Kenosha tribune and telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1855-1855, 1855-03-01
KEN0sHA, WIS, THURSDAY MARCH /, 1855.
Utah and Polygamy, A Mormon Wife's
EXOerience


We have seldom read any thing which
has affected Us more keenly than the fol-
lowing sketch OF what must be frequent
scene in Mormon Life It is taken from the
New York Tribune, and is an extract from a
private letter from Lady who heard the
story from the lips ofthe Mormon husband.
1t touches upon point of exceeding inter-
est, which, in the hands Of capable wri-
ter might be expanded into tale Of surpass-
ing power. Here is the story.
s'-''You ask me to give little more
in detail the incident in The cars, that oc-
Cured as we were crossing the Alleghanies
of which briefly spoke when we met.
could not half tell you the story now, after
the vividness with which it impressed me
has so nearly passed away, and if I could,
1t would not produce that effect ii did upon
me heard it after weeks ofanxicty had wea-
keaed my system, when my long and wea-
rlsome Journey had leftme but the strength
OF Il child and my restless and excited mind
seized uponi5in allits reality without the
Moderation Alw ty3 ,ent to a subject by our
own indifference, and personal discon,
nection with it A wrong done to another be-
comes an outrage when practised upon our
| selves. had through watching and fast
ting, become SO ethcrialzed as 10 lose siyhtof
thisselhsh indifference and to see my neigh
Dor as myself. felt that all womankind
had been insulted and sacrificed in the per-
son of Margaret It was my duty not
less than hers to avenge it. could have
sent the aggressor tumblng into the gorge
n faJu
sldered 1t but retrIbut!ve Justice.
"The Mormon elder came into our car.
near tie foot of the mountains, and SIT near
US. He would have been good looking if
he had looked good He had a peculiar
manner--it indicated such perfect satisfac-
ton with himself and the world. | heard
him say he had gone to Salt Lake City be-
fore the first furrow had been turned in the
ground. i listened, for who is not curious
concerning Observation-Disclosures? lheard
him tell OF their great temple and how it
went on stone, by stone, and with each the
power ofthe devil grew less and less. How
new proselytes came pouring in TO swell
The host that was waiting ito receive the
Christ when he should come to reign a
| thousand years upon the earth He was
a man OF no reading. His knowledge was
like Mr.. Gradgrind's) confined to facts, ,
but he had a natural gift of conversation,
and gave a rapid AND sklful GU time of bis
subject in way that interested you at once
When the night grew darker he came
and sat behind us. He had fallen into the
hands Of a gentleman whose dexterity in
queationing, led him on to speak freely Of
himself, an SO gradua lily the9 came to the
peculiar institution. He said the women
seldom cared to marry men OF their own
age, that their affections inclined towards
the priests and elders. This convinced me
that ii the men are all hypocrites, the wo-
men are not wholly SO, but that they do
this for the exalsation oftheir souls. NV
LAWYER, (for so | shall call the questioner,
asked whether the women were not Jealous
Teach other, especially the younger ones
The Saint answered, No Some few he
continued, were little difficult, but it was
mostly couf3ed to the young. To be sure
his wife felt 1t when he married second
time; the rest had never cared Did she
care SO very much 2 continued the LAWYER.
Oh yes; l thought at first it would have
killed her You see when became a con
vert, did not understand that part of it,
because my wife and had been so happy
together. We married early, and lad scarce
y been q day apart. When l wanted t.
go to Salt Lake she did not incline to 20,
because she did not see so clearly as l the
truth of our great religion-but the idea Of
my marrying was no hinderance 1t did
nor occur to her possible, and it was not for
a long time after got there that | thought
Of it myself
Margaret did not mix with the people.
she retained her old eastern ways and was
always at home. had never let her do
much work Cher hands were too small for
that) She was stately ir her form, and
she had queer way of twisting her long
hair round her head, SO it looked Ike a
crown. The folks said she was proud, and
one or two who had daughters asked me
why did not take wife, and if were no,
afraid? So it came upon me gradually
while upon her, you see, it fell like a stroke
on musthave found it dificult:o break
such thing to her.
Eyes it was hard to DO. But at last | f.
said will. 90 it on Thursday, and on Thurs
day evening when ] came home she was
standing in the garden, and went and put
nay arm around her, and told her how it,
had been revealed to me that must marry
again
What did she say?'
''Nothing. Net one word She just
gave one scream. | declare | shall never
get that scream out of my ears. believe
| should hear it if were on the Andes
thought heard it minute ago.
The sleet ratified against he windows Of
our car, and the black midnight wind swept
down the mountains. and thought heard /
it too.
The Mormon proceeded-.And then she |
fell like one dead. | thought she was dead
but she came too after while, and would |
you believe it, she never mentioned the |
subject TO me. could not find in ray heart
to say thing about it again for more than
FIVE months. Meantime she had taken
cold, and did not get strong again. l saw
she was wearing the thought of it about her
like a mourning weed. and SO when she
seemed little better, | talked to her about