Romance of a Missionary. IX

ROMANCE OF A MISSIONARY. BY NEPHI ANDERSON, AUTHOR OF ''ADDED UPON," "mARCUS KING,' "the CASTLE BUILDER," ETC. IX. ELDER DONALDSON'S STORY. It was time that Elder Donaldson should draw his London visit to a close and return to his field of labor, Willard had spent a number of days with him visiting historic places of interest. On the last day of Elder Donaldson's stay in the big city, he and Wil- lard were sitting on a bench in St . James' Park looking at the chil- dren feeding the swans in the lake. The feeling of spring was in the air. The sun was warm The grass had a new- green color. . The early flowers were breaking through the soil, and a few birds were twittering in the trees. "When visiting these beauty spots in the general ugliness of English cities," said Willard, "I have often wondered how grass and flowers can thrive amidst so much smoke and fog.'' "That they do is a wise provision of nature," said his com- panion. "Look at those children!" exclaimed Willard. "Their bare legs are blue with cold. The knees are among the tenderest parts of the body — most susceptible to the cold— and yet these children, to be correctly dressed, must have bare legs. I think it is most ridiculous." "And cruel," added Elder Donaldson. "The mothers and the nurses are usually heavily clad. I have seen mothers dressed in furs, while their little children were running with bare legs be- side them — but that isn't what I want to talk to you about this

ROMANCE OF A MISSIONARY. 691 afternoon. I asked you to sit down here that I might tell you a story — my story; if you care to hear it." "I shall be delighted — go on." "Well," began Elder Donaldson, "I have told none of the elders my story, but I want to tell it to you. I was your first companion in the field, and I think you took a special liking to me." — "True, Brother first love, you know." The other smiled. "Well, as I have some good news from home, I must tell it to somebody; and I know of no one that I would rather tell it to than you. But for you to understand and appreciate any good news, I must tell you something that will lead up to it." The hum of the great city was all about them, but as the elders talked they lived again in other and far-away scenes. "Perhaps you did not know that my father is a rich man," said Elder Donaldson. "No; I did not know that," was the reply. "Well, he is. Let me tell jou about it. When they were married, father and mother were both Latter-day Saints. I shall not say good Latter-day Saints, because father was not very ener- getic in the performance of his religious duties; but mother— * * * well, she has been true all along, bless her dear heart. Father was very successful in his business ventures. He was keen and shrewd. Year after year he became better off, and year after year he devoted more of his time to money making and less to re- ligious duties. Then he made so much money that he could not pay one tenth of it to the Lord. Strange, isn't it, that it is so much easier to pay tithing on one hundred dollars than it is on ten thousand? "Father was called on a mission, but he refused to go. His interests were too large, he said. Mother felt this refusal keenly. Then one thing followed another— I shall not go into details— until I was fifteen father became openly bitter against the Church. years old when he was cut off from the Church. I was not old enough to fully realize the true nature of that which was going on, but I remember distinctly what the feeling was, and how my sister and I mingled our tears with those of our mother.

692 IMPROVEMENT ERA. "I was at an age when I resented that which had brought such sorrow into our home, and I listened to father and his denun- ciations of the Church and its leaders; but when I talked with mother, there was quite a different feeling. I noticed the differ- ence. I felt better when with mother. — my She had taught us sister Amy and me — always to say our prayers; and now she urged us never to forget them, which I never did. I think that was a great help to me. "Well, the years went by. Father prospered. He built one of the finest houses in the city. My sister and I went to school and had everything we needed. There was one good trait in father, and that was that he never interfered with mother's re- ligious duties. She could go to meeting as often as she liked. We had plenty of help in the house and so he was not neglected by mother's absence. "When I became older, I quietly investigated the cause of father's fall, and I found that the authorities were justified, and that father was in the wrong. I went to Sunday school and to Mutual, and the gospel become to me a dear thing. My sister usually went with me, but she did not take the interest that I did. "I married when I was twenty-two. I was rather young, I will admit, but I married a good 'Mormon' girl, and I can see now that it was a God-send to me. Father opposed my marrying so young. He said I ought to get a good start in life first, get established in business, and all that. T worked in father's office on a salary, and he said I would have to live .on that salary for some time. I was perfectly willing to do that, and the girl was willing also. "We were married in the Temple, too. Father didn't say much, but we surmised that he was angered. "Well, three months afterwards I received a call to go on a mission. I took the letter home and showed it to Lucy, my wife, and, of course, we cried a little over it. What should I do? All that I had been able to save had gone into the little house which I had purchased and furnished. We had nothing but my salary, which, of course, would stop the day I left the oflice. Help from father was out of the question. "I took the letter to mother. I could see she was pleased. 'Answer the call by saying yes,' she said, and the Lord will bless

ROMANCE OF A MISSIONARY. 693 you. What does Lucy say?' 'She also says that I should go,' I replied. 'Bless her dear, brave heart,' said my mother. And so it was decided. "I have never seen father so angry as when I told him about it. He raved and swore. Who would support me and my wife? he thunderod. Not he! Not a cent would I get from him. Let the Church support its own! "Well, in due time I answered the letter, saying that I should be ready whenever the authorities wanted me. I was given three months to prepare. I didn't know how T was to get along, but I trusted that the Lord would open the way. "Father didn't give in an inch. He didn't give me a dollar over my wages when I drew my last check, although he could have given me a thousand dollars and not missed it. The ward gave me the regulation benefit party. The Saints knew pretty well the true condition of affairs, and they turned out loyally. The social netted me nearly a hundred dollars, which paid my fare over here and gave me a little over. I've been here now over two years, and I have received twenty dollars from home regularly each month. I don't know for sure how it is raised, but believe mother and Lucy manage it between them. "My sister Amy is three years younger than L She, about the time I left, took a notion that she wanted to go to California to visit some friends of father's. Father humored her and let her go. She was also to do some studying, of course; but, I fear that has been sadly neglected. Mother tells me in her letters that she has done nothing but call for money while she has been away, and father does not like the tone of her letters . Let me read you what mother says in one of her letters." Elder Donaldson took from his pocket a letter and from it read: " 'The other day I placed your last letter and one that I had received from Amy on your father's table together, and then I made it a point to be in the room while he read them both. I said nothing, but watched him over my work. There was a frown on his face at Amy's sharp and not too respectful sentences, but when he read your letter the hard lines softened. After reading it, he lay back in his chair with closed eyes. I was busy with my work.

—. 694 IMPROVEMENT ERA. humming an old tune over it. Then I saw him read your letter over again. These may be only straws, my dear boy; but they are hopeful signs. He cannot help but see the difference between one who is surrounded with and is partaking of the world, and one who " is devoting his time and energy to preaching the gospel.' ''Well," continued the speaker, "it seems that just the dif- ference in mine and Am/s letters set father to thinking. I have always aimed to be cheerful in mind, and have told of what the Lord has done for me day by day; and never once have I men- tioned money to him, or asked him for any. "And now, this is what my last letter from Lucy tells me hold me or I might get up and shout : Amy has been home three months, and she now wants to come to Europe. Father has said she can take the trip, provided Lucy will come with her. If Lucy will do that he will pay all the expenses. Will Lucy come?Well I think so ! They sail from Boston on the fifteenth of next month What do you think of that?" Elder Donaldson put his arms around his fellow missionary and gave him a good, hard hug, uttering cries of glee, at which a dignified lady just passing became so startled that her glasses dropped from her nose. "I am very, very glad for your sake,'' said Willard. "You have filled a good mission, and now to finish it up with a tour of Europe in the company of wife and sister, what could be finer?" "Yes, it will be glorious," said the happy man in a quiet tone of voice. I wish you could go with us." "Thank you for your kind wish," said Willard. "There's another girl coming with them, I understand," re- marked Elder Donaldson. "She is going to Berlin to study music — one of my wife's acquaintances — what is her name? I can't re- member." He looked again at his letter. "Oh, yes. Wells is her name, Grace Wells." "Grace Wells?" "That's the name. Do you know her?" "Well, I— I don't know. I used to know a girl by that name, but likely this is not she. Yet, she is a musician, and I know she used to talk of finishing her musical education in Berlin."

— ROMANCE OF A MISSIONARY. 695 "Well, old boy, we'll meet them at the Liverpool Landing Stage, and then you'll find out." "I don't know whether I shall or not." "Now look here, Willard, you're going to accept my treat to you. I've already spoken to the president about it, and he says it s ail right for you to take a little trip to Liverpool. I'll see that your fare and your expenses are paid. Father is rich, you know," he laughed. "I shall be pleased to meet your wife and sister, but I have my doubts whether or not Grace Wells would be pleased to see me." "Ah, old boy, a little romance back of it, is there?" Willard laughed good-naturedly, but did not reply. The after- noon sun lay low in the hazy west. The swans were seeking their nests for the night. The children were going home, and so the two missionaries also sauntered out of the park into Pall Mall and then into Trafalgar Square where they took a bus for home. Elder Donaldson was happy and talkative. Willard was not talkative, and he hardly knew whether he was happy or uneasy. Perhaps there was a little of both in Was Grace his feelings. Wells coming to England? Would he meet her? and what would be the result of that meeting? These, with many questions akin to these, went through his mind as he rode on top of the bus through the crowded London streets. [to be continued.] MY COUNTRY'S FLAG. (For the Improvement Era.) My country's flag — our pride in times of peace, Our inspiration in the hour of war, Whose glorious march of freedom shall not cease, 'Till every land shall point in thee a star Thy patriot sons peculiarly we are. In every heart thy cause is magnified, Remembering our pilgrim sires afar "Who gave thee, streaming from yon mountain side, In freedom's noble name, dominion far and wide. Theo. E Cur tis. Salt Lake City. Utah.