| 91 with the pleasing notes of zeez-zeez-zeez.
I hope that none of the Saints will be discouraged from coming here on account of the tales of slanderers, and of apostate wicked men and women, for I can assure the Saints from a careful inquiry and strict observation of circumstances since I arrived here, that apostate renegadoes [renegades] have made "lies their refuge, and under falsehood have hid themselves." But the time is near when lying and slandering tongues will be silent, and sink under the just contempt of an abused public, while truth and virtue will be exalted and shine forth in all their beauty and loveliness.
I hope to be able to visit many of the churches in the spring, in the East and elsewhere, and to proclaim the gospel to all people as far as I may have opportunity. My object will be to persuade men to obey the truth, comfort and strengthen the hearts of the Saints, and procure what funds I can to build me an habitation: for after laboring and toiling, houseless and homeless, twelve years in this church, I think that every Saints will now say that I am entitled to a home, and such as have the means, I hope may have the heart also to put me in a way by which I can accomplish this very desirable object.
Yours, very respectfully,
ORSON HYDE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES AND SEASONS.
Dear Brother Taylor,-I send you a few lines, thinking that you might wish to hear some particulars of your old friends on the other side of the Atlantic, and the progress of the work of God throughout England. But, in the first place, allow me to express my joy at again seeing the faces of the servants of God, whom I had so often listened to with joy, while they laid open to me the principles of eternal truth, which the Lord has again revealed for the salvation of man. And next, my perfect satisfaction with Nauvoo, as far as I can judge, after a fortnight's residence. It is altogether needless for me to make any allusions to Joseph Smith, for I had not been long in the church before I KNEW that he was a Prophet of God, and had received the holy priesthood, by dreams, by VISIONS, by healings, and, in fact by the signs following, which has caused me to rejoice in having an existence in this momentous age.
It is now nearly three years since I first saw you and I came armed with all my Wesleyan zeal to drive these Philistines from our coast; but when you commenced laying the truth before us I felt, like Sampson, deprived of his locks-my strength was gone, and but one desire filled my soul-that what you were stating might be true, and did not leave the house till I had the promise of a servant of God to pray for me that if it was the truth the Lord would make it manifest to me, which he shortly after did by an open vision. I have no doubt but you still remember our first interview, and how the work spread while you remained in England. It is rapidly spreading over all the face of that island; and very soon there will scarcely be a village or hamlet where the gospel is not planted for the honest in heart to flock unto. In Liverpool the work has been going on steadily, since the time you left, and the hearers both numerous and respectable. At the time you left I believe the Liverpool Conference numbered about two hundred and fifty; and when I left, in September last, over seven hundred. We have had peace and good order throughout, and have had but seldom indeed to resort to the expedient of cutting off. The last twelve weeks of my presidency over the Liverpool Conference we baptized ninety eight.
On the 17th of September we left Liverpool, in the ship Sidney, and set our faces towards Zion, and after a passage of eight weeks we landed at New Orleans. There were six deaths during the voyage, viz. four children, one sailor, who fell from the yard-arm, and Sister Cannon, She had not been well for some time previous to our leaving Liverpool, and continued getting worse. She died without a struggle or a murmur, and was perfectly reconciled. She requested to be buried in the sea, if she died previous to reaching New Orleans, but if coming up the river that she might be buried on land. Captain Cowan is one of the most kind-hearted humane men that ever crossed the Atlantic. After tarrying three days at New Orleans we again embarked on board the Alex. Scott, and made rapid progress till we passed the mouth of the Ohio, when we soon after run a-ground and remained there three days; on our deliverance we got to within ninety miles of St. Louis, where she had to remain three weeks for want of water. When we arrived at St. Louis we had to look out for houses, as it was by this time about the depth of winter, and the river was frozen up above St. Louis, but we all got houses to shelter in, and provisions in abundance. We had honey at two cents a pound, beef from seven to ten pounds for five cents, and the finest geese in the market at fifteen cents each, butter five cents a pound, and every thing in the same proportion. The brethren were mainly well when I left St. Louis, and anxiously waiting for a general break up of the river that they might
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