Miss Dividends: A NovelGunter, Archibald Clavering
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Miss Dividends: A Novel
Gunter, Archibald Clavering
Latter Day Saints -- Fiction
"Oh, no tellin'," rejoins Lot, his eyes following Miss Travenion's light
form, as do likewise those of his companions, for the girl, robed as she
is in the creation of some New York milliner, makes a picture of maiden
loveliness seldom seen in the streets of Salt Lake City in 1871; Mormon
women, as a rule, not being over fair to look upon, and the few Gentile
ladies in that town being mostly married to gentlemen whose business has
brought them to Utah.
"I am simply astonished, Erma," remarks Mr. Livingston, as they get out
of ear-shot, "that knowing, as you know now, that this man is a Mormon,
a polygamist, you even notice him, much less address him on the public
streets."
"I merely asked him where my father was," replies the girl rather
haughtily. "I would ask any man that--to get one minute nearer my dear
papa."
Then she walks silently by his side; Oliver sporadically attempting to
keep up the conversation, until they arrive at the pretty little
Episcopal church on First South Street, where they get such an edifying
sermon from Bishop Tuttle, who is assisted by the Rev. Mr. Kirby in the
service, that Mr. Livingston is quite delighted.
"Who would have thought it! They even have altar-boys out here. I shall
leave my card on the Bishop at once," he remarks, as the congregation is
dismissed.
"Why not see him immediately?" suggests Miss Travenion; which they do,
and she has an opportunity of asking the Right Reverend Mr. Tuttle if
her father, Mr. Ralph Travenion, is not one of his communicants, and is
much surprised and disappointed to learn that the Bishop has never heard
of the gentleman she names.
Returning from church, after dinner Ferdie, who is anxious, as he
expresses it, to see Mormonism in its glory, induces them to go to
afternoon services in the Tabernacle. Under its vast dome, many
thousands of the elect of Utah listen to a discourse from one high up in
the Mormon priesthood, who tells them that women who bear not children
are accursed, and goes so into the details of the "Breeding of the
Righteous," that Mrs. Livingston whispers to Louise and Erma to close
their ears, and goes out of the place to the pealing of its great organ
and the singing of its vast choir, feeling a loathing horror of these
Saints of Latter Days.
As for Ferdie, he remarks, "Isn't this a Tower of Babel crowd?" for it
is Conference time, and Northern Utah has sent its Swedes and
Scandinavians, and Southern Utah its Huns and Bohemians, and there are
Welsh from Spanish Fork, and Cornish men from Springville, and all are
jabbering in their native tongues, English being less heard than the
others; and the men have, generally, red faces, scaly from weather
exposure, and the women have often a hopeless look in their eyes, and
the children are mostly tow-headed in this Mormon Conference crowd of
1871.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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