"
"And, depend upon it, the noblest women in the country will love them
and go with them. Blessings upon those women who go into the untrampled
lands, and serve God and suckle heroes! We forget them too often. The
Pilgrim Mothers are as grand as the Pilgrim Fathers, every whit. The
men, rifle in hand, take possession of the wilderness; the women make
it blossom like the rose. No woman is too fair, or bright, or clever,
or good to be a pioneer's wife. If John Millard had been willing to
measure out dry goods, or collect debts, I should have had serious
doubts about marrying Phyllis to him. If Phyllis had been unwilling
to follow John to the frontier, I should have known that she was not
worthy of John."
Three days after this conversation John went to New Orleans with the
Bishop. The Bishop was upon Church business. John had heard of the
colony which had gone with Stephen Austin to Texas, and wished to make
further inquiries; for at this time there were three words upon every
lip--Santa Anna, Texas, and Houston. At the beginning of John's visit
there had been present in his mind an intention of going from New
Orleans to Texas at its close. He was by no means certain that he would
stay there, for he mistrusted a Mexican, and was neither disposed to
fight under their orders, nor to hold land upon their title.
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