The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-03-05

delivered her lecture entitled 1.-THE Story OF M.
Life" at City Hall. The audience was not
large one, though it was select. All Dad WORD
of enthusiastic praise for the speaker, and it i
safe to say that City Hall will be crowded Oh
her next appearance
Mrs. Young is a woman thirty years of age,-
an attractive looking blonde, with graceful
carriage and fine figure. Her face, though no
beautiful, is noticeable for its intellectual cast
for its clear bright grey eyes under beautiful,
arched brows, for its wids forehead and if
mouth expressive of resolute determination.
Her delivery was distinct and pleasing, and he
voice audible in the remotest part of the hall
The story OF her life was simply told in shor
and direct sentences, though now and then sh,
broke into passionate protest as the memory
OF her wrongs crowded upon her. Her lecture
was singularly free from bitterness, save wher
| she spoke of Brigham Young; then the thought
OF hundred sights gave an acerbty to hel
words which seems foreign to her nature. Hel
whole discourse was marked with a deep earn
estness, and there was in her very voice sense
OF wrong as she pleaded for her sisters, the bond
women of Utah. In noble and generous phrase
she defended the sincerity and purity of the
Mormon women. Born under the very shadow
of the temple at Nauvoo, taken to Salt Lake
| City when but four years of age, she was
brought up in the tenets of the latter-day saints
and taught to believe that the creed of Joseph
Smith was the only true religion. Within the
bounds OF the Mormon church was eternal hap
piness; without its pale everlasting perdtion
Chershing that belief for thirty years she will
lingly accorded to her sisters an equal sincerity.
She was introduced by her agent, Mr.. Pond,
who announced that she would deliver her lee
ture on "polygamy as it isl Saturday afternoon
and her lecture ON the Mormon religion Sunday
evening.
In beginning she remarked that the nine
tenth wife of man in the nineteenth century
would excite curiosity in heather country, yet
in this land of civilization the matter is regard
ed as of little Importance. Briefly tracing the
events of her early life and instruction in the
Mormon religion, she devoted some time to
description of her baptism at the age of sixteen
years in the endowment house, in which the
ceremonies are of a semi-theatrical character,
and the language blank verse; paraphrased
from the Bible and Millions Paradise Lost; in
one portion intoxicating the strongest faith in
Mormon doctrines, and intense hatred of the
United States government and all Gentiles.-
Her eighteenth year found her upon the stage
of Brgham's theatre, and the year following
she was married to her first husband Cruel
treatment led her to secure divorce, and she
returned to the home of her parents. Brigham
there met her and proposed marriage. Regard
ing such union with the horror natural to
any true woman, who feels that it would be
wholly devoid of affection on the part of her
hus nand, Mrs. Young finally consented influ-
enced by her reverence for Brigham as the
prophet of God, by the wishes of her parents
and desire to help brother who had incurred
the enmlty OF the church. Married secretly in
the Endowment house, and commanded to keep
her marriage from the outside world owing to
Brigham's fear of the Genties, she began
housekeeping with some cheap furniture and
few dishes from the sale of an old bakery. This
is sample of the wedding outfit of a polyga-
nous wife. Rigid parsimony was also prac-
ticed in supplying clothing, which was limited
to cheap grades of prints and muslins. If an
extra breadth Of cloth or extra bow is asked
for, the wife may expect private lecture, If
not public castlgation. A year later she was
removed to one of Brigham's farms, where her
mother was compelled to perform dairy work,
and she to carry the products to Brigham's
family. Overwork producing illness, her moth
er was requested to leave, and from that mo.
ment Mrs. Young hated him cordially Com
menting upon the object eff Brigham in taking
young wives at his advanced age, the lecturer
said that it was merely to crafty his vanity
to show that although old he could marry as
many young women as he wished. jealousy
hrst obtained place in her bosom when Brig
nam promised to accompany her to a ball, and
came accompanied by another wife. Her de-
testation OF the man increased when she be-
came aware OF his many cruel swindles in
grasplng the property of widows, orphans and
helpless Mormons to satisfy his inordinate
greed of gain. Yet she was SO firm a believer
in the power of the Mormon church and of
Brigham as its head, that she could not decide
10 fo-t
of lifetime. After wretched lonely life
ON the farm for three years, seldom visited by
her husband, he at last erected cottage house
for her in Salt Lake City,
Tired OF the niggardy support allowed her.
self and children from her husbands purse she
asked and obtained permission to keep board
ers. This was granted, with the notification
thai she should wholly provide for herself in
the future: This from a husband worth mill
lions! Under the circumstances she determined
to free herself, and selling the furniture, re-
moved to the Walker House, the leading Gen:
tile hotel, and began a suit for divorce and sup
port from her husbands estate. Brigham's
lawyers raised question of Jurisdiction of the
court, and the question remains to be decided
by the Supreme Court of the United States
Her Mormon friends endeavored to disSuade
her from this course of procedure, and her
mother wrote her long and affectionate letter
which was read to the audience, urging her to
repent, to cling to the church and insure sher
eternal welfare. This letter, beautiful in its
language and earnest in thought, is one of the
strongest proofs of the infatuation Of many of
| the Mormon believers. Referring to the pri-
vate family affairs of the prophet, Mrs. Young
| said that now, at the age of seventy-three, ne
has nineteen wives-ffteen for time and etern-
ity and four by proxy. Seven of them live with
him at the Bee Hive and Sion House; his first
wife in a small cottage in the rear of one of the
buildings, while the others are scattered through
out the city and territory. His favorite wife is
Amelia Folsom, who rules him with rod of
iron, hates him intensely, scorns his COUNSEL
and instead of receiving his lectdres meekly,-
lectures him herself, a la Cardle. Her sole rea-'
son for remaining with him is to reap the adj
vantages of his wealth, and the other wives
crave her favor to secure such benefits as she
chooses to accord them. Brigham has forty
five living children, mostly grown and married,
and seven daughters are plural wives Inter
esting particulars of the working of Brigham's
household and his sufferings from the over
bearing disposition of his favorite Amelia, were
related with apparent satisfaction by the lee
turer, and seemed to be highly relshed by the
audience. Briefly referring to the mental SUI
fering and squalid poverty which is the fate Of
the great majo' ity of the Mormon women of
the poorer class, the lecturer expressed the hope
| that her mission for their relief would be
| successful one, aud that Congress would sweep
| away the last vestige of the system of polyg-
amy. On her ow n part. the door of legal re-
| dress had been opened for her, she had entered
it and had secured the boon which she had
craved, liberty.