News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1882-06-22
THE TEST OF THE SECOND
WIFE.
From Mrs Paddock's Tale of Madame La
Tour

Tt had always been Brigham Young's
policy to outlaw his followers, and thus
prevent the posi- bility of their return
to civilized society. This policy he
now pursued with more intentness than
ever before, and those who were IN.
fitted by nature for deeds of violence
were compelled to take plural wives, in
face Of a recent act of Congress, which
was designed especially to reach and
punish such offences in Utah. Philip
La Tour was among the number OF
those who fell under the prophets dis
pleasure on account of his refusal to
comply with what the Mormon leaders
designated as the higher law" He
had no leanings toward polygamy. He
loved his wife devotedly, and his home
was the dearest spot on earth to him
dearer now than ever; for with the
earliest flowers of spring tiny guest
had come under their roof-a dark, eyed
baby boy, so like the lost first-born
that it seemed almost as though he had
returned to them. For months the
pr ophet counseled Philip, sometimes
sternly, to take another wife, but in
vain. At last when, as he said himself,
the utmost limit of forbearance had
been reached. he summoned his dis
obedient follower to a private confer
ence,
1t was evident to Philip as soon as
he faced the leader of the people that
the prophet was very angry-too angry
indeed to waste any words-and in the
most concise terms possible he was in
formed that he would be allowed just
one week to choose whether he would
take another wife or be cut OF from the
Church and delivered over to the buf-
lettings of Satan. Philip sat as if
stunned. To be cut off from the Church!
For him who had never known any
other faith, this was equivalent to a SEN
tence of eternal death. And then he
was to be delivered over to the buffet
ings of Satan. He knewver well what
that meant. His property and his life
would thenceforth be at the mercy of
the Danites and their tender mercies
were very cruel. He was incapable of
uttering a single word in reply to the
question thrust upon him, and the
prophet continued:
"I know what is keeping you back.
It is.the fear shat your wife will say or
do; and want you to tell her from
me, that the judgments of God have
rested on her these many years because
of her rebellion against his will. Every
child that has been given her has been
taken away again, because she would
not harken to counsel and mark my
the prophets face grew
terrible" the child that she holds in
her arms to-day will lie in The grave
month hence if she does not submit to
the law that has been given to this
people"
''You will give me week to decide ?"
Philip hardly knew his own voice as he
pronounced the words.
''Yes, just one week, and not day
over. You may go now have said all
that had to say" and, with look ON
his face as hard and cruel as when, IF
teen years before, he gave Madame La
Tour the choice of alternatives which
brought her to the valley, the prophet
pointed to the door. Philip groped his
way ont blindly. The sun was shining,
but he saw nothing. When he reached
the street he stopped and tried to think,
He could not go home-could not face
Jessie, who sat even now with her baby
in her arms singing soft lullaby, while
the blue-veined lids dropped over the
bright eyes. The babyl What stat
went through his heart as he recalled
the prophets words
Do you, whose lot has been cast else
where, scof at him because he believed
what had been said to him Remem
ber- that since his childhood he had
heard nothing except Mormorism-that
all his life, almost the word of the
prophet had been, to him and all around
him, the voice of the Almighty. Re
member also how in every age creedf
which have been handed down from
father to son have dominated the intel
lect and the will, no matter how false
and monstrous they may have been il
themselves.
Philip La Tour, in accepting the die
tum Of. the Mormon prophet as abso
lutte truth, did only what you and
have done in receiving without question
the beliefs which our parents be
| queathed US. He did not use his rea
son in the matter, simply because he
regarded everything connected will
religion as above the domain OF reason
He was called now to pass through al
experience more bitter than death bu
if the call was indeed from above ht
might not disregard it. Was it true
that the judgments of God had rested
upon him and his wife because of theil
disobedience. Over and over he asked
himself this question during the