The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1870-11-10
A MAN WITH TWENTY WIVES
A MORMON ROMANCE.
CHAPTER 1-rHE noRsroN's prpA Rr,rRI

1uliys
Reginald Gioverson was young and
thrifty Mormon, with an interesting fam
liy OF twenty young and handsome wives.
HIS unions had never been blessed with
children. As often as once a year he
used to 60 to Omaha, in Nebraska. with
4 mule train Tor goods bat although he
had performed the rather perilous Journey
many times with enrire safety, his heart
/ was strangely sad on this particular morn
ing, and filed with gloomy forebodings.
The time for his departure had arrived
the high>spirited mules were at the
door, iinpatiently champing their bits
! The Mormon stood sadly amoug his
weeping wives.
Dearest ones,' he said, i am singu>
larly sad at heart this morning but do
not let this depress you. The Journey
is perilous one, but-pshaw l have
always come back safely heretofore, and
why should l fear? Besides, | know
that every night, as | lay down on the
broad starHt prairie your faces will come
to me in my dreams and make my slum-
bers sweet and gentle. You, Emily,
with your mild blue eyes and you, Hen
rietta, with your splendid black hair
and you, Molly, with our hair so brightly,
beautifully golden; and you, MoIlie, with
your cheeks SO downy and you, Betsy,
with your with your-that is TO say,
Susan, with your-and the other thirteen
OF you, each so good and beautiful, will
come to me in sweet dreams. will you not
dearests p
Our own,' they lovingly chimed, we
will =
And so farewelI!' cried Reginald =
Come to my arms, my own = he said,
that is, as many of you as can do it con-
veniently at once, for | must awav.'
He folded several of them to to his
throbbing breast, and drove sadly away.
But be had not gone far when the trace
OF The Oft hind mule became unhitched.
Dismoonting, he essayed to adjust The
trace; but ere he had fairly commenced
the task, the mule, a singularly refractory
animal, snorted wildly and kicked Regi-
nald frighiully 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. I've come home to die =
$50 | see,' she said, where's the
mules 2
Alas Reginald Gloverson could
give no answer. In vain The heart strick-
en- mother threw herself upon his imam
innate form, crying
'Oh, my sonny son !-only tell me
where the mules are, and then you may
die if you want to-
In vain-in vain Reginald had pass
ed on.
CHAPTER II. H.-FUNERAI TRAPPINGs.
The mules were never found.
Reginald's heart broken mother took
the body home to her unfortunate sons
widows. But before her arrival, she
indiscreetly sent boy to burst the news,
gently, TO tie afflicted wives, which he did
by Informing them, in hoarse whisper,
that their 'old man had gone in
The wives felt very badly indeed.
He was devoted to me, sobbed Emily
'And to me- said Maria.
yes said Emily, she thought con>
siderable of you, but not SO much as he
did of me-
i say he did 2
i say he didn't J.
'He did
He didn'tl'
Don't look at me with your sguint
eyes!'
Don't shake your red head at me 7
Sisters said the black haired Heuri-
eta, cease this unseemingly wrangling
/, as his first wife, shall strew flowers on
his grave
No you won't SAID Susan. 4, as
his last wife, shall strew flowers on his
grave. It's my business to strew.'
You shan't--so there said Henrietta.
you bet will,' said Susan with tear
suffused cheek.
well, as for me- said The practical
Betsy, I amt on the strew, much, but l
shall ride at the head of the funeral pro-
cession.'
Not if Eve been introduced to myself,
you won't, said the golden haired Nelly, |
that's my position. You bet your bon~
net strings it is
Children said Reginald's mother,
you must do some crying, you know on
the day of the fuperal; and how many
observation-disclosures will It take to 20
round Betsy, you and Nelly ought to
make one do between you
sIll tear her eyes out if she perpetrates
sob on my handkerchief J said Nelly.
Dear daughters in>law,' said Regin-
AIDS mother, show unseemingIy is this
anger. Mules is FIVE hundred dollars
span and every identical mule my poor
boy had has been gobbIed up by the red
man. knew when my Reginald stag
gered into the door yard that he was on the |
die, but had I only thunk to ask him
about them mules ere bis gentle spirit took
its fight. it would have been four thous-
and dollars in your pockets. You have
never felt parents feelings
SITS an oversight sobbcd Maria.-