LIFE IN THE FAR WEST 203 



Arrived at the temple, they were rather taken aback 

 by finding themselves in for a sermon, which one of 

 the elders delivered preparatory to the " physical exer- 

 cises. " The preacher was one Brown called, by 

 reason of his commanding ' a company of Mormon 

 volunteers, " Cap'en Brown " a hard-featured, black- 

 coated man of five-and-forty, correctly got up in black 

 continuations, and whitr handkerchief round his neck, 

 a costume seldom seen at the foot of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains. The Cap'en, rising, cleared his voice, and thus 

 commenced, first turning to an elder, (with whom there 

 was a little rivalry in the way of preaching) : " Brother 

 Dowdle !" (brother Dowdle blushed and nodded ; he 

 was a long tallow-faced man, with black hair combed 

 over his face) " I feel like holding forth a little this 

 afternoon, before we glorify the Lord, a a in the 

 a holy dance. As there are a many strange gentle- 

 men now a present, it's about right to tell 'em a 

 what our doctrine just is ; and so I tells 'em right off 

 what the Mormons is. They are the chosen of the Lord; 

 they are the children of glory, persecuted by the hand 

 of man : they flies here to the wilderness, and, amongst 

 the Injine and the buffler, they lifts up their heads, and 

 cries with a loud voice, Susannah, and hurray for the 

 promised land ! Do you believe it ? I know it. 



" They wants to know whar we're going. Whar the 

 church goes thar we goes. Yes, to hell, and pull the 

 devil off his throne that's what we'll do. Do you 

 believe it 1 I know it. 



" Thar's milk and honey in that land as we're goin' 



