Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1883-07-25
A DIALOGUE WITH A NOR
MON.
The Achievements Of one of 672
of the PrOselyteS Recently
Arrived from England.
New York Letter to Boston Herald.

New York Letter to Boston Herald.
The most interesting man | have
met to-day was one who had woed and
won three women simultaneously. He
had just arrived with them from Eng
land, and intended to marry them col
lectively as soon as he got to safe
place. The only one within the limits
of civilization where that kind of thing
is allowed being Utah, it is hardly neces-
sary for me to add that he was on his
way to that territory Of polygamy.
He was an elder, named Ephraim Mea-
son, and had spent four years on the
other side of the water as Mormon
missionary. He was only one of a
party of twenty-five of these evangel
lists who arrived in the steamer Ne
vada, bringing 672 converts. He had
selected his three spouses with senti-
ment aud utility in view.
"W hen l went away on my mission
for the church." he said, "I left my FIVE
motherless children to the care of rel
ative. l had never practiced our doc
trine of conjugal plurality, though be-
lieving and preaching it; and my one
wife had recently died, leaving me to
realize that, if | had done nv duty,
the youngsters would not have been
thus half-orphaned Well, l made up
my mind, if the Lord should prosper
my mission, to return prepared to set
up such household as our church con-
templates for every faithful saint l
have done So"
He introduced me to the three women
whom his religious courtship had cap
tured. 1t was not necessary for him
to explain that he had picked them out
with that discretion which | have al
ready mentioned / could see it with
out being told. Emeline, was a
brawny, ignorant, hard-handed widow
of forty or over, and her lot was to be
that of drudge in the admirably bal
anced family which Elder Meason con-
templated. She was to ''look after the
domestic economy" as he expressed it.
Sarah was neither a handsome nor
young women, but some refinement
was discernible, and he told me that
she had been schoolma'am in Wales.
She was for practical use, too, his plan
being to make her governess for his
children Lottie was blooming Lam
canshire lass of twenty or so, quite
pretty in her coarse way, and | did not
ask the elder why he had chosen her.
They were evidently in love with each
other, which was not surprising in him,
though marvellous in her, considering
that he was sixty and ugly. She was
to be the queen of the reorganized es-
tablishment.
"Will there be triple wedding 7" l
inquired.
"Yes," the elder replied "We call
the ceremony sealing, and it is per-
formed in secret. Thereafter, l shall
hold more approved position before
the church, for we maintain that polyg-
amy is not only privilege but also q
duty which no saint can be entirely ex-
cused from fulfilling. There was some
hesitation about sending me out as a
missionary, because | had taken but
one wife, and I don't suppose should
have received the appointment if [ had
not given assurance of my intention to
bring back two or more wives"
"Then your church does more than
10 merely countenance polygamy Z" L
said
"To be sure" was the reply; "the
examples of the patriarchs are all that
way, and there stands the injunction of
St. Paul: "A bishop then, must be
blameless, the husband of one wife 4"
II should take that to mean that
more than one wife wouldn't do for a
bishop in Paul's days"
"You make common mistake, sir.
Paul enjoined bishops to take at least
one wife, and we believe that they had
several We also know that by divine
revelation to US, that a mans chances
for salvation are greatly increased by
the increasing number of wives. A
bachelor is sure of damnation. Are
you married 2"