ber of Mormons, and of learning a great deal about their religion, and their manners and customs.
Among the Mormons.
The lady with whom I boarded had been an early convert to Mormonism, had resided at Nauvoo at the time the exodus was determined upon, and had been one of the band of emigrants, who, fleeing from persecution, had sought a home among the mountains of Utah. She had been one of twelve wives, and was a strong advocate of polygamy. When she saw that I really desired to know something about Mormonism, not from mere curiosity, but from a genuine wish to gain information that would enable me to form an impartial judgment, she took great pleasure in answering all my questions, and in providing me with facilities for pursuing my inquiries.
She was a very intelligent woman, and her account of the persecutions to which the Mormons were subjected at Nauvoo, and the suffering and hardships they endured during the long and toilsome journey to a place where they hoped to be for ever undisturbed, was most interesting. She had quite an extensive library, to which I had free access, and she took a great deal of pains in directing my reading, and in explaining points which I found to be obscurely stated in the books.
As I was the only boarder in the house, my husband being away in the canon most of the time, we were naturally thrown much together, and after we became intimate she took me into her confidence to an extent that she would not have done had we been comparative strangers.
Among other things, she showed me her Endowment robes, which she wore when she became a member of the Mormon church. This dress consisted of a linen garment, something like a pair of drawers. It was very full, and had a body and sleeves attached. Over one side a heart-shaped piece was cut out, and the edges worked with a button-hole stitch. Curious figures were also worked on the sleeves and on the left hip. The robe proper was something like a priest's surplice. The slippers, which, like the rest of the dress, were of linen, resembled moccasons. A tall pointed cap, with holes for the eyes, which is drawn down over the face during the ceremonies, completed this singular attire.
The decorations worn by the men while taking the oath were also shown to me. They consisted of a regalia of Maza-
