The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-25

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REVIEWS OF NEW BOOKS.

sopal EXPERIENCE az enc OF the Wives OF MOI
mon Eiaei. - AR. = j. sienno;.se. Of salt Lake
CITY: Octave; Pr 2al. American News COMPANY pa.
| The appearance OF Mrs. Stenhouse's book at this
period cannot hut be productive Of much good. II
Is plain, unvarnisned naTgatlve, with every i'm.
press Of truth upon It, ITS main facts being matter
| OF record in Utah and elsewhere. In such work
the rst necessity IS TRUTH and with this granted II
may easily be imagined that any expose OF the mis-
cries and criminality OF polygamy would be inter
esting. We have had OF late years a great many
! books upon Mormonism In general, written by par
ties outside the Church OF the "Latter Day Saints"
poetry even has been laid under contribution TO pic
ture the complications ana difficulties that weak
minded blsn0p win seven wives lived under, until
: he was forced TO run away from six OF them. In
the unpretentious work before us we have, however,
painful life story of the inner horrors OF the foul
system, as seen and felt by refined and sensitive
lady The fact That this book Is the first written by
woman on p0lygamy from the inner standpoint
doubtless arises from the lack of either courage or
ability or both on the part OF such as have thrown
! Off It's disgusting trammels Where there was so
much OF shame and outraged womanhood In the
story We can easily account for very general
reluctance in putting it before the world. Mrs.
! Stenhouse can, therefore, be complimented on the
delicate way she has treated subject naturally re.
| pusive. Any one wRO mas read the conf essiOns Of
Jean jacques Rousseau will admit that, had The
Swiss lover Of treated parts OF his life
history with less coaseness ITS humanitarian lessons
would have had more effect in the world. The Mormon
! experiences Of Mrs. Stenhouse go back more tnan
twenty years, and IN opening portray the manner
In which converts TO that caynal sham OF religion
were made abroad in the early days, the receptions
! practised on the credulous and ignorant by The
travelling ''Saintsn and how the doctrine OF pO-
lYgamy was first received when publicly pro-
| claimed. Then follows q sketch Of lie as the wife
/ OF missionary In Switzerland anu the prlvati0ns
endured for the sake OF belief against which her
| heart rebelel There is In this touching pas.
sage, describing In true w0manly language the
struggle she made 20 preach the revolving doctrine
TO the sisters already baptized The Journey to
America and the terrible pilgrimage across the arid
plains to Salt Lake Valley and then what life is
among the 'Saints" at home are plainly and feel
ingly told, with here and there agreeable spice
OF quiet humor. 'The Sacrifice OF My Life"
by which title she describes the giving another wife
/ TO her husband, ts an arrangement Vt poygamy as
direct and powerful as it Is arless. The spirit in
| which these marriages 'for time and eternity" are
perpetraed is made visible, and also all the effects
! they produce In the humiliation OF love and the
! perpetuation OF heart.eating, enduring Jealousy
instead. She SAYS
But what state Of mind is this for mothers to be
IN And II children partake OF the nature ana feel
ngs Of their Mothers what kind of dispositions can
these poor children inherit, whose mothers nave
been the Victims OF these strong and fearful emo.
tOns? Oh, tits a cruel wrong to womankind. 1t Is
terrible wrong to innocent children 1t is q most
Wicked wrong IN every sense OF the word.
The arch 1end OF this system, Brigham Young,
receives some recognition, and his plausible double.
dealing Ia shown with somewhat merciul hand.
catalogue OF nineteen OF his wives ~ furnished.
Taken altogether we are glad OF this books appear
ance 1t is not OF the sensational class OF writing. but
1T Is never dull or commonplace. Anumber OF well
executed engravings are scattered through its
pages, Illustrating some of the features OF the ''pe.
cular institution" Tn reading OF Mrs. Stenhouse's
book, with Its new hight upon the subject, cannot
tall to nave its effect In Fastening the fall Of poly.
gamy.
UNA AND HER PAuPERs; Memorials OF Agnes
Elizabeth Jones, by her sister. With lntrOductons
by Florence Nightingale and Henry Ward Beecher.
New York: George RoGtIedge Sons. 1872.
IL mo-, PIP. XVII, ADJ.
Whoever would know how much more worthy is
life OF sefdenial and labor than OF eases who-
! ever would see the happiness or heaven begun on
0arth; whoever would probe the mystery that makes
the 1ates OF those lone Sisters OF Charity shine as
! with glory; whoever would find ont now much
more blessed it Is to give than 10 receive, should
give few Careful hours to the perusa OF this book
| volume more affecting, instructive or inspiring
has not been written since Miss Martineau's sick
| ness ana Health OF the People OF Bleaburnn 1t is
| the true story OF young lady Of education and
fortune devoing all ner years and talents to the
care OF Gods poor-servlng az common nurse
in hospitals, acquiring valuable experience
and training in German school for nurses
at Kaiserswerth, devotinQ herself to missionary
work among the LondOa poor, she finally became
superintendent Of the hospital IN the great Liverpool
| Workhouse, having under her care ABOVE fifty
nurses and 1900 patients. Trained in the school Of
| Florence Nightingale Whose example has inspired
| 80 many noble young women IN England and else
where, Miss Jones was found equal 10 all the labor
| and responsibility demanded in this ardu0us stu.
alton. 'Her paupersn were her world and she
found not only happiness. but -blthe and rolicsome
spirits In an occupation which to most appears so
| forbidding and gloomy.
In an age OF frlvolity and show, where young
ladies are trained almost wholly for lives OF ease
anG selt!ndugence anu can form no idea OF happi-
ness outside Of the qualification OF vanity whlm,
appetite taste. for amusement, IL is refreshing
| TO read such wholesome words as these from Flor.
ence Nightingale introduction to this work.
| Igive quarter OF o centurys European expert
est of their occupation. the most thankful for their
| lives, are, In my opinion, those engaged IN sick
nursing. In my opinion 1t is mere abuse OF words
10 represent the life, as IS done by some, sacri.
| fee and a martyrdom.
| No one who has ever known one OF those SANITY
| listers OF Charity who 20 about doing good can
doubt the truth OF this utersnce. Una the heroine
Of the present narrative, died just three years ago
al thIrtysiX, but having lived il life were to be
measured by usefulness for several generations.
grave, at Liverpool 1t IL proposed to erect
| monument, composed Of perhaps. the grandest
religious statue ever sculptured by man--Teneranrs
| angel of the Resurreoiionn-as a TT memorial Of
her YORK and type OF the hone That follows her.
I