Of course, I will not completely copy Mr. Conan Doyle's original text, because the original text is really long, accounting for nearly one-third of the entire length of "A Study in Scarlet", so I just try to briefly retell it, but It still needs to be divided into two chapters to be published.
Perhaps this story will make you ambiguous, dissatisfied, or even hostile to some religions, but I believe this is not Mr. Conan Doyle’s original intention. In the final analysis, a novel is just a novel...)
On May 4, 1847, in the middle of the North American continent.
There is a desert abandoned by civilization, from the Sierra Nevada to Nebraska, from the Yellowstone River in the north to Colorado in the south. Countless dead bones on the road and vultures circling in the sky can be seen all year round.
On this day, a lonely traveler walked on this barren and infinitely desolate land, his face was haggard and thin, and the brown skin like parchment covered his protruding bones.
He endured hunger for several days and nights, trekked through a valley, and finally struggled to come to this not-so-large highland. At this moment, his eyes were already dimmed... The hope of finding a source of water was also shattered. .
He threw the rifle to the ground, then laid down the great gray bundle on his back, and sat down against the rock himself. A little girl poked her head out of the bundle, she had bright brown eyes, she was about five years old, she was wearing a pretty pink blouse and a sackcloth bib. From this outfit, it can be seen that her mother loves her meticulously.
It's a pity that the little girl's mother is already a dead bone in this desert...
She asked: where did mother go
He replied: I think you will see her soon. If you are thirsty, just bear it for a while, and you will be fine after a while.
He could only answer in this way. In fact, he thought he would leave this world soon.
The little girl picked up two mica flakes and showed him: "How beautiful! How nice! I will give it to my little brother Bob when I get home."
The adult replied confidently: "You will see something more beautiful than this soon, just wait a while..."
This man is called John Ferrell. He is an explorer. A few days ago, he was still in a horse team. He could drink clean fresh water and eat enough rations every day. But now, everyone They were all dead, and only he and little Lucy were left.
In fact, this little girl has nothing to do with him, he can throw it away, or even eat it... But he didn't do that, because he still believed in heaven.
The vultures had already landed in front of them, waiting for the big meal. John Ferrell said, "Let's pray."
The little girl replied, "It's not even night yet."
"It's okay. There is no need to have a fixed time. Don't worry, God won't blame us."
The prayers began, but they were all too tired, and soon fell asleep on the stone...
If John Ferrell had gone to bed half an hour later, he would have seen a spectacle. At the far end of this alkaline land, a cloud of smoke and dust was raised. At first, from a distance, it was unclear whether it was dust or mist, but gradually, the smoke became higher and wider, until it formed a thick cloud.
This is an extremely huge convoy, filled with smoke and dust, the canvas-topped caravan and fully armed riders are moving towards the west. The front team has reached the foot of the mountain, and the rear team is still far away on the horizon. This mighty team is a group of immigrants who are migrating, and they are looking for a new home and paradise.
Several riders who were exploring the road ahead found two tiny black spots on the steep cliff. They consulted a figure who seemed to be a leader. The elder said: "Leave the horses below, we will I'm here to meet you."
So, several young people picked up their rifles and came to the high ground where John Ferrell was...
Half an hour later, the two dying travelers were brought into the largest tent in the convoy. They were lucky enough to meet a great leader—Brigham Young.
"My name is John Ferrell, and this little guy and I are the only ones left in the team of twenty-one. The others are dead in the south without eating or drinking..."
"Is she your child?"
He boldly admitted: "I think... now she is my child, I saved her, no one can take her away, and she will be called Lucy Ferrier from today on."
The big man said sternly: "We can take you with us only if we believe in our religion. We don't allow wolves to mix into our flock. Rather than let two rotten spots destroy the whole fruit in the future, it is better to let the whole fruit be destroyed now." Let your bones be exposed in this wilderness. Are you willing to accept this condition and go with us?"
"I'm willing to follow you, on any condition." Ferrell said with emphasis, and some stable elders around were amused by the explorer, only the big man Brigham Young still maintained a solemn and solemn expression .
He said, "Brother Stangerson, take him in, give him food and drink, and give the boy too. You are also responsible for teaching him our doctrine. We have been delayed too long, rise up, and go to Mount Sion. (The place name of Jerusalem, the holy place of Christianity, here refers to the place where the Mormons will choose to live) Go on!"
"Go forward, go to Mount Xion!" The Mormons shouted together. The order spread like a wave through the ranks, and the voices gradually died away in the distance. With the crackling of whips and the rumble of vehicles, the convoy of chariots and horses started to move, and the entire convoy moved forward again.
Elder Stangerson took the two victims into his car, where food was already prepared, and he said: "You stay here, and you will recover soon. From now on, always remember that you It is our Christians. Brigham Young instructed thus, and his words were spoken in the voice of Joseph Smith (the founder of Mormonism, known as the prophet of God in the world), that is, to convey God's will."
…
Many years later, when we look back at the experiences of these immigrants, we may be able to write a whole book. They have overcome the savages, Wild animals, hunger and thirst, fatigue and disease, all obstacles that God can send.
At last, when they saw the broad valley of Utah bathed in sunshine beneath their feet, and heard their leader declare that this virgin land was their God-given Promised Home, and would be theirs forever , sincere worship.
The immigrants settled down, digging ditches, building fences and borders, cultivating and reclamation, a thriving scene. In the summer of the second year, thousands of hectares of wheat waves emerged in the whole countryside, which was golden.
Here, too, John Ferrell was allotted his own piece of land, where he built a solid log house, which was increased year by year until it gradually became a spacious villa.
The adventurer was a very practical man, shrewd and skilled, and his physique was so strong that he worked tirelessly from morning to night to cultivate and improve the land. Therefore, his farm was very prosperous. Within three years, he surpassed his neighbors; after six years, he was very rich; On the shores of the Salt Lake, whose first pioneers were these Mormons), there are not more than five or six people who can be compared with John Ferrell, and he became a figure far and wide.
But there was one thing, Ferrell hurt the feelings of his fellow believers, no matter how he argued with him, no matter how he tried to persuade him, Ferrell refused to marry and start a family in the "that way" of his companions. He never gave a reason for his repeated refusals, he was just unwaveringly stubborn.
John Ferrell thus led his strict celibacy, but, apart from this, he was unfailingly devoted to the religion of the fledgling colony. And was recognized as a deeply orthodox, decent man.
And Lucy Ferrell grew up in such a land, she is John Ferrell's only adoptive daughter, helping her father with everything. The fresh air in the mountains and the scent of fat in the pine forest nurtured this young girl like a loving mother. Years passed, Lucy has grown slim.
Her cheeks became more delicate and her gait became lighter. Passers-by couldn't help but stop to see this beautiful angel when they passed by the farm of the Ferrell family. The slender figure of the girl rode her father's horse, like a boy in the American West, passing through it with a vigorous and skillful posture. wheat field. Even the Indians who transported the hides, who were always expressionless, would be very surprised at the sight of this extremely beautiful fair-skinned girl, and could not help relaxing their usual rigid faces. No one would dispute that she was the prettiest American girl in all the mountains on the Pacific coast.
And it is not her father who first senses that a girl has grown into a man. This kind of thing is rarely noticed by a father. This mysterious change is very subtle and formed very slowly, which cannot be measured in time. But the most difficult thing to notice this is the girl herself, until she heard a certain person's words, or touched a certain person's hand, she felt a deer bumping in her heart, and a feeling of pride and fear intertwined. Only then will she understand...
This year, Lucy met another young man, his name was Jefferson Hope, an explorer, gold digger, and excellent hunter, who rescued Lucy from a runaway herd of cattle. Germinations were planted in each other's hearts, but neither of them had guessed the ending...