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Show CHRISTEHE LOVENDHAL'S HISTORY IN 1857 My dear friends: I am indeed happy to be with you once more. I have always looked forward to the 24th of July. That was a glorious time for me after I reached Utah to celebrate the 24th in Ephraim under a bowery. I enjoyed myself so much even though we danced on the ground for we had no floors. O! 0! how thankful I was to my Heavenly Father for his merciful kindness, kind-ness, for his merciful care, to and over me, for I had crossed the sea and had ' reached the Western land in safety. My journey over the prairie was very hard and tiresome, but to be on the ocean was a pleasure for me. We had our prayers and songs and sometimes we enjoyed ourselves in a dance. Thus you see we were kept busy so I was never frightened. We were on the water five weeks. 1 didn't get much to eat for I was not used to the kind of food they surved. But the time soon passed, and oh, how happy I was that morning, when I came up on deck as usual, and the first sight of that beautiful beauti-ful land fell upon my longing eyes. We soon landed in Philadelphia and from there we went to Iowa, which was the gathering place for the hand-cart company. com-pany. 1 longed to see my mother who had immitrrated to Utah a vear before and 1 knew not where to find her. As 1 walked along toward the campground I saw in a beautiful little garden on one tide of the road, the form of an old lady moving about; then softly on my ear fell the low sweet tones of a familiar voice, I stopped, yes, it was the same sweet voice I had so often heard before: it was my mother. She took me in her arms and we thanked the Lord that we had been permitted to meet again and could enjoy ourselves together. She then went with me to the camp ground where we learned that the amount that we could take with us was only seventeen seven-teen pounds, and this included bed clothes. cloth-es. So the best thing for me to do was to put on my new dress and leave the rest for I was not told that I could have my clothes hauled to Utah by p iyine; for it. How happy I would have been if I could have had clothes to wear, but oh, what a contrast, for . instead I came like a ragged beggar. When we reached reach-ed the camp ground we looked about only to see seventy-five hand-carts., I had expected to walk all the way across the plains but when I was called to pull a hand-cart that was a terrible surprise. The next morning came and I was placed with a hand-cart and provisions pro-visions for six persons, three of whom were unable to pull so the hard lot of pulling this cart all the way across the plains fell to three. Th- first days were dreadful ones for it rained an J the deep sand made the cart ex'-remely heavy. We had not gone far whon I was ready to cut mud, ciolh and all from the bottom bot-tom of my new long skirt lor if kept me from walking easily. Perhaps the hard work of pulling would not have seemed so difficult had I been used to extreme physical labor, but that was one thing I never did. I learned tailor sewing when in my fifteenth year ami I rejoice vet, to think of the happy days spent at sewing in my native land far across the ocean. Everything on earth that could have filled my life wuh glory and happiness was offered me, buc the spirit of the Gospel burned so brightly within me that it made earthly things seem as nothing and even awfui to me. I never came to Utah to find wealth but 1 came to live and enjoy myself with tne people of the true Gospel. 1 think I shall now tell you a little more of my pleasure trip with tho handcart hand-cart company. We had gone 300 miles from Iowa to Florence, Neb., and on the 4th of July we started on our 1,000 mile journey to Utah. We were loaded down with provisions, but none too many for they were to last us a long time. The sun was dreadfully hot and I suffered suf-fered with my hands which were so badly burnei that the skin fell from them as I trudged along with my cart. One day when we camped for dinner my mother was not with us; she had been left behind because she could not keep up, so I went back a few miles to help her along. A teamster was order-to order-to take her to the forward company and this left me to follow alone. I tried to catch them but they went too fast and were soon out of sight. I was not discouraged dis-couraged at being alone and walked along as fast as I could. It was not long however until I heard footsteps foot-steps and turning around I saw two arge Indians coming toward me. My first action was a humble prayer to my Heavenly Father and this alone saved me from their treachery for they came up and shook hands with me. Only they who have experienced such feelings feel-ings can imagine how glad I was when I drew my hand back from them. I think vou will not doubt me when I tell you that once out of their sight I ran for dear life. I had notstopped running J when I heard a familiar voice from some ' bushes and again I thanked the Lord, i for I had found tne lady that I had I lived with in the old country. We ' could see the hand-cartB far ahead of i us across the river so I picked berries j with her until she was ready to to cross I as I wanted company in crossing. We I started to cross but when in the middle ; of the stream we were nearly over come by the water, but managed with a struggle to get out. j That was the only day that I didn't pull the cart and this was the trouble that came to me. One day we went ', 25 miles without water and were nearly given out; I for one was so nearly choked that when we at last came to a black bog I ran and squeezed my little , tin cup down to get a drop of water, without even thinking that it might , have been poison. Another day our captain went out to find a good camp-; camp-; ing place and at night did not return. That night found us among little '; mountains with no water and nothing to eat, so we spread our quilts out and for the first time since the journey be-! be-! gan I had plenty of "room and didn't '. even feel the rocks for I had been used to sleeping in a narrow bed between two old people. Morning came and with it our captain and we went four miles before breakfast. We looked to our captain just as children look to j their father when in need. We landed ! jn Salt Lake City September 13, 1857. I There are many things I could tell j you about the pUins but will not tire j you with any more, and hope I have not already tired vou with this small part of mv history. CHRISTENS LOVENDHAL |