Page 59 (1/1)

"Verily," h all this, I reed--nay, more fixed of purpose"

She returned to the htful steps toward the center of the village A string of wagons drawn by oxen was luhters," as they were called, hauled grain and flour and hed suddenly in the ht that they were her property, as was one of the three stores for which they freighted goods The water that flowed along the path at her feet, and turned into each cottage-yard to nourish garden and orchard, also was hers, no less her private property because she chose to give it free Yet in this village of Cottonwoods, which her father had founded and which she maintained she was not her own mistress; she was not able to abide by her own choice of a husband She was the daughter of Withersteen Suppose she proved it, imperiously! But she quelled that proud te could have replaced the affection which the village people had for her; no power could have ave As she went on down the street past the stores with their rude platform entrances, and the saloons where tired horses stood with bridles dragging, she was again assured of as the bread and wine of life to her--that she was loved Dirty boys playing in the ditch, clerks, teaers on the corners, ranchers on dusty horses little girls running errands, and wolad eyes

Jane's various calls and wandering steps at length led her to the Gentile quarter of the village This was at the extreme southern end, and here so-cabins and several dilapidated cottages The fortunes of these inhabitants of Cottonwoods could be read in their abodes Water they had in abundance, and therefore grass and fruit-trees and patches of alfalfa and vegetable gardens

Some of the men and boys had a few stray cattle, others obtained such intermittent employment as the Mormons reluctantly tendered them But none of the families was prosperous, many were very poor, and some lived only by Jane Withersteen's beneficence

As ither own people, so it saddened her to come in contact with these Gentiles Yet that was not because she was unwelcoratefully received by the women, passionately by the children But poverty and idleness, with their attendant wretchedness and sorroays hurt her That she could alleviate this distress e that it was an ill wind that blew nobody good While her Mormon riders were in her employ she had found few Gentiles ould stay with her, and now she was able to find employment for all the men and boys No little shock was it to have man after man tell her that he dare not accept her kind offer