CHAP. XXIII.] STEPHANISTS AND MOKMONS. 55 



the terrible sufferings and death of not a few of these 

 emigrants, she had engaged herself as stewardess in 

 several vessels, and at length in the Amaranth. 

 &quot; But what became of Stephan ? &quot; asked my wife. 

 &quot; He escaped entirely,&quot; she said, &quot; for you know, 

 madam, there is no law in this country as there is in 

 Saxony ; but for all that, this is the land for the poor 

 to thrive in. They pay me twenty dollars a month, 

 and I am saving money fast ; for, though home-sick, 

 I cannot, after all my follies, return and throw myself 

 penniless on my relations.&quot; Here she began to shed 

 tears and to be much affected, wondering whether 

 her mother was still alive. She had written to ask 

 her forgiveness, as she had been her darling, and in 

 spite of her prayers and entreaties had left her almost 

 heart-broken. &quot; I thought it my duty to go ; for 

 how should we poor peasants not be deceived when 

 so many of our clergy were led astray by the cunning 

 of that artful man ? I have written to my two sis 

 ters to tell them how bitterly I repent, and to ask 

 them to pardon me.&quot; 



When I afterwards talked of this adventure in a 

 steamer on the Mississippi, a fellow traveller ex 

 claimed, &quot;But would you believe it, there are still 

 many Stephanists ? &quot; &quot;Why not,&quot; said I, &quot;are 

 there not also many thousand Mormons ? The fraud 

 of Stephan was not more transparent than that of 

 Joseph Smith or his vision, and the story he related 

 so circumstantially of records engraven on metallic 

 plates, shining like gold, which were delivered to him 

 by the angel of the Lord on the 22d day of Septem 

 ber, 1827.&quot; 



n 4 



