To my amazement, I found my Raphael lady, Harriet Ferguson. She is married to Brigham Young, and now calls herself "Tansy," to distinguish herself from the other two Harriets to whom Young is also married. She is in amazing health, and is constantly with the President, being his "hospitality wife." At the Ball, she shone like her original in Rome, resplendid in a deep blue satin gown that brought out the color of her extraordinary eyes, which, I am happy to say, no longer have their vestigial sadness. She danced a schottiche with me, and when we cooled ourselves in the side galleries with some "Mormon punch," she arranged with directness and tact for me to have a private interview with the President. She has amazing intuition. As I was preparing to leave Salt Lake City, for the journey west with Josiah Smith, she sent me a package containing, among other things such as tea and venison jerky, the same satin ball gown with an unsigned note saying, "Dear Mr. Bierstadt, you once saved my life, now please allow me to save yours. Take this gown to the Lady you love and make her your wife. Let no thing stand in your way." This lady is no trifler; after my initial consternation, I bethought myself to follow her advice.
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