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Show WOMAN'S the duty and responsibility of the ordinances of endowments and sealing for the living and the dead. She met many times with her husband and with President Joseph Smith and others who had received these brdinances in a room dedicated for that purpose and prayed with them repeatedly. No other woman now living has had such great oppoitunities of sharing in these inestimable privileges and blessings. Again, in the spring of 1844, Elder George A. Smith was called on another mission, and soon after he left, persecution-begain the city of Nauvoo, and on June 27th, as is well known, the martyrdom of the beloved Prophet and Patriarch occurred, which threw the whole city into mourning and sorrow indescribable. Elder George A. Smith returned home about the 1st" of August, and on the 14th a daughter was born to them, and they named her Bathsheba. On February 9, 1846, Brother and Sister George A. Smith with the Apostles, their families and many of the Saints, left the beautiful city of Nauvoo; crossing the Mississippi river in the dead of winter to seek a resting place somewhere in the region of the Rocky Mountains. Sister Smith in her journal says: "It would be vain to attempt to describe how we traveled through snow,-winand rain; how roads had to be made, bridges built, rafts constructed, and how our animals had to drag on with scanty food, and how we suffered in poverty, and sickness, and many died of the hardships and privation, and were buried by the wayside, as we journeyed along; but the Lord was with us and His power was daily made manifest. My mother died on the nth of March, 1847, at Winter Quarters on' the Missouri river, and in April my son John was born. He was my last child, and lived only a few hours. "We traveled over the plains to Salt Lake with a large number of the Saints, my husband, George A. Smith, having charge of the company an iving in Salt Lake valley in October, 1849, and all was joy and happiness now. How delightful when we arrived at Father John Smith's, it seemed to be in a comfortable room with a blazing fire on the hearth, where we might be safe, and sheltered from the elements !" Sister Bathsheba shared in the privations and trials of those early times, living in tents, in huts and log cabins, and enduring many hardships, but at last a comfortable and roomy home was built, and there she passed many years of contentment. In this home she was very happy with her family Her husband was Church Historian and a part of the building was then known as the Historian's office, at the present time the entire structure is used for that purpose. We quote again from her journal; "While at Provo, at the time of the move South, when Johnston's army entered the city, we procured wool and had it made into rolls, and I spent most of the summer in spinning by hand. In the fall Sister Susan, my husband's wife, returned from Parowan, where she had spent the summer and together we wove the yarn into flannel, linsey and blankets. "My husband had raised a quantity of flax and Sister Susan and myself spun about thirty pounds (a large quantity) during the winter and spring. We bought a loom and learned to weave, and my husband's wife, Lucy, who had previously had some exWe perience of this kind, helped us. EXPONENT. wove our spun flax, into tableclotb.es, towels, bedticks, etc. Indeed we did all we could to furnish our house. We made our own carpets, spun, colored and wove cloth, flannel, linsey and jeans, kerseys, blankets, coverlets and shawls; we also wove fringe and made sewing thread; we also wove wool carpets, stair carpets, rag carpets. We have spun and wove Dixie cotton (raised in Southern Utah) and made cloth for dresses, and in bed spreads, made candle-wickinfact all sorts of material for household use. We knit our stockings, socks and mittens, hoods and wraps, made netting end did our own sewing by hand and our embroidery; in fact we manufactured everything we possibly could. We have exhibited many articles of our home-mad- e goods in Territorial Fairs, and they always receivtd favorable notice, and attracted attention. "In our household affairs we have aimed as we well could be, to be as with ourselves clothing, and our supplying homes with furnishing?, and in drying large quantities of fruit from our own orWe also, kept boarders, members chards. of the legislature, judges, school teachers, and often distinguished people who were Col. Thomas L. in Salt Lake Kane, Major Powell, his sister and others, as in those days there were few public hotels. "My husband was absent much of the time in those early days, engaged in colonizing or iu home missionary labors. When we were getting our orchard started and my husband was away, myself and children generally watered it. I have been out sometime in the middle of the night watering the trees, as the water had to be apportioned to the several lots, and when it came our turn, whether day or night, we must make use of it or lose our trees and garden stuff; and as our gardens supplied our family with vegetables it could not be g, self-sustainin- g neglected." During all these trials there was much joy in life' for this brave woman, as you will see, quoting again from her journal: "I believe but few in this wide world have been as happy as we have been, we have no differences, our religion and our expectations were the same." In writing of her husband's wives, she says in her journal: "I have great respect for my husband's wives, we have worked and toiled together, have had joy in our labors, have had our recreations and taken comfort in each other's society; our faith is the same, our anticipations are the same. I Jove their children dearly irom the infant to' the grown up man and woman. I rejoice with them in their prosperity, and sorrow with them in their bereavements a:,d trials in life." (Concluded in our next.) LADIES' MEETING. SEMI-MONTHL- Y Minutes of the y Meeting held January 31, 1903, in the 14th ward hall, Counselor E. J. Stevenson presiding. Singing, "Oh say what is truth." Prayer by Sister Smith. Singing, "Oh ye mountains high." Sister Stevenson said she had attended these meetings ever since they were organized. Referred to the trials that the people experienced during the time of Johnston's army, bow President Young had watched over the people. Thought our children should read the history of the Church and all good books. We are having a time of Semi-monthl- peace. We should teach our children while they are young. Sister Martha Mori is bore her testimony. Sisters Jenson and Hilton bore faithful testimonies. Sister Swift referred to the trials of long ago, how her mother had suffered for the Gospel's sake and had proved faithful until death. . The congregation sang "We thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet." Sisters Wright, Love, Silver, Williamson and Smith bore faithful testimonies. Sister Martha Morris sang "O Jesus, the Giver." Sisters Pond and Castleton also bore faithful testimonies. Sister Stevenson felt if the young sisters would get up to speak they would be blessed. Urged all to be careful and prudent with what the Lord blessed them with. Meeting adjourned tor four weeks SingBenediction by Sister Lydia D. ing. Alder. Amelia Wadrop, MISS Sec. BARTON TO PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT. Replying to the recent letter of the president's secretary, George E. Cortelyou, requesting that public announcement be made that the president of the United States and his cabinet cannot serve as a board of consultation of the American Red Cross society, Miss Clara Barton, president of that society, has addressed an explanatory letter to President Roosevelt. Referring to article 4 cf the constitution of the Red Cross Society, providing for a board of consultation, consisting of the president and his cabinet and certain high officers of the army, Miss Barton points out that this provision was fully endorsed by President Arthur and his entire cabinet and accepted by succeeding administrations. Continuing, Miss Barton writes: "I redte these facts to you, Mr. President, as an earnest that neither was usurpation practised nor discourtesy intended in the late needed chr.nges of the articles of the constitution. "Thus, Mr. President, if in the continuing of your honored rame and that of your cabinet in our administration of the Red Cioss, I have committed an error so gTave as tr merit a reprimand and be required to make an open denial before the world of the privileges I have assumed, the powers I usurped, the disrespect shown to the honored heads of the nation and my unavoidable and deep humiliation thereat I shall prove my good citizenship by exact and willing conformity with and obedience to the commands by publication of your letter and such replies as I have been able to make, in order that no misunderstanding of your relations can possibly occur." The letter continues: "Trusting that the concessions faithfully submitted may prove sufficient notice and guarantee to the public disconnection which you desire from the organization which I have so long had the pleasure to conduct, I have the honor to subscribe myself, "Your obedient country woman, "Clara Barton." The Montana Legislature has refused to submit the equal suffrage amendment to the voters. |