The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-03-31
LIFE AMONG THE MORMONS.

AIUUNU HE
As Seen by "a Woman Who has Lived Many
Years with Them. The Love-MIalzing,
Scheming, Jealousies, and Bright Side Of
Polygalny.
Interview in the n. Y. Sun with lady long res
ident in Utah.
Il have lived twenty years among the
Mormons like the people and like their
religion, for polygamy is religion with
them. do not, Of course, like this form
Of their belief. They are cheerful, jolly
set Of folks, their worship more nearly re-
sembling that of the Methodist than any re-
ligion known to us. They do not scare you
cut of your senses with threats Of eternal
damnation and hell fire. Even in church,
if anything funny is said, you are at liberty
to laugh, and are not considered to have Of
Tended the properties. Theyare generous,
open handed, and whole souled as a gener-
al thing, and nowhere on ealth-for have
travelled far and observed much, and know
whereof speak-do women uphold each
other so much as the Mormon women do.
They have q sympathy and a charity for
each other that women elsewhere would do
we'll to emulate.
"One singular thing in Mormon families
is The perfect good feeling which invariably
quarrel, as stepsisters and brothers do in
the states, for they are early taught that
their rights are equal and respect them, their
common father taking care to show no more
favoritism among his children than among
his wives. I was often amused at these
same Norman children. They would come
in and say, Mother, Polly So and so is 60
ing to be married to Mr.. What's his name.
She's going in fifth, ninth, or eleventh. as
the case might be-
''Another thing that struck me rs strange
was that all Brigham daughters are lovely
and most pronounced blondes with golden
nted-hair, heavenly blue eyes, and cream
ambrose compiexions, all tall, well-built
girls, while their various mothers were of
all shapes, all sizes and compilations, and
had every shade Of hair and eyes.
GENTLE sELFIsHNEsS.
"The Mormons believe that those who do
not practice poAygamy are wrong, and not
they; and they, especially the women. are
fond Of inveigbing against the immortality
of the States-the Irritation and worse of
Gentle wives, and the unfaithfulness of
GENTLE husban DIS. I have often heard them
say to me: How selfish are you Gentle
wives! You get married to one man. You
find him a good husband, good proeider,
u
men in the world outnumber the men, so
that there are no longer men enough to go
round, and yet you will not share that good
provider with another woman, although you
know he would make her as happy as he
has you and SO many poor won,an:has to so
without any husband at all. because you are
too selfish to divide him up.
Neither falsehood nor c*ncealment is
necessary to Mormon Number is taken
into his confidence from the beginning, and
her consent respectfully Requested
to every subsequent marriage is a form
ality never dispensed with. Until she is too
old to hold her own at all, she is the head
and ruler OF the bevy Of wives. Every wife
is given SO much and no more Of the hus-
bands time and money, thus preventing
jealousy and dispute. He spends a week
with one, a week with another, or less time
if his wives be many. If he takes a fancy
to remain longer than the allotted time woe
be to- him. for all the other wives rise up as
one united injured woman, and make it
lively for him. You see it may not always
be practicable for one wife to make hus-
band toe the mark, but dozen more orIess,
find it no trouble whatever.
GAS a general thing women are wooed in
Utah the same as elsewhere. At the
about and pick up husband for themselves.
When say husband mean husband,
for they prefer to see how man treats his
wife and the style in which he supports her
before they marry him. They don't care
to experiment.; with single man. They
select man of wealth, and by means of
the confessional of which had spoken, or
otherwise it is made known to him that he
must marry a certain girl. 1t is only just to
the Mormon women at large to say that this
sort of girl is in the minority. Poiygamy
compels her to remain respectable In spite
of herself, for nowhere is lapse from viz
tue more condemned than among the Nor
mons, and the infdelity of Il wife is pun
ished by the loss of caste and complete So
cial Punishment. woman can only be
married to one man at time. Divorce is
within easy reach, but to the husband de
facto and pro tenn, she must remain true.
4 case occurred within my knowledge which,
though painful, had its amusing side.
"a man had wife. Both believed poly
gamy was right, but when the husband put
it into practice and brought home a young
er and handsomer bride, the first wife
found it hard to bear. There are certain
tom. The first wife is expected to treat the
new conner as welcome guest, and if not
in good circumstances she must resign her
sleeping apartment to her-there's no hu-
initiation spared the supplanted wife. She
must not only get down from her own
throne, but she must place her rival upon
it; all of which the wife did Of whom tell
you. She set her teeth SO hard that no
murmur escaped them, and became what
Mormon women all think the Lord intended
they should be, martyrs. The second wife
was pretty, ddle-pated little creature. who
had only married MIR. Black for the sake of
a home, without caring for him in the least,
while the first wife loved him devotedly.
All went quietly for time, till Mr.. Black
attained the grand object Of Mormon's
mission; that is, he was sent abroad to
proselyte. In his absence the two wives