Salt Lake City is such a pretty place, so beautifully situated.  The great mountains capped with snow surround it and send the clearest mountain streams down through the streets.  No town could be better drained than this one.

The lake is eighty miles away, and salted to exaggeration.  Out of four quarts of water one can obtain one quart of salt.  We thought of taking a bath in it and being sent home pickled and cured—­of traveling.

We met on the train a Colonel Hooker, citizen of Utah.  He introduced himself to us and gave us free passes on the railroad where the Mormon line branches off; so he must be some one of importance.

He telegraphed to announce our arrival at the hotel, and we flattered ourselves that all Mormondom would be agog.  We did not, however, notice any great animation as we drove up to the hotel, and felt rather hurt that we did not create more of a sensation.

We had introductory letters to Brigham Young.  The next day being Sunday, we went to the Tabernacle to attend their religious service.  Happily, Brigham Young had returned the night before from St. Joseph, where he had sojourned with the “faithful.”  The Tabernacle is an enormous building which, we were told, can hold fourteen thousand people.  It was filled to overflowing.  The seating for the members was arranged in a semicircle of tiers, the minor elders sitting in the lowest seats.  As the tiers mounted there were fewer seats and therefore fewer elders, and so on, until the highest point was reached, where the high priest—­Brigham Young—­sat alone in his glory.  On the opposite side was the magnificent organ built in Boston.  When they began building the Tabernacle, gigantic as they intended it to be, they did not know that the organ which had been ordered from Boston (probably wrong measurements had been sent) would be bigger than the Tabernacle.  When it arrived they found that, instead of the organ having been made for the Tabernacle, the Tabernacle would have to be made for the organ.

To celebrate the Prophet’s return they had the communion service.  People all stayed in their pews, and the bread, cut in good healthy pieces, was handed about in bread-baskets; after which pitchers with ice-water were passed, and the water was poured in goblets, which were placed before the people.  Brigham Young gave his flock a tremendous rating with lowering eyebrows and a thunder-cloud in each eye, and the flock trembled as one man.  He said that during his absence they had not behaved themselves as they ought to have done.  They had not only been found swearing and drunk, but they had mingled breath with the Gentiles.  We feared he referred to Colonel Hooker, whose breath had mingled—­the finger of wrath seemed to point that way.  We felt very sorry for our companion and sat huddled together, a humiliated group of Gentiles, trembling to meet the glance of the wrathful Prophet.