Dear Ellen: Two Mormon Women and Their Letters

Dear Ellen, Page 013

Of Bygone. Days put my trust in God that I may always feel strong in faith nothing doubting." Shortly Addison Pratt moved to San Bcrnardino, the Mormon colony in southern California. Ellen soon followed, though Frances stayed in the upper country with friends. To Mrs. Pratt "San Bernardino was a very desirable location. A better class of citizens could not be found in that state.' The Pratt daughters were popular. Ellen and Frances were in their early twenties and the younger sisters in their teens. Pleasurable times were had, long to be remembered bv the familv. But the Polynesian mission remained with Pratt. In October 1853 he received a call to a third mission, with Benjamin F. Grouard. The two went to San Francisco but found it impossible to obtain passage to the islands so returned to San Bernardino after five months' absence. Two years later, in March 1856, Pratt was called to a fourth mission. He proceeded to San Francisco, engaged passage, and was on Tahiti for three months but was prohibited from preaching, so returned to San Francisco. Pratt remained in the upper country to earn money to pay his missionary debts and to be with Frances at the time of her marriage, as reported in the last letters in the Ellen correspondence. In Salt Lake City, Hiram arid Ellen established themselves in the center of many activities, due in part, no doubt, to the interest of Brigham Young in the young couple. At Nauvoo, Hiram had wanted to enter in debating activities but was not admitted. The Prophet Joseph Smith got him into dramatics instead. An earlv part was of the man who threw down fire from heaven in the play Pizarru, in which Brigham Young took the part of the high priest, and other leading elders took major roles. In the valley, Hiram participated in plays put on in the Old Bowery as early as the fall of 1849. From Hiram's future occupations he must have shown early a propensity for writing, record keeping, accounting, and business. He was 13