The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-12-10
Woes of a Mormon Wife.


Regarding the state of mind of the wo-
man who shares a polygamous husband.
Reverend C. H. Hepworth Of New York
who has been in Utah investigating Nor
monism. says:
There is not woman on the face OF
the earth whom I pity as / do a plural
wife. mean. Of course, woman who
submits TO the indignity Of the relation
from religious principle. She has TO tear
herself all 10 pieces before she can Yield
10 il. Being woman, she Graves al the
love her husband can give, but il IS
denied her by the Lord. She accepts her
fate as she would any other afncuon
with what measure Of resignation she
can command. gives her affection TO her
children, educates them as best she may.
signs her way through life, and eagerly
looks forward for some reward in an
other world which shall sufficiently re-
pay her for her awful sacrifice. l have
had several interviews with cultivated
Mormon plurals. and l did not leave one
Of them without feeling that woman
can do anything. however horrible it may
be. at the call OF what she deems her
dEt.-.
When chatting with an observing wo-
man of the Mormon faith / asked: can
several wives be happy under the same
roos2''
II have known of cases she answer
ed. I was intimate IN the family Of
Brigham Young when was in my teens,
and a happier family I never saw. There
was never any pickering there. But
then, he was a remarkable man, and any
woman would be glad 10 own tenth part
Of him
Yes; but as a general thing?' I sug-
gested.
she threw up her hands. We'll. you
have perhaps noticed that the different
wives live in different houses. Each has
an establishment Of her own II works
better in thst way II IS a law Of ma
ture that women don't Ike 10 share their
husbands with others but II they must
90 it they don't want to have the mat
ter brought TO their attention. as would
be the case If all the wives were under
the same roof.
"a very significant and very pathetic
story was told me the other day. from
which you can draw your own infer
ence concerning the system. A child OF
nine years was greatly puzzled by the
relations between her father and mother.
and asked the mother TO explain IL. but
in some way the question was evaded.
Not satisfied she sought information else
where, but still found evasion. When Ia
ter on she was at play with a Gentle
schoolmate she burst into tears and cried
out: I don't know why It IS. but I
haven't any really real papa, as you
have. Ny papa only visits mamma once
IN a while, and that's all | ever see %
him." AS an illustration Of family life
among the Mormons this true incident
serves its sad purpose.
Mormon Territory the who
is the first wife Is comparatively happy.
but black cloud hangs over her. never
theless Another woman may at any time
intrude and gain the affection Of her hus-
band.
IF the second is more attractive than
the first. then the first suffers neglect.
When the number gets to be six or seven,
with an equal number OF establishments
to maintain. there IS either domestic de-
spair or pandemonium, and painful RI
valry as to which can capture the man
and obtain from him the largest gifts.
As to home life, well, there can be no
home life for a man who has six fami-
lies. He fits from one to the other and
leaves jealousy and bitterness In all.
The level on which these things ex
list is shown by the remark OF young
girl the other day Pointing to the resi-
dence OF a plural wife who seemed to
be comfortably provided for she said;
4 would rather be the third wife Of that
man and have a horse and carriage than
the only wife of a poor man who would
make me do the Homework
THAT is the commercial view OF mar
rage. but where is the glory Of II, the
sanctity of II. the happiness Of it?''
Miss Adah Roberts. daughter Of the
Mormon congressman by Mrs. Roberts
No. /, Is already in Washington, where
she expects 10 spend the winter as her
fathers secretary. She says:
1.-THE women Of Utah are just Ike the
women OF any other place. which means.
paradoxically, they are unlike any other
women and unlike each other. DID You
ever find two women alike? Some ~ our
women are active and ambitious and
great power among US and some are
careless and indolent and they are drones.
Some are society women, others are home
women: some frivolous. others studious.
some mothers and some old maids; some
tall and some short really, / don't see
that there IS any difference.