| Show TOLD IN THE BUSH Coor paroo queensland sept 24 1897 compared with utah australia is f ull full of striking contrasts the seasons for instance are quite opposite between the two places so that while december begins the winter in utah june is the first month of that season here true winters snowy pinion does not shake its white down in the air at least not in brisbane but last year ice was found upwards of an inch thick on ponds near this city thiede this degree of cold with the usual cutting westerly wind from the interior is very searching it seems to go through muscle and bone and at times almost makes a person feel as if he had no warmth in him this much by way of introduction the reason why I 1 speak of australian winters in general and of the month of june in particular is that what I 1 am about to tell happened jn in that month of the present year soldiers after the battle is olef and the war is ended are allowed to fight their battles oer and I 1 presume a missionary may be allowed the same privilege even though the war be far from ended mine is no bloodcurdling blood curdling g tale of horror though sad enough it being agreeable to the reader to follow me we shall in fancy get gat up about an hour before daylight on one of these june mornings and start for a little spot in the bush near the suburb of rosalie about four miles from brisbane the morning is not extremely cold though sufficiently so to incite a brisk walk through the narrow streets of the peculiarly situated village town about ten minutes walk brings us to a hill on the outskirts up which we pick our way in the darkness of early morn pushing aside branches of small trees and twigs of underbrush as we meet them we ascend to the height of perhaps feet above the town when we come to a large log the remains of some forest giant which is just in the darkness this log marks the end of our journey it was here that an event occurred last june which will I 1 trow remain always fresh in the minds of at least two persons the most searching glance around fails at first to reveal anything extraordinary darkness everywhere shrouds nature in its sable mantle the white ashes near the log would have told that a are had been recently kindled there it if the warmth around that part of the log and the slight smell of smoke had not already done so no sound breaks the stillness of that bush retreat save the occasional mournful cry repeated at Inteer intervals vals of more pork from one of alias peculiar night birds now and then the still more mournful cry of a distant curlew is heard from one of the many gulches near by the fact that not a leaf stirs makes it possible for us to hear a noise which though faint and irregular is well known it is a subdued snore directed by the sound we go cautiously towards that portion of the log from which the noise proceeds and peering over the log see the faint outlines apparently patently ly of two forms lying on something white what are they let us retire ashert distance and await daylight and their awakening daylight comes rapidly when the first streaks of dawn appear and with it I 1 also come sounds from other forms of animated nature but nary a thing stirs behind the log the town in tho the hollow and side hlll below looks picturesque tur esque with the river in the background frame houses built on piles they call them stumps three six and even fifteen feet high on the hillsides hill sides give the town an odd appearance to the stranger much the same design Is seen in all of them many of the cottages are the same distance away from the sidewalk have the same style of veranda and the same stone colored paint on the rustic boards they all have corrugated iron roots roofs and at the back of nearly neadly every house is seen the same corrugated iron water tank capacity LOW 1000 gallons no pleasant spring water here nothing but warm flat rain water caught from the iron roofs and stored in tanks for many a day presently the smoke of the wood fires begin to ascend from one or two chimneys then from many in a way that according to the old story bespeaks a fine day but no life was visible around the log the birds move about in the trees overhead and emit their unmusical chirps attires at times our ears are saluted by the loud and hearty laugh from the famous australian laughing jackass as he sits on some high perch but the sleepers slept on just as curiosity and the freshness of the morning make us im patient impatient the sound of paper being crumpled is heard and a mans head appears above the log after brushing away the proverbial cobwebs cob webs from his eyes and looking at the tower helow below for a minute or two he jumps up quickly and throws his arms around as it if to circulate his blood then gathers a few sticks and soon starts a fire the fire hardly starts to burn when another form appears behind the log ank and in a deep bass voice exclaims as he makes his way over the log to the fire well im not sorry its come the longest night I 1 ever spent As the fire warms them laughter was indulged in at the sight of their beds which are nothing more than a sheet of paper without any covering they inquire of each others rest though it was as unnecessary their eyes tell very plainly of want of rest they are young men of medium height but somewhat fleshier than the average Queen slander judging by the color of their hands and faces a stranger might pronounce them bushmen they looked in that respect as men do who clear timbered land and burn bum oft off scrub burnt cork would not have made a better black than some of the marks on their faces as well as their hands their dress dreas As jio W wever ever at once proclaims then them other than bushmen each wore a stiff black hat and a black suit of clerical cut and two grips which we had not noticed before guess a hundred times and not guess they ar but I 1 venture to say may any 01 child in the town near by w s them and can tell their names beside the log A stranger might trie e word mormons cormons Mor mons two mormon elders ee s they are eling without purse nurse or scrip ten en to one of them tell his tale in KW words about the of last p a letter sent to the elders of the sens land conference by elder E F hards ds giving us new instructions oncoming ni g our labors at a meeting t the elders held in Coor paroo may it was decided to follow the hint ven in in the presidents letter and avel without purse or scrip my panion and I 1 started out with the enni nation to trust in god to open way things went smoothly for haile chile the first night out we were crded ed and lodged over night at a el in the city and have never bed until last night ted d a meal or a have k ave been tr acting the town below adjoining country for some J the ie past and pre prejudice judice has be been envery very eh stirred up against us by the al stories and ministerial aid we e threatened with prosecution by police as vagrants rants and last night ry door was c closed against us so were comp compelled belled to make afire a fire t wa we L judging budging by brother A s hands i face lie be had been making fires all sit t and spend a night in theburn the bosn paper aper bed invented as usual by P the mother of invention sil ty toul aldering dering their grips they walk fy to the nearest house to inquire breakfast and water with which before starting upon the wa wash SI 1 re labor of preceding days viz carrying the truth without b of rsm to the peoples doors in the of open scorn silent contempt often bitter hatred who can longing tor for the day when the ald d will see the latter day saints ft truer light and praying for those tt if they only knew would feel the in giving were it latest est pleasure of cold water to one of the v a a cup CUD ones of jesus ECHO |
