Marietta daily leader. (Marietta, Ohio) 1895-1906, 1899-01-13
WIVES OF MORMON
Roberts, and the Views of One Of
Them on Mormon Happiness.

Them on mormon HapplneSS'
I went over to>see DR.. Shlpp-Roberts
Mr.. Roberts's favorite wife. She lives
in neat little cottage in a broad,
quiet street There is sign out at the
door which announces to the passer-
by that DIR. Roberts has an office with
in.
Mrs. Roberts met lis at the door and
asked u.s. in to pretty little parlor.
She Is handsome woman, with brill
liant black eyes, a high color, silken
black hair and a brilliant smile that
lights up a somewhat masculine type
of face, which shows traces of sorrow
and anxiety.
Mrs. Roberts used to be great suf-
fraglst," said my friends, "Dut since
she married Brother Roberts she had
a change of heart"
Mrs. Roberts flushed little as she
said:
mo; that is not true. l am suffr-
aglst enough now, but do think that
it Is all mistake, this trying to push
women forward into the industrial
fields of life. ! believe in home, and !
think the only place for woman is
her rome.
THE only thing which makes a
woman's life worth living is love, the
love of some one man, in whom she
believes and trusts, and the love Of
children. l have had seven children
and thought before l married Brother
Roberts that l had a great deal of
trouble and care.
II would not have given, even in my
hours of terrific struggles and dis
couagement one hair of my very
smallest child's head for all The bust
ness success or social triumph in the
world.
A good husband, healthy children
and revealed religion-these are the
three things that help a woman to
stand being alive. A gentle lady told
me just the other day that she Won
dered what it was made the Mormon
women look SO peaceful and content
ed
THE idea! How could she help
knowing that it was our religion, the
perfect faith and trust we have that
everything is for the best that gives
us peace which the world cannot
cannot know? How could We stand the
agonies of life without it?
Take this polygamy that there is so
much talk about now. Gentle wom-
en- are always trying to find out how
we live through it as we do. Why, its
our religion; that's all there is about
It. If 1t were not, we could never
stand it in the world. We know that
polygamy is right, and that it is the
will of God that we should live as we
do. And we submit in patience and
Plural marriage is dying out. The
church has declared itself against it,
and that settes the whole affair The
women of the next generation will not
nave to bear the burden of a polyga-
mistic life, and it is a burden. ! don't
care what you say or how you argue
lbout-it, nor how much you try to con-
vince yourself that you are happy in
the idea that your husband has more
wives than one; it is a burden and
grevious one. Women who are more
degenerate will tell you that it is not |
They will insist that they are happy
in polygamy Well, perhaps they are
So are we all. But it is our religion |
that makes us happy in it, not plural |
itself.
Plural marriage does bring perfec-
lion of character, but it does not bring |
happiness. Don't go by what say |
though. Most women will tell you ex-
ictly the opposite, but l must bear tes-
.imony truthfully.'
Mrs. Roberts spoke of her husbands
pSioNNNtiohB do oIC II. I0tH
;he added: ut is a means of grace.
He is but an instrument in the hands
If higher power. 1t will all come
light in the end. The cause of justice
will triumph and the people who have
'een prosecuting him will bow their
reads in humiliation. | have read
about the singing martyrs
Who went to the stake with a song of
triumphant victory on their lips"
When l left Mrs, Roberts standing
n the door of her little home found
myself listening for the strains of
ONE Christian hymn of defiant and
tormy praise.
The other two Mrs. Robertses, who
i've down at Centerville, are not so
'ell known in Salt Lake City Mr..
toberts married them when he was a
earty young fellow working in a
lacksmiths shop for his living.
A woman who knows them both
old me about them. They are both
'vely women, she said, and devetedly
'nd of each other, their children and
leir husband. You will often see
lem going to church together-the
yo women and the whole family of (
lildren. She said that il one of them
0es away on a visit she leaves her
Iildren with the other one 10 take
ire Of They are just like dear sis
rs,as all plural wives are. They both I