Miss Dividends: A Novel

by Archibald Clavering Gunter

All of these plans might have borne fruit and have been realized had it not been that one day in 1848 gold was discovered near Sutter's Fort in California, and the rush of adventurers to the western El Dorado peopled its fertile valleys and mineral-bearing mountains and great grain-raising plains with a population who worshipped Jehovah and not Joe Smith. Then the Mexican war having given Arizona and Texas and the Pacific States to the United States, Brigham Young and his emigrants found themselves surrounded and cut off in and about the valley of Salt Lake. But still they continued to increase and multiply and make the desert about them fertile and populated, still hoping to be strong enough to resist foreign domination, for they regarded the United States as such, and treated its laws, if not as null and void, at least as secondary to the commands of their prophet and priesthood, until one day in 1862 Pat Conner and his California Volunteers marched in from the Humboldt, and crossing the Jordan, despite the threats of the Mormon leaders, set up the United States flag at Camp Douglas.

Then Mormon hopes, from that of independent empire, fell to the wish to be simply left alone, to do as they pleased in their own country, as they termed it, and to follow out the revelations of their prophets, taking unto themselves as many wives as they chose, unhindered by the United States laws.

But in 1869, when the Central and Union Pacific Railways were opened, bringing in a horde of Gentiles from all the corners of the world to delve in their mountains for gold, silver and lead, then the struggle of the Mormon theocracy became one not for power, but even for existence.

It is just in this state as Erma gazes at its metropolis.

This last great fight of the Mormon Church is being made without the sacrifice and the cutting off from the face of the earth of their enemies, for though the prophets of Zion would preach "blood atonement" to their followers with as much gusto in 1871 as they did twenty years before, when they cut off the Morrisites, root and branch, or in 1857, when, headed by John D. Lee, they massacred one hundred and thirty-three emigrants, men, women and children, or in 1866, when they assassinated Dr. Robinson, luring him from his own door on a professional errand of mercy to a wounded man, as well as many other murders, "cuttings off behind the ears" and "usings up," done in the name of the Lord and in pursuit of mammon, lust and power, at such various times and places as seemed good, safe and convenient to the Apostles; still, even before 1871 the rush of Gentile immigration and the United States troops at Camp Douglas had taught them caution in their slaughterings.

Most of this has been explained to Miss Travenion by her escort and mentor of the morning, but he has not descanted very minutely upon Celestial Marriage, which permits a man to take wives not only for this world, but also to have any number of others sealed to him for eternity; the doctrine that woman takes her rank in Heaven according to the station and glory of her husband. That under these theories, men have often taken two sisters to wife, and sometimes even mother and daughter. That a great part of the theory, as also the practice, of the Saints of Latter Days, is founded upon the social degradation of woman. All these things she does not know, though she will perchance some day learn more fully concerning them.

But the day is too sunny and bright for meditation, and the soft breeze from the Wahsatch incites Erma to action. Just then there is a light feminine knock on her door, and Louise's voice cries merrily: "Hurry, Erma; mamma is down-stairs at breakfast and wants to see you. She has so many questions to ask. Ferdie has just told her about his being saved from death by Captain Lawrence, and is singing his praises."

Being perhaps anxious to sing the young Western man's praises herself, Miss Travenion, with a happy laugh, trips out and kisses Louise, and the two girls run down to the dining-room, where they find Mrs. Livingston still pale and palpitating over Ferdie's escape, though apparently with a very good appetite, notwithstanding Mr. Chauncey has made his narrative very highly colored, stating that he had knocked the desperado down and would have done him up if it had not been for his bowie-knife.

"All the same," he adds, just as Erma seats herself at the table, "that Lawrence is a regular thoroughbred—a Western hero, and saved my life in that barroom."

"I should think you would be ashamed of yourself," says Mr. Livingston, airily, during pauses in his breakfast, "to admit associating with barroom loafers!"