Gems for the Young Folks: Fourth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.Various
Religion
Gems for the Young Folks: Fourth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.
Various
Latter Day Saints
I kept looking warily over my shoulders, as I supposed everybody was
anxious to catch me. I did not inquire for Heber C. Kimball until I
arrived opposite the Tithing Office, when I encountered a man named
Benjamin Hampton (a gate keeper), who eyed me with suspicion, as if he
suspected that I was a desperado or a lunatic.
I ventured to ask him where Heber C. Kimball lived, but he gave me no
satisfaction; in fact he would not even acknowledge that he knew such
a man. This caused me to give vent to an exclamation that was more
expressive than elegant, after which I continued my journey up the
street till I crossed City Creek.
There I ventured to call at a house, and, concluding that Heber C.
Kimball did not live in that vicinity, I asked for Charles Kimball.
The lady to whom I addressed myself proved to be his wife, and she
replied that her husband was at his father's barn a short distance away.
As I crossed the yard numbers of people gazed curiously at me from
windows and doors.
I called at the barn, and there found my brother, hitching up the
horses to go after me again. He was quite surprised to see me, and said
he would unhitch and accompany me to the house.
I then wished that the earth would open and swallow me. On nearing the
house I perceived a man whom I supposed to be my father, and my fear of
him was very great as I approached. My brother addressed him as father,
and, by way of an introduction said, "Here's your boy!"
My father was six feet one inch in height, and had keen, piercing,
black eyes, which seemed to penetrate my inmost thoughts. His
countenance, however, was very pleasant, and he spoke to me in a kind,
fatherly manner, and undertook to embrace me, which I declined, as I
was not used to such exhibitions of affection.
He said he was glad to see me, and asked me if I knew he was my father.
I told him I neither knew nor cared, and hoped he would kick me out and
let me go.
He informed me that such was really the case.
I told him that it was all right, then, I did not say he wasn't.
He invited me to take a chair and sit down, which I did, but kept my
hat on.
After viewing me from head to foot, he asked me if I had any clothes.
I replied, "Yes, plenty of them!"
He then called his wife, Adelia, and told her to get a tub of water and
put it in a bedroom, so that I could have a wash and change my clothes.
CHAPTER IV.
ASHAMED OF MY APPEARANCE--INTRODUCED TO MY NUMEROUS RELATIVES--ALLOWED
TO SLEEP WITH THE BOYS--HOMESICK--SET TO WORK AND MADE
CONTENTED--BAPTIZED AND SET APART FOR A MISSION--RETURN TO IOWA--MEET
MY RELATIVES--MY GRANDFATHER'S CONFESSION AND TESTIMONY--HIS
EXHORTATION AND REQUEST--RETURN HOME WITH MY BROTHER ISAAC, THUS
FULFILLING MY FATHER'S PREDICTION--THE LESSONS I LEARNED BY MY
EXPERIENCE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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