The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-01-10
MORMON WEDDING FEAST.
How Woman's Heart Rebelled Against
the Dogma Of the Church.
ISacramanfn

How = woman's Heart Rebelled Against
the Dogma of the Church.
Sacramento Union.l
Some months since Mr.. X. brought the
beautiful Miss Finnell home to be our neigh
bora plural Mrs. X. To my surprise L was
the recipient Of an invitation TO attend the
supper given in Celebration of this event.
Mrs. r. 1.-THE frst) received me kindly, for
away down deep in her life this woman and
l have qualities in kinship We sat down to
supper at 6 o'clock. Mr.. r. and his first
wife set at opposite ends of tie table. The
new Mrs. X. sat by SISTER Julia" had
the post of honor at the right of the bride.
groom. This new kind of benedict wore an
almost sheepish air and was i'll at ease
throughout. 1t dawned upon me at last that
my presence on such an occasion was re.
| proach to me- l was more than ashamed of
my own stupidity in yielding to what appear
ed SO plainly rs most vulgar curiosity. In
| such a mood it was of course difficult to be
amiable, and rs the best substitute for that
amiability due from guest at marriage
feast, 1 tried To be witty. Suffice it TO say,
we succeeded in singing each other like
nest Of angry hornets, and nothing but our
good breeding prevented an open quarrel
We animals fed at that supper with some
thing Of the snappishness attributable to
feasting wolves. That agonizng supper over
we stood round the bright fire in the cosy
little sitting-room. Mr.. r. bad planned to
take his bride TO the tbeater and so prepare
tons in the way of gloves, cloaks and bonnets
began. The late MISS Finnel was soon toll
eted for the opera IN most fashionable attire.
Mrs. R.-my old friend-stood half reclining
against the piano. We had been silent for
moment, and, to relieve the embarrassment
taking possession Of u.s. said: Mrs. r., it
almost makes one wish to be bride again"
Mrs. X. laughed accommodatingly. Just
then Mr.. r. placed his arm gently around
the slender waist of his new bride, folding
and drew her toward him. She responded
to this caress by tender upward glance of
her beautiful eyes. Then / looked toward
my friend, to find her face pallid as
death, while look of agonizing endurance,
mingled with devilish malignity, almost freze
my blood. l had said aloud in
actual surprise before turning toward her.
"As l live, he actually loves this girl"
Mrs. r. look met mine squarely. That face
told me all. No lies now, with ready lips,
at the bidding Of fealty to religion. That
agonized, refined, sensitive face proclaimed
the system damned. A woman's natural
love rose grandly in the awful denunciation
of those fierce eyes. A great throb of pity
Hllej my own woman'S heart saw all the
torture and the noble rage of self restraint
l stepped toward her, as if to hold her in
pity TO my heart My Mormon lady friend
took me by the arm with almost rude force,
and whispered warningly, Mrs. Castine, for
Gods sake remember where you are.' did
remember and discounted, returned to my
place near the mantle. Amid this little
furry the bridal party took their departure
We women were a silent party at first.
Mrs. r. still stood leaning on the piano with
her look bent on me almost resentfully
You don't think yourself called upon to pity
me, Mrs. Castine?" she said, with an almost
quarrelsome Tone
81 do pity you, Mrs. r., and have right
TO-"
you think me jealous of my new sister.
then"
Mrs. r., we are both proud women. We
only need to look into our own hearts to learn
what a real woman must feel under the or
deal through which you are passing.
81 am not Jealous, Mrs. Castine. Not only
not jealous, but happy in this new love of my
husband. Our faith teaches us to love
these sisters in marriage as our own
flesh. This marriage is not an
arrangement of my husbands love as it
would be in an unsanctiied Gentle, but
remarriage to myself. In this marriage I
live over again my own espousal, my own
bridal, and renew again the first sweets of
married love.
We were all undoubtedly uncomfortable,
and our two lady companions took their
leave together. But nay impulse of
pity had not been lost, and without
word having been spoken be-
tween us after our friends retired she sank
into chair and covering her face with her
hands cried out in bitterness, "Ohl Mrs.
Castine, 1 am most wretched. Between me
and any celestial lights, or any glory or
peace or consolation in this life or in the
world to come there stands that woman.
Between me and all the light ofmy religion
stands that woman. This girls face is
hateful to me; that my husband should love
one for her mere beauty alonel Ny magma.
ton can not be held back from all the soul
torturing, crucifying things which follow in
the train of this marriage. The box at the
theater holds tonight man and wife-not
more. There are the gentle pressure of
hands, the glance of loving eyes, the blend
ing of lines into one destiny in this life. the
first exquisite rapture of honeymoon, which
cheats itself with the delusion that capital
stock of love has been laid in sufficient to
draw upon for life. Beyond these rise, in
spite ofall pretense of spirituality, the bridal
bed, the cradle, the child, in whose veins
there can be the commingling life-current of
but one father and one mother. All these
things one man can have only with one
woman in marriage No, Mrs. Castine;
marriage to one women unmarries a man
to all other women, or there is no marriage"
There was no answer; offered none, but
kissing her cold forehead left her alone
with her desolate sorrow.