With this knowledge he learned to permit himself only one great love, a love for the child Prudence.  He was sure that no punishment could come through that.  It was his day-star and his life, the one pleasure that brought no suffering with it.  She was a child of fourteen now, a half-wild, firm-fleshed, glowing creature of the out-of-doors, who had lost with her baby softness all her resemblance to her mother.  Her hair and eyes had darkened as she grew, and she was to be a larger woman, graver, deeper, more reserved; perhaps better calculated for the Kingdom by reason of a more reflective mind.  He adored her, and was awed by her even when he taught her the truths of revealed religion.  He closed his eyes at night upon a never-ending prayer for her soul; and opened them each day to a love of her that grew insidiously to enthrall him while he was all unconscious of its power—­even while he knew with an awful certainty that he must have no treasure of his own which he could not willingly relinquish at the first call.  She, in turn, loved and confided in her father, the shy, bent, shrunken little man with the smile.

“He always smiles as if he’d hurt himself and didn’t want to show it before company,” were the words in which she announced one of her early discoveries about him.  But she liked and ruled him, and came to him for comfort when she was hurt or when Lorena scolded.  For the third wife did not hesitate to characterise the child as “ready-made sin,” and to declare that it took all her spare time, “and a lot that ain’t spare,” to neat up the house after her.  “And her paw—­though Lord knows who her maw was—­a-dressing her to beat the cars; while he ain’t never made over me since the blessed day I married him—­not that much!  But, thank heavens, it can’t last very long, with the Son of Man already started, like you might say.”

CHAPTER XXIX.

The Wild Ram of the Mountains Offers to Become a Saviour on Mount Zion

In the valley of which Amalon was the centre, they made ready for the end of the world.  It is true that in the north, as the appointed year drew nigh, an opinion had begun to prevail that the Son of Man might defer his coming; and presently it became known that Brigham himself was doubtful about the year 1870, and was inspiring others to doubt.  But in Amalon they were untainted by this heresy, choosing to rely upon what Brigham had said in moments more inspired.

He had taught that Joseph was to be the first person resurrected; that after his frame had been knit together and clothed with immortal flesh he would resurrect those who had died in the faith, according to their rank in the priesthood; then all his wives and children.  Resurrected Elders, having had the keys of the resurrection conferred upon them by Joseph, would in turn call from the grave their own households; and when the last of the faithful had come forth, another great work would be performed; the Gentiles would then be resurrected to act as servants and slaves to the Saints.  In his lighter moments Brigham had been wont to name a couple of Presidents of the United States who would then act as his valets.