The Belle of Nauvoo - Book One

Chapter Ten

Chapter Ten

“Lovina, I would like to talk to you in my office,” said Father.

I knew what it was about. For the past two nights, while he and Mother and Aunt Mercy were a Prayer Meeting above the Brick Store, I had had two gentlemen callers, one of whom he did not approve. And, as I had been inadequately chaperoned under that condition, my conduct was called into question. Gentlemen callers who were not approved of were usually surrounded by the family until they were smothered out.

“But there were two callers together, and Aunty Grinnels was at home,” I explained. “I could not help him calling, and I could not tell him to leave.”

“I don’t approve of Jackson. I would wish you to avoid the very appearance of evil, daughter. You must set the example for the youth of the Church.”

“Yet you allowed Lorin and me to stay alone with only one chaperone,” I protested (though truly I hadn’t minded.)

My Father gave me a benevolent smile – oh, the family matchmakers! “We approve of Lorin. We wanted to leave you alone. Lorin is something like a tortoise in his courtship.”

I felt perfectly shocked at my father! He had probably told Aunty Grinnels to fall asleep. Harking back to the sweet memory of Lorin’s kiss on my fingertips, I could not help revealing that Lorin had made some progress that evening. My cheeks suffused with color and I clutched my cherished fingertips tightly in my other hand. Of course the kiss had long since worn away, but its memory still lingered in my heart.

“Perhaps young Lorin is not so dilatory as I thought. Has he discussed marriage with you?” Father sat back in his chair and watched me shrewdly.

Embarrassed, I wiggled about in my seat. “Father! How can you ask such a thing? Lorin behaved like a perfect gentleman and left when Aunty Grinnels fell asleep! And last night he stayed only until Mr. Jackson departed! He may have no matrimonial intentions at all. I would be intensely mortified if you were to meddle. What would he think of me?”

At that information my father placed his fingertips together and gave me another one of his satisfied smiles. “So, he was determined to wait Jackson out, was he? Good for him.”

Lorin had looked awfully tired the night before last, and had come visiting in his broadcloth work shirt and suspenders. He had not even changed his tattered leather hat nor heavy coat, and his boots were caked with dried mud. He had labored all day long on the temple lifting those heavy stones, and had desperately needed his sleep. Yet when Mr. Jackson seemed determined to stay, all dressed in the finest suit to be found outside of St. Louis, Lorin doggedly remained in his chair before the fire, his head nodding. It wasn’t until the second candle guttered that they both took the hint to leave – together. Poor, tired Lorin!

He must have been watching again Sunday night, for he came immediately after Mr. Jackson called. He was much more rested and able to contribute a great deal to the conversation, which was upon the subject of Uncle Joseph’s sermon that morning at the temple site. Well-informed on that subject, he was able to outshine the better-educated Mr. Jackson in his oratory. I believe the discussion was not very conducive to converting Mr. Jackson to the principle of sealing parents to children, for it became somewhat of a debate, with Mr. Jackson taking the opposite argument. Verily, I felt at times as if I were the conductor of the lyceum!

I remembered one topic that had been debated at the Nauvoo Lyceum that winter: “Should females be educated to the same extent as males?” All of the females ranged themselves on the side of the one selected to argue in behalf of educating females and cheered him on quite vocally. That is how I felt in this debate. I could only cheer one side.