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Show 18 - LIFE INCIDENTS. r.Y HELEN MAR WHITNEY. The scenes which are familiar to the Latter-da- v Saints ofn earlier day, are but little known to those who have since been gathered from the different nations, nor to those who have grown uiriu the peaceful valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Until within a few years, the world knew nothing of our true history. Falsehoods were manufactured and sent out to serve the purposes of our enemies, and apostates have been their wiJling tools. The bitter prejudices felt by the outside world makes it almost an' impossibility for them to believe or become acquainted with our faith, and principles; but the history of this people is always interesting to the Latter-da- y Saints, and incidents of our travels and experience are calculated to benefit the young and Tisiug generation. The spirit of unbelief which has crept - into our midst is lamentable, and a stupor seems to have come over a portion of this people, who, I sometimes fear, will need the judgments of God to awaken them from its influence, and we know that they are sure to come upon the slothful and disobedient, if they do not repent. I can truly say that I feel an interest in the welfare of all, and if some of the incidents of my life could impress the niindsof others, as they have my own, I would feel amply repaid for curiwriting them. There seems to be a great"Mor-Tiivuiabout the of minds in the strangers osity women, and I am willing, nay, anxious, that they sbowJd know the true history of the faithful women of Morondom. In the brief sketches which have been given from time to time, the trials and sufferings of the JLnw.iay Saints have scarcely been touched upon. Since writing-- my. reminiscences I have thought of the names of many who lived and "died for the truth. Among these was the widow of Brother David W. Tatten. She was a noble and woman,-- who left all for the. Gospel's sake, and her husband being a missionary, she was early thrown upon her own resources, and though she had a slight and delicate frame she had a ierevering ,.and energetic spirit, was neat, and naturally of a refined nature and could not be happy in idleness. She was a wains tress 'by trade and worked for her living. The hardships and privations incident to a Western life, particularly to the Latter-da- y Saintfj, toon broke her down and brought on consumption. After her husband was killed, she, being, like the rest destitute, felt that she must do something for her support, and not finding anything else that she could do, concluded to take a few boarders. Among them was a young man who, though not a member of our Church, bore a good character, and, to be brief, he loved her, and seeing her lonely condition, proposed to marry her. She accepted- - This step, at the time, caused many to think her weak in the faith- - wnen we afterwards met her in iiuincy, Illinois, she told my parents why she married without asking counsel, said she was no longer able to work and had no one to take care of her, and she knew what the counsel would Ikj if she asked it, and not wishing to disAs obey, she did it on her own responsibility. soon as he heard and understood Uie Gospel he received it After father came to us in Qnincy, ttiey having a house with' two rooms, gave us one to live in while father went up to Commerce to prepare a place for us. His name was IkmtJey, he was a carpenter by trade, industrious and well able to provide everything she needed, or desired, and though a number of years younger than she, he was perfectly devoted to her, and his study by day and by night was to make her comfortable. No one couM show greater love and tenderness toward a wife than he did, until her spirit took its flight which, if I remember rightly, was the second year after the Saints settled at Nauvoo. He lived but a Tw years after her death. She was an exemplary woman, and enjoyed the love and respect of auwho knew her. While we were living with them in Quincy, when I was about ten years of ager I had a severe attack of fever, and a heavy storm coming on, the weather was in the quite cold, and not having a room, mother phrced a kettle of live coals in the centre of the apartment. Just as she stepped out into the other romn, my little brother, aged about four years, came in and accidentally fell into the kettle, and burnodhim badly. I was so frightened that I was upon the, point of leaping out of bed when mother heard htrn scream, but he sprang out hefore she got into" the room and cried for her to anoint him with the conse- K . self-sacrifici- -- fire-plac- e ng ... fj crated oil. She immediately administered it, and was silently praying, when he cried, "Pay loud." She obeyed him, and in a few minutes he was sound asleep. He never cried from the burn after the oil was administered, and it was healed from that moment. What a pit v we cannot always have faith like a little child, and instead of calling upon doctors who have no faith in the ordinances, call on the Great Physician, who giveth freely to all and upbraideth not. When we can do this, there will be less suffering and fewer graves to weep qver. X Iii the month of July, father moved us upbe-to Commerce; he pulled down an old log stable longing to a Bro. Bozier, about one mile from the river, "and laid up the logs at the end of the Bozier house (which had a number of rooms and contained several families; he put on a few "shakes" to cover it. but it had no llooror chinking; when it rained the water stood near anklo deep on the ground; the chimney of the other house, being built on the outside, served us as a dirt tioor, fireplace. My mother, not liking J-hhad a few little boards laid down to serve-a- s a substitute. I remember the evening of the 28 d of August, 1839, we were visited by a heavy rain storm, and those boards floated on the water. My mother had bread light and ready to bake in a tin oven or reflector, and it had to be propped up so as to bake the bread before the fire, which Under these was built upon andirons. to go and allowed was I peculiar circumstances when our and neighbors, stop with one of informed was that I returned in the morning I a little stranger had arrived that night. This was truly a wonderful event and created quite a f sensation, in our midst. He was named after David Patten, and although bom in a stable, he was a prince in our estimation. This was their sixth child, four of whom were then living. Father purchased fivo acres of woodland from Hyrum Kimball, and Brother Parley P. Pratt same number of acres adjoining, purchased the to work and cut logs and invited a niey ?rit few of the old citizens; via. iicother Bozier Squire to assist m WellsLouis Robinson as our their houses, people were putting up sickness. Brother Pratt mostly prostrated hy. soon sold out his improvements and went with his family on a mission to England,; Father was building his chimney and had just got to the ridge of the house when he was taken down with chills and fever. The hardships and exposures consequent on beidg driven from Missouri in the winter had made the Saints easry subjects for the ague to prey upou in that swampy country; nearly all were taken down, one after another, and the ones who were not shaking or delirious with fever, would do their best towards waiting upon those that were. Many had to see their dear ones die and not one of the family able to follow them to their last resting place; hundreds were lying sick in tents and wagons. The Prophet visited and administered words of consolation and often made tea and waited upon them himself and sent members of his own family who were able to go, to nurse and comfort the sick and sorrowful. He was often heard to say that the Saints who died in consequence of the persecutions, were as much martyrs as the ones who were killed in. defence of the Saints or murdered at Haun's Mill. There are many living martyrs who remember those days and some will yet waar a martyr's crown. The powers of darkness seemed to nave combined te put a stop to the work of the Almighty, but Satan's plans have always been frustrated, and they alwa's , -- -- -- and-other- s, -- -- will be, One night while wo were living in the Bozier House, we were awakened by our mother,5 who was struggling as though nearly choked to death. Father asked her what was the matter, when she could speak, she replied, that she dreamt that a personage came and seized her by the throat and was choking her. He lit a candle and saw that her eyes were sunken and her nose pinched in, as though, she were in the last stage of cholera. He laid his hands upon her head aud rebuked the spirit in the name of Jesus, and by the power of the holy Priesthood commanded it to depart. In a moment afterwards, some half a dozen children in other parts of the house were heard crying, as if in great distress; the cattle began to bellow and low, the horses to neigh and whinnow, the dogs barked, hogs squealed, and the fowls and everything around were in great commotion, and in a few minutes my father was called to lay hands on Sister Bently,the widow of David Patten, who lived in the next room. She was seized in a similar manner to my mother. They 'continued quite feeble for several days from the shock -- Otip dnv after thi3 circumstance 1 the Prophet. In place, my father was visiting a walk by the took me his diary he says: "He to me relate the occuriver side and requested rrence at the Bozier house. I did so, and also teld him the vision of evil spirits in "England on the opening of the Gospel to that people. After I had done this, I asked what all these things meant and whether or no there was anything wrong in me. "No, Brother Heber; at that time when you were in England, you was then only a vail benigh unto the Lord. There was could not see Him. but and tween you you Him, me great joy, for I then When ! heard it, it gave God taken root in the of had work knew that the Devil to make the land; it was this .that caused a struggle to kill you." Joseph then said, the nearer a jierson approaches tho Lord, a greater power would be manifest by the Devil to prevent the accomplishment of the purposes of God. He then gave me a relation of many contests that he had had with Satan, and his power had been made manifest from time to time since the commencement or bringing forth the Book of Mormon." In another place he says: "1 crossed the river to Commerce with several of the Twelve, and as I was standing by the railing of the boat, looking at the beautiful site of Nauvoo,and I remarked, 'It is a very pretty place, but not a long These remarks abiding place for the Saints reached Elder Iiigdon and family, and caused them to feel somewhat sad, a.4 they were well situated in a nice stone house built by Dr. Isaac Galland, and otherwise comfortably situated. When we met in council in Joseph's house, the was brought. up for incase of manvestigation and disposed of in a summary said he had arose and then ner. Elder Iligdon toward Elder Kimball, saying, I some feelings had passed Kimball should suppose that Elder and privations, mobbings and through suffering of drivings enough to learn Tto prophecyto good receive was I began to expect Israel going Elder from a chastisement lligdon, knowquite ing his peculiar temperament, I arose uion my feet and said, 'President Blgdoh, I'll prophecy good concerning you, air the time, if you can get it?' On hearing that, Joseph had a hearty laugh with the brethron, when Elder Iiigdon yielded -- , -- IN WHAT DOES BEAUT V CONSIST. There are many things in nature around us which we look upou and recognize witli enthusiastic ecstsay as being sublimly beautiful,' filling our souls with awe, reverence yea, love,raising our thoughts, from mortal cares to loftier themes, aud inspiring us with adoration for the Creator of so much beauty, harmony and melody. The grandeur of the mountains as they tower one above the other, higher and higher until they appear to touch the very sky, and sometimes seem to reach far away into the realms of with eternal space whether they are crowned lava-fir- e of nature's or with the snow, burning own kindling must inevitably strike the beholder as one of the most truly beautiful features which the earth affords. Who could ever have watched .the glory of an exquisitely charming sunset without feeling that it surpassed in real, heaufy all the works of art; and that extravagant as the language might be used to express its beauty, it was still inadequate to the subject. The forestSjthe ocean, the lakes,and the rivers, all theare indeed truly beautiful; the flowers in all their vast varieties of hues and diodes and forms are among the most delightfully beautiful of Earth's wounderful productions. We cannot enumerate the objects of beauty of which our earth is filled there is no stopping place, for whatever is perfect, cannot fail to be beautiful. To my mind, perfection seems to be the true definition of beauty, but where there is a defect beauty is marred. Nature's works are perfect they are really beautiful. The sentiment of beauty is a true inspiration- -it elevates and refines themind,in whatever form of life it is presented. One must feel its influence, and the inspiration of its presence in both animate and inaniamte nature. Salt Lake City, June 1872. Faith and Confidence.- The following in clipped from the Neu MaysviHe, Kansas: Y arner a to calling the attention of our readers in - Safe Remedies we do so with a perfect faithunthe efficiency of their preparations, and an v bounded confidence in the truth of all that good and said of them." |