-from the journals of ezra meeker, 1852 their lives would be tempered by adversity, expanded by faith, polished by perseverance. For madison "Mazy" Bacon, a young wife living in southern wisconsin, the future appears eve...-from the journals of ezra meeker, 1852 their lives would be tempered by adversity, expanded by faith, polished by perseverance. For madison "Mazy" Bacon, a young wife living in southern wisconsin, the future appears every bit as promising as it is reassuringly predictable.