Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1886-10-27
STORIES OF MoRMoNpom.
Heart-Rending Tales Fold by the Chief
Sufferers fro,u Poiygarlfv.

boston Commercial BulIetin.l
In about thres weeks theNife re urned
and found the hired girl, who had been
left in charge of the house, installed as
wife Number Two. Naturally, there was
quite scene, and as the husband dislikei
scenes, he divided the family, taking the
now wife 10 ranch that he ownel, sew
eral miles from the city. He had not pre-
viously devel oped any fondness for coun-
try life, but he now spent all his time at
the ranch, merely stopping at his former
home for dinner wien ho came Into town
on business.
On one of these trips he found his wife
hanging distrac:edly over the cradle OF
her baby, who was in the worst stages of
malignant disorder. AS the house was not
in holiday trim, AMI no one had much
time to devote TO him, he thought he would
make his visit brief, but as he turned to go
out his wife said:
"You will surely stay with us tonight?
The doctor says the baby can not live till
morning."
"Oh, it's not so bad as that hope: doc
tors don't know every thing, and to me
the little fellow seems to be getting bet
ter. Anyhow, 1 must go back. Jane
would be frightened to death if shoull
leave her alone on the ranch. Besides,
have promised to take her 30 a dance to-
night"
He went, and the wife and mo her was
left alone with the little sufferer. jane
was duly escorted TO the dance, hut while
the husband was paying her this atten-
ton his youngest born was struggling in
the agonies of death, and when morning
came the bereaved mother sat alone be-
side little wax n figure, whose tossings
and meanings were enled for ,ver. And
yet tho man who furnished this exhibition
OF heartlessness was no worse ma urally
than his fellows. Perhaps if he had been
told, ten years before, that he would spend
the night at a dance Will, his child lay
dying. he would have said: rs thy serv-
ant dog, that hs should do this thing"
A friend of ours who had boen a de-
voted wife for many years, and who had
borne all manner of ill-treetmemt from
her husband AMI the seconl wife, was
driven at length, by the tor;urcs she en-
dured, to attempt suicile. 1t happened
that she took an overdose of the poison
that she hoped would end her misery, and
the attempt was unsuc 'e 'sful. While she
was ut deaths door from the effect of the
poison, her husband cursed and revi,ed
her, and when she was so far recovered as
TO be ablo to totter abort the house, he
told her with an oath that he wished her
to make sure work of it mex. time, and
that he wished she was dead and cut of
the way.
sand yet," sail the unhappy wife, "no
woman ever had a kiuler hui band an he
was during the first twelve years of our
married life, and even after we came to
Utah he was never uakind to me until he
became infatuated with that girl. Then,
as Mormonism not only gave him the
privilege Of marrying her, but made IL bis
duty to do so, he began TO regard me in
the light of an obstacle to his happin ess
though Heaven knows proved how far /
set his happiness above my own when l
consented 20 the marriage"
81 believe my husband was ono of the
Lest men living when / marrei him."
So said the first wife o. Mormon apostle.
81 know that he loyel me above every
thing on earth, and nothing Lut the balo-
full influence of Mormonism could have
made him what he is now. He was one
of the few sincers fanatics who upheld
AZ y after the death
OF Joseph, and Young's word was the
same to him as the voice of the Almi ghty.
So when he was told to take another wife,
he felt that he had received command
from Heaven that he dared no. disobey.
l know his sufferings were almost equal
to mine on the dreadful night th 1t precei-
ed his marriage with the girls chosen for
him Uhere were two of them), but having
once surrendered his manhood and his
conscience tn the keeping OF Brigham
Young the downward course was easy.
when he took additional wives (and he
continued to do SO long after his hair
was gray), it cost him no str Iggles of
mind, and no thought of my broken heart
and blighted life marred. his happiness;
yet once he would have borne any thing
to save me an hours pain"