Woman's Exponent The Ballot in the Hands of the Women of Utah should be a Power to better the Home, the State and the Nation. SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, DECEMBER, Vol. 32 CONTENTS. The Pioneer Christmas, Annie Wells Cannon, 49 Editorial Christmas Gatherings Editorial Notes R. S. Reports In Memoriam Mothers' Work Haste and Rest.. Julia Ward Howe Notes and News Notice to Secretaries Poetry Thanksgiving Poem, Ruth May Fox 53 52 52 54 55 56 56 56 49 come, walk close beside me, sweetheart, and I will tell you of the trip." So, hand in hand, the two young lovers walked close beside the loaded wagon, exchanging experiences .of the last few days and thinking all the time of each other, roughly and not too warmly clad,' but hearts warm and true and rninds dear and pure as running water. "Our trip, Elizabeth, was quite success-ful- , thcugh rather hard. We followed the creek as far a9 the road permitted; but shortly after entering the canyon, it THANKSGIVING POEM. Written for the Press Club, 1903. thankful, O God, for all that is fair, For mountain, valley and river; For the wealth ot the field Which the harvest doth yield, For the losing of kine And the fruit of the vine; And we render all praise to the Giver. We are We thank thee, O Father, for sunshine and rain, That roses and thorns grew together; For the music of birds And the tender buds stirred By the breath of the spring. Whose frargrance doth cling. Round the homes where our hearts wander ever. And Father, ve thank thee for hearts that are true, For friendship sincere and abiding; For the hand that uoth clasp In a brotherly grasp The hand of the weak; For the fond lips that speak Kind words that are pure and confiding. We thank thee,OLord,for the strong and the brave, Who shrink not from trial or duty, For the gentle and sweet Who strew flow'rs at our feet, Who comfort our fears And weep with our tears Making earth a bright bower of beauty. But most of all, Father, we thank thee for life, Glor'ous life, progressive, alluring Our hearts far away, Aye, away and away To revel in light 'Mong the planets of night And splendors forever enduring:. Ruth May Fox. THE PIONEER CHRISTMAS. There's plenty of hardship in pioneer life. A hard working stint at the best: But with brawn and pluck and courage rife, The heart beats with hope in the breast. "Why, Elizabeth, what brought you out- side the fort walls so late in the day; are you not afraid of anything, girl?" "Atraid," the girl answered "that something might happen to you on your perilous trip, and you don't know how good it seemed to hear the rolling of the wagon wheels over the frozen ground, the steady tread ot the oxen, the crack of your whip, and best of all. the sound of your voice say- ing 'gee' and along." "It 'haw,' urging the oxen is very sweet of you," the boy said, "to think of me and come out to meet me. The other boys are not far behind; but be- comes so narrow that we made a camp, where John and I watched the wagon and cattle and gathered small wood, while Charley and Sam explored farther up and found some splendid pines. The first day they took the axes and ropes and felled as many trees as they could, and yesterday John and I took our turn, so we have two fine loads of logs and two of smaller wood for firing. Now your mother can have a floor in her house, and we can all have warm, cheerful fires for Christmas, if nothing more. The other boys are some distance behind, though not far. You know I boast of my good driving, and besides there was a magnet drawing me on, which I knew not of. The Lord bless you, Elizabeth; for thinking of me, few boys in the valley are as lonely as I. Do you know when I saw ray mother die on the ocean, and her body lowered in the great, white sea, I could mysell have died. All desire for life, all future hope left me, and there on the ship's deck, death would have been welcome. My sisters wept, my little brothers clung to father's hand; but I seemed I alone, my heart almost ceased to beat. was like stone, no tears or sobs relieved the dull pain of that dreadful hour. It seems a marvel that still we live after such suffering; but the old ship steadily tossed along the waters, the waves closed over her bedy, and the great ocean heaved just the same; and life has rolled along, sometimes throbbing, sometimes sobbing, but still carrying cut no doubt my destiny. Can you be patient and wait for me? With your love for my guiding star, I shall never fail. We are nearly home now, you must forgive me if I recall sad scenes, I have never been able to talk of mother to any one but you and sister Anne. Now for a little while we must part, I hope your mother has not worried about you, for really it is hardly oafe for you to venture so far, and besides it is against counsel for any of the women folks Wise to leave the fort after sundown. counsel it is too, for there are many dangers You are a girl of in this desert country. wonderful courage; but as you truly love me, you must take care of yourself." "You speak of dangers," said Elizabeth, "are there any new ones? I cannot think the Lord will let the Indians or the wolves We have passed through so harm us. many hardships, privationsand sorrows since leaving our homes, that surely somewhere in the world we can find a refuge; and besides, those who ought to know have told I believe we us this is the chosen spot. are safe and will be protected here. Yes, No. 7. 1903 I will do all you ask. Life is pretty hard for us; but we are young and strong, and our love will help us through, so now good night." So they parted, having reached the North, gateway of the fort. Elizabeth knew her mother would be anxious, and perhaps a little angry, for she did not altogether approve of her daughter's love affair. So hastening into her rude home, she quickly explained that the boys were all coming and that John would soon be home, though in fact she had neither looked nor listened after meeting her lover to learn whether her brother was near or not. That was only because she had been so sympathetically interested in his story, for she possessed all the best, kind attributes of a sister, and began immediately to prepare something warm and nice for her brother and to think of his comfort. In the meantime, the young man had unyoked and cared for his oxen, and then reported himself to his uncle, with whom he lived, and who had sent him into the canHe hinted in his conversayon for logs. tion with Elizabeth about dangers, but to his uncle he had something quite important to report. A large number of Sioux Indians were camped up the canyon, just having come away victorious irom a conflict with some Utes, and it was more than likely that they would come down in the settlement and worry and frighten the settlers if At any rate, a visit from nothing more. the Indians always meant a dividing up of provisions for the sake of peace, and the people were not any too well provided for themselves, with a long winter before them and no hope of any more companies coming in with supplies before the spring. In pioneer days in the far west, the settlers had to live close together for protecthe tion, and the first Fall of few families of Mormon emigrants who reached the valley built themselves homes of adobes and logs, all as it were in one enclosure. A high wall of adobes enclosed a large square, thus forming the outer wall of the several homes, mere huts, one would call them now, all facing an inner court. Rude logs sawn in half made the rafters and supporting beams, while loose soil was thrown over the rafters to form a roof. Some of these huts had doors, and some had floors, but others had the bare ground for a floor, and only an open space among the logs lor a door way. There was only the smallest openings in the outer wall for outlooks, for there was no such thing as glass for windows, and the dangers were many. Great herds of white wolves and howling coyotes came down from the mountains night after night and prowled and howled and tore around the walls, and the Indians were not always friendly either. So much care bad to be taken to make these homes secure. In these days everybody had much hard work to do, and the women were only too glad to help construct these rude homes. To them, these walls of logs and mud meant rest and protection, and a king's palace is no more than that. After George had eaten his supper and , forty-seven- ,