occupying occasionally the school-house.

He even proffered me some land to build me a house if I would stay, preach and teach school; but my mind was bent on returning to Nauvoo.

But one evening, when I had been preaching my intended farewell sermon in the closely-packed school-house, and just at its close, a person arose and said that, God willing, he would deliver a discourse there the next Sunday, and expose the "Mormon" delusion, giving his announcement all the force and emphasis possible.

My friends gathered at my place of stopping, and, joining with my host, prevailed upon me to stay. The word was given out that I had gone to Nauvoo.

At the time appointed a great crowd had convened—time, early candle-light.

I arrived late, purposely. My friend and I took seats near the door.

The preacher, after preliminaries, opened the Bible, and, for his text, read the 13th and 14th verses of the 16th chapter of Revelations.

After dilating upon the swampy nature of the soil contiguous to Nauvoo, styling it a good place for frogs, and facetiously comparing it to the "mouth of the dragon," he came down heavily on the "false prophet," the miracles, etc. It was a most scathing rebuke on "Mormonism."

His final peroration was on the habits of the frogs, which, while no footsteps were heard, croaked and croaked, but at the first sound of an approaching footstep, dodged their heads beneath the water. "So," said he, at the same time rising to the sublime hight of his oratory, "where, oh where is the frog that croaked here a day or two ago? Gone to that slough of iniquity, Nauvoo, the seat of the dragon and the false prophet. Why has he fled? Because he heard the footsteps of your true shepherd." After much interlarding, he dismissed by prayer.

I immediately arose and said that the frog was there yet, and would croak once more, naming the time.

Shouts from the audience named that same evening as the time, and the reverend preacher, amid jeers, cheers and cries of, "Give the boy a chance!" made for the one door.

My friend was alive to the emergency, and I, nothing loth, opened a fusilade from I. Timothy, 4th chapter, while the preacher was hemmed in by the crowd, and my friend with his back to the door.

After an exhaustive testimony of the work, we all departed, some pleased, some chagrined.

In both of the instances here narrated, the opening of the Bible to the apt and confirmatory passages, were then to my mind clearly the answer to prayer, for if ever previously read they had escaped my memory.

How much good I did on that mission, I cannot guess. One thing I do know, as a general rule not many are truly converted by the clamor of crowds, or the frenzy of debates.

My object in giving these two instances is to incite my young brethren to a study of the scriptures, the necessity of earnest secret prayer, and confidence in the promise that at the hour and time God will help them, and bring them off victoriously.

Great care must be taken to give God the glory in your after prayer, "for no flesh can glory in his sight."

Enconiums should produce humility, lest we be puffed up, and, in an after time, display our complete nothingness.

EARLY EXPERIENCE OF A LATTER-DAY SAINT.

HEAR THE GOSPEL BY CHANCE—COMPUNCTION AT SPEAKING LIGHTLY OF THE PROPHET—JOIN THE CHURCH—A NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES—OPPOSED BY RELATIVES—MY OLD FRIEND, THE BIBLE—A DREAM—REQUIRED TO RENOUNCE "MORMONISM" OR LEAVE THE HOUSE—MY RELATIVES REFUSE TO SPEAK TO ME—THEY PAWN MY CLOTHES—I RECOVER THEM—VIOLENCE USED—MY CLOTHES TORN—MY MOTHER'S DEATH—MY BROTHERS QUARREL AND CALL UPON ME TO SETTLE THEIR DIFFICULTIES—MY BROTHER SICK—HEALED IN ANSWER TO MY PRAYER.

The substance of the following little sketch was told to the writer by the subject of it, who is an Elder in the Church, and lives in Salt Lake City. His name is Robert P—k. We give it in words as near his own as we can remember.

I was born and reared in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. I passed my boyhood without thinking much on religious matters, till I was about eighteen years of age. At this period of my life I was walking along what is called the Green, a kind of public park, when my attention was attracted by some men discussing publicly the principles of religion. One of them was a Baptist, and I could see that he had the best of the argument, baptism by immersion being a Bible doctrine. This was on Sunday evening.

After listening to the discussion for some time, I was attracted to a place where another man was preaching. This one proved to be an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

I was so struck with the principles he advanced, that I drank down greedily every word he spoke, and on hearing him tell where the meeting-house of the Latter-day Saints was situated, I went there. I was, however, too bashful to go inside, but I walked back and forth around the building, listening and catching whatever words I could.

I was out later than usual that night, and when I got home I was questioned as to the cause of my absence, by my mother (my father had been dead many years) and brothers. I said I had been to hear the "Mormons."

"Who are the Mormons?"

"Why, the followers of Joe Smith," said I. But I had no sooner said this than a sharp pang shot through me, and I felt condemned for speaking thus irreverently of the prophet. I did it because I thought it would excuse me in the eyes of my relatives. I knew I had done wrong, for, young as I was, I felt deeply impressed with the idea that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. As it was, I was severely reprimanded for staying out so late.

Shortly after this I went to meeting and heard Elder John Taylor speak on the setting up of the kingdom of God in the latter days, which did a great deal towards convincing me that the Lord had revealed the gospel in this age. After attending meeting for some time, I was finally baptized into the Church, and was filled with joy because I knew that I was indeed a member of the true Church of Christ.

Knowing that if my mother and four brothers discovered that I had joined the Church I would have no peace at home, I kept the matter secret from them. I was but an apprentice and only earning the small sum of three shillings a week (equal to seventy-five cents) and was, therefore, somewhat dependent on my relatives.

I was about to get my wages raised a shilling a week, and my eldest brother, Hugh, proposed that he should get me a suit of clothes, and I pay this shilling a week until the suit was paid for, so that I might go to church with the rest of the family.

I was glad to exchange, on Sundays, my old, patched, shabby working suit for some respectable clothing, and it was agreed to.

On the following Sunday morning I went to meeting as usual, and was complimented by the President of the Branch on my improved personal appearance. When I got home in the evening the first question asked of me was,

"Where have you been?"

"I have been to meeting."

"What meeting?"

"I have been to hear the Latter-day Saints."

At this there was a perfect storm about my ears. I went and got the old family Bible, and laid down the "law and the testimony."

In answer to all they would say, I quoted and read from the Bible. I explained the principles of the gospel of Jesus, and the strongest argument any of them used was in each picking up his hat and walking out.

On the following day (Monday) I felt somewhat timid about going home in the evening, for I had dreamed on the Sunday night that my brothers were plotting to turn me out of the house.

However, home I went, and just as I approached the door I heard their voices in conversation, and they were saying they would ask me which I would choose, to leave "Mormonism" or the house; and John, who was always more rabid and unkind than the rest, said he would not even let me eat my