The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1869-09-28
Miscellany.
MORMONDOM.
Auun Dickinson Visits "a Mormon
and Interviews N Bigamisf an" s''o
Of His Wives. ~


.,ru Dickinson Visits n Mormon AA"
- Uutervievs N Bixumisf and scSefn'
Of His Wives. "
In Salt Lake City went to the house oi
Mormon elder, was told beforehand he had
two wives, and that they had both lived 70
gether some fifteen years, and were periec',y
happy and contented-they lived together IN
then house and were perfectly contented WIN
their lot and would not change II II tney
could. L was not man. did not DeleVe u
word of it, and so L went TO see for myself.
| went into their house, and it was mag
nificent one. In San Francisco it would be a
fine house, and there in Salt Lake it was a
splendid one. Magnificent furniture, ilne
rooms, fine gardens, and numerous servants:
| and my friends sat down in the parlor and
in came one of this mans wives. She was a
fine cood-looking, healthy Enslishwoman,
who could not speak ten words OF grammati-
cal English to save her life. talked freely
to her; there was no hindrance to that. l
asked her how long she had been married.
Seventeen years." married heTe?" "No."
Married in Englandq0 aNo." "Where were
you married, then?" "In st. Joseph" Her
husband began to fidget, and sent her out to
get a piece of gold, or quartz, or something of
that kind l understood it all.
She came back and couldn't find il, : of course
knew that. 1 tried to commence where we
had broken of, and her husband Immediately
wanted something ON the top of the mouse.
When she got back again, tried 10 GoI 1,a
mence again where we had lett OH, anu no
broke in, "Miss Dickinson came 10 eat stIam-
berries and cream now Maria, go oil ana see
if they are ready" | understand it all. Yes,
every word of it. BY and by in came another
sad-looking but handsome woman. L looked
at her. said at once, "Madam. you are the
second wife," and so it turned out. She, also,
was an Englishwoman, and the two of them
were the handsomest women l saw at Salt
Lake. But she appeared sad and worn.
There was no 'joyous happiness of married
life" about her. El-r ss1
There was piano in the room, and in
came the little girl of the house, and at once
the father said something about music, and
was evidently proud of his daughters capa-
bilities in that line. So asked her to play
and she did, and made horrid din, and, un-
der cover Of the noise and din, l had my con-
versation with the wife. She had not under
stood their doctrines. I asked her: "Did
you know when you married your husband,
that he could, if he would, marry another
woman?" "No." "Did he not tell you so at
the time ?" No, he did not. Our mission
aries and preachers when they 60 out never
preach that" $50 you knew nothing of il?
"Nothing at ALL" "But when you came here
4 and saw it was SO, were you not greatly dis
,
g l was not; was sure my husband would
never marry again. "But he did," said l.
i eyes" she answered, and sad, narrowed
look came over her countenance. "Yes, only
year after he married again. "And do you
like that? do you like him to have more
wives than one%' "Oh, yes, do! 1 wish
he had six or seven"
| saw through it all in a minute / under
stood the state of that womans mind at once
But was not surprised. looked blank and
went back on the old track. commenced
and questioned her about her English life
and painted the picture of the little cottage
at home, and the courtship, and at last The
marriage to one whole-souled, honest hus
band and how they would live together, ant
how she would wait at the door of their homo
and watch for his coming in the evening; ant
asked her if she could not be happy there
And she put her handsome hand to her face
: and bowed her head and cried, "Oh, my God
couldn't Ip' And then it was plain. IL wa.
easy to see, how that woman really thou CHI
and felt. M -.,'