Temple — or were supposed to be placed there, 
 but on account of the large sum that had been offered 
 for the head of Joseph Smith, the caskets were rilled 
 with sand and the bodies hidden in a secret place. 
 
 On the thirtieth of July, Samuel Smith, who had 
 been confined to his bed since the death of his broth- 
 ers, died, leaving his four little children orphans, their 
 mother having died from exposure when they were 
 driven out of Missouri. 
 
 Great excitement prevailed throughout the church 
 
136 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 as to who should be the successor of Joseph Smith. 
 A special conference was called in September dur- 
 ing which it was agreed that the Twelve Apostles 
 should be supported in their calling. Sidney Rigdon, 
 however, being the only surviving member of the 
 Presidency, maintained that he was the legal guardian 
 of the church and entitled to preside. But despite 
 his passionate oratory, he failed to convince the people 
 and was not sustained when the vote was taken. Con- 
 tinuing to assert his claims, he gained a considerable 
 following and took them to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. 
 There he perfected a church organization in which 
 he occupied as president. He published a paper called 
 the Messenger and Advocate admonishing his follow- 
 ers never to break the laws of the land whether at 
 the suggestion of apostle, prophet or even angel. 
 
 James J. Strang, a shrewd, intelligent, capable man, 
 then arrived in Nauvoo, having been away on a mis- 
 sion to Voree, Wisconsin. He claimed that an angel 
 of God had appeared to him at the hour of the proph- 
 ets' death and ordained him to lead the people. He 
 was comparatively unknown during the life of the 
 prophet, having joined the church the February previ- 
 ous, but he produced a letter purporting to be from 
 Joseph Smith in which he was told that he should 
 plant a stake of Zion in Wisconsin. It should be 
 called Voree, meaning "garden of peace," where the 
 people should find rest and peace. The city of Voree 
 should be a stronghold of safety and there the faith- 
 ful should prosper and be blessed and none should 
 hurt or molest them. 
 
 The genuineness of this letter was disputed, but the 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 137 
 
 man was a skillful leader and soon obtained a follow- 
 ing. Returning to Wisconsin he organized a church 
 with himself as president. 
 
 As president of the Twelve Apostles, Brigham 
 Young ignored the claims of Strang and Rigdon and 
 assumed control in Nauvoo. An epistle was sent to 
 the Latter Day Saints in all the world admonishing 
 those that had capital to hasten to build up the city 
 and to finish the Temple according to the pattern 
 commenced. 
 
 At the General Conference held in October, Brig- 
 ham Young ventured to claim for himself the posi- 
 tion of revelator, thus elevating himself above the 
 other members of the Twelve and contentions between 
 the aspirants for leadership became bitter. 
 
 However, emigration continued to pour into the 
 city, great numbers of brick houses were erected and 
 various branches of manufacture started notwithstand- 
 ing that many thought Mormonism would die with 
 its great leader and that the Latter Day Saints would 
 be scattered to the four winds. 
 
Chapter Thirteen 
 
 T> obert was growing tall but remained the same shy 
 sensitive lad he had always been. The events he had 
 witnessed had been indelibly stamped upon his mind, 
 crushing his spirits by the weight of sorrow and 
 heartache about him, but time soon healed the wound 
 and his spirits became more buoyant. As he walked 
 the streets of Nauvoo he became conscious of a cock- 
 sure air dominating the city. It was fully expected 
 that it would become a huge metropolis. Many proj- 
 ects had been planned. A canal had been started 
 and there was talk of petitioning Congress for a 
 grant to make a dam across the river so that power 
 might be supplied for their mills. Meetings had been 
 called for the purpose of organizing co-operative stores 
 and industries so as to give employment to their 
 mechanics and bring the comforts and necessities 
 within the reach of all. 
 
 Like young Joseph, Robert took a special pride in 
 the Temple which was being hurried to completion. 
 He had made friends with Alpheus Cutler and Rey- 
 nolds Cahoon, the Temple committee, who, knowing 
 that he could be trusted, allowed him to go freely 
 about the building. He watched the men at work 
 carving and polishing the thirty hewn pilasters with 
 
 138 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 139 
 
 their crescent new moon at the base and sun and 
 star at the top, typical of the three glories. He vis- 
 ited the quarries where at times a hundred men would 
 be busily engaged quarrying rock while a multitude 
 of others hauled it away. 
 
 He watched with interest the great rafts piled high 
 with lumber, that were floated down the Mississippi 
 from the Wisconsin pineries, where companies had 
 gone from Nauvoo, purchased mills and prepared 
 lumber for the Temple and the Nauvoo House. He 
 stood on the bank with the crowds that gathered to 
 cheer and welcome the returned woodmen when they 
 came ashore, laden with gifts of Indian blankets, buck- 
 skin coats and furs for their loved ones, their clothes 
 redolent with the fragrance of the pine forests. They 
 had great tales to tell of their adventures with wild- 
 cats, bears and Indians and Robert was thrilled as 
 he listened, looking forward to the time when he 
 would be old enough to join them. 
 
 One day, in mid-November, he wandered along the 
 shore seeking pretty carnelians among the sand and 
 pebbles, to add to his growing collection. The hand- 
 kerchief in which he deposited them, carrying it by the 
 four corners, was growing heavy as he neared the 
 Nauvoo House, when suddenly he came upon young 
 Joseph, seated in one of the doorways of the big, 
 unfinished building. He was gazing forlornly out 
 across the wide expanse of water. 
 
 Robert paused, embarrassed and awed by the cur- 
 tain of strangeness that had fallen between them since 
 the tragedy. 
 
140 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 He was about to steal away as quietly as he had 
 come, when Joseph turned quickly. 
 
 "Hello, Robert, hunting carnelians?" he asked 
 quietly. 
 
 Robert took a deep breath. 
 
 "Y-e-s" he stammered, "Want to see them?" 
 
 He stepped forward, seated himself on the step be- 
 side Joseph, opened his handkerchief and displayed 
 his treasures. 
 
 "They're pretty," Joseph said in a tired voice. "I 
 have a box full up at the house. I'll show them to 
 you some day. I'd take you to see them now, but 
 mother's sick and we might disturb her. You see, we 
 have a new baby at our house." 
 
 Robert's eyes grew wide in amazement. 
 
 "A new baby!" he cried. 
 
 "Yes, I have a new baby brother." 
 
 "A baby brother!" echoed Robert. 
 
 "Yes, I have three brothers now," Joseph stated 
 calmly. 
 
 "Three — " gasped Robert, "and I have none!" 
 
 "But you have a father. Think of David — we've 
 named the baby David," he explained, "think of him 
 never even seeing father!" 
 
 Robert pondered the thought for a moment, but a 
 brother under any circumstances was something to re- 
 joice over. 
 
 "I'll have to give up school now and help mother," 
 Joseph continued sadly. "Father wanted me to be a 
 great scholar, but there are five of us children now, 
 and it's going to be hard on mother. The Twelve al- 
 low us a hundred and twenty-four dollars a year to 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 141 
 
 live on — that isn't enough. They let us keep two 
 horses, Charlie and Joe Duncan, two cows, the spin- 
 ning wheels and household goods, but they're acting 
 mighty queer about some things. Mother doesn't like 
 it and told them so. She doesn't like Brigham Young 
 either. He tries to make everyone do as he says, but 
 he can't boss mother; she won't stand for it. Father 
 was so good to mother. He thought she was the most 
 wonderful woman in the world and now — " his voice 
 choked. 
 
 Robert was silent. He had come near losing his 
 own father. He knew what it meant, and his heart 
 went out in sympathy. 
 
 "Mother isn't the only one that dislikes Brigham 
 Young. Uncle William doesn't like him either. Un- 
 cle William wants to be my guardian, because he says 
 I am to be father's successor and take charge of the 
 church some day." 
 
 Robert turned to him in suppressed excitement. 
 
 "Would you like to do that?" he asked eagerly. 
 
 Joseph turned his keen eyes full upon Robert. They 
 were like dark pools of flaming fire. Robert shrank 
 back, feeling that he had said something wrong. 
 
 "Would you like to be put in jail?" he asked scorn- 
 fully, "and have people that you thought were your 
 friends, telling lies about you?" 
 
 "No — I guess — I wouldn't," Robert stammered, 
 meekly. 
 
 "Father and Uncle Hyrum couldn't even be buried 
 like other folks, but had to be hidden away," he de- 
 clared bitterly. 
 
142 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 "Do you know where they are?" asked Robert, 
 breathlessly. 
 
 Joseph glanced swiftly at the spring house near by. 
 
 "Yes, I know where they are. I watched them 
 taken from their hiding place and saw father's face. 
 They have hidden them again, somewhere else, but 
 I mustn't tell where." 
 
 The lads sat silent for awhile, each deep in thought. 
 Then Joseph spoke again, half musingly. 
 
 "Lyman Wight is telling everyone that I am to be 
 father's successor. He says he remembers when he 
 and father were in Liberty Jail in Missouri and I went 
 to visit them, how father laid his hands on my head 
 and said, 'You are my successor when I depart.' He 
 said the same thing several times after that; once in 
 his office here in Nauvoo and the last time was just 
 before he went to Carthage." 
 
 "Then if your father was a prophet, and he said 
 you were to be his successor, I don't see how you can 
 help yourself." 
 
 Joseph gazed at Robert in alarm, then suddenly 
 sprang to his feet and with white, set face, strode up 
 the path toward the Mansion House. 
 
 Robert watched him sorrowfully, then, picking up 
 his treasures, turned his face toward home. 
 
 It was some time before Robert saw Joseph again, 
 and then it was one evening at sunset, he happened to 
 be passing the door of the Mansion House stable, 
 when he beheld Joseph, crying bitterly, as he removed 
 the gay trappings of the prophet's riding horse, Joe 
 Duncan. 
 
 There had been a parade that day, and Robert had 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 143 
 
 seen Brigham Young mounted upon the spirited ani- 
 mal, with its full military trappings, and had heard 
 the comments. "How much he resembles the prophet!" 
 and had wondered about it. He stared at the horse 
 in astonishment, for it was hard to reconcile the 
 spirited pacer with this animal, standing with droop- 
 ing head and legs sprawled apart, his hair from ears 
 to fetlock, matted with sweat. Robert stood silent as 
 Joseph sponged his coat with warm water, talking 
 soothingly, while the tears streamed down his cheeks. 
 
 Presently Robert slipped to his side. 
 
 "What happened to him?" he asked in an awed 
 voice. 
 
 "It's all Brigham Young's fault," sobbed Joseph. "He 
 sent a note to mother asking for the horse to use in 
 the parade. He could have used his own, but he 
 wanted father's and all father's military equipment. 
 I'd only just nursed him back to health after two men 
 drove him clear to Fort Madison, and I told mother 
 he ought not to be used, but she said Brigham Young 
 only wanted him for the parade, and would return 
 him in a couple of hours, and she made me caparison 
 him with father's military saddle and housings. They 
 took him at ten o'clock, he was to be back by twelve, 
 and at four o'clock this afternoon I saw George Can- 
 non galloping him down the river road. I ran and 
 told mother and she sent word to Brigham Young. 
 He said he couldn't understand it, for he had given 
 orders for the horse to be returned at once. He sent 
 a man after Cannon an hour ago and they just brought 
 him in. He's had neither food nor drink on a hot 
 day like this. You can see how he's used up. He's 
 
144 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 probably ruined. I'll never put a saddle or bridle 
 on him for Brigham Young again!" 
 
 "Perhaps Brigham Young wasn't to blame," sug- 
 gested Robert. 
 
 "Perhaps not. He sent mother an apology for not 
 returning the horse when promised. His clerk's an 
 Englishman, and doesn't know much about horses. I 
 suppose he thought it was a good chance for him to 
 take a ride. But apologies won't mend the horse, or 
 the way I feel about it." 
 
 J.C. B.-9 
 
Chapter Fourteen 
 
 /^\pposition was silent for awhile after the death 
 ^^^ of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, then the anti-Mor- 
 mon papers commenced to agitate the public mind 
 once more. A great gathering was announced to be 
 held at Warsaw. Printed invitations were sent to 
 all the militia captains in Hancock and the neighbor- 
 ing counties of Illinois, Iowa and Missouri. It was 
 given out that it was to be a great wolf hunt, but it 
 was secretly whispered that the wolves were to be 
 the Mormons. 
 
 Preparations were made for the assembling of sev- 
 eral thousand men with provisions for six days, while 
 the anti-Mormon newspapers, to aid the movements, 
 printed the most awful accounts of thefts, robberies 
 and outrages committed by the Mormons. 
 
 Governor Ford, upon hearing of it, sent troops un- 
 der command of General Hardin, the governor ac- 
 companying them, whereupon the mobs fled. The agi- 
 tation continued, however, the citizens of Nauvoo be- 
 ing accused of harboring a band of counterfeiters and 
 of committing other serious crimes. 
 
 The city council and the citizens of Nauvoo in 
 mass meeting assembled, denied the allegations and 
 declared their allegiance to law and order. They de- 
 
 145 
 
 J.C. B. — 10 
 
146 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 fied the world to substantiate a single instance where 
 they had concealed criminals, or screened them from 
 justice, challenging them to search out all stolen prop- 
 erty or apparatus for making bogus money, and see 
 if they could trace it to the city. 
 
 The deputy sheriff of Hancock County accepted the 
 challenge, and taking a person from the country, with 
 a writ, searched every house suspected, till that person 
 was satisfied, and he was satisfied himself that no such 
 property was in the city. He then declared to the 
 public, that if people would satisfy themselves as he 
 had done, they would find a "depot" in the regions of 
 Iowa, containing the greater part of the property 
 charged to the Mormons, but he was convinced that 
 the thieves were not Mormons, nor had the Mormons 
 any fellowship with them. 
 
 The mayor of the city was authorized to enlarge the 
 police force to the number of five hundred, and as 
 a result of their vigilance, it was discovered that their 
 avowed enemies were setting fire to their own build- 
 ings in an effort to fan the flame of mobocracy, which 
 fires were promptly prevented by the vigilance of the 
 police. 
 
 Throughout the winter and summer of 1845, the 
 feeling was very intense, and many efforts and demon- 
 strations were made with a view of banishing the 
 Mormons from the state. 
 
 A petition was sent to President James K. Polk, by 
 the Twelve, importuning him as a father, a friend and 
 a patriot, to lend his immediate aid to quell the vio- 
 lence of mobocracy and exert his influence to establish 
 them as a people in their civil and religious rights, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 147 
 
 where they now were, or in some part of the United 
 States or in some place remote therefrom, where they 
 might colonize in peace and safety as circumstances 
 would permit. 
 
 In September, the anti-Mormons, who had sworn 
 to expel the Mormons from the state, began burning 
 houses in the vicinity of Green Plains. One hundred 
 and twenty-five houses were burned within a short 
 time. Sheriff Backenstos undertook to suppress these 
 disturbances, and issued a proclamation to the rioters 
 to desist, but they paid no heed. Sheriff Backenstos 
 stated that the Mormon community had acted with 
 more than ordinary forbearance, remaining perfectly 
 quiet, and offering no resistance when their dwellings, 
 other buildings, stacks of grain, etc., were set on fire 
 in their presence. He declared that they had forborne 
 until forbearance was no longer a virtue, whereupon 
 Governor Ford sent General Hardin with a force of 
 militia to quiet the disturbances. 
 
 In October a convention was held in Carthage, com- 
 posed of delegates from nine counties, at which time 
 they appointed four commissioners to visit the Mor- 
 mons and demand their removal from the state. The 
 commissioners appointed were General Hardin, com- 
 mander of the state militia, Senator Stephen A. Doug- 
 las, W. B. Warren and J. A. McDougal. The com- 
 mission held a conference with the church authorities 
 in Nauvoo, who declared that they had already com- 
 menced making arrangements to remove in the spring 
 to some distant point, where they would neither in- 
 fringe nor be infringed upon, as soon as time and 
 means would permit. That hundreds of farms were 
 
148 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 for sale and two thousand houses in the city and 
 county, and that they were desirous of finding pur- 
 chasers for their property. 
 
 In January, the members of the high council, pub- 
 lished a declaration of their intentions in which they 
 stated that they were sending out to the western coun- 
 try in the early part of March, a company of pioneers, 
 consisting mostly of hardy men; with some families. 
 They were to take with them farming utensils and 
 seeds of all kinds to put in a spring crop, build houses 
 and prepare for the reception of families who would 
 start as soon as grass was sufficiently grown to sustain 
 teams and stocks. 
 
 They were instructed to find a good place in some 
 valley in the neighborhood of the Rocky Mountains, 
 where they would infringe on no one. Here they 
 were to make a resting place until a place for a perma- 
 nent location was determined upon. They declared 
 that their grievances had not alienated them from 
 their country, that their patriotism had not been over- 
 come by the things they had been called upon to en- 
 dure, and should hostilities arise between the govern- 
 ment of the United States and other powers in rela- 
 tion to the right of possessing the Territory of Ore- 
 gon, they would be on hand to sustain the claim of 
 the United States to that country, and their services 
 would be cheerfully rendered. 
 
 They stated that their property would be left in 
 the hands of competent agents, for sale at a low rate, 
 for teams, for goods or for cash, the funds arising 
 from the sale to be applied to the removal of fam- 
 ilies from time to time as fast as possible, and it was 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 149 
 
 hoped that those families left behind, until an out- 
 fit was obtained, would not be mobbed, burnt or 
 driven away by force, as they had agreed to leave the 
 country for the sake of peace, upon the condition 
 that no more vexatious prosecutions would be insti- 
 tuted against them. 
 
 The anti-Mormons, however, who were desirous of 
 plunder, and their hatred of the Mormons merely a 
 pretext, robbery being the chief motive actuating them, 
 began clamoring for the Mormons to be off, knowing 
 that houses and lots, farms and merchandise could 
 not be turned into money or even wagons and live- 
 stock in a moment. 
 
 All winter long, the insistent ring of the hammer, 
 the clang of the anvil and the roar of the forge was 
 heard throughout the city, from early morn until late 
 at night, for every blacksmith shop, house, barn and 
 even the Temple had been converted into a workshop. 
 Men were shaping wheels, welding tires, fashioning 
 tongues and wagon beds, bending bows and cutting 
 and shaping covers, until ten thousand wagons were 
 completed and stood ready for occupancy. 
 
 The whole atmosphere of the place had changed. 
 The men looked worn and anxious, the women pale 
 and distraught and even the children spoke in hushed 
 voices, fearing they knew not what. 
 
 The houses they had builded, the gardens they had 
 planted, were all to be left behind. Their beautiful 
 city that had blossomed like a rose in the wilderness, 
 was to fall into the hands of strangers; the Temple 
 desecrated by their enemies. 
 
 In the home of the Barrys there were sobs and tears, 
 
150 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 for Nell and Will had made their decision and were 
 to follow Brigham Young across the plains. 
 
 "If you were going to Texas to join Lyman Wight 
 and his followers, I wouldn't feel half so bad," de- 
 clared Martha, wiping her eyes. 
 
 "Lyman Wight — there's a man for you!" affirmed 
 John. "A born leader, if there ever was one! The 
 group of a hundred and fifty men, women and chil- 
 dren he piloted down the Mississippi River from the 
 Wisconsin pineries in homemade boats, has built a 
 city already near the Colorado River. They've named 
 it Zodiac. They're having all things common and they 
 declare they are going to stay there until young Joseph 
 takes his father's place. Lyman Wight claims that 
 Zion shall never be moved out of her place, and that 
 the time is not far distant when they and their children 
 shall return, singing songs of everlasting joy." 
 
 Martha brightened visibly. 
 
 "There, Nell, listen to that," she cried, excitedly. 
 "Why not go to Texas? Then we could go too, and 
 when this blows over we could all come back here 
 again." 
 
 Will looked hopefully at Nell, but there was an 
 obstinate tilt to her chin. 
 
 "Nell and I talked of it," he stated quietly, "but 
 since then, Nell has had a long talk with Brigham 
 Young, and now her mind is made up." 
 
 "I detest that man!" Martha cried, vehemently. 
 
 "Everybody has their likes and dislikes," Will de- 
 clared, philosophically. "I admire the man, myself. 
 He'll make a wonderful leader, and I firmly believe 
 that he'll establish some place where our enemies can- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 151' 
 
 not reach us again, and with a man like Brigham 
 Young for a leader, we are bound to prosper." 
 
 "I hope you're right, Will," replied John. But 
 Martha was loath to give in. 
 
 "Emma Smith isn't going," she reminded them. 
 "She's flatly refused to follow Brigham Young and ad- 
 vises others against it." 
 
 "I can't understand what's come over Emma," Nell 
 replied, wonderingly. "She keeps to herself and has 
 nothing to do with the leaders, although they've tried 
 their best to persuade her to go with us." 
 
 "She's a woman with a mind of her own, evidently," 
 commented Martha. "But see here, Nell, I'm not 
 going to know a moment's peace thinking of you out 
 on those plains among hostile Indians and those wild 
 cattle men." 
 
 Nell laughed. 
 
 "Why Martha, there'll be so many of us, no one'll 
 dare bother us. Think what fun it'll be, camping out 
 in the open like that, searching for a new location 
 where we can build another city like Nauvoo." 
 
 Martha, noting the glint of excitement in Nell's 
 eyes, sighed heavily. The spirit of adventure was 
 again dominating her sister. It was useless to argue 
 further. 
 
 Robert Barry, returning one day from "the hill" 
 where the Temple stood, to "the flat" below, overtook 
 young Joseph, who was carrying a long object en- 
 closed in a case. 
 
 "What's that you've got?" Robert asked curiously. 
 
 "It's a bowie knife!" Joseph replied, excitedly. 
 "Want to see it?" 
 
152 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 He drew from the scabbard a menacing weapon 
 with a flashing blade. It was nine inches long and 
 two inches broad and as sharp as a razor. 
 
 Robert stepped back in dismay. 
 
 "Ugh!" he shuddered. "Where did you get that?" 
 
 "Cousin George A. Smith gave it to me. He sent 
 word that he had a present for me and this is what 
 he gave me." 
 
 "But it's dangerous!" 
 
 "It's no more dangerous than the present Brigham 
 Young gave me." 
 
 "What! Brigham Young gave you a present?" 
 Robert asked excitedly. 
 
 "Yes, he sent word that he had a present for me 
 too, something to remember him by, so I went to 
 his house and he gave me a pistol. Come along home 
 with me and I'll show it to you." 
 
 Robert followed Joseph to the Mansion House. His 
 mother met them at the door. 
 
 "What did Cousin George give you?" she asked, 
 eagerly. 
 
 Her eagerness quickly changed to dismay when 
 Joseph displayed the strange and dangerous gift. 
 
 "My, O my! Why did he give you that? Why 
 couldn't he have given you something useful?" she 
 mourned. 
 
 "It's useful, Mother," Joseph responded brightly. 
 "You can use it to cut bread!" 
 
 "Oh, no, Joseph, it's much too big and clumsy for 
 that." 
 
 "Then maybe I could use it to cut kindling." 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 153 
 
 "No, that wouldn't do either, you might cut your- 
 self." 
 
 "Then, I know what I'll do. I'll take it to John 
 Huntington and see if he'll trade for something we 
 can use. But first I want to show Robert the pistol 
 Brigham Young gave me." 
 
 "Well, do be careful, Joseph. I wish he had never 
 given it to you. I'm so afraid you'll hurt someone with 
 it." 
 
 Robert stared curiously at the small pistol with its 
 short, stubby handle. The barrel was not very long 
 and the hammer and trigger on the under side were 
 unguarded. It carried but a single shot. 
 
 "It's a dueling pistol," declared Joseph. "Did you 
 ever see one?" 
 
 Robert never had. He shrank inwardly at the sight 
 of any weapon of war and was relieved when Joseph 
 put it away and suggested they take the bowie knife 
 to John Huntington and see what he would give them 
 for it. 
 
 John Huntington was an ingenious fellow who had 
 fitted up a little workshop with a power wheel turned 
 by the water of a stream running through his father's 
 premises. He gladly gave Joseph a large, cherry roll- 
 ing pin he had turned, in exchange for the knife and 
 Joseph hurried home with it. 
 
 His mother was delighted. 
 
 "Now, that is something useful! Why couldn't Brig- 
 ham Young and Cousin George have given you some- 
 thing like that, instead of things with which you might 
 injure yourself or your companions?" 
 
 Later, Joseph invited Robert to accompany him to 
 
154 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 the home of Bishop Newell K. Whitney, who had sent 
 word that he, too, had a present for Joseph. To his 
 delight, Bishop Whitney presented him with his writ- 
 ing desk. 
 
 "I decided to give it to you, Joseph, rather than 
 sell it for what little it would bring," he said, "or to 
 have the risk and bother of taking it with me on my 
 journey westward. Elder Young and Cousin George 
 have given you weapons of war, but remember, my 
 boy, that 'the pen is mightier than the sword.' ' 
 
 Joseph had the desk removed to his room in the 
 Mansion House and some of the treasured books left 
 by his father were placed in it for safekeeping. 
 
Chapter Fifteen 
 
 T> obert and Joseph stood on the bank of the river, 
 shivering in the raw, February wind. The air 
 was filled with flakes of snow, great wet flakes, 
 coming thicker and faster, as sixteen hundred men, 
 women and children, prairie schooners, horses and 
 cattle pressed forward, out onto the ice and across 
 the dark river to the Iowa shore. Cattle bellowed, 
 dogs barked, men shouted and women sobbed. 
 
 The boys stood silently, their hearts torn with an- 
 guish, as they watched the departure. Many of their 
 friends and schoolmates, numbered among the throng, 
 they were never to see again. Elsie was among them, 
 perched between her father and mother, on the high 
 seat of the wagon he had built for them. Charley 
 Pitman rode with his parents in the wagon next to 
 theirs. 
 
 "Good-by Robert! Good-by Joseph!" boys and girls 
 shouted, waving hats and handkerchiefs. "Wish you 
 were going with us!" 
 
 The boys acknowledged the farewells feebly. They 
 were dazed and bewildered by all that was taking 
 place about them and hardly knew whether they 
 wanted to go with these that were leaving, or to be 
 left behind. 
 
 155 
 
156 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 All had agreed to go in the spring. This, the first 
 company, was leaving early in February, in the vain 
 hope of appeasing the wrath of their enemies, sacri- 
 ficing in almost every instance, material interests, into 
 the hands of their covetous neighbors. 
 
 John and Martha had tried to prevail on Will and 
 Nell to wait until spring, but they were anxious to 
 be off. 
 
 "Some terrible doom hangs over the city!" Nell had 
 declared. "I feel it in my bones. Perhaps when 
 we've gone, our enemies will be satisfied and things 
 will be different. I hope so, for your sakes. I hate 
 to leave you like this. Oh, if you'd only come with 
 us." 
 
 "No, Nell, we're staying right here," replied Martha 
 firmly. "And mark my words, you'll be only too glad 
 to come back to us again." 
 
 By the middle of May, it was estimated that six- 
 teen thousand had crossed the Mississippi and taken 
 up their line of march with their wives and little ones, 
 westward, across the continent, leaving behind in 
 Nauvoo, a small remnant of less than a thousand, 
 many of whom were sick and unable to leave, while 
 others had no means with which to do so. 
 
 The leaders had requested that this remnant re- 
 main undisturbed, until sufficient means had been ob- 
 tained to remove them, but this their enemies refused 
 to permit and preparations were made to drive them 
 out by force of arms. 
 
 A deputation from Quincy, visited the camp of the 
 assailants and tried to dissuade them from their pur- 
 pose, but to no avail. There were in Nauvoo only a 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 157 
 
 hundred and fifty Mormons capable of bearing arms, 
 the remainder of the population consisting of desti- 
 tute women and children and those who were sick. 
 
 There were about one hundred and fifty of the new 
 citizens ready to defend their newly acquired property, 
 but many of the new citizens had departed, fearing a 
 general massacre. The little band under command of 
 Colonel Daniel H. Wells and William Cutler, pre- 
 pared to defend the city. 
 
 Early in September, an armed body of a thousand 
 men, with artillery and military equipment, made 
 preparations for a campaign against Nauvoo and en- 
 camped at Hunter's farm. 
 
 Nell's fears and premonitions were now recalled 
 by Martha. 
 
 "It would have been better," John reminded her, 
 "to have gone with Brigham Young, than to stay here 
 and be massacred." 
 
 Her thoughts turned to the brave woman in the 
 Mansion House and her family of little ones. 
 
 "What's Emma Smith going to do?" she asked. 
 
 "She's rented the hotel to one of the newcomers, a 
 man named Van Tuyl, and is taking her family up 
 the river to a place called Fulton City." 
 
 "Then we're going to Fulton City!" declared Martha. 
 
 Hurried preparations were made and the steamer, 
 Uncle Toby, plying the upper Mississippi, was boarded, 
 and the trip of one hundred and fifty miles was made 
 with quite a company of others who were fleeing the 
 city. 
 
 John was fortunate in finding work at the carpen- 
 
158 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 ter trade, soon after landing, so they rented a small 
 cottage and Robert was sent to school. 
 
 Meanwhile, in Nauvoo, the little band under com- 
 mand of Wells and Cutler, took up its position on 
 the edge of the wood, east of the city, less than a 
 mile from the enemy's camp. The enemy began hos- 
 tilities with a bombardment from a battery of six- 
 pounders, without effect. At sunrise the next morn- 
 ing, they changed their position, intending to take the 
 city by storm, but were held in check by Captain An- 
 derson and his son, a lad of sixteen, with a company 
 of thirty-five men known as the "Spartan Band." The 
 enemy had recourse to grape shot, forcing the Spartan 
 Band to retire out of range, but darkness put an end 
 to the skirmish and breastworks were thrown up dur- 
 ing the night by the defenders. 
 
 The next morning, the demand for unconditional 
 surrender, was promptly rejected, so the assail- 
 ants opened fire from all their batteries and soon af- 
 terward advanced upon the city. When within rifle 
 range of the breastworks, they wheeled suddenly to 
 the south, thinking to outflank the defenders and gain 
 possession of Temple Square. 
 
 Anderson had anticipated this move, and had posted 
 his Spartan Band in the woods to the north. Leading 
 his men at double quick, Anderson confronted the 
 enemy and opened fire with revolving rifles. A furi- 
 ous exchange of shots ensued for an hour and a half, 
 when the attacking forces withdrew to their camp. 
 
 The loss to the Spartan Band was three killed and 
 a few wounded. Among those who fell were brave 
 Captain Anderson and his son, the former dying as 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 159 
 
 he had vowed he would die, in defense of the Temple. 
 
 The next day being Sunday, the battle was not re- 
 newed, but a committee of one hundred was sent to 
 the city to negotiate terms, and on a promise that they 
 would be protected, the inhabitants agreed to lay down 
 their arms and immediately cross the river. The in- 
 vaders then made their triumphal entry, under the 
 command of Thomas Brockman. 
 
 Brockman, a large, uncouth individual, bent on ac- 
 quiring notoriety, had been county commissioner of 
 Brown County and in that capacity had let out a con- 
 tract for building the courthouse. It was afterwards 
 learned that he had let the contract to himself, man- 
 aged to get paid in advance, and then built such an 
 inferior building that the county refused to accept it. 
 He had also been a collector of taxes, for which he 
 was a defaulter, and his lands were sold to pay a 
 judgment against him for moneys collected. 
 
 It was not to be wondered at, therefore, that the 
 invaders under Brockman, forgot their promise on 
 entering the city and homes were broken open and 
 robbed of every article of value. The sick were driven 
 from their beds and turned out of doors at the point 
 of the bayonet. 
 
 Among them was the old, white-haired gentle- 
 man. 
 
 Defiantly he faced Brockman. 
 
 "Zion shall not be moved out of her place!" he 
 solemnly declared. 
 
 With an oath, Brockman threatened to run him 
 through. 
 
 At the point of the bayonet, the old man turned, 
 
160 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 and feebly tottered to the river, where he again faced 
 his tormenters. 
 
 His eyes shone with an inner light, as he solemnly 
 raised his hand toward heaven. 
 
 "We shall return," he cried, "though scattered, and 
 come to our inheritances, our children and our chil- 
 dren's children, with songs of everlasting joy!" 
 
 The men stared open mouthed, then roughly or- 
 dered him into a boat. 
 
 Crossing the river, the sick and wounded camped 
 among the reeds and rushes on the farther shore, with- 
 out shelter or roof of any kind. 
 
 The old white-haired gentleman had collapsed, lay 
 with closed eyes, his breath coming in short gasps. 
 Gentle hands lifted him to an old straw mattress and 
 a sheet was stretched above his head to protect him 
 from the force of the wind. His wife knelt beside 
 him. 
 
 Yells and ribald songs came floating across the 
 water that separated them from their comfortable 
 homes. From the Temple steeple came the beat of 
 a drum, wild shrieks and the sound of a loud-tongued 
 steamboat bell. 
 
 The old man's lips moved in prayer. 
 
 "Father, forgive them," he murmured. "They know 
 not what they do." 
 
 He was silent and the watchers bent anxiously above 
 him. 
 
 Again he prayed. 
 
 "O, God, forgive the follies of our people. Have 
 compassion on the exiles. May the honest in heart 
 
 J.C. B. — 10 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 161 
 
 be led back again, to dwell in peace once more in 
 Joseph's city beautiful." 
 
 His voice faltered and was heard no more. 
 
 The bark was stripped from a large tree. He was 
 wrapped in the sheet that had sheltered him and 
 placed within, then laid to rest on a little knoll fac- 
 ing his beloved city. 
 
 Soon, all the fugitives were prostrated with chills 
 and fever. Babies were born and left motherless at 
 birth. There was no food for the sick. Wheat was 
 ground in coffee mills and used as the chief diet for 
 sick and well. 
 
 Weeks passed. Gradually the group scattered in 
 search of other homes. 
 
 As winter settled down, carpenter work in Fulton 
 City became scarce and John Barry began making 
 inquiries about Nauvoo. He learned that things had 
 settled down to some extent, and under the influence 
 of the new citizens, a degree of better order was 
 gradually being established. He was anxious to see 
 what damage, if any, had been done to their home 
 and deemed it best to return before someone took 
 possession of it, if they had not already done so. 
 
 He hired a team and was driven with Martha and 
 Robert, back to Nauvoo. As they neared the city, 
 they beheld field upon field of yellow grain lying un- 
 harvested and rotting upon the ground. They viewed 
 with horror the splintered woodwork and walls bat- 
 tered to the foundation where the cannonading had 
 taken place. They passed long rows of empty houses 
 
 and unoccupied shops and stores, but to their joy, 
 
 j.c. b. — 1 1 
 
162 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 found their home unmolested and everything as they 
 had left it. 
 
 They learned with sadness of the death of Captain 
 Anderson and his son, whose characters were without 
 reproach. 
 
 "Poor Henry Anderson," wailed Robert. "He was 
 the boy that dressed like an old man and recited 'Pity 
 the Sorrows of a Poor Old Man' the day you visited 
 school, Mother, do you remember?" 
 
 "Yes, I remember. It was cleverly done. What 
 a pity that a talented boy like that should be sacri- 
 ficed by cruel men." 
 
 There were many estimable families among the new 
 citizens who had been attracted by the beauty of the 
 place and the cheapness of property, but there were 
 also many irresponsible characters, and Nauvoo soon 
 became a place of disgrace and disorder. Many sa- 
 loons opened, whose proprietors and patrons alike 
 were shiftless, boisterous and unprofitable citizens. 
 
 Van Tuyl, proprietor of the Mansion House, was 
 building a houseboat and planning to leave for Texas 
 in the spring. It was rumored that he planned to 
 dismantle the hotel of whatever furniture and goods 
 he wished to fit out his boat. Friends sent word to 
 Emma Smith and on the nineteenth day of February, 
 after an adventurous journey over muddy roads, the 
 black horse, Charlie, pulled up in front of the Man- 
 sion House, much to the surprise and discomfiture of 
 the dishonest landlord. 
 
 Emma Smith took possession of the hotel once more. 
 Times were hard and her resources were sorely taxed. 
 Groceries were very dear and hard to get. Every- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 163 
 
 thing that came to the city was shipped in from the 
 south. 
 
 There was considerable traffic up and down the 
 river, and the Mansion House drew its share of pub- 
 lic patronage. Among the boarders at the hotel could 
 be found men of all classes, from uncouth river men 
 to refined and ofttimes well-educated travelers from 
 the east. 
 
 Joseph became his mother's righthand man, milk- 
 ing the cow, running errands, collecting bills and keep- 
 ing an eye out for things in general. 
 
Chapter Sixteen 
 
 A lmon Babbitt, who had left Nauvoo during the 
 general exodus, came jingling down the road one 
 day in a carriage drawn by four horses, to which were 
 hung a number of sleigh bells. He drew rein at the 
 home of the Barrys and called loudly, "Anybody 
 home?" 
 
 Robert ran down to the gate. 
 
 "I have something for you," he cried, producing a 
 large envelope. 
 
 "From Aunt Nell!" exclaimed Robert. "Oh, thank 
 you." 
 
 "You're welcome, giddap," he called to his team 
 and was on his way. 
 
 "Robert, why didn't you invite the man in," scolded 
 his mother, who had appeared in the doorway. 
 
 "I never thought of it!" gasped Robert. "Anyway, 
 he seemed in a hurry." 
 
 "But I'd like to have questioned him about Nell." 
 
 "Well, here's her letter, perhaps she'll tell you all 
 you want to know." 
 
 Martha opened the envelope and found not only a 
 letter addressed to her from Nell, but one from Will 
 to John and one for Robert from Elsie. 
 
 Robert seized his eagerly and slipped it into his 
 pocket, while Martha proceeded to read Nell's letter 
 aloud. 1( 54 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 165 
 
 Salt Lake Valley, 
 May 5, 1847. 
 
 Dear Martha: 
 
 Almon Babbitt is on his way east. He's Indian agent 
 here and says he is going by way of Nauvoo and will 
 take any letters we wish to send. I have written sev- 
 eral times along the way, but you may not have re- 
 ceived them as we heard that everyone had been driven 
 from the city and we wondered how you were faring. 
 
 Our first stop was at Council Bluffs, and there, 
 President Polk, desiring to march a reliable body of 
 infantry to California, at the commencement of the 
 Mexican War, called upon us to furnish a battalion 
 of five hundred men. Twice had our people been 
 commanded by the government to surrender their arms, 
 and had been left to the malice of our enemies. Then, 
 in the midst of the Indian country, they called upon 
 us to furnish five hundred of our best men for a war 
 march of thousands of miles to California, without 
 hope of return until the conquest of that country. 
 
 And there we were, being driven by mob violence 
 from a free and independent state, and asked to pro- 
 vide men for the national capitol. There was some 
 murmuring at first, but the feeling for their country 
 triumphed, and in three days the force was mustered, 
 organized and ready to march. 
 
 Then a group led by Alpheus Cutler refused to go 
 any farther and have located in Iowa. When we got 
 to Florence, a great many more stayed there. All 
 along the way they kept dropping out and it was very 
 discouraging to our leaders. When we reached the 
 
166 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Salt Lake Valley, it was thought to be a good place 
 to locate, as we would be safe from our enemies among 
 the mountains ; but some wanted to go on to California 
 to join Samuel Brannon's colony there. 
 
 This colony chartered the ship Brooklyn and sailed 
 from New York on February 4 of last year, thinking 
 that we were going to California and would meet them 
 there. They sailed around Cape Horn, and after a 
 stormy voyage, passed the Golden Gate and arrived 
 at Yerba Buena on July 31, the war with Mexico 
 being ended. It was just three weeks after the United 
 States' flag was hoisted and the country taken pos- 
 session of by the Americans. Brannon's colony has 
 made a settlement on the river San Joaquin, which 
 they have named New Hope. They have put in crops 
 and are waiting for us. Elder Brannon himself and 
 some of his men are on their way now to meet us, but 
 our leaders are not going. They intend to stay here, 
 so Will and I have decided to stay with them and let 
 all those who want to go to California with Brannon, 
 please themselves. 
 
 We like it here and think it will be a fine place 
 to build a city. The mountaineers tell us it is a 
 splendid place to raise stock as the grass is rich and 
 heavy and the valley is one of the best of its kind to 
 winter cattle, the weather being moderate. 
 
 The farmers think the soil is suitable for raising 
 heavy crops of wheat, although they may have to ir- 
 rigate, as there is not sufficient rain for farming pur- 
 poses, but irrigation here will require very little labor. 
 
 It was a long journey across the plains. We waded 
 rivers and climbed mountains and endured many hard- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 167 
 
 ships. We grew heartily sick of the Indians who fol- 
 lowed us, trying to steal our possessions and drive 
 away our cattle. Some of the men wanted to take 
 their whips to them but Brigham Young warned us 
 to be kind to them, and said it was better to feed an 
 Indian than to make an enemy of him. 
 
 We passed great droves of buffalo — bison they called 
 them. The prairie was black with them sometimes 
 for miles and miles. They furnished our meat. 
 
 The scenery here is beautiful. Some of the moun- 
 tains are snowcapped and the sky is so clear and blue, 
 and the wild flowers are beautiful, so many different 
 varieties. 
 
 Will is building us a house and we are camping at 
 present. Wish you could see your way clear to join 
 us here, so we could all be together again. They are 
 going to persuade Emma Smith to come here with 
 her little family and I wish you would come with her. 
 
 Hoping to hear from you soon, 
 
 Your loving sister, 
 
 Nell. 
 
 When she had finished the letter, Martha sat 
 dreamily gazing out of the window and Robert quietly 
 slipped away to his own room to read his. So pleased 
 was he with what Elsie had written about their trav- 
 els, that he decided to show the letter to Joseph, and 
 hurried down the road toward the Mansion House. 
 
 As he drew near, he heard a jingling of bells, and 
 beheld the rig of Almon Babbitt standing at the gate. 
 The owner was engaged in earnest conversation with 
 
168 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Emma Smith who stood at the door and Joseph, seem- 
 ingly much perturbed, stood beside her. 
 
 Babbit's voice was startlingly clear, as he declared 
 heatedly: "I'll make you so poor that you'll be glad 
 to come out there for protection. I've been appointed 
 to accomplish that purpose and I propose to do it!" 
 
 Emma Smith's face was flushed with anger and her 
 dark eyes were blazing. 
 
 "Almon Babbitt, it may be possible for you to make 
 me poor, but you could never make me poor enough 
 to induce me to follow Brigham Young!" 
 
 Robert stared in amazement as Babbitt turned on 
 his heel, strode down the path and through the gate, 
 jumped into his carriage and drove rapidly away. 
 
 Emma went into the house and Joseph, seeing 
 Robert, came down the path to meet him. He was 
 trembling with rage. 
 
 "They're trying to force mother to go west, but 
 she'll never go!" 
 
 That night at the supper table, Martha and John 
 talked of the advisability of joining Nell and Will in 
 the west. 
 
 "Nell says they are going to persuade Emma to go 
 out and for us to go with her," stated Martha. 
 
 Robert looked up from his plate. 
 
 "Emma Smith's not going!" he declared emphati- 
 cally. 
 
 Martha's heart gave a bound. 
 
 "Not going? What do you mean?" 
 
 "I heard her tell Almon Babbitt that she'd never 
 follow Brigham Young." 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 169 
 
 "Then that settles it!" declared Martha. "I never 
 shall either." 
 
 A few evenings later, John came home chuckling. 
 
 "There are two men paying court to the widow." 
 
 "What widow?" asked Martha. 
 
 "Why Emma Smith, of course." 
 
 "Fancy that]" ejaculated his wife, excitedly. "Who 
 are they?" 
 
 "Well, one's an Irishman named James Mulholland 
 and the other is Major Lewis Crum Bidamon. Bida- 
 mon served in the Illinois Militia and came here from 
 Canton with some horses and money and purchased 
 a lot of the stuff the folks were offering for sale be- 
 fore they left. He and a man named Hartwell went 
 into partnership, put the stock of merchandise in one 
 of the brick buildings that were being abandoned and 
 set up in business. He comes of a German family, 
 members of the Methodist Church, but Major Bida- 
 mon calls himself a Deist; says his creed is: T be- 
 lieve in one God who has neither partners nor clerks.' 
 He's a widower. His wife and only son are buried in 
 Canton and he has two daughters. He's a very pleas- 
 ant man to meet, makes friends easily, although he is 
 quick tempered and loses them just as easily." 
 
 "Which one of the suitors does Emma favor, do you 
 think?" 
 
 "Seems to favor the Major, but he has no religion 
 about him, and he likes his intoxicating liquors." 
 
 "My word! surely Emma wouldn't marry a man 
 like that." 
 
 "Things are getting pretty hard for the widow, I 
 imagine, what with all that riffraff from the river 
 
170 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 stopping there and the Brighamites hounding her life 
 out. She needs someone to look out for her." 
 
 Robert, passing the Mansion House one evening, 
 beheld Major Bidamon jauntily approaching. He was 
 a fine looking man, six feet tall, well dressed and with 
 a splendid bearing. He was wearing a formal, high 
 crowned hat. As he approached the house, he caught 
 sight of Emma seated at an upper window sewing, and 
 removing his hat made her an elaborate bow. Re- 
 placing the hat, he stepped forward briskly, but alas, 
 a clothesline he had failed to observe, caught him 
 across the forehead, swept the hat from his head and 
 along with it a toupee that he was wearing to conceal 
 his bald spot. 
 
 "Damn that wig!" he exclaimed quickly, as he bent 
 to recover it. 
 
 Joseph, who happened to be in the garden, stepped 
 forward, shaking with laughter, to offer his services. 
 Nothing daunted, the Major jammed the offending 
 article upon his head and went forward to meet his 
 lady love, who had reached the door and stood laugh- 
 ing. 
 
 The ardor of the wooer was not dampened in the 
 least by this unfortunate accident. The courtship 
 progressed, and the following December, the marriage 
 ceremony was performed by the Reverend William 
 Hanna of Nauvoo. 
 
 "I'm glad those boys of Emma's have a father," 
 Martha said, when she heard of it. "It's a hard task 
 for a woman to raise four boys singlehanded." 
 
 The Smith boys loved their new father. He was 
 kind to them, and provided comfortably for them 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 171 
 
 from the resources at hand. Under his direction, the 
 gardens on their home lots and their farm east of 
 town, raised most of the products for the table, the 
 boys helping with the work as their capabilities per- 
 mitted. They had their own cows, pigs and chickens, 
 so were able to provide for the needs of the hotel eco- 
 nomically, and it, in turn, gave them a living. 
 
Chapter Seventeen 
 
 ~D obert had discovered that Indian relics were often 
 exposed on the rainwashed hillsides along the 
 river after a heavy downfall, so would tramp for 
 miles to see what he could find to add to his collec- 
 tion of arrowheads, bits of pottery and implements of 
 various kinds. 
 
 One day, while digging at the foot of a bluff, he 
 heard voices above him. Peering through the under- 
 brush he beheld two men on horseback outlined 
 against the sky. They were engaged in earnest con- 
 versation but Robert was unable to distinguish their 
 words. 
 
 It was a lonely spot; not a house was visible, but 
 away in the distance towered the beautiful, white stone 
 Temple, resplendent in all its glories of sun, moon and 
 stars, with its bright angel glittering from the summit 
 of its lofty spire. 
 
 The men's faces were turned toward it in serious 
 contemplation. 
 
 "Well, Judge, what's your plan?" was what one of 
 the men was saying. 
 
 "My plan is to destroy the Temple yonder!" 
 
 "What — destroy the Temple! Man alive, what are 
 you talking about?" 
 
 172 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL ' 173 
 
 "I received word yesterday that the company in 
 New York that's leased the Temple for a school is 
 to start for Nauvoo tomorrow to perfect arrangements. 
 You know what that means. Once the school is 
 established here, it'll attract so much attention to Nau- 
 voo that it'll outrival Carthage, Appanoose, Warsaw 
 and all the rest of the towns around here." 
 
 "Well, we can't help that. You know how care- 
 fully the Temple's guarded. The custodian would lay 
 down his life before he'd allow a finger to desecrate 
 it. The whole town would rise up in arms if any at- 
 tempt were made upon it." 
 
 "The town'll know nothing until it's too late to 
 do anything about it. As for the custodian, well at- 
 tend to him." 
 
 "Now, Judge, I don't intend to stain my hands 
 shedding innocent blood." 
 
 "Who said anything about shedding blood?" 
 
 "That's what you intimated." 
 
 "I did nothing of the kind. I've made arrangements 
 with a man from down along the river. He's going 
 to fire the Temple and you and I are going to stand 
 by to help. Here he comes now." 
 
 Another horseman was seen approaching and stood 
 with the others at the top of the bluff. 
 
 "Made any plans, Joe?" greeted the Judge, where- 
 upon the man drew aside his coat, disclosing a corn 
 sack hidden beneath. "I've got tarred rags and sticks, 
 as many as I could carry without being noticed." 
 
 "Good work, Joe," commented the Judge. "Now 
 we'll perfect our plans." 
 
 It was getting late. They decided they would be 
 
174 JOSEPHS CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 able to approach the Temple with little chance of 
 encountering the many visitors who daily were shown 
 through. They would conceal their horses close by, 
 walk in, and at dusk approach the custodian and ask 
 to be shown through the building, then watch their 
 chance to set it afire. 
 
 If the custodian objected to showing them through, 
 because of the lateness of the hour, they were to tell 
 him that they were from a distance and were leaving 
 that night; it would be their last chance, perhaps, of 
 ever having an opportunity to visit the Temple. Once 
 inside the building, Joe was to keep his eye out for 
 an opportunity to start his fire while the others were 
 engaging the man's attention. 
 
 Robert, watching from below, was greatly puzzled 
 when he beheld the men securing their horses and 
 starting out on foot in the direction of town. How- 
 ever, he returned to his business of digging and un- 
 earthed several arrowheads, a tooth and some bones. 
 The arrowheads were perfect and would make a nice 
 display on the shelf in his room. The tooth and 
 bones, however, he would have to deposit in the barn, 
 for his mother, he knew, would never tolerate any 
 part of a dead man's anatomy within her doors. 
 
 Darkness began to fall and reluctantly he gathered 
 up his finds and started for home. Pausing for a 
 drink at a well on the outskirts of town, he caught 
 sight of the three men returning and stepped back into 
 the shadow. Two were supporting the third, who 
 tottered between them, his coat tattered, his face drawn 
 as if in agony. He was breathing heavily and sank 
 moaning to the ground. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 175 
 
 "Get me a drink, will you," he muttered. Both men 
 sprang to get it. 
 
 He drank deeply while the men stood anxiously by. 
 
 "Anyhow, the deed's done," he choked. "Began to 
 think it was all off, the way that custodian kept his 
 eye on me. Must have suspicioned something. Good 
 thing I secured that key while you were engaging his 
 attention. He's probably still hunting for it." 
 
 He fumbled in his pocket, drew out a large key and 
 tossed it into the well. "There, he'll never see that 
 again," he laughed shortly. 
 
 "Got lost in the damn building and thought I was 
 going to burn up with it — was pitch dark — forgot I 
 had matches in my pocket. Got so confused I couldn't 
 tell one direction from another. Saw a light shining 
 away down the passage — went to see what it was and 
 if it wasn't my own fire, burning at a fearful rate, send- 
 ing fiery tongues clear across the hall. I started it clear 
 up at the top where it's lined with pine — good tinder 
 for it — give it a good start before it's discovered — 
 darned if I didn't have to dive right through those 
 flames to get out. Threw my coat over my head and 
 plunged — struck full length on the floor — my coat was 
 ablaze, but managed to get it out. Arm and leg's 
 hurt pretty bad but guess I can make it." 
 
 He struggled to his feet. "Better get to your horses 
 as quick as possible and scatter!" 
 
 "But we can't leave you like this, Joe. You may 
 have inhaled the fire or injured yourself internally." 
 
 "Help me to my horse then, and let me get out of 
 this," he muttered impatiently. 
 
176 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 As their voices died away in the distance, Robert 
 crept from his hiding place. 
 
 "What evil men! What had they been up to? In 
 what building had they started a fire. Surely not 
 the Temple." He glanced toward it — away up in the 
 tower was a flickering light. The next minute, flames 
 burst through the roof, lighting the country for miles 
 around as light as day. 
 
 Robert stood aghast! The Temple — his beautiful 
 Temple, that had become the chief object of the ad- 
 miration of strangers upon the upper Mississippi. It 
 had been built as a labor of love; close to a million 
 in tithes and free will offerings had been laid out upon 
 it. Hardly a woman who had not given some trinket, 
 and the lowliest man and coarsest artisan had turned 
 to it with the elation of an artist for a fair creation, 
 for he had at least served the tenth of his year upon 
 its walls. 
 
 He sobbed aloud as he stumbled forward. People 
 were running and shouting from all directions. Boats 
 could be heard coming across the river. An excited 
 mob came swarming up the bank and with foul oaths 
 went hurrying past. 
 
 Weak and trembling, Robert stumbled after them. 
 The whole interior of the Temple was ablaze, the 
 tower falling with a terrible crash as Robert reached 
 the scene. 
 
 The watchers stood fascinated by the awful spec- 
 tacle, the only sound being the roar of the flames as 
 they swept through the building. 
 
 Robert searched frantically for LaBarron, the care- 
 
 J.C. B.-ll 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 177 
 
 taker and found him jumping up and down and tear- 
 ing his hair. 
 
 "Ze rogues! Ze scoundrels!" he shrieked. 
 
 Robert grasped his arm. 
 
 "I saw them, LaBarron," he shouted excitedly. "One 
 of the men threw your key in the well!" 
 
 "Ze river rat!" 
 
 "They're out on the bluff, perhaps you can catch 
 them!" 
 
 LaBarron turned quickly to the men about him, 
 "Queek, dey on ze bluff!" he shouted. 
 
 A dozen men sprang for their horses and went gal- 
 loping away. 
 
 A man so covered with smoke and ashes that Robert 
 failed to recognize him, stood with shoulders droop- 
 ing dejectedly. His voice was sorrowful as he turned 
 to Robert. It was Major Bidamon. 
 
 "I once read in the Bible," he said, "about a father's 
 bowels yearning over his son. I never understood 
 that passage till now. I seem to feel this terrible 
 calamity throughout my whole body. I begin to sense 
 that phrase in the Bible. I shall not make light of 
 it again." 
 
 Many were the conjectures as to who had committed 
 
 the dastardly deed. Feeling ran high and had the 
 
 men been discovered, would undoubtedly have been 
 
 cast into the midst of the conflagration they had 
 
 started, but although the country was scoured for 
 
 miles around, no trace of the culprits was found. 
 * * * 
 
 Word was received that members of the "Mormon 
 Battalion" that had been organized at Council Bluffs 
 
 J.C. B.-I2 
 
178 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 and marched to California, had discovered gold after 
 being mustered out, while digging mill races for Cap- 
 tain Sutter. Then commenced the great rush of gold 
 seekers to California. 
 
 Major Bidamon, Nathan King and others were soon 
 on their way and Robert and his father were eager to 
 join them, but Martha put her foot down. 
 
 'Til not have you traipsing across the continent with 
 a lot of thieving, drunken ruffians!" she declared. 
 
 A year later, Major Bidamon returned with tales 
 of terrible hardships endured in crossing the plains. 
 The Major had cleared a thousand dollars making 
 axe and pick handles, mending machinery and tools. 
 Starting for home, a sharper had induced him to in- 
 vest his money in Missouri Bank notes, that were not 
 worth a penny. 
 
 "He was lucky to get back alive!" declared Martha 
 when she heard of it. 
 
 Major Bidamon was welcomed joyously, for he was 
 a genial and popular host and the Mansion House 
 was the central gathering place for young and old, 
 Catholics, Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, as 
 well as those of no religious affiliation. All mingled 
 freely in the social activities of the place. 
 
 There were apple-parings, corn huskings, taffy-pulls 
 and parties of all kinds. And a big wedding that was 
 attended by people from miles around when Savilla 
 Durfee, who had made her home with the Smiths for 
 a number of years, became the wife of James Gilford, 
 a splendid young man, who was operating the ferry. 
 
 The Smith boys were very popular, for they had 
 been trained to be kind and considerate of everyone. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 179 
 
 Frederick, four years younger than Joseph, was an 
 attractive boy, merry and sunny, with brown eyes like 
 his mother's. Alexander, two years younger than Fred- 
 erick, was a quiet lad with blue eyes like his father's. 
 He loved to hunt and fish and roamed the islands and 
 tributaries of the big river. David, born after his 
 father's death, was a dear little fellow, delighting 
 everyone with his sweet singing voice. 
 
 Robert enjoyed the companionship of this congenial 
 group and much of his time was spent with them at 
 the Mansion House. 
 
Chapter Eighteen 
 
 /^VNE sunny day in May, Robert and Joseph, grown 
 ^^^ to young manhood, stood at the landing, watching 
 the Maid of Iowa made fast to her moorings. As 
 the gangplank was lowered, a vivacious group of well- 
 dressed people came hurrying forward. 
 
 "Must be some more of those Icarians that have 
 bought the Temple property," Joseph remarked in a 
 lowered voice. 
 
 Robert regarded them with interest. The city had 
 buzzed with excitement over their leader, Etienne 
 Cabet, for he had been a leader of the Carbonari in 
 France and a member of the French legislature. It 
 was said that he had once edited a newspaper, whose 
 revolutionary denunciations had so aroused the gov- 
 ernment, that he had been given his choice of two 
 years in prison or five years in exile. 
 
 Choosing the latter, he had gone to England, where 
 he had spent the time studying social philosophy, ar- 
 riving at the conclusion that communism was the only 
 solution to excessive wealth and excessive poverty. 
 
 On his return to France, he had organized a society 
 and in a few years time had had a following of four 
 hundred thousand. Deciding to establish a colony 
 in America, he had purchased a large tract of land 
 
 180 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 181 
 
 in Texas and sent a group there. Arriving in New 
 Orleans later with another group of adherents, Cabet 
 learned that his colonists in Texas had been so rav- 
 aged by yellow fever that their fervor in the social 
 scheme had waned to the point of indifference and 
 a third of them were on their way back to France. 
 
 Hearing that the Mormons had been driven from 
 Nauvoo, leaving behind them an uninhabited town, 
 Cabet decided to investigate and so pleased had he 
 been, that he had purchased Temple Square and the 
 land surrounding it and his followers were establish- 
 ing themselves in the vacant buildings left by the Mor- 
 mons, their numbers being augmented from time to 
 time by groups from the old country. 
 
 "Must be bringing the cream of France over," ob- 
 served Robert, noting their rich apparel. 
 
 Two very pretty girls came tripping down the gang- 
 plank, their silk skirts swishing about their dainty 
 ankles, the plumes on their big velvet bonnets nodding 
 gaily. Their dark eyes gleamed with pleasure as they 
 glanced about them, conversing in French. 
 
 Their heavy bags were so burdensome that Robert 
 and Joseph spontaneously sprang to their assistance. 
 The girls drew back, regarding the boys doubtfully. 
 
 Joseph spoke reassuringly in French and instantly 
 they were all smiles again and consented to relinquish 
 their burdens. 
 
 He had studied French with Victor Jeanneault who 
 had boarded at the Mansion House. 
 
 "Why didn't I learn to speak French, too!" Robert 
 chided himself, for Joseph continued the conversation 
 as they walked up the incline to the roadway while he 
 
182 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 was compelled to walk dumbly, glancing furtively at 
 the beautiful girl by his side. Finally he ventured 
 a few words in English, but the girl, smiling brightly 
 up at him, shook her head. 
 
 Wagons were drawn up at the roadside. The boys 
 helped the girls climb in and deposited their bags be- 
 side them. Laughing merrily, the girls thanked the 
 boys prettily in French and waved their dainty hand- 
 kerchiefs as they drove away. 
 
 Robert turned to Joseph eagerly. 
 
 "Could you teach me to speak French, Joseph?" 
 
 Joseph's brown eyes twinkled. 
 
 "I can try, Robert." 
 
 The Icarians were erecting a large dining hall where 
 meals were to be eaten in common, for all labor was 
 done and all property owned in common, although 
 each family had its separate apartment in which to 
 live. 
 
 John Barry, who was now a master carpenter, of- 
 fered his services and Robert, who was learning the 
 trade, worked with him. A large flour mill was built, 
 a whiskey distillery, a slaughter house and a laundry. 
 
 The Barrys were astounded at the manner in which 
 the work of the colony was carried on. A physician, 
 who had received diplomas from two German univer- 
 sities and an ex-military officer, who had won distinc- 
 tion in Algiers and wore the cross of the Legion of 
 Honor, were enrolled with the corps of wood-choppers 
 for the community. A talented fresco painter was set 
 to digging coal. A civil engineer, who had super- 
 intended the construction of a great French railway, 
 was put in charge of the wheezy old engine of the 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 183 
 
 flour mill. An accomplished young architect of Nor- 
 mandy, spent most of his time rendering Cabet's good 
 French into bad English for publication in The Popu- 
 lar Tribune, a journal devoted to "the new philosophy 
 of life." Cabet established a printing office and pub- 
 lished a number of books and pamphlets in French 
 and German. 
 
 Large quantities of whiskey were made, for which 
 there was a good demand. It sold for twelve and 
 one-half cents per gallon in barrel lots. Whiskey was 
 freely used, one grocer keeping a barrel of it on tap 
 in the cellar, with a tin cup near by, so that customers 
 could help themselves free of charge. 
 
 The Icarians were a jolly set of people and be- 
 lieved in having a good time. Their dining room 
 served also as an amusement hall where dances were 
 held, their orchestra being one of the best in the 
 middle west. Their cornetist, John Caille, was of 
 world-wide fame. Pageot and Prosch also were mu- 
 sicians of note and some wonderful concerts were 
 held. They also had a fine theatrical troupe and their 
 performances created much enthusiasm. 
 
 There were no religious observances of any sort. 
 Sunday was a day of rest from toil and was given over 
 to amusements of various kinds. 
 
 Martha had no patience with the Icarians, not only 
 because of the enormous quantities of whiskey they 
 distilled, but because of the manner in which they 
 observed the Sabbath. 
 
 "Mark my words," she declared, "people that fail 
 to keep the Sabbath day holy will never prosper!" 
 
 Robert, fortified with a few sentences of French, 
 
184 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 watched hopefully for the girl that had been upper- 
 most in his mind since that memorable day at the 
 wharf. 
 
 One afternoon, a girl stood at the door of a little 
 cottage on the brow of the hill which led to town. 
 Shading her eyes against the sun, she looked out across 
 the valley. A glorious panorama of fields and vine- 
 yards, gleaming river and wooded islands spread out 
 before her. 
 
 "Eet ez, ver' bee'-u-tee-ful!" she murmured. 
 
 Robert, striding up the long hill on his way to 
 town, halted abruptly. The girl's eyes rested upon 
 him with instant recognition and she greeted him with 
 a glad smile. 
 
 He strode forward, sweeping his broad hat from 
 his head, his brown eyes smiling down at her from his 
 tanned face. 
 
 "Comment allez vou, Mademoiselle?" he greeted. 
 
 She clapped her hands, laughing delightedly, then 
 turning, spoke rapidly to someone within. 
 
 An elderly gentleman appeared in the doorway, 
 bowing courteously. 
 
 "Ma grandfille say you ver' kind," he said brokenly. 
 "I no speek ze Eengleesh." 
 
 "And I no speak the French," declared Robert. 
 However, with what few words each had acquired, 
 they managed to make themselves understood. Robert 
 suggested that he teach them English in exchange for 
 lessons in French, to which they joyously agreed. 
 
 Many happy evenings were spent in the little cot- 
 tage as the lessons progressed. Robert learned that 
 Celeste was an orphan and had come to America to 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 185 
 
 care for her grandfather. The old man took a great 
 liking to Robert and a strong bond of friendship 
 sprang up between the three. 
 
 They went for walks together along the river, rowed 
 out to the island, caught fish in the quiet pools and 
 cooked them over the coals. Celeste's friend Annette, 
 sometimes joined them, with Pierre, whom Annette 
 was to marry some day. 
 
 The Icarians decided to rebuild the Temple. Only 
 the stonework was standing, the walls sixty feet high, 
 the upper stories and tower having been destroyed by 
 the fire. An agent was sent north to purchase neces- 
 sary timber and the masons began laying the founda- 
 tion for the flooring. 
 
 Robert was overjoyed and spent much of his spare 
 time watching the men and lending a hand where 
 needed. 
 
 One afternoon, he and a group of them were at 
 work on the interior when a distant rumble of thunder 
 announced the approach of a storm. Suddenly a furi- 
 ous wind began to blow. 
 
 "We'd better get out of this," cried one of the men, 
 nervously. "These walls are none too solid!" 
 
 "No need to worry," replied another easily. 
 
 Suddenly a black cloud enveloped the building and 
 a shower of rocks flew from the top of the walls in 
 every direction. 
 
 Some of the men dashed through the openings and 
 sought shelter elsewhere, while Robert and the others, 
 ran to the basement and took refuge in the tool room. 
 
 "Friends, we're lost!" cried one of the men, keep- 
 ing watch. "The north wall's caving in!" 
 
186 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Terror stricken, they fled to the southwest corner of 
 the room. 
 
 With a deafening roar, heard three miles away, the 
 sixty foot wall came crashing down within three feet 
 of the men. 
 
 White and shaken, they crawled through the debris 
 and in a blinding rain, amid the bufferings of the 
 cyclone, made their way to their homes. 
 
 For three hours the storm raged. Houses were 
 blown down, crops demolished. The laundry, situ- 
 ated in a creek half a mile from town, was carried 
 away, the water running twelve feet high. It was 
 feared that the women at work in the building had 
 lost their lives, but later it was learned that they had 
 crawled through the windows and taken refuge in a 
 farm house some distance away. 
 
 The work of rebuilding the Temple was abandoned. 
 Three of the stone pillars stood for years, blackened 
 and marred by the flames, then, fearing for the safety 
 of the children, who loved to play among the ruins, 
 they were torn down and the place became a veritable 
 quarry, providing material with which many homes, 
 wine cellars and saloons in the town were built. The 
 best of the stone was salvaged by the Icarians and used 
 to erect a fine school building close by. 
 
 Celeste and her grandfather were much perturbed 
 when Robert called at the little cottage one evening. 
 
 "Cabet ver' — what you call — overbearing. We not 
 stand it much longer. Ver' soon there be trouble!" 
 they declared. 
 
 Then, suddenly, a terrible cholera scourge devas- 
 tated the community. The Icarians were accused of 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 187 
 
 bringing it with them from New Orleans, where it 
 had reached an epidemic form. There were so many 
 deaths among the little colony, the Icarians were afraid 
 to bury their dead in the city cemetery, for fear of 
 terrifying the public and many were buried on the 
 grounds of the old arsenal. 
 
 It was impossible to make coffins in which to bury 
 them, or even rude boxes and many of the bodies 
 were wrapped in sheets and consigned to one large 
 grave. 
 
 Robert was stricken and his life despaired of for a 
 time, then slowly he began to recover. 
 
 As soon as his strength had returned sufficiently, 
 he slowly climbed the hill to the little cottage. 
 
 It stood empty and forlorn. A premonition of evil 
 seized him. 
 
 Frantically he searched out Annette and Pierre. 
 
 Their faces were tragic. 
 
 "Celeste!" he cried. "Where is Celeste?" 
 
 "Gone!" they replied sorrowfully. "Celeste and 
 grandpere among first to go. Where lay, we no know." 
 
 Celeste gone! Robert was stunned. He stood white 
 lipped and trembling staring at Annette and Pierre, 
 when suddenly, thick blackness enveloped him. 
 
 "Queek, Pierre, he faints!" cried Annette. 
 
 Pierre's strong arms bore him to the couch in the 
 living room. 
 
 When Robert opened his eyes, Annette knelt by his 
 side, bathing his forehead. 
 
 "You ver' seek," she declared. "You ver' week. 
 You not grieve for Celeste. Celeste she happee now. 
 
188 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 De colony break some day. Celeste and grandpere 
 ver' unhappee." 
 
 It was true. The quarrel Celeste and her grand- 
 father had feared was soon precipitated. Cabet and 
 his sympathizers fled to St. Louis where Cabet died 
 suddenly of apoplexy. 
 
 Some of his followers returned to France. Annette 
 and Pierre went with a small group that established 
 themselves in western Iowa. A few remained in 
 Nauvoo, but they gave up communism and became 
 outstanding citizens in the community. 
 
Chapter Nineteen 
 
 'HpHE slave question was beginning to assume grave 
 importance. There was a disposition on the part 
 of the South to insist that all public domains from 
 which the new states might be carved, should be 
 thrown open to the slave-holder and that he should 
 be permitted to take into those states, all his goods 
 and chattels, including his slaves, without let or 
 hindrance by any of the inhabitants thereof. 
 
 Abraham Lincoln opposed this view while Stephen 
 A. Douglas contended that under the "state's rights" 
 theory, each commonwealth could decide for itself. 
 Various phases of the question were hotly debated and 
 Lincoln and Douglas were ably presenting their argu- 
 ments in campaign speeches. 
 
 There were many discussions pro and con among 
 the citizens of Nauvoo and Robert listened in admira- 
 tion to Joseph holding his own during heated argu- 
 ments, for he took the stand outlined by his father 
 in his views on government published in 1844. 
 
 On learning that Stephen A. Douglas was to speak 
 in Carthage, the boys decided to go and hear him. 
 
 "He was a friend of my father's," said Joseph. "He 
 was judge of the court at Monmouth when father was 
 brought before him in 1841 on an antiquated writ from 
 
 189 
 
190 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Missouri. When he heard the testimony of the wit- 
 nesses and the able speech of O. H. Browning of 
 Quincy in defence, he freed father of the prosecution 
 urged against him, so even though I am opposed to 
 his views on 'State's rights,' I feel strongly impressed 
 in his favor. He and Cyrus Walker visited Nauvoo 
 when father was living. They were astonished at the 
 improvements that had been made and spoke in high 
 terms of the industry of our peopde. Father wrote 
 a letter to the Times and Seasons telling of their visit 
 and said how different their attitude was compared 
 with the officials of Missouri, whose minds were 
 prejudiced to such an extent they refused to mingle 
 with us and learn things for themselves, but kept aloof 
 and were ready to listen at all times to those who had 
 the poison of adders under their tongues' and were 
 constantly seeking our overthrow." 
 
 A platform had been built in the courtyard, in front 
 of the courthouse in Carthage and over it had been 
 erected a canopy of green boughs to shield the nota- 
 bles from the rays of the sun. A large crowd had 
 congregated. 
 
 Milton M. Morrill of Nauvoo was chairman and 
 introduced the speaker, a handsome man with a pleas- 
 ing personality. Douglas sprang into action immedi- 
 ately, with all the dynamic force characteristic of him, 
 denouncing the Abolitionists and censuring the North- 
 erners for attempting to intrude upon the property 
 rights of their brethren and his audience listened spell- 
 bound. 
 
 Robert and Joseph returned home more strongly im- 
 pressed in his favor than ever. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 191 
 
 They returned to Carthage a week later to hear 
 Abraham Lincoln speak from the same stand. They 
 had heard much about this able orator and when they 
 beheld his tall, awkward form ambling across the 
 courthouse yard, they were greatly bewildered. They 
 watched him as he quietly took his place upon the plat- 
 form feeling greatly depressed, for Mr. Lincoln's ap- 
 pearance was anything but prepossessing. 
 
 After the preliminaries were over, Mr. Lincoln arose 
 to speak, leaning slightly forward to peer down at 
 those in front of him. His deep-set gray eyes were 
 dull, his abundant black hair was coarse, his long limbs 
 awkward, his voice sharp. A feeling of pity over- 
 whelmed Robert and Joseph and a degree of shame 
 for the man and the party he represented. 
 
 He spoke for a few minutes, then suddenly aban- 
 doned his stooping posture, stepped back a little from 
 the front of the platform, squared his shoulders and 
 attempted to straighten up. His head came in con- 
 tact with the boughs above him, which had sheltered 
 Douglas the week before, a few fresh boughs having 
 been added to those that had withered. 
 
 A humorous expression crossed his face and turning 
 his head slightly to one side, with a sudden movement, 
 he thrust it upward, entirely through the boughs above 
 him and stood towering like some queer creature whose 
 head was detatched from its body. 
 
 A great shout of laughter greeted this performance 
 and there was a lively patter of hand-clapping. A 
 bevy of men sprang to the rescue and soon removed 
 the greenery from about his neck and overhead, leav- 
 
192 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 ing him free to stand erect at his own magnificent 
 height. 
 
 His eyes brightened, his gestures took on an un- 
 studied grace, his voice lost its harsh and strident ac- 
 cent and in a few moments his oratory held his audi- 
 ence spellbound. Forcefully, but with all outward 
 calmness, he revealed an intimate picture of slavery. 
 Slowly, irresistibly, his listeners felt themselves being 
 influenced by his touching pathos and gentle persua- 
 sion. 
 
 Robert and Joseph forgot the man, forgot the ach- 
 ing sense of pity and shame that had burned within 
 their bosoms and by the time the lecture was over, 
 they were completely and altogether, Lincoln men, 
 with their political consciences more firmly fixed than 
 ever in its opposition to slavery and its evils. 
 
 "Robert," said Joseph on their journey homeward, 
 "I'm beginning to wonder if the prophecy given by 
 my father so long ago, will some day be fulfilled. He 
 believed that this land was to be devoted to religious 
 and civil liberty for all races of men alike, that this 
 government had been instituted of God for the accom- 
 plishment of His own wise purposes and that the 
 spirit of religious tolerance and political freedom de- 
 signed for this country should prevail, should spread 
 and in time become universal throughout the world. 
 He even declared that someday the southern states 
 would be divided against the northern states begin- 
 ning with the rebellion of South Carolina and that 
 the day would come when war would be poured out 
 upon all nations." 
 
 Robert stared at Joseph in astonishment. 
 
 J.C. B.-I2 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 193 
 
 "When did your father give that prophecy?" 
 
 "On Christmas Day in 1832. It was published in 
 1851 in a pamphlet called The Pearl of Great Price." 
 
 "Do you believe it?" 
 
 "I hardly know. If it comes to pass, it will mean 
 a great deal to me and to my brothers. Our faith in 
 his message will be consciously increased and our 
 courage in defending the principles of truth for which 
 he lived and died, materially strengthened." 
 
 "Your father also prophesied, Joseph, that you were 
 to be his successor some day," reminded Robert. 
 
 There was silence for a moment, then Joseph spoke 
 bitterly. 
 
 "Robert, the thought is so repulsive to me, the thing 
 can never be possible!" 
 
 Remembering the scenes through which Joseph had 
 passed, Robert sensed his friend's feelings in the mat- 
 ter. No wonder he shrank from the very thought of 
 carrying on the work of his father. 
 
 "I have been urged to go West," Joseph spoke mus- 
 ingly, "that wealth and position would be mine, but 
 I cannot join with those who have departed from the 
 teachings of my father. 
 
 "Two young men from Zarahemla, Wisconsin, 
 called to see me the other day. They told me how 
 a group of them were carrying on the work authorized 
 by my father and were calling themselves the 'Re- 
 organized Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day 
 Saints.' They claimed it had been shown them that 
 the time had come for me to take my father's place. 
 They urged me to return with them, but I sent them 
 away." 
 
 J.C.B.— 13 
 
194 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 Joseph little dreamed that a power greater than his 
 was soon to revolutionize his entire thinking. 
 
 He was taken sick and brought near to death's door. 
 As his strength gradually returned, he became con- 
 scious of an entire change of attitude toward the work 
 of his father. All the bitterness of the years was re- 
 moved along with the feelings of enmity toward those 
 opposed to his faith. There was even forgiveness in 
 his heart for those who had so cruelly deprived him 
 of his father. 
 
 He sent for William Marks, a man of sterling char- 
 acter who had been closely associated with his father 
 and who had kept in touch with the various groups 
 that had never departed from his father's teachings. 
 He came, bringing with him Israel Rogers and Wil- 
 liam Blair. When they parted, it was with the 
 promise that Joseph and his mother would meet with 
 them when they gathered for the conference at Am- 
 
 boy in the spring. 
 
 * * * 
 
 One of the worst storms of the season was raging. 
 A cold, north wind swept down the valley, turning the 
 river into a raging torrent. 
 
 Robert stood with an anxious group, watching the 
 great, white capped waves that battered against the 
 shore. 
 
 Joseph and his mother were to cross the river in 
 a small skiff, and take the train at Montrose, opposite, 
 for the conference at Amboy. 
 
 "It's suicide for them to attempt it!" declared an 
 old fisherman to Robert. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 195 
 
 "James Gifford knows the river. He'll get them 
 across." Robert was confident. 
 
 Alexander stood with his mother and brother Joseph, 
 his blue eyes anxious as he watched the stormy waves. 
 How dark and angry they looked in the early morning 
 light! 
 
 "Thus has it been, all through my life," declared 
 their mother sadly. "Whenever I have set out to do 
 anything for the gospel's sake, Satan seemed to be 
 in the very elements, trying to prevent." 
 
 "Never fear, Mother," Alexander wrapped his 
 mother's shawl more closely about her. "Jim and I 
 will see you safely across." 
 
 The little boat was pounding against the shore. Be- 
 side it, tightly buttoned into his storm coat, stood 
 James Gifford. Alexander held the boat while his 
 mother climbed in, Joseph followed, Gifford next. The 
 boat was loosed and Alexander sprang in. The two 
 young men grasped the oars as the waves caught at 
 the little craft and almost overturned it. 
 
 Robert tried to keep in sight the little boat, bobbing 
 about on the stormy waves, as the two young men 
 pulled against the current, up around the island and 
 across the turbulent river. 
 
 Anxiously he watched until the boat returned. 
 
 "We made it!" declared James Gifford triumphantly 
 as Robert grasped the boat while the men sprang 
 ashore. "Joseph and his mother were drenched with 
 the spray, but they were determined to go on." 
 
 A few days later, Robert received through the mail, 
 a copy of the Amboy Times which contained the start- 
 
196 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 ling announcement that Joseph had taken his father's 
 place! 
 
 The news was quickly noised about and instantly a 
 storm of feeling was aroused. Resolutions were 
 speedily adopted in various townships, earnestly pro- 
 testing against the return of the Mormons to Han- 
 cock County, one of the townships passing the sweep- 
 ing resolution that no Mormon be permitted to preach 
 or pray in that vicinity. 
 
 Robert, sensing the bitterness and hatred that still 
 persisted, went to the Mansion House on his return 
 to urge Joseph to leave the county. 
 
 Alexander, apparently much disturbed, ushered him 
 into the livingroom, where Joseph sat by the fireplace 
 in an attitude of deep dejection. He lifted his face 
 as Robert entered and the sorrow and heartache de- 
 picted there aroused all the sad memories of the past. 
 Robert saw again the prophet, bidding farewell to 
 his beloved city on the eve of his departure for Carth- 
 age. He had looked like that when he had stood at 
 the river, viewing the old homestead, the Mansion 
 House and the Temple on the hill. 
 
 "Joseph," he cried in anguish, "you must leave the 
 county! I fear for your life if you remain." 
 
 "My life has been an open book," replied Joseph 
 sadly. "I've dealt honorably with every man, woman 
 and child in this community; I've won the esteem of 
 the best citizen of this place; positions of public trust 
 and honor have been accorded me and now they seek 
 to proscribe me in the exercise of my religion." 
 
 Suddenly Joseph arose, his chin up, his eyes clear, 
 his body crisp and straight. Robert, watching him, 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 197 
 
 became conscious of a power within Joseph such as 
 he had never sensed before. His keen eyes reached 
 to the depths of his soul, causing him to almost quake 
 before him. 
 
 "No, Robert, I shall not leave the county!" he em- 
 phatically declared. "I shall stay right here, live the 
 life I have a right to live as a free man on free soil 
 and so conduct myself, that the religion for which my 
 father sacrificed his life, shall become honorable in 
 the sight of men!" 
 
 Joseph went about his business unmolested. 
 
 "Mob violence will never again be tolerated!" de- 
 clared some of the more prominent citizens. "The 
 treatment of the Mormons has left a curse upon the 
 county that will never be removed until they are per- 
 mitted to return." 
 
 Joseph took up his work as leader and sent out a 
 general epistle calling upon the scattered Saints to 
 arise from the sleep that had bound them and to take 
 on the armor of the just, uniting for the emancipa- 
 tion of the honest in heart from the power of false 
 doctrines and the shackles of sin; to turn from by and 
 forbidden paths unto allegiance to the gospel prin- 
 ciples. He called upon all the inhabitants of the earth 
 to repent and be baptized, warning them that the time 
 would come when the judgments of God would be 
 poured out upon all nations and all men should know 
 that there was a God in Israel. 
 
 A few of the members came back to the old city 
 and attempted to make a home there. Services were 
 held in the upper room of the old brick store where 
 Robert and Joseph had gone to school as boys together. 
 
198 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 The congregation soon numbered around seventy-five 
 and they took upon themselves the name of "The 
 Olive Branch." 
 
 The Barrys were regular attendants at the services 
 and as they sat in the big raftered room listening to 
 Joseph's logical interpretation of the Scriptures, speak- 
 ing as one having authority, their souls were strangely 
 stirred. John began again to feel as he had on that 
 day so long ago when Elder Fielding had visited their 
 home in Lancashire and declared the gospel tidings. 
 This time, however, he was not alone, for Martha was 
 diligently searching the Scriptures and verifying the 
 truths that Joseph presented. 
 
 One beautiful summer evening, just as the setting 
 sun was casting a rosy glow over the quiet waters of 
 the Mississippi, a baptismal service was held and John, 
 Martha and Robert were buried beneath the waves by 
 the young leader of the Reorganization. 
 
 "Just as Jesus was baptized in the river Jordan," 
 declared Martha happily. "We'll not go wrong if 
 we follow in his footsteps." 
 
 During the confirmation service which followed, 
 the joy and peace that surpasseth all understanding, 
 flooded the souls of the new converts. 
 
 One day the astounding news that Major Anderson 
 at Fort Sumter was sustaining a heavy fire directed 
 by the officers of South Carolina, sent Robert hurry- 
 ing down to the Mansion House. He found the Smith 
 brothers deeply stirred. 
 
 "Our father's prophecy of 1832 was a true fore- 
 shadowing of what was to transpire," declared Joseph 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 199 
 
 solemnly. "He was not the erring, religious fanatic 
 so many have been led to believe." 
 
 The value and beauty of the prophet's life became 
 greatly enhanced in the eyes of his sons and with one 
 accord they united to defend the principles of truth 
 for which he lived and died. 
 
Chapter Twenty 
 
 A carriage drew up before the home of the Barrys. 
 A man, a woman and a young girl alighted ; weary 
 and travel stained, they stumbled up the path. 
 
 Martha, a puzzled expression on her face, met them 
 at the door. The next instant a pair of arms were 
 thrown about her neck and the woman was sobbing 
 on her breast. 
 
 "Martha! Don't you know me?" she cried, despair- 
 ingly. 
 
 "Nell!" gasped Martha. 
 
 "We've come back, as you said we would, never 
 to leave you again." 
 
 Martha flung wide the door and ushered them in, 
 trying meanwhile to hide her tears as she bustled about, 
 taking their wraps and trying to make them comfort- 
 able. 
 
 The sight of Will's shrunken figure filled her with 
 dismay; the lines of sorrow and heartache on Nell's 
 face made her throat tighten. She turned to the girl 
 and caught her breath. Could this tall, slender young 
 woman be Elsie? The wide blue eyes she remembered 
 were the same, but the long golden ringlets were piled 
 high on a shapely head. She was gentle and charming 
 and altogether lovely. 
 
 200 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 201 
 
 "Oh, if Robert were only here!" was her first 
 thought. 
 
 The girl's eyes were searching the room. 
 
 "Where's Robert, Aunt Martha?" 
 
 Martha's face clouded. 
 
 "He's down by the river. He sits there often," she 
 replied in a troubled voice. 
 
 "I'll go find him," the girl declared eagerly. 
 
 She flitted out the door and went tripping down 
 the old familiar path. 
 
 Robert, seated in his favorite spot overlooking the 
 great river, gazed with unseeing eyes across the wide 
 expanse of water. The sun was slowly sinking, cast- 
 ing a bright gleam from shore to shore. The rapids 
 leaped and swirled and his thoughts were as turbu- 
 lent as the current. 
 
 The words of a poem by Tennyson flashed into his 
 mind: 
 
 "O, for the touch of a hand that is gone, 
 The sound of a voice that is stilled." 
 
 How long it seemed since that beautiful day in Oc- 
 tober when as a lad, he had stood among the throng 
 on the deck of the steamer that had come churning up 
 the river. How everyone had cheered at their first 
 glimpse of the beautiful city, nestling so happily on 
 the hillside. 
 
 The prophet had been at the wharf to welcome each 
 one as they stepped ashore. Elsie had been there and 
 had thrown her arms about his neck. Elsie — no doubt 
 she was married by now. Aunt Nell had written 
 
202 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 some time ago that she was to marry Charles Pitman. 
 "Charles Pitman," he thought bitterly, "of all men." 
 His father had become a man of wealth and high po- 
 sition in the church out there, no doubt they thought 
 it a fine thing for Elsie. He hoped fervently, that 
 Charles would be good to her. 
 
 What a dear little girl she had been with her wide 
 blue eyes, and golden curls. Lost in reverie, he did 
 not hear light footsteps coming along the path. A 
 girl's sharp gasp punctuated the stillness. 
 
 He turned and saw a girl in dark, traveling gown, 
 standing beside him — a girl with wide blue eyes and 
 a crown of gold upon her head. Flushed and breath- 
 less, she stood looking intently at him and her face 
 was softly aglow. 
 
 "We've come back, Robert." Her voice was gentle. 
 "Mother and dad are up at the house. I came to find 
 you." 
 
 His eyes were wide with bewilderment and a vast 
 wonder. He stood up. "I — I must be dreaming," he 
 stammered uncertainly. 
 
 "I'm Elsie, don't you know me, Robert?" 
 
 "Elsie — " he gazed at her in astonishment. Could 
 this vision of loveliness be the little girl he remem- 
 bered. She was more beautiful even than Celeste. He 
 wanted to take her in his arms but remembered about 
 Pitman. 
 
 "Is — your husband here, too?" The words forced 
 themselves to his lips. 
 
 "My husband? I have no husband." 
 
 "You're not married to Charles Pitman?" 
 
 "Charles Pitman is nothing to me." 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 203 
 
 He blinked dazedly. "You mean — you are not go- 
 ing to marry him?" 
 
 "No, Robert." 
 
 "I thought — Aunt Nell said in her letter — " 
 
 "Listen, Robert. When the wonderful news reached 
 us that Joseph had taken his father's place, Charles 
 Pitman denounced him as an apostate and the degen- 
 erate son of a noble sire." 
 
 "He would" Robert declared pointedly. 
 
 "I was furious and sent him away, declaring I never 
 wanted to see him again. We had read Joseph's mes- 
 sage to the scattered Saints and felt that it was divine. 
 We had suffered much under the leadership of Brigham 
 Young. We were heavily tithed and many strange doc- 
 trines were introduced. Father protested vigorously 
 against them, especially the doctrine of polygamy and 
 was made to suffer as a consequence. Now that Joseph 
 has taken his father's place, we feel that a new era 
 has dawned for our people!" her face was radiant 
 and Robert watching her, felt that a new era was 
 dawning for him. 
 
 "See here, Elsie, you and I are cousins," he declared 
 irrelevantly. 
 
 "Not real cousins," Elsie reminded him and his face 
 lighted. "I was an orphan when father and mother 
 adopted me but my very own parents could not have 
 been kinder. 
 
 "How beautiful it is here!" Elsie seated herself and 
 looked out across the water. 
 
 "Very beautiful," agreed Robert, his eyes upon her 
 face. 
 
 The sunset slipped away and twilight filled the val- 
 
204 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 ley with silvery mist and purple shadow as they sat 
 recounting the incidents of their childhood. 
 
 Later, they joined the older ones on the wide ver- 
 anda and Martha's soul flooded with happiness as her 
 eyes rested upon the glowing face of her son. 
 
 The following day, hand in hand they wandered along 
 the old familiar ways. Cattle grazed in the quiet grass 
 grown streets where once thousands of happy people 
 thronged. Sagging roofs, crumbling walls and heaps 
 of brick and mortar were on every hand while the 
 plaintive call of the mourning dove accentuated the 
 mournfulness of the scene. 
 
 "Nauvoo the beautiful" it had been called; well 
 might it now be called "Nauvoo the sad." 
 
 They climbed the hill to the spot where once the 
 Temple had stood. 
 
 "Not one stone remains upon another," mourned 
 Elsie. 
 
 Robert shook his head sadly. 
 
 "Disloyalty within and hatred without and this has 
 
 been the result. What a city it might have been if 
 
 the ideals of the prophet could have been carried out." 
 * * * 
 
 The ring of hammers and singing of saws was heard 
 again in the quiet valley as the Barry carpenters set 
 to work erecting a snug little cottage on Robert's 
 favorite spot overlooking the river. 
 
 When it was completed a quiet wedding took place 
 in the old home. Then, just as the sun was setting, 
 casting a rosy glow over the quiet waters of the Mis- 
 sissippi, Robert carried his bride over the threshold of 
 their cozy little home. 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 205 
 
 And there Joseph was hospitably received on his 
 brief visits to Nauvoo, for his work as leader of the 
 reorganization carried him far and wide. After marry- 
 ing Emmaline Griswold, they had set up housekeep- 
 ing for a time in the old homestead which his mother 
 had deeded to him on his twenty-first birthday. But 
 his church duties soon took them to Amboy where 
 the headquarters of the church had been established. 
 
 His little band of followers grew and prospered and 
 acquired such a reputation for honesty and industry 
 that Nauvoo suddenly awoke to the fact that it had 
 been too hasty. A petition was drawn up with a 
 list of signers, much of it in double column, three and 
 one-half yards long, inviting the leaders to establish 
 their church again in old Nauvoo, but it was too late; 
 they had already purchased land in Iowa and Lamoni 
 became the church headquarters. Later it became a 
 college town, students from all parts of the world 
 coming to attend "Graceland" a distinctive institution 
 with a high moral tone, spiritual atmosphere and seri- 
 ousness of purpose. 
 
 Then, there began to be a longing to return to their 
 old headquarters in Independence, Missouri, from 
 which place they had been banished in 1833. At 
 that time, it had given promise of being the great city 
 of the middle west, but the Civil War had wiped out 
 the big business houses and men of wealth had found 
 themselves penniless. Many of the fine old planta- 
 tion houses had been burned as border warfare had 
 waged in and out. Even as many years before the 
 despised Mormon women, with their children clinging 
 to their skirts, had done, so Southern women, with 
 
206 JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 
 
 their children and the few possessions they could carry 
 in their hands, had stepped from their homes and 
 watched them burned to the ground. 
 
 A few of the church members moved back to the 
 quiet old town, only to find that the old enmities born 
 of political and social antagonisms of half a century 
 ago were long since dead and forgotten. The church 
 publishing house was moved from Lamoni to Inde- 
 pendence and occupied a site not far from the place 
 where the mob had destroyed the first print shop es- 
 tablished by the members. 
 
 Independence once more became a thriving, busi- 
 ness community, hard work, loyal citizenship and pro- 
 ductive enterprise being the aim of Joseph's followers. 
 * * * 
 
 A beautiful new highway, rivaling the Palisades on 
 the Hudson, extends along the Mississippi River, lead- 
 to "Old Nauvoo." Thousands of visitors from far 
 and near drive to the spot where the prophet bade 
 farewell to the city of his dreams. They visit the 
 Mansion House where his widow raised her four boys 
 to manhood amid the ruins of a deserted city; the 
 Old Homestead, the first home of the prophet in Nau- 
 voo and stand at the little cemetery close by, where 
 the bones of the two martyrs were discovered beneath 
 the floor of an old spring house and reinterred with 
 those of Emma, wife of the prophet, in the base of 
 a monument. 
 
 They climb the hill to the place where once the 
 Temple stood and view the gleaming curve of the 
 majestic river, sweeping in a half circle below them. 
 
 The fragrant aroma of grapes, rises from the vine- 
 
JOSEPH'S CITY BEAUTIFUL 207 
 
 yards on the terraced slopes, planted by the French 
 colonists and thrifty German settlers, for "Old Nauvoo 
 Wines" have become famous. 
 
 The Old Mormon Arsenal is the Convent Home of 
 the Benedictine Sisters, who preside over St. Mary's 
 Academy close by. The school, built from the Temple 
 stone by the Icarians, now houses the Parochial School 
 of the community. 
 
 A few of the old Mormon houses may still be seen, 
 standing bare and forlorn, their roofs sagging, with 
 gaping holes where windows and doors are missing. 
 Many have been torn down, while others have been 
 repaired and made into comfortable homes. 
 
 The third generation of those who built in old 
 Nauvoo, come not to dream of the past, but to gain 
 inspiration for the work of the future when the vision 
 set forth by the prophet, of a great brotherhood, where 
 want and oppression are unknown, shall become a 
 reality. For they believe that the fraternity which 
 Christ demands, is not confined to ritual and prayer, 
 but must be carried as a directional force into their 
 everyday activities. Even as the former-day Saints 
 had all things common and distribution was made 
 unto every man as he had need, so Latter Day Saints 
 for generations, have had as their prominent ideal, 
 social betterment and the training of industrious in- 
 telligent, patriotic and law-abiding citizens for Zion 
 the beautiful beckons them on. 
 
Mrs. Uel W. Smith 
 1409 So. Osage 
 Independence, Mo. 64050 
 

 
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