CHAPTER II.
MR. CLARK'S INTOLERANCE—ELDER FARRELL'S INFLUENCE OVER HIM—BAPTISMS IN STANWICK—CLARK FAMILY MIGRATE.
ON LEAVING the town of Northampton, Elders Morris and Farrell proceeded to the town of Stanwick, and held an out-door meeting the same evening they arrived there. At the close of the meeting a Mrs. Baker accosted Elder Farrell and said she would like to be baptized. He asked her if she ever heard the Gospel preached before. She said she had heard it a great many times, but that his talk that evening had convinced her that she should no longer hesitate about embracing it. He inquired if her husband was willing, and she replied that if she wanted to, he would not object. They went out about half a mile from the town and baptized her in a beautiful pond, and then walked back to town. She invited the Elders to go home with her, where they engaged her husband in conversation while she changed her wet for dry clothing. Elder Morris soon excused himself, leaving his companion to talk with Mr. Baker while he called upon the Clark family, close neighbors. Mrs. Clark and one of her daughters were members of the Church, but her husband was not. After awhile Mr. and Mrs. Baker and Elder Farrell also went over to the Clark residence. When they arrived there Elder Morris and Mr. Clark were engaged in a heated dispute, which threatened to develop into a quarrel. Elder Farrell exclaimed as he entered the house, "What in the world is the matter!" Mr. Clark declared he had only asked Mr. Morris a few questions about his religion, which, being answered, he said he didn't believe a word of it. Elder Morris had responded that if he didn't believe he would be damned, and quoted the words of the Savior to prove it. Mr. Clark thought he deserved more consideration, inasmuch as he had entertained the Elders, and offered them the use of a room to occupy whenever they wished.
While Elder Farrell was trying to pacify him and reason with him on religion in general, Sister Baker persuaded Elder Morris to return with her to her home.
Mr. Clark asked a great many questions, all of which were promptly answered, and generally to his satisfaction. He still insisted, however, that he did not believe in "Mormonism."
"Do you believe there is a God?" the Elder asked. "I believe," he replied, "there is some one ahead of us, who knows more than we do. You men call him God. He knew when I was born whether I would be damned or saved. If I was born to be damned, what is the use of me praying? It would not help me."
He went on to tell how he had abused his wife for being a "Mormon." He said if she went to meeting at night he would lock the door, and keep her out all night; but it made no difference; she kept on going to the meetings, and he kept on locking her out. His wife had a sister who was a "Mormon," and who had already emigrated to Utah. He said he went home one evening and found his wife writing a letter. He inquired who she was writing to, she replied that she was writing to Lizzie, her sister, in Salt Lake. He declared that he did not believe it, and accused her of writing to "Mormon" Elders. He demanded that she show him the letter, and she indignantly refused to do so, saying if he wouldn't take her word for it, she would not gratify him by showing him the letter. At that he seized her hands and tried to wrench the letter therefrom. She struggled to retain it, and he threw her to the floor. The letter stuck out between her fingers as he held her on the floor near the fireplace, and he pushed her bands up to the fire to burn the letter. She screamed, and her little boy nine years old, who was playing outside the house, came running in, and, seizing a stick of wood, struck his father across the face with it. When he arose the next morning his eyes were black and swollen, and his hands were burned. His wife bandaged his hands and put them in a sling; for a day or two he was about the worst used up man he had ever seen, with both eyes discolored and both hands burned, swollen and in a sling. He made up his mind then, he said, never to say another word to his wife about "Mormonism," but allow her to believe what she liked.
"And do you really believe," Elder Farrell asked, "that every man and woman is born to be damned or saved?"
"I certainly do with all my heart," Mr. Clark replied.