roughing it-第19节

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the　last　we　ever　thought　of　it。　　We　dined　with　some　hospitable　Gentiles；
and　visited　the　foundation　of　the　prodigious　temple；　and　talked　long　with
that　shrewd　Connecticut　Yankee；　Heber　C。　Kimball　（since　deceased）；　a
saint　of　high　degree　and　a　mighty　man　of　commerce。

We　saw　the　〃Tithing…House；〃　and　the　〃Lion　House；〃　and　I　do　not　know　or
remember　how　many　more　church　and　government　buildings　of　various　kinds
and　curious　names。　　We　flitted　hither　and　thither　and　enjoyed　every　hour；
and　picked　up　a　great　deal　of　useful　information　and　entertaining
nonsense；　and　went　to　bed　at　night　satisfied。

The　second　day；　we　made　the　acquaintance　of　Mr。　Street　（since　deceased）
and　put　on　white　shirts　and　went　and　paid　a　state　visit　to　the　king。
He　seemed　a　quiet；　kindly；　easy…mannered；　dignified；　self…possessed　old
gentleman　of　fifty…five　or　sixty；　and　had　a　gentle　craft　in　his　eye　that
probably　belonged　there。　　He　was　very　simply　dressed　and　was　just　taking
off　a　straw　hat　as　we　entered。　　He　talked　about　Utah；　and　the　Indians；
and　Nevada；　and　general　American　matters　and　questions；　with　our
secretary　and　certain　government　officials　who　came　with　us。　　But　he
never　paid　any　attention　to　me；　notwithstanding　I　made　several　attempts
to　〃draw　him　out〃　on　federal　politics　and　his　high　handed　attitude　toward
Congress。　　I　thought　some　of　the　things　I　said　were　rather　fine。　　But　he
merely　looked　around　at　me；　at　distant　intervals；　something　as　I　have
seen　a　benignant　old　cat　look　around　to　see　which　kitten　was　meddling
with　her　tail。

By　and　by　I　subsided　into　an　indignant　silence；　and　so　sat　until　the　end；
hot　and　flushed；　and　execrating　him　in　my　heart　for　an　ignorant　savage。
But　he　was　calm。　　His　conversation　with　those　gentlemen　flowed　on　as
sweetly　and　peacefully　and　musically　as　any　summer　brook。　　When　the
audience　was　ended　and　we　were　retiring　from　the　presence；　he　put　his
hand　on　my　head；　beamed　down　on　me　in　an　admiring　way　and　said　to　my
brother：

〃Ahyour　child；　I　presume？　　Boy；　or　girl？〃




CHAPTER　XIV。

Mr。　Street　was　very　busy　with　his　telegraphic　mattersand　considering
that　he　had　eight　or　nine　hundred　miles　of　rugged；　snowy；　uninhabited
mountains；　and　waterless；　treeless；　melancholy　deserts　to　traverse　with
his　wire；　it　was　natural　and　needful　that　he　should　be　as　busy　as
possible。　　He　could　not　go　comfortably　along　and　cut　his　poles　by　the
road…side；　either；　but　they　had　to　be　hauled　by　ox　teams　across　those
exhausting　desertsand　it　was　two　days'　journey　from　water　to　water；　in
one　or　two　of　them。　　Mr。　Street's　contract　was　a　vast　work；　every　way　one
looked　at　it；　and　yet　to　comprehend　what　the　vague　words　〃eight　hundred
miles　of　rugged　mountains　and　dismal　deserts〃　mean；　one　must　go　over　the
ground　in　personpen　and　ink　descriptions　cannot　convey　the　dreary
reality　to　the　reader。　　And　after　all；　Mr。　S。's　mightiest　difficulty
turned　out　to　be　one　which　he　had　never　taken　into　the　account　at　all。
Unto　Mormons　he　had　sub…let　the　hardest　and　heaviest　half　of　his　great
undertaking；　and　all　of　a　sudden　they　concluded　that　they　were　going　to
make　little　or　nothing；　and　so　they　tranquilly　threw　their　poles
overboard　in　mountain　or　desert；　just　as　it　happened　when　they　took　the
notion；　and　drove　home　and　went　about　their　customary　business！　　They
were　under　written　contract　to　Mr。　Street；　but　they　did　not　care　anything
for　that。　　They　said　they　would　〃admire〃　to　see　a　〃Gentile〃　force　a
Mormon　to　fulfil　a　losing　contract　in　Utah！　　And　they　made　themselves
very　merry　over　the　matter。　　Street　saidfor　it　was　he　that　told　us
these　things：

〃I　was　in　dismay。　　I　was　under　heavy　bonds　to　complete　my　contract　in　a
given　time；　and　this　disaster　looked　very　much　like　ruin。　　It　was　an
astounding　thing；　it　was　such　a　wholly　unlooked…for　difficulty；　that　I
was　entirely　nonplussed。　　I　am　a　business　manhave　always　been　a
business　mando　not　know　anything　but　businessand　so　you　can　imagine
how　like　being　struck　by　lightning　it　was　to　find　myself　in　a　country
where　written　contracts　were　worthless！that　main　security；　that　sheet…
anchor；　that　absolute　necessity；　of　business。　　My　confidence　left　me。
There　was　no　use　in　making　new　contractsthat　was　plain。　　I　talked　with
first　one　prominent　citizen　and　then　another。　　They　all　sympathized　with
me；　first　rate；　but　they　did　not　know　how　to　help　me。　　But　at　last　a
Gentile　said；　'Go　to　Brigham　Young！these　small　fry　cannot　do　you　any
good。'　　I　did　not　think　much　of　the　idea；　for　if　the　law　could　not　help
me；　what　could　an　individual　do　who　had　not　even　anything　to　do　with
either　making　the　laws　or　executing　them？　　He　might　be　a　very　good
patriarch　of　a　church　and　preacher　in　its　tabernacle；　but　something
sterner　than　religion　and　moral　suasion　was　needed　to　handle　a　hundred
refractory；　half…civilized　sub…contractors。　　But　what　was　a　man　to　do？
I　thought　if　Mr。　Young　could　not　do　anything　else；　he　might　probably　be
able　to　give　me　some　advice　and　a　valuable　hint　or　two；　and　so　I　went
straight　to　him　and　laid　the　whole　case　before　him。　　He　said　very　little；
but　he　showed　strong　interest　all　the　way　through。　　He　examined　all　the
papers　in　detail；　and　whenever　there　seemed　anything　like　a　hitch；　either
in　the　papers　or　my　statement；　he　would　go　back　and　take　up　the　thread
and　follow　it　patiently　out　to　an　intelligent　and　satisfactory　result。
Then　he　made　a　list　of　the　contractors'　names。　　Finally　he　said：

〃'Mr。　Street；　this　is　all　perfectly　plain。　　These　contracts　are　strictly
and　legally　drawn；　and　are　duly　signed　and　certified。　　These　men
manifestly　entered　into　them　with　their　eyes　open。　　I　see　no　fault　or
flaw　anywhere。'

〃Then　Mr。　Young　turned　to　a　man　waiting　at　the　other　end　of　the　room　and
said：　'Take　this　list　of　names　to　So…and…so；　and　tell　him　to　have　these
men　here　at　such…and…such　an　hour。'

〃They　were　there；　to　the　minute。　　So　was　I。　　Mr。　Young　asked　them　a
number　of　questions；　and　their　answers　made　my　statement　good。　　Then　he
said　to　them：

〃'You　signed　these　contracts　and　assumed　these　obligations　of　your　own
free　will　and　accord？'

〃'Yes。'

〃'Then　carry　them　out　to　the　letter；　if　it　makes　paupers　of　you！　　Go！'

〃And　they　did　go；　too！　　They　are　strung　across　the　deserts　now；　working
like　bees。　　And　I　never　hear　a　word　out　of　them。

There　is　a　batch　of　governors；　and　judges；　and　other　officials　here；
shipped　from　Washington；　and　they　maintain　the　semblance　of　a　republican
form　of　governmentbut　the　petrified　truth　is　that　Utah　is　an　absolute
monarchy　and　Brigham　Young　is　king！〃

Mr。　Street　was　a　fine　man；　and　I　believe　his　story。　　I　knew　him　well
during　several　years　afterward　in　San　Francisco。

Our　stay　in　Salt　Lake　City　amounted　to　only　two　days；　and　therefore　we
had　no　time　to　make　the　customary　inquisition　into　the　workings　of
polygamy　and　get　up　the　usual　statistics　and　deductions　preparatory　to
calling　the　attention　of　the　nation　at　large　once　more　to　the　matter。

I　had　the　will　to　do　it。　　With　the　gushing　self…sufficiency　of　youth　I
was　feverish　to　plunge　in　headlong　and　achieve　a　great　reform　hereuntil
I　saw　the　Mormon　women。　　Then　I　was　touched。　　My　heart　was　wiser　than　my
head。　　It　warmed　toward　these　poor；　ungainly　and　pathetically　〃homely〃
creatures；　and　as　I　turned　to　hide　the　generous　moisture　in　my　eyes；　I
said；　〃Nothe　man　that　marries　one　of　them　has　done　an　act　of　Christian
charity　which　entitles　him　to　the　kindly　applause　of　mankind；　not　their
harsh　censureand　the　man　that　marries　sixty　of　them　has　done　a　deed　of
open…handed　generosity　so　sublime　that　the　nations　should　stand　uncovered
in　his　presence　and　worship　in　silence。〃

　　　　　　＇For　a　brief　sketch　of　Mormon　history；　and　the　noted　Mountain　Meadow
　　　　　　massacre；　see　Appendices　A　and　B。　＇




CHAPTER　XV。

It　is　a　luscious　country　for　thrilling　evening　stories　about
assassinations　of　intractable　Gentiles。　　I　cannot　easily　conceive　of
anything　more　cosy　than　the　night　in　Salt　Lake　which　we　spent　in　a
Gentile　den；　smoking　pipes　and　listening　to　tales　of　how　Burton　galloped
in　among　the　pleading　and　defenceless　〃Morisites〃　and　shot　them　down；　men
and　women；　like　so　many　dogs。　　And　how　Bill　Hickman；　a　Destroying　Angel；
shot　Drown　and　Arnold　dead　for　bringing　suit　against　him　for　a　debt。
And　how　Porter　Rockwell　did　this　and　that　dreadful　thing。　　And　how
heedless　people　often　come　to　Utah　and　make　remarks　about　Brigham；　or
polygamy；　or　some　other　sacred　matter；　and　the　very　next　morning　at
daylight　such　parties　are　sure　to　be　found　lying　up　some　back　alley；
contentedly　waiting　for　the　hearse。

And　the　next　most　interesting　thing　is　to　sit　and　listen　to　these
Gentiles　talk　about　polygamy；　and　how　some　portly　old　frog　of　an　elder；
or　a　bishop；　marries　a　girllikes　her；　marries　her　sisterlikes　her；
marries　another　sisterlikes　her；　takes　anotherlikes　her；　marries　her
motherlikes　her；　marries　her　father；　grandfather；　great　grandfather；
and　then　comes　back　hungry　and　asks　for　more。　　And　how　the　pert　young
thing　of　eleven　will　chance　to　be　the　favorite　wife　and　her　own　venerable
grandmother　have　to　rank　away　down　toward　D　4　in　their　mutual　husband's
esteem；　and　have　to　sleep　in　the　kitchen；　as　like