The Wishing Star (33 page)

Touching her shoulder, he said, “But don't let that trouble your pretty head. Just go home and read your books and pass it all around Kirtland that you bested the Prophet and seer by obtaining books for nothing. But be advised, I may have you scrub my floors yet.”

Jenny went on her way laughing, but before the books were opened there was yet another call for nursing. It was old granny Lewis filling Jenny's time with the last of her tyrannical demands.

****

When autumn's browns rimmed with frost, the church took a new step forward. Since Tom's boss, Newel Knight, was involved, Jenny heard about it nearly as soon as the word was released.

For some time Jenny had known that Sarah, young Knight's wife, had died. In fact, until the arrival of Lydia Baily, Tom had tried to push Newel and Jenny together.

One November day Jenny went into the livery stable and found Tom looking as if he had adopted a permanent grin. “Give,” she demanded and waited until he put down the harness he held.

“Well, it's this way, my sister, you've forfeited your chance, and Newel has won out doubly.”

“Aw, Lydia's husband has consented to divorce.”

For a moment his smile wavered. “No.” He frowned, hesitated and said, “I'm supposing the world will fuss, but right now I'm too glad. I'll give it no thought.”

“Well, what has happened?”

“You know already that Joseph doesn't have a legal state right to perform a marriage ceremony, because he isn't a regular ordained minister like Rigdon. Even a ninny knows that's ridiculous. Seein' he's subject to a higher power and with all the authority of the heavens behind him, well, he took it upon himself to do the marriage anyway.”

Slowly Jenny said, “You mean she didn't get divorced, and Joseph married them without having the authority to do so?”

Tom scratched his head as if her words shed new light on the situation. “Jen, I can't understand it all, but I do have faith in Joseph's judgment. You know he has been given the keys of the kingdom. What he binds on earth will be bound in heaven; what he loosens on earth will be loosened in heaven. Matter of fact, Newel said Joseph implied that the church has been given other revelations to the ancient order of marriage that are yet to be dispersed.”

Jennie frowned at Tom, watching his face. His smile was uneasy now, and she guessed it was the time to ask the question. “Tom, I heard whispers that Joseph had instructed some of the men going to Missouri to take Indian wives. I also heard Joseph promised that a man would be blessed of the Lord if he were to do so.”

Tom moved uneasily. “Yeah, I heard likewise. It hasn't been put to me personally, so I conclude it's rumor.” He turned to pick up another harness and Jenny went on her way, puzzling over it all. In the end she shrugged off the questions, laughing at the strange twist of events. She also reminded herself that it was time to forget about all the church structure and rules she had known in the past. This new dispensation had rules of its own, and they must be her rules if she hoped to gain her heart's desire.

Chapter 24

“Jen, you're lookin' mighty puny these days,” Tom said as he stopped on the snowy streets of Kirtland and waited for Jenny to catch up with him. He took the valise she carried and asked, “Where you headed?”

“Back to the Morgans. Mrs. Lewis finally died,” she said with a sigh. “Poor soul, I can't wish her dead, but she was a trial to us all. Angela and Cassy helped me, but she kept us all hoppin'. No doubt she was in pain, but the pain her tongue gave out balanced it all.”

“And your herbs and amulets did no good?”

“Nor the charms,” she said shortly. “This is likely to ruin my nursing.”

“Oh, I don't doubt that you'll have the business.”

“'Tisn't the business!” she snapped. “I'm worried about believing when everything works against the power.”

“You think there's a greater power to be had?”

“Could be. It is a lack in me, most certain.” Abruptly Jenny lifted her head to look at Tom. “Why the questions? Have you been hearing things?”

“There's talk. People admire the things they can't understand. Where there's indications of the mysterious at work, they're right there lookin'.” Tom continued to study the thin little figure at his side. Her shoulders drooped wearily and her head was bowed against the icy pricking of snow filling the air. “Why don't you come to the stable for some hot tea?”

She nodded and silently followed him across the street, through the building, and up the stairs to his room.

The heat of the forge provided warmth for the shabby room Tom called home. Gratefully Jenny sat down on his one straight chair and watched as he stirred up the embers in his stove and pulled the kettle of water over the heat.

After he put the mugs on the table, Tom placed a stool close to the stove and said, “You're pulled a mite too thin. Do you good to get off that horse you're ridin' and walk a spell.”

“Meaning?” Jenny pulled the mittens from her hands and unwound her muffler. When Tom didn't answer, she continued, “I've a notion to look for something to do besides nursing. It gets me down at times. Especially when you're expecting results and there's nothing.” Abruptly she shivered.

“What's wrong, Jen?”

She looked up. “Oh, I'm remembering the way Mrs. Lewis died. It was like all the spirits on earth congregated. Tom, I don't understand, but she died screaming and pointing. She had been muttering something for days that none of us could understand, talking about turning back. A foul old woman, no doubt, but she frightened us all to the bottom of our shoes.” Jenny shivered again and was silent.

At last she roused herself. “I'm pricked with a desire to know the workings of the printing office. Tom, is there a chance Oliver Cowdery would have a little work for me in there? I know women don't normally do such things unless they are married to the fellow running the place, and that's out of the question, since Cowdery's married.—I wouldn't have him anyway. But I would like to look into the business.”

“There's little chance. I 'spect the Missus would have your neck if you even went into the place. There's been some talk around about him not minding his manners around the females.” Tom got up from his stool to pour the boiling water into his teapot. He was mulling over the problems that had been filling him with unrest for the past month. He glanced at Jenny, studied her innocent, girlish face, and felt again the stab of remorse.
What if she were to become another Fannie Alger?

He watched her sip tea and then lift her face to smile at him. “Ah, Tom, you were right. I am pressing life too close, and I've a mind to take it easy for a few weeks. Could be I'll feel different about the healing then.” The tender, nearly childish smile made him decide.

Taking a deep breath, Tom hunched his stool closer to Jenny and quickly, before he could change his mind, he said, “Jen, there's a few things I need to say to you. First off, Joseph sent a message. I don't know why you've come up with this thing about the healing with the charms and herbs, but for some reason Joe's bothered by it all. Could be it's related to the trouble we had in the beginning.

“See, Rigdon's followers, those that were in Kirtland when we arrived, were into some funny things. Come meeting times, they would work themselves into a real frenzy a-talkin' in a queer language and a-rollin' around on the ground and pretendin' to be convertin' the Indians, such stuff. Anyways, Joe cracked down on it and said it was all from Satan and that people had better be a-drawin' up tight and listenin' to him, since he was the prophet, seer, and revelator.

“Now, your healin's making him a bit uneasy. So I don't blame him. He called me in with a message. He didn't say ‘thus saith the Lord,' like he does sometimes, but from the way he said it, I felt it anyway. Jen, he said if you're goin' to be actin' so saintly and do the healin' and all, that you'd better be bringin' forth the fruits of repentance.”

Jenny frowned, “Now what on earth does he mean by that?”

“Simple. Joinin' the church and gettin' to services regular. You know Joseph won't abide people a-claimin' a religion they don't follow right.”

“I've heard that,” Jenny said dryly. “The Morgans let me know right off that I was expected to shun evil, such as dancing and fancy frocks and too much fun instead of work.” She waved her mug, “But this latest about not drinking tea and such, I don't understand, especially in the cold of winter. What difference does it make whether we eat meat all year round or just in the winter?”

Tom didn't answer; he was busy thinking about the other things and wondering how he could warn Jenny. He took a deep breath. “First off, I want to remind you that I believe Joseph is called of God. I believe his book is from God, and that's because I asked God and He gave me the burnin' in the bosom to verify the truth of it all. This keeps me faithful and trustin', even when I don't understand. Jen, I know I'm not too smart and book learnin' just didn't take with me. You'll never know how much I appreciate havin' a prophet and knowin' that I can trust him.”

He was silent, staring into the growing dusk. “You were at the last church meeting when President Phelps read the article on marriage. What did you think of it?”

“Think?” Jenny echoed. “Why, nothing. Seems it's not a bit different than what we've always been told.”

“Well,” Tom said slowly, “I mostly wondered if you'd been hearin' rumors about some of the men misbehavin'. There's rumors circulatin' 'bout the Mormons practicing polygamy.” At her blank look, he added, “Havin' more'n one wife. Jen, don't you believe it, and don't you let any fella persuade you different.”

Jen laughed. “Oh, Tom,” she said, “I'm not newborn. I know there's fellows who'll pass off any story, and I'm not swayed by their talk.” She got to her feet and pressed her face against his for a moment. “You are the dearest brother a person could have. I love you for caring for your silly little sister. Now I'll be going before the snow's too heavy for walking.”

Tom watched her walk down the street, relieved that he had said part of it, but still troubled by the serious-faced men he had confronted that morning.

“Our prophet,” he addressed the line of harnesses hanging in the deserted tack-room, “is too good-lookin' for his own welfare. I hope his good looks don't do him in.” He sighed heavily.

The words Warren Parrish and Oliver Cowdery had said followed Tom as he went about his work.
We know for a fact that Joseph has Fannie as wife; we've spied on them and found them together
.

As he sorted harnesses he muttered, “Joe, you told me those fellas were lyin'. I've got to believe you, no matter what. There's nothin' else I know, and there's Jenny; I'm responsible for her.”

****

Jenny went home to Sally and Andy Morgan and baby Tamara. Her dismal failure at the Lewis home was soon forgotten, and January slipped into February.

Sally had assured Jenny that anyone would have failed with old Mrs. Lewis. But Jenny's thoughts whispered back,
Not a white witch. And not someone who's looking for even more power
.

On the days Sally and Jenny weren't busy, Jenny slipped away to her room to read deeply in the green book. After one frustrating session, she closed it, saying, “Oh, how I long to see Clara; if only Adela were here!” Even as she whispered the words, she admitted that the reason for her unhappiness was not her failure with Mrs. Lewis, but the feeling of powerlessness. Staring at the book, she whispered, “If I couldn't succeed with her, how do I get what I want?”

Crossing the room, she pulled out the hunk of wax Clara had given her. “Emma,” she whispered. But immediately she pushed it away, shivering at the horrible images it conjured.

Later she pulled out the
Book of Mormon
and the
Doctrine and Covenants
and tried to read them, but within minutes she yawned and exclaimed, “Brother Joseph, we must have a conference!”

When she started down the street that February day, with blessings and admonition from Sally, she whispered to herself, “I've never seen a bunch of people so eager to convert me to the church as these Mormons. Even Lucy Harris wasn't this eager about her church. I can wrap anything up as a desire to know more about Mormonism, and I shall immediately have what I want.”

But Jenny changed her mind as soon as she stepped into the print shop. The press was clanging and clattering and the building was vibrating. First she needed to find Cowdery to make her presence known.

When she stepped into the press room, she saw a strange look cross his face. Clasping the book tight, she bravely marched toward him, pushed on by her desire to learn printing. Oliver shut down the press. Giving a quick glance toward the stairs leading to Joseph's office, he closed the door to the street, “Jenny, he doesn't like young ladies in the print shop.”

“Even those who would like to learn a little about the business?” she pleaded. “I'd sweep the floor for you if you'd only let me look on, Oliver Cowdery.”

His inky hand tugged at his shirt collar and he tried to smile, but she was aware of his uneasiness. “Jenny, you were a good scholar back in the Manchester days, but a good scholar doesn't necessarily make a printer, especially a female.”

“I've really come to see Joseph today,” she admitted.

He hesitated, glancing upward. As he turned and marched across the press room, he spoke over his shoulder. “He's busy right this minute. This bundle of papers goes down to Whitney. If you'll deliver them for me, so's they can get in the afternoon mail, I'll put you next in line to see the Prophet.”

When Jenny returned from Whitney's store, she was licking a peppermint stick. She was nearly to the print shop when the door opened and a young woman stepped out. Glancing at Jenny with a pleasant smile, she murmured, “Good afternoon. We haven't met, but I know you are Jenny. I'm Fannie.” She glanced down at the candy.