. There was a story of diabolical
influence which Smith had exercised in order to gain the young wife whom
he had stolen from her father's roof, and, worse than all, there were
descriptions of occult rites carried on in secret places, where the
most bloody mysteries of the Mosaic priesthood were horribly travestied
by Smith and his friends, Cowdery and Rigdon, in order to dupe the
simple into belief in the new revelation.

Ephraim Croom had again withdrawn himself out of hearing of the
controversy. Judging that Susannah was sufficiently guarded by his
parents to be safe, he became almost oblivious of conversation which he
despised. He did not reflect that Susannah knew nothing of his hidden
conflict, that she could only perceive that, after uttering an ominous
warning, he had left her to work out its application alone.

It was at first not at all her liking for the Smiths, but only her
unbiassed common sense, which convinced her that the wild stories told
concerning them were untrue. When she became enraged at their untruth
she became more kindly disposed toward the young mother, whose baby had
made a strong appeal to her girlish heart, and the big kindly lout of a
man who had sheltered her from the rain. This benevolent disposition
might have slumbered unfruitful but for the memory of the fine and
resolute face of the young disciple who had promised to wrestle in
prayer for her. There was novelty in the thought. The gay witch Novelty
often apes the form of Love. Susannah did not know Love, so she did not
recognise even the vestments falsely worn, but they attracted her all
the same. Her young blood boiled when her aunt, dimly discerning some
unlooked-for obstinacy in her niece's mind, repeated each new report in
disfavour of the Mormons. It was the old story about the blood of the
martyrs, for ridicule and slander spill the pregnant blood of the soul;
but they who believe themselves to be of the Church can seldom believe
that any blood but their own will bear fruit. Every stab given to the
reputation of the Smiths was an appeal to Susannah's sympathy for them.
Mrs. Croom, with a sense of solemn responsibility, was at great cost
bringing all her influence to bear upon the young girl whom her son
loved. She drearily said to herself, after many days, that her influence
was weak, that it accomplished nothing. The strength of it pushed
Susannah, who stood faltering at the parting of the ways, and the
impetus of that push w