Mourning, deep and solemn, filled the city. And every heart was wrung with grief and woe. But over all brooded the spirit of Christ.
Time passed on without anything of special moment occurring to Lydia or family until the Summer of '45. The Winter of '45, however, brought two little orphan girls to her care by the name of Ames. From the time that Lydia had her first home in Missouri, it might almost be said until the present, her home has been the peaceful asylum for some one or two children who have been homeless.
In the summer of '45, just a year, a month and a day from the time of the martyrs' death. Newel and his wife paid a visit to the scene of the murder.
The jailor's wife who admitted them, showed them up stairs to the large, low-ceilinged room where the deed was committed.
"Do you know," the loquacious woman said, as she lifted the carpets up from the floor, "I have scoured and scrubbed those spots with all my might and it's no manner of use; just as soon as the water is dried off they are as bright as they were the first day. And look at these scars in the wall," the woman seemed to be possessed, as she spoke, with a trembling horror, "I have tried my best to get them filled up."
"Can't they be leveled up? I should think a good plasterer could fill them up," observed Mr. Knight as he examined the holes in the plaster evidently made by rifle and pistol balls.
"Well, you would think so perhaps; but the best workmen in the country have endeavored to plaster the scars up, and you see them now as plain as they were a year ago. The plasterer no sooner leaves his job, than next morning it is all to do over again. It was a terrible affair."
Too much overcome by the remembrance of the tragedy committed there to answer the woman or remain longer on the spot. Newel and Lydia hastily left and wended their way homeward with heavy hearts.
About this time the wicked and those who wished the destruction of "Mormonism," grew more bold and committed depredations without number.
The Saints who were so unfortunate as to live outside the confines of Nauvoo, were annoyed, abused, insulted and maltreated. People began to move into Nauvoo as the mob became fiercer and stronger; for houses and barns were burned, and all the awful scenes of rapine and pillage of Far West and Jackson county were repeated with redoubled violence.