mith came up
from the bank of the river to meet them. Halsey controlled himself and
spoke to Emma.

"She has refused. For this time she has rejected the truth."

Now to Susannah the matter for amazement was that she had come so far
from home (although, it was not very far), that she had actually
arrived, as it seemed, at an appointed place. The sting that this gave
to her pride was greatly eased by perceiving that she had not by this
fulfilled his hopes.

Emma Smith had a pale, patient face, which was at this time made
peculiarly dignified by a look of solemn excitement. Young as she was,
she turned to Susannah with a protecting motherly air.

"Perhaps next time the opportunity is offered the young lady will
embrace it and save her soul." She spoke consolingly to Halsey, but
looked at Susannah with encouraging and respectful eyes. "You will see
this young man baptized?" she asked.

Under the protection of Emma Smith, Susannah stooped under the willow
boughs and found herself upon the bank of the river in the presence of
Joseph Smith, his mother, and some half-dozen men.

Lucy Smith was muttering somewhat concerning a vision of angels, and the
suppressed excitement of them all was manifest. Susannah was infected by
it; she was now tremulous and eager to see what was to be seen.

Joseph Smith advanced into the flowing river and stood in a pool where
the water was well up to his thighs. Standing thus, he began to speak in
the same formal tone and with the same solemn expression that Susannah
had marked when he spoke the revelation concerning herself, but more
loudly. "Behold! we have gathered together according to the revelation
which has been given to me--"

Here a dark young man called Oliver Cowdery groaned and said "Amen." A
tremble of excitement went through the group upon the shore.

Loudly the prophet went on--"Knowing well that there is nothing in me,
who was wicked and graceless to a very high degree, and wanting in
knowledge, but was yet chosen, upon this sinful earth and in these last
days, when wickedness and hypocrisy is abounding, to open to all who
would be saved a new church which is such as that which the angel hath
revealed to me a church should be, and all them which shall receive my
word and shall be baptized of me or of Mr. Oliver Cowdery, whom the
angel Maroni, descending in a cloud of light, has ordained with me to
the priesthood of Aaron, which holds the keys of the ministering of
angels