Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1871-07-20
A Mormon Love story.

! A Mormon, whom we call Brothe
Nehi Gibbons, took wife at the bloom
ing age of twenty-five. He was piou
and industrious, and seemed to be perfec
tly satisfied with his bride, whose nam'
was unfortunate for heroine, being plair
Mary Ann. She was the best of wives
and she song in the choir, bore Nehi 1
child, aud helped to cultivate his vine anC
fig tree. Their apricots and pear trees
| grew and fourished. their cattle and sheer
increased, and nothing seemed wanting il
this comfortable establishment, which was
the envy of every youthful saint.
Still. there was skeleton in the closet
Mary Ann had secret and passion. She
wanted Nehi to take second wife This
was not only because he was good and
true man, and devoted and able bodied.
but because she had set her mind upon
the other wife he was to take. Mary Ann
wanted to provide for her bosom friend
Susan, who was in every way deserving OF
Nehis affection, and who loved Nehi as
purely and asreally as Mary Ann herself
They had conferred together about it.
Mary Ann, who could not be happy where
Susan was not--even at Nehi's side-had
broken the subject to Susan, and her
clearest suspicious were confirmed by the
secret disclosures that both the ladies
loved the same saint.
Far from feeling indignant at this frank
and forward confidence, Nehi's wife receiv-
ed it with delight. She gave her maiden
friend every assurance that their matual
choice was worthy of their united ambition,
and they set to work to compel Nehi to
accept another Mrs. Gibbons. 1t being
unseemly for Susan to do more than put
herself as frequently as possible in Mr..
Gibbons way, the plot ripened slowly,
and, on comforting with one of the Bishops
of the Church, he recommended both
ladies to make the consummation subject
of prayer. They lifted up their hearts
together that it might be revealed to Nehi
what good gifts he was neglecting, but
Nehi hardened his heart and refused to
extend his table cloth. Ha
He was as yet ignorant of the new help
mate intended for him, but on the sugges-
tion of Mrs. Gibbons that he was not
glorifylpg his manhood and his family, he
said that a pair was enough, and that he
had no wish to marry. Under these cir
cumstances little extreme diplomacy was
necessay, and Mrs. Gibbons. to compel a
marriage, declared that her household
work was too onerous, and finally affected
to be grievously i'll. Nehi Gibbons, una
bic to resist this description of appeal
obeyed the desire of his wife, Mary Ann,
but the woman he married-was not
Susan He was too blind to guess the per-
son intended, and he married an entirely
different woman.
Grave complications ensued upon this
precipitate action of Nehi Gibbons. The
peace of his family was disturbed, and
none tie less because, after the usual
period, the second Mrs. Gibbons had a
baby. Mary Ann rcdoubling her efforts.
met with no other snccess than that MIR.
Gibbons took third wife, and this time
also it failed to be Susan. The third
effort was moro directly made, and with
less diplomacy, Mrs. Gibbons the first
suggesting expressly that her choice was
her bosom friend and the power of candOr
was never so well attested as on this occa-
sion, for Mr.. Gibbons answered.
"Had l thought Susan would have
accepted me- my dear Mary Ann. L should
have made her my wife before proposed
to you'll
Thus piety and patience were crowned /;
friendship was rewarded. and Susan and
Mary Ann being lovely in life, in wedlock
were not divided.