The Republican journal., 1870-11-03
THE MAN WITH TWENTY WIVES.
A Mormon Romance.
From the Trinidad Colorado Enterprize.

A Mormon Romance.
From the Trinidad Colorado Enterprize.
I CHAPTER 1.-THE MORMON'S DEPARTURE
The morning on which Reginald Gloverson
was to leave Great Salt Lake City with a
mule train dawned beautifully.
Reginald Gloverson was young and thrifty
Mormon, with an interesting family of twen-
ty young and handsome wives.
His unions had never been blessed with
children. AS often as once year he used to
90 to Omaha, in Nebraska, with q mule train
for goods but although he had performed
the rather perious journey many times with
entire safety, his heart was strangely sad on
this particular morning, and filled with
gloomy torebodings.
| The time for his departure had arrived
the high-spirited mules were at the door, i'm
patiently champing their bits. The Mormon
stood sadly among his weeping wives.
Dearest ones he said, 81 am singularly
sad at heart this morning; but do not let
this depress you. The journey is d perilous
one, but--pshaw | have always come back
safely heretofore, and why should | fear.
Besides, know that every night, as lay
down on the broad starit prairie, your bright
faces will come to me in my dreams and
make my slumbers sweet and gentle You,
Emily, with your mild blue eyes; and YOU,
Henrietta, with your splendid black hair !;
and you, Nelly, with your hair 50 brightly,
beautifully, golden; and YOU Mollie, with
your checks so downey; and you, Betsy,
with your-with your-that is to say, Susan,
with your-and the other thirteen of YOU,
each 50 good and beautiful, will come to me
in sweet dreams, will you not. dearests 2"
Our own" they lovingly chimel, we
wiln'
And so, FAREWELL" cried Reginald.
Come to my arms, my own" he cried,
that is, as many of you as can do it conve-
niently at once, for | must away
He folded several of them to his throbbing
breast, and drove sadly away.
But he had not gone far when the trace of
the otf-hind mule became unhitched Dis
mounting, he cssayed to adjust the trace ;
but ere he had fairly commenced the task the
mule, q singular refractory animal, snorted
| wildly and kicked Reginald frghtfully in
the stomach. He arose with difficulty and
tottered feebly toward his mothers house,
which was near by, falling dead in her yard,
with the remark, ''Dear mother, Ive come
home to de!H
$50 | see" she said; "where's the
mules y
Alas! Reginald Glovcrson could give no
!
threw herself upon his inaminate form, cry
ing, 'Oh, my son, my son. only tell me
where the mules are, and then you may die
if you want to-
In vain, in vain Reginald had passed on.
CHAPTER H.-FuNERAL rRAPrINtis.
| The mules was never found.
| Reginald's heart broken mother took the
body home to her unfortunate sons widows.
| But before her arrival, she indiscreetdlv sent
a boy to burst the news gently to the atfiict-
ed wives. which he did by informing them,
in hoarse whisper, chat their cold man had
gone in. >
The wives felt very badly indeed.
"He was devoted to me-" sobbcl Emily.
''And to me-" said Maria.
"lcs, SAID Emily, -'hc thought consdcra-
bly, Of you, but not 80 much as he did ofmc. "
II say he didn't n
"lIr did !"
Don't look ut me-, with your squint eyes "
'Don't shake your red head at me-"
-'Sisters," said the bIack-hared Henrietta.
cease this uuseemly wranglng, /, as hi
first wife, shall strew flowers on his grave
fNo you won't" said Susan II, us his
last wife, shall strew flowers on his crave.
It's my business to strew"
You shan't-so there :" said Henrietta.
You bet l will,' said Susan, with u tear
sutfused check
well, as for me-" said the practical Bet
sy, II amt on the strew much, but | shall
ride at the head of the funeral procession" "
| Not if I've been introduced to myself,
you won't" said the goden-haircd Nelly
''that'S my position. You bet your bonnet
strings it is
| "Children," said Reginald's mother, you
must do some CRYING, YOU know, on the day
of the funeral; and how many pocket hand
kerchers will it take to 90 around? Betsy
you and Nelly ought to make one do between
you"
'I'l tear her eyes out ii she perpct'late4 a
sob on my handkerchief" said Nelly.
'+Dear daughters in-law," said Reginald !
mother, chow unseemlyeis this anger. Mules
of five hundred dollars Il span, and every
identical mule my poor boy mad has been
gobbled up by the red man. knew when
my Reginald staggered into the door-yard
that he was on the Die but if III only thunl,
to ask him about them mules ere his gentle
spirit took its flight, it would have been four
thousand dollars in our pockets, aud no mis-
take. Excuse these real tears but you've
nevel felt u parents feelings"
''lt's an oversight - sohbPd Maria. "Dc
not blame us !"
| CHAPTER III.-DlSr To bI ST.
The funeral passed off in a very pleasant
manner, nothing occurred to mar the harmo-
ny of the occasion. BT L happy thought OF
Reginald's mother, the wives walked to the
grave twenty abreast, which rendered that
part Of the ceremony thoroughly impartial.
That night the twenty wives, with heavy
hearts, sought their twenty respective
couchcs.
In another house, not many leagues from
the house of morning, Il gray-haired woman
was weeping passionatcly.
''IIc died. she cried, che died without
signerfyng, in any respect, where them
mules went to-"
CHAPTER UNMARRIED AGAIN.
| Two years elapse between the third and
fourth chapters. A manly Mormon, one
evening, as the sun was preparing to SET
among select assortment,of gold and Grim
son clouds in the western although
for that matter the sun has right to 'set
where it wants to, and so, | may add, has Il
L1.~ 7 ,n,ltl 4