The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-07-05
PoIygamous New Engianders

Mr.. hale writes TO the Fayetteville
Ecumner:
The very distinguished Rev DR.. Leo
naru W. Bacon, of Connecticut, has a re-
markab article in the last No. Of the
Princeton Review, on ~tolygamy in Utah
ana in New England, in which he shows
that there is probably as much of 1t in the
after az IN the former; aud that 1t is OF
a worse kind in New England than Ia
Utah, for that the Utah polygamlst does
not turn one wife out of doors TO take
another, whilst the New England hus-
band does He says that the proportion
OF pOlyamlsts to marriages Is greater In
New England, being one divorce to every
eight marriages. and argues that they
should stop their crusade against the
MorInons till they have pulled the beam
out of their Own eye. DR.. Bacon relates
the following curious case:
One OF the most striking instances is
that of a worthy couple III a rural town In
the Connecticut Valley, to whom the Su-
perior Court, with interchangeable good IA
ture, has three times over issued unre-
stTicted license to enter into bigamous re-
%lations with other parties, and who from
no motive but a beautiful constancy have
declined to avail themselves OF the liber
ty, and are still living together after hav-
ing been four times married to each
other.
Again: Here, for example, is an au
thentic case Athriity liquol-seller, firing
of his wife and captivated by a new char
mer, sought comfort of the competent
tribunal, and of course had no difficulty 10
securing the necessary document to au-
thorize and legalize his happiness. Wife
NO. ! being thrown out of business set up
opposition liquor saloon (the licensing
board being constituted of ardent pro
~hibltlonlsts, were of course prompt in
furnishing every facility. The twice
married husband soon began to feel IN
his cash account the drawback on his new
welded bliss, and after an agony of men
tai struggle between two of the mightiest
OF human passions he made his choice;
and came to the Superior Court once
more for relief: Authorized by a new set
OF documents, he nerved himself to sig
nifty to wife No. = that it would be ncces-
AIRY tor her to retire, and REMARKED wife
MOL, SO consolidating the rival Interests
In a single saloon. 1t is a noble testimony
to the democratic impartiality of the
courts OF Connecticut that its highest
Judges can stoop to sympathize with the
loves, even the rowing loves, Of SO humble
and desplsed a citizen, and are not incapa
bic OF being touched bv the disasters of
the retail liquor trade
Again: Describing a dancing party.
a writer in St. Louis Spectator writes
Il saw one young lazy in a faded yell
low, who would nave BOXED better in a
meal sack. Poor thing she swept
around the hall like a simeon. never
dreaming apparentlr of the sight she
made of herself. And some of the dan
cling was execrable. The third couple
that went out on the floor at the open
ing of the first waltz consisted of a dim
lnutive young man and a tall Young lady.
She pitched forward at an angle OF near
~ forty five degrees, resting her chin
.affectionately upon his shoulder, while
her somewhat short dress pulled up be-
hind, and revealed a pair OF very broad
heels and ragged ankles. He, poor fell
low, threw his head back. and the two
looked agOnizingly serious. 1 imagined
that she was biting him on the shoulder;
and that he was stepping on her toes
Now 1t was not said this young lady's
stockings were ragged but that her
ancles were sc-a XII. d OF ancle that do
not understand. But the expression calls
to mind-reminds me, as Mr.. Lincoln
used to say-of a description of a dance
IN Hlllsboro, that my genial old friend
Mrs. II = was wont to relate, where the
fiddler, in calling out figures, dl~
r'ctcd one Of the young gentlemen to
lance to the gal with "a hole in her
81 OckingD