was
undoubtedly a true baby, a good and delightful thing in Susannah's
estimation. Had the Bible in the hill been a true Bible? Susannah
intuitively knew that Emma Smith, bending with grave rapture over her
firstborn, was not trying to deceive her.

"It seems to me," she said, "that it is terribly wicked of you to
believe about this Bible." Her utterance became thick with her rising
indignation. "How can you sit and hold that child and say such terribly
wicked things?" She could not have told why she referred to the child;
the moment before it was spoken she had not formulated the thought. She
was not old enough to reason about the sacredness of babies; she only
felt.

The tears started to Emma's eyes. She clasped her child to her breast.
"Yes, I know how you feel. I felt that way too myself, and sometimes
even yet it frightens me; but, you see, I know it is true, so it must be
right. But I've given up expecting other people to believe it just yet,
until Joseph is allowed to preach, and then it's been revealed to him
that the nations shall be gathered in. Only you looked so--so
beautiful--you see, I thought perhaps God might have sent you to be a
friend to me. I have no friends because of the way they persecute
Joseph."

Susannah turned in incredulous wrath and tramped, young and haughty, to
the outer door. The first drops of a heavy shower were falling; she
hesitated.

"But tell her about the witnesses, Emmar." Old Lucy stood half-way
between the bed and the door, making nods and becks in her excited
desire that Susannah should be impressed. "For when the dear Lord saw
that folks wouldn't b'lieve Joseph, He didn't leave him without
witnesses."

Susannah, stopped by the weather, felt more willing to conciliate. She
returned gloomily within the sound of Emma's gentle voice.

"It was Mr. Cowdery and Mr. Whitmer and Mr. Harris," Emma said. "Mr.
Cowdery and Mr. Whitmer saw the gold plates held in the air, as it were
by hands they couldn't see, but Martin Harris he had to withdraw himself
because he couldn't see the vision, and he went away by himself and
sobbed and cried. But Joseph went and put his arm around him and prayed
that his faith might be strengthened, and then he saw it. So they three
have written their testimony in the front of the book that's being
printed."

A storm had now broken upon the house in torrents. The door was shut.
Emma wrapped her child closer in her shawl. Susannah sat sulky and
disco