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Now let me caution you against the stuff which shop-keepers denominate as korah moire-it is a delusion and a snare-don't purchase it at any figure or for any purpose. It falls to pieces while you are making it up.

Do you know that nothing is prettier for a house dress than the navy blue and white German calico. It is 121⁄2 cts. a yard and washes and wears beautifully.

Mrs. Susa Y. Gates:

CURRENT ISSUES.

MY DEAR SISTER:
Your favor of
May 4th reached me safely and was
perused with pleasure.

The matters whereof you speak are satisfactory to me, and I trust will be to all concerned.

I am glad you were satisfied with the letter I sent you, written by my precious mother in the gloomy days of Kirtland, and since you ask it, I send you another of her letters, written under very different circumstances, but to the same person-her sister, Mercy R. Thompson, who, sometime after the death of her husband, Robert B. Thompson, was sealed to my father for time, in Nauvoo, by the Prophet Joseph Smith, which, aside from their being sisters, will partly account for their very close relationship in business and family matters.

As stated in her letter, perhaps no one ever started to cross the plains under more embarrassing circumstances, all things considered, than did my mother.

She was almost penniless, with a large family to care for-most of whom were small and comparatively helpless, and all the responsibilities of the tremendous journey and the exhausting labors of travel and camp life resting upon her. True, she was not without friends, but in the exigencies of the

times everybody had all they could do and needed help, and no one had any thing to spare nor time to bestow kindly attentions or other aid upon any but those absolutely depending upon them.

Part of her family, with the means necessary for their journey, had preceded her to the Valley with the companies who followed the pioneers in 1847, to endeavor to prepare for her coming the next year. Some of the circumstances arising in connection with these caused her great perplexity and anxiety of mind, which she briefly alludes to in her letter. But she bore everything patiently and with the fortitude of a true woman and a faithful Latter-day Saint. God sustained her, through her unremitting prayer and faith and indomitable perseverance.

"Sam"-the horse she refers to as having died in Winter Quarters just when she needed him most was the favorite riding and carriage horse of my father. He was a noble animal, powerful, kind and gentle, yet full of spirit and ambition, a most faithful and valuable servant, but the toilsome journey from Nauvoo to Winter Quarters in 1846, and the hard fare and usage during our sojourn at Winter Quarters, were too much for him. We buried him where he died, in the temporary shed which had served him for

a stable, and wept for him then as for a dear friend lost.

There is but little in the letter that would interest the casual reader, but to those who shared that journey with her, and to those whose sympathies are with the weary and homeless pilgrims then seeking a respite from persecution, mob violence and the desperate hatred of violent, wicked men, by whom the prophets were murdered and innocent women and children de spoiled of their possessions and driven forth to wander in the deserts to seek out for themselves a home where they could dwell in peace, the perusal of it, even now, will awaken recollections and thoughts that may not be uninteresting. At all events I would like to see it preserved in the columns of the YOUNG WOMAN'S JOURNAL, the original already being well worn and cannot last much longer.

With kind regards, I am your brother,

Jos. F. SMITH.

"CAMP OF ISRAEL, CHIMNEY ROCK, "July 16th, 1848.

"My dear Sister (Mercy R. Thompson):

"I have just received your last letter by the hands of Brother Thomas Kirk, also one yoke of oxen in good condition, which are very acceptable. I expect an express to leave this camp tomorrow morning, and take this opportunity to send a few lines to you, being the first I have had since we parted, which is, I believe, thirteen months ago today. During this time I have received many letters and much intelligence from you, some things pleasing and many others very much to the contrary, which have helped considerably to accumulate my load of

care, sorrow and perplexity. I have the events of this long period of time all upon my mind at once, but it would be useless here to enter into the past. If the Lord spares our lives till we meet we may have opportunities enough of conversing on matters pertaining to the past. The present is what now concerns us and what you will feel most anxious to hear about.

"You will perceive that notwithstanding all our discouragements, we have got started and are thus far on our journey, but I suppose no person has made the attempt under more embarassing circumstances than we have done. It was till very lately quite uncertain whether we could start at all, but right or wrong, we are on the way, and I trust it will prove for the best.

"I am truly thankful to hear that you are all well in health, and I pray God most fervently to bless you all and prosper the work of your hands, and I thank the Lord for His goodness to me and my family. We have in general been blessed with good health, and have all safely left Winter Quarters, that is, my own family. I have the five children, Sister Grinnells and Jane Wilson with me. Brother Joel Terry is with me as a driver on condition that he has a team back with him for his own use next spring. have also two other drivers, strangers to you, which makes my family pretty large, I assure you. I have to work very hard and drive an ox team part of the time. I have one yoke of good cattle to my large carriage, and they have thus far done well; but do not cease to pray for us, we are very short of strength, and unless the Lord assists we cannot get through.

I

"We have four or five yoke of borrowed cattle to be returned this fall,

which I fear will be impossible if they have to come through, as it will then be too late. Brother Terry begins to feel very uneasy, as he will be under the necessity of going back to his family before we get through. I feel much concerned myself, for I see no way to liberate him on the road and fulfill my engagements with him; he was to take all the borrowed cattle back and a team of mine for his own use, and it is going to be much later than we expected; now you see how we are fixed.

"I have had to do much in fitting out Brother Fielding, you know his circumstances; he is with us with his two wives and five children, the two youngest are left behind among many others. Little Hyrum died at the age of four months, and the next, a little boy about six days old; they were both buried in one grave. More on these subjects when we see you.

"My poor Sam-horse-is also buried in Winter Quarters; he died the week before we left there, just when I needed him the most. Brother Fielding is working my cattle; he has nothing but one or two cows and his old mare. He borrowed one ox to be returned, and I think some of us will have to stop by the way. Brother William Thompson is also with us, he has a good team and one wagon; his wife and three children are with him; he has two very interesting little boys. I think you will be pleased with him, he is a good, useful young man; he is appointed clerk for the camp on this journey instead of Brother Clayton, who could not attend to the business.

I trust that we shall all be enabled to get through in some way or other, but certainly I am at a loss to contrive a plan myself at present. I have to

continue my prayer to God that he will interpose in our behalf and open our way before us. I suppose if Brother Terry could start back by the middle of August he might possibly accomplish the journey back in season, but he cannot do this and come through. Perhaps if a wagon and the other yoke of cattle could be sent with a driver to take Brother Terry's place, the Lord might, in answer to our united prayers, by some means or other, do the rest. I greatly desire to get to some resting place, where I can once more feel at home, if the Lord wills that it should be so.

But what is my prospect when I reach you, if permitted to do so; can I expect to sit down and rest my wornout body and mind for a little season? No; I fear not. It appears to me that I have to meet trouble and perplexity, with vexation, wherever I go. I suppose I shall have to contend with evil spirits, which I almost dread to encounter. May the Lord endow me with wisdom and patience, that I may be enabled to govern the affairs of my family in righteousness.

I could tell you many things that would be interesting to you, but I consider it unnecessary, as I hope before long to see you, and as you will have an opportunity of hearing all particulars respecting our camp, etc., from the bearers of this, I shall not take time to write on these matters. I have not much time to spare for writing.

It is now late and the children in bed, and I must rise early in the morning to be at my cooking. I had no biscuits prepared for the journey, and Sister Grinnells is so feeble that she cannot cook, and I have nearly all to do.

If I

You speak of my buying a cow, but I assure you I have no means. knew certainly that the crops would turn out well with you I should be very thankful, as I could then by selling some corn and meal lighten my load and obtain more help, which would be a double advantage; but at present I am afraid to take any such step, lest there should be a failure.

I have scarcely any flour, but we have from fifteen to twenty bushels of wheat, which we could not get ground, and which might not be needed if the crops do well; and may the good Lord remember us in mercy in this respect. How much do I see and feel our dependence upon Him! May He bless you all in every sense of the word is my constant prayer, and also this camp of Israel, that we may be prospered through the remaining part of our journey; and may the Lord protect the men who bring this to you, that they may speedily reach you in safety.

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Martha Ann often says: "Why do they go so far every night out of the road? I think we never shall get to the Valley." She still continues to grow fast, but her appetite is very delicate. It is with the greatest di fficulty that I can get her to eat corn meal in any form. Joseph also grows fast; but thinks we travel very slowly. He appears all anxiety to get forward; he can drive a team very well.

I must now say good morning, the guard cries "half-past twelve o'clock," and I shall have but little rest. May the Lord smile upon us and prosper us until we meet, is the prayer of your affectionate sister, MARY SMITH.

T

THE EDITOR'S DEPARTMENT.

HERE is one thing connected with the profound changes now taking place in Utah or Zion, that appears to me to bear a great danger to the young people of the Latter-day Saints. And as this Journal aims to stand on the watch tower and give the word of warning and admonition, I feel it my duty to speak of this danger and show our girls the pitfall that is spread for their feet, and which will surely catch them unless they are careful and allow themselves to be led by the good spirit. We are certainly undergoing radical changes in our temporal and more es

pecially our political affairs. Now, unless one has the spirit of discernment and the guidance of the Holy Ghost, these things will appear to us to bear in their train a thousand changes in our spiritual affairs. To be more plain, what is to prevent a giddy young person from concluding if he or she sees our leading men associating in close political relations with those who have hitherto been our bitterest enemies, that he is perfectly stifled in choosing for his daily and intimate associates those who are not of our faith? Then, would follow other departures

from the laws and commandments we have received from God. The letting down of one bar makes it so easy to pull down the second. A disregard of the law of the Word of Wisdom, of the keeping of the Sabbath, and of the laws of tithing and prayer might easily follow in the wake of the first broken law. There is one vital and essential principle connected with this gospel that, next to the first principles, should be at once understood and firmly acted upon; it is this: the testimony of this gospel rests upon no man nor set of men. No matter what one or a dozen or a thousand men may do, if you have received a testimony of the truth of this gospel you are under solenn obligations to keep the laws and commandments of the same irrespective of what even the President of the Church himself may be led to

do. God holds each and every man, woman and child responsible for his own acts. Remember that. And if you as young girls feel tempted by this seeming new order of things to run wild against the wishes of your parents, remember you will be called some day to answer for the use you make of your time and talents. It is of far more importance that you and I should understand our duty in relation to keeping the laws of God in their entirety now and under our present conditions than it was for our parents when first settled in these peaceful vales, with few worldly temptations to overcome. And every time we succeed in mastering one temptation to step aside from the path of duty, how much greater is our strength and how visibly are our characters improved!

My Dear Young Sisters:

OUR GIRLS.*1

I would like to express a few of my thoughts, or the thoughts our Father may give unto me for your consideration. This is a day that all Saints, both old and young, need the thoughts of the Lord in their hearts, as none are so intelligent in their carnal, fallen state, as to be able to properly think for themselves unaided by the promptings of the Spirit of God. We are told by the prophets that as high as the heavens are above the earth, so are His thoughts higher than our thoughts and His ways than our ways. It must be apparent to all

thinking minds, how great the need of high and exalted thoughts, in this trying day, to prompt to noble acts and to give that decision and endurance, whereby we may be able to endure every trial and pass safely through every test that may be brought to bear upon us.

You have all lived long enough to know for yourselves the truth of the above scriptural declaration, you know that when you are under the influence of God's Holy Spirit, your thoughts are higher, purer and more exalting in their nature, also more aspiring as well as happifying, which latter should L. M. I. Associations to this Department should

*All communications from the members of the Y. be addressed to Mrs. Elmina S. Taylor, 158 W. Third South St., Salt Lake City.

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