Miss Dividends: A NovelGunter, Archibald Clavering
General
Miss Dividends: A Novel
Gunter, Archibald Clavering
Latter Day Saints -- Fiction
The next second Travenion has changed the subject, saying, "I'm glad
you've come down, Lot; otherwise I should have had to write to you about
our mine."
"Indeed! What's new since we fixed them Gentiles with an injunction?"
asks Kruger, easily.
"Come up to the shaft and see," replies Ralph. Then he says to his
daughter: "You won't mind a little walk?"
"No," answers the young lady. "In this Tintic air I feel as if I could
climb mountains."
"Wall, ye can find plenty of mountains round here to climb!" laughs Lot.
So they all come out of the hotel into the main and only street of this
mining camp--where many of the men look with by no means kindly eyes on
the two Mormon bishops, for Tranyon's injunction has closed Lawrence's
mine, which promised to develop into a great property which would
furnish lots of work for the "boys." But on seeing the young lady who
accompanies the two apostles, the hats and caps of the delvers after
gold and silver come off with that respect for all women, young or old,
beautiful or plain-faced, that the miners of the Pacific have since
"Forty-nine," when in California they learned to value sweethearts and
wives, because they had none. A chivalry they have not yet--thank
God--forgotten.
But aside from her womanhood, Erma's beauty is so overpowering to these
gentlemen of the pick and drill that they would follow her, were it
polite, and one Patsey Bolivar remarks: "Good Lord, if she's a Mormon,
she must be the angel that brings Brigham his revelations from Heaven."
To this another, Pioche George, answers: "She ain't no Mormon
girl--she's a lady and wears high-heeled boots and has a back-action
panier that comes from Par_ie_."
After a little they are out of the town, and leaving the road, make up
the hill for the mining shaft; and Kruger, walking behind, notices the
tender care with which Travenion assists his daughter over the rough
places in the trail, and is rather surprised at it, for Mormons, as a
rule, have but little consideration and less respect for their
womankind, the very doctrines of their polygamous church preventing
that--though he remembers Tranyon has been considered a light hand with
his wives, leaving them a good deal to themselves, and not exacting any
great account of their outgoings and incomings.
While pondering upon this, and noticing the light grace of the girl as
she steps from rock to rock in the trail, and the beauty of every
movement and poise of her figure, he suddenly thinks: "It's right lucky
Ermie ain't been seen up at the Lion House! The prophet would have been
having 'revealing from Heaven' that she was to be sealed to him."
A moment after, as Miss Travenion ethereally springs over a small tree
that has fallen across the path, this Mormon gentleman suddenly exclaims
to himself: "Great Enoch! They would have cost in our co-op. up in Heber
nigh onto five dollars a pair in farm produce. I'll see if Miss
Highfalutin' will wear silk stockings when----"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account