Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1872-03-28
MORMONISM.

MORMONISM.
A work by Mrs. stenhouse, entitled "a
Lady's Life among the Mormons,' hast just
been published, and excites considerable at
tention. We fud some extracts in the New
York papers:
After an extend account of the life and Nor
mon labors of Mrs Stenhouse and her husband
she proceeds to relate how the great ordeal OF
giving her husband secoud wife was passed.
through
As the time approached for me to do this, |
felt like condemned telon in his cell waiting
in agony the day of his execution. knew
that my husband suffered also, now that 1t was
so near for he necessarily saw that 1t would
make "a great change in his future life. His
freedom was gone The dreaded day at length
arrived As may we'll be supposed, had
passed very wakeful and unhappy night, and
| felt very sick and nervous for | was soon to
become mother and it seemed to me that |
had not the courage to GO through that day
However, [ neryed myself to the task, aud
silently made my preparations ior goug to the
Endowment House" The morning was
bright and lovely, and calculated to Inspire joy
ous hopes and happy feelings. To uc it brought
even trust myself to soeak to my children, for
was choking with suppressed emotion and
they, not knowing how deeply was suffering,
looked at Inc with wonder in their Innocent
eyes. ooh y l thought, surely my husband
will at last understand the depth Of the love
bear hiu, for were il not that he believes the
doctrine to be true, [ would even now dash
this bitter cup from my lips J. There was a
darkness before my eyes, and, struggle as |
might, could see no ray Of light, no gllmmer-
ing Of hope. | was utterly cast down and
broken u-heartei, and felt almost as if the Lord
had forsaken me- could not go to my hus
band for sympathy for felt that his Thoughts
were with his young bride, and that my sorrows
would only worry him at time when he must
desire to be at peace The time at length ar
rived Tor us to 20 to the Endowment
House," and there at the altar the first
wife is expected to give proof vt her faith IN
her religion by placing the hand OF the
new wife in that of her husband. She is ask
ed the question by Brigham Young. Are
you willing to give this woman to your hus-
land, to be his lawful and welded wife, for
time and for all eternity? II you are, you will
manifest it by placing her right hand within
the righ hand of your husband | did So
But what words can describe my feelings?
The anguish of a whole lifetime was crowded
into that one single moment. When it was
done, | felt that had laid everything upon
the altar, and that there was no more to sacrl-
fee. | had given away my husband. What
more could the Lord require of me that | could
not do?
The following is Mrs. Steuhouses account of
BRIGHAM's WIVES.
Very extravagent statements have been pub
L. 4 Al .1n~ /f R,.r rhn,, -
wives aud children. How many he has had
from the time he courted Miss Martha Broth
rrton, until now, it wonld be difficult to esti-
mate. Some Of his wives are dead; others
have left him, and many probably have been
sealed to him who strayed away like those OF
Brother Heber, and he knew not whittier they
went. OfBrigham's present family | am ac-
quainted with nineteen of his wives. Before
he was Mormon he had wife and family,
but of that lady / know nothing Two Of her
daughters are 10 Utah. His Mormon family be-
gins with his first legal wife, who is still living
Mrs Mary Aun Angel Young. She is pro-
baby about his own age, but is physically less
preserved, and looks much older. She is a
most excellent and amiable lady. and bears
traces of having had her full share Of
earthly troubles She is the mother of three
prominent sous-Joseph A., Brigham, Jr.,
John w., and two aughters-Alice and Luna.
Each Of the sous has three wives. The first
daughter is the third of four wives in poly.
pamic household The other daughter is the
first wife of young man, and has for com-
panion wife her fathers daughter by another
mother The eldest daughter, Alice, has also
her half-sister as an associate wife in her hus-
band S household
The legal wife of Brigham Young is: |, Mrs.
Mary Ann Angel His polygamic wives are :
Ii, Mrs. Clara Decker, Ill, Mrs. Lucy Decker;
(sisters,) w, Mrs. Emeline Free; V, Mrs.
Harriet Cook; VI, Mrs Twiss; VII, Mrs.
Eliza Burgess; VIII, Mrs. Susan Snively; lA,
Mrs. Lucy Bigelow; X, Mis-. Harriet Barney Sea-
gers; ri, Mrs. Martha Bowker; MI, Mrs.
Margaret Pierce; NH, Mrs Amelia Folsom;
XIV, Mrs Mary Van Cott Cobb; Ky, Mrs
Eliza Ann Jay Webb. His proxy" wives
are XVI. Mrs Emily Partridge; XVII, Mrs.
lima D. Huntington Jacobs; XVIII, Miss
Eliza K. Snow These were formerly sealed"
to 10. eph. Smith, and are now proxy wives
to Brigham. Also-XLX, Mrs. Augusta Cobb,
[who was ''sealer to Joseph Smith since his
death. Besides these there may very likely
be other ladies sealed to Brigham, but
myself know personally no more than the above
named
Mrs. Stenhouses narrative is the first really
authentic account of Mormonisn we have yet
had. Her husband is we'll known to the New
York press, and both she and he were TOR
years engaged in the. building up Of the Nor
mon system.