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Show WOMAN'S EXPONENT. no folks that are able to work. The sick; the Jit tie folks and helpless, are the ones for vou relief ladles to look alter, and I say you ought to have a hospital and a good one too. where friendless deserted women and other sick people, might be provided for and you not have to run ail over the conntry to take care of them. I hope you'll take this as I mean it, in real good will. Geoboe Piatt. SERICULTURE. Report of the Silk Association of Rox Eider Btake. The Silk Association of Box Elder Stake was organized June 10, 1879, with the following officers: President, Mary Stark; Counselors, S. I j. Booth and Mary E. Snow, Secretaries, Eugenia Pierce and Lydia May Snow. During the past year we havrraised one hundred and forty-fiv- e (145) pounds of cocoons, one hundred and four (104) pounds of which have been sold to the Central Silk Association at Salt JLake City, for which we received two hundred and eight dollars fS208. We have five mulbwrv irrnvna nf two acres each, four of which are in the different wards of Brigham City, and one in Three Mile Creek Ward. Lydja May Snow. JESSE BURNS, OR, Was it Fate? A Sketch of the Exodus from Nauvoo, and the early Settlement of Utah. CONTINUED. Jesse was industrious and made his family comfortable as fast ns possible. During the fall several small detachment? of the Mormon Battalion came into the valley. They were disbanded at San Diego, and left to find their way back to their friends as best they could; footsore and weary, ragged and .starving, they made their way to Salt Lake, while others of their company stayed in California, or returned by way of Sante Fe to join their friends at Winter Quarters. The people at Salt Lake had no surplus provisions, and at once placed themselves on half rations, that they might divide with their famishing brethren". It was a time that tried men's souls, and some, like and Sapphira, were tempted to conceal their substance, for is the first law of nature, and the saying is perhaps never more fully realized than under such circumstances. All the cattle that could be spared were killed for meat, the hides, feet and entrails were cleaned and eaten. The bones which were thrown jout were crushed and gnawed by the children who could not get sufficient to supply their growing appetites. The Battalion boys, as they were called, suffered most, for many of them had no families to share with them, and although they were not allowed to starve, their wants could not be fully supplied, and their attenuated forms and hollow cheeks bore witness to suffering that will never be forgotten, even though they live to more than the ordinary age of man. The people were blessed with health and and it strength, was several years before disease or death became prevalent among them. In the spring, land was ploughed and put m, but with what result thev could hardly anticipate; for the Indians said' that no rain tell in the summer, ahd the country was parched and dry. A mountaineer, who had lived twenty years in the country, said he had tned repeatedly to raise corn or wheat, and it weald not grow in this climate. He would pay onethouwnd dollars for the first bushel of core rawed in the valley. The corn and the wheat also, but the thousand ripened, dollars never came. The crickets did though, and ate the crops so fast that there was a prospect of losing the whole. The 1,, ut en wow, and-- ' fought them a and day, killing them Utit all their ef An-nani- as self-preservati- on . ple V bu-hc- ls Weight . forts seemed to no purpose. The crickets were horrid looking creatures, 8uchas the people had never seen before; with bodies as large as a young mouse, long legs and unwieldy move- ' ments, something between a run and a jump. The ground was black with them, and wherever they went all vegetation disappeared as though a lire had passed over it. The loss of their crops would entail great suffering and probable starvation upon the entire people, as supplies could not possibly have been brought from the East or the West in time to save ttefrn, and such scant subsistence as the aborigines procured would have hardly sufficed the white man, their diet being chiefly berries, sunflower .seeds,, dried crickets, fish and a little game. They fasted and prayed, prayed with an earnestness born of despair, and a faith strengthened by God's past mercies. A few dava later, myriads of birds were seen in the air; whirling around for a while, they settled in the fields of grain and commenced a raid on the crickets, eating as long as they could. They would drink, and then throw them up. then eat again, until the crickets were all gone, and then flew away. The birds proved to be sea gulls; and as they were not in the habit of migrating to this country, their coining was considered a special dispensation of Providence in behalf of the little band of exiles; and truly their thanksgiving was due, when, at harvest, they made a feast, and raising a liberty pole, floated from its top the dear old flag of the Union, and adorned it with sheaves of wheat, oats and barlev. A bowerv was made, under which long tables were spread with the best the country afforded, and every person was bountifully supplied; after which "the day was spent with music and dancing. While Jesse was at work on a grist-mithat was being built, the scaffolding gave way, precipitating him sixteen feet, breaking some of his ribs imd injuring him badly. When he wss carried home Mary was very much frightened, but it was a comfort to know that his injuries were not fatal. She nursed him tenderly, g and thoughtful of the comalways fort of others, she was a friend and guide to him in those hours of darkness and suffering. When he was again able to walk, he often went with his little girl to the garden, where they would busy themselves with such' tasks as their ll self-denyin- small strength could accomplish. He was fond of his child, and she, in turn, dearly loved her father. She often sat for hours watching him as he worked, for he was a carpenter by trade, and wished she was- - a boy, so she could be a carpenter, too. Sometimes she ventured to try her skill, which generally brought her trouble". In the fall a tiny baby came to them; a marvel of pink and white, so soft and tender. Minnie was never tired of looking at it, or working for it. It was the first baby in their home since her recollection, and it was her own, her very ow little baby sister. In fact, the advent of baby Nettie brought much pleasure to all; the heart is cold and hard indeed that does not warm at the appealing' helplessness of infancy. Jesse's crops were entirelv destroyed by the crickets, his long illness kept him" from employment, aud another winter was near. The tall emigration came in, expecting to find provisions raised here, which they would have done had not the crickets made such havoc; raised grain supply the demand, before another harvest many were, .suffering Roots and herbs were pthered, the cattle needed for labor were killed, and every available means resor'ed to for subsistance. Those who had plenty divided with their less fortunate brethren, but there was still much suffering and discouragement. Jesse wked hard, but he was not ftronar. nnd the lack of suitable nourishment and home comforts wore on his constitution, the constant discouragements, the hopelessness but-theren- ot being-sufficien- of their situation, the helpless ones dependent him for support, weighed down his spirits he and felt many times that if it were possible he would order things otherwise; butthehore when tied to the treadmill, must keep stepping on, on, no stopping, no turning back. A train of circumstances had placed him where he was, and there could be no stopping, just a weary pressing on. A thousand mile's from civilization, across a barren Indian country it was not possible to return. - He could feel-t- o sympathize with the Israelites, when they longed for the leeks and onions, but he must struggle on, struggle for existence, for the dear ones in his care for the wife, drooping beneath her burdens, the little ones that niiht never know the advantages of education,or the delicacies and refinements of life. What were the future prospects? The crops, owin" to the difficult mode of irrigation, and the labor it cost to water them from the mountain streams, must necessarily be sniall, even if the crickets did not return. d Their Indian neighbors made n instant demands on them for food, giving no labor in return. Their idea was that the white man had taken their hunting grounds and must feed them. A little band in the heart of the ltocky Mountains, where there was nothing to induce people to come with means for improvement, who wouM seek them out, or give them succor? Hard", rough labor wore out their clothing very fast, and how was it to be replaced? A few" more years and they wonld have to dress like the Indians. What chance had they to build cities, when everything had to bo transported oyer the plains with ox teams, a distance of thirteen hundred miles? Those were dark days, and it took strong faith or childish simplicity to make them otherwise. There was so much to suffer, so much to fear, and so little to brighten or encourage, that it was no wonder if his heart failed, or his faith grew weak. Mary bore her trials with fortitude, but who sh.all.say she did not sometimes feel, the darkness of despair hovering about her? She had left loving hearts and warm friends, father, mother, brothers and sisters, who felt that she was buried in a living grave; and she almost felt, sometimes, as though she was, or would be literally buried when the snow fell so deep and fast, day and night, without cessation, that it threatened to bury their little cabin in the mountains, where they then lived alone, except for .a few lumbermen; for Jesse was building a saw mill that winter, and they were isolated even from their few in exilc. on, half-starve- fellow-suffere- To be R. S rs continued. Y. L. M. I. A. AND PRIMARY REPORTS. The sisters of Sanpete Stake held their Quarterly Conference at Ephraim City Nov. 21, 1880. There were present 'on 'the stand Pres. Wilford Woodruff, Teasdale of Juab Stake, Pres. Petersen of this Stake and Counselor, Henry Real. Also others of the local priesthood. After the reading of the and verbal reports from presidents reports of Relief Societies Pres. Hyde addressed the congregation ,"upon the fulfillment of prophecy and spoke of how fast the work of God seemed to be progressing. " Sister Wareham Pres. of tho Stake Silk Association, urged the sisters to be energetic in promoting silk culture. Stated that there had been about 14 pounds of silk raised in the stake during the last season. Si-tPhebe Woodruff, of Salt Lake City, spoke most comforting and encouraging to the sisters; and to the mothers, she said her heart was especialy drawn out, in view of the great Bearresponsibility resting upon them, that of ing the souls kof men; spirits that have been held in reserve to come forth in this genera- iW , t' cr ' - |
