Twelve Mormon Homes : Twelve Mormon homes visited in succession on a journey through Utah to Arizona.

Twelve Mormon Homes, page 127

them both brightly carpeted, and well furnished. Summoned to supper, I entered a large, pleasant room, with a blazing fire, and a look of refinement about its arrangement that was in de- lightful contrast to the wild scenes I had been gazing on during the afternoon. In an instant Arabia Deserta had blossomed into Arabia Felix. All our companions seemed in the best of spirits, and the mountains of rolls, the piled-up dishes of steaming potatoes, the steaks and chickens that our party made an end of before the more fanciful edibles, the cakes, and pies, and preserves were attacked, were enough to have justified the debate whether it was fair to come down on a Bellevue household on such short notice as we were compelled to give. But the little dames flitted about from parlor to kitchen, smilingly pressing fresh supplies upon us, and encouraging us to empty their great glass pitchers of delicious cream `while we could,' as the milk at St. George was affected by the alkaline water and peculiar grasses. After tea, the females, one and all, withdrew into the kitchen to "help wash up," -a performance that was enacted to the tune of merry laughter, and accomplished in an incredibly short time. A lovely little baby girl tottered into the parlor and signified her wish to be lifted on my knee, to the delight of my boys, with whom she began playing "bo-peep." The women then came back, and we talked around the fire till a late hour. Outside I could see a light leaping up at the foot of the moun- tain, and was told that the telegrapher who accompanied us had tapped the wire and was taking down the news by the warm blaze. Again the anomaly: in this lonely place, in the mountain gorge, to hear read out, as I presently did, the news that would