The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-03-11
THE WIFE REPLIES IN ANGUISH

My Dear orson-Your last under date
OF october 21, reached mo this morning
and hasten TO reply mo
INC nrst part is very sweet, especially
portions which follow, save the last few
ines, nave disturbed the calm and peace
arV' it'''e or oeeH 61 enjoying since Mary's recov-
~ On, Orson, / hardly know what TO
say am sad, SO sad. since reading Your
last letter 'e ''ui
What yod write regarding Miss Bell
L's'S hehVlly upon my heart Would IL
not be Just as well for brother bSImbaiI
TO Ieach her? He is young and unmarried,
anu a.n would undoubtedly be more able than
ihen. roo 20 ds d1r,ns her into the fold. And
hili IN away from the Bell home?
Wy euspicions are arouscd-would to God
tn. NY were not! But feel your drift
NY n5 eMax from me; that your mission to
MISS Bell is prompted by more than re-
nsious oulyi that YOU think more Of her
10y PR ,See and attractive manner than OF
neL spiritual propensities. And now you
ma,I ol your talk with her on celestial
marriage of her face lighting up OF YOUR
her on ~ tba ,aKe e her IN your arms and bless
eliS III! "hole being trembes with fear
tI14-IGrglye ne, dear-with Jealousy,
Detrle; now L wish could be with you
NJ" ana nave n long talk with YOU then
l Know you would see this affair diner
entiy.see II as / see It,
EiSnf years ago last summer. that beau
tful night In Aueust-remcmbcr our first
meeting, In Tennessee? l recall TO mind
TINS meeting now, and every detail con
hected with II rusnes in upon me The
Spuns ana handsome missionary from
otsh. The serious and animated sermon
| ne delivered for his cause. The thrill he
sent TO my young. romantic heart The
mind.
Our meeting after the services and the
stroll home through the moonlight. His
description OF the beautiful Zion of the
| West and the valleys OF the mountains"
and OF how happy were all who lived there
In the True Faith All this and moro
solnes oack TO me In manner TO make
How 1 lay that night awake, thinking,
thinking OF the handsome missionary with
deep-biue eyes. and of his religion Think
ing what papa and mamma would say
were they TO learn that 1 had fallen in
love with-a Mornonl Love 1t was at
hrst sight. Orson; this you knew then
| many many times since.
Ihen next day. when you came TO call
how you explained to me the religion OF
the Lattcr-day Saints How quickly
responded. in the fervor OF youth, to oil
you impaired. And when l made Inquiry
bout ..ts poly gamy how You firmly stated.
| something which / did rot understand
then, but do now
How, after several weeks OF persuasive
coUrtShip on your part, ! agreed TO marry
| YOU on one condition. which was YOU
would never enter poygamy either before
| or after my desth-should YOU outliye me
This you promised, anc so we were mar
ricd.
For eight years YOU nave kept that
promise, but now-now, 1t almost kills
me TO even think OF another coming be-
tween us For years past | have lived In
dread that Such would some day come to
pass, although, dear, YOU have never until
now given me the least reason to doubt
but thal l would always be the only wo-
man of your heart and soul
Polygamy Is the highest state a man
or a woman can expect to obtain on this
m N hn 70 lt,N TO-
1t could never be. | could never live In
poly gamy. L know L would die of 4
broken heart were l compelled TO share
my husband with another woman. | feel
l love you more fervently than the
average woman loves her husband. and
this, together with my carly training
and belief In the Genties Singlc-mar-
riage system. IL tho reason why 1 am
80 opposed to polygamy-for myself I
could not stand it; ] could not.
Remember your promise, ,Orson, never
been SO true and good and honorable
have never broken your word. not once;
therefore after you have reflected I
know YOU viii renounce any affection
you may have for Miss Bell, and when
your mission Is ended Will return with a
heart full of love TO the wife of your
and soul are concentrated upon the altar
OF truth TO her husband and his child
Think OF Mary: think OF me. think of
the great love that awaits Your home
coming: her kiss and prattle, my warm
embrace the beautiful little hame l have
always kept for you, the pleasant even
ings and happy days that we shall spend
together. with Mary, now growing so
beautiful, nestled close to your bosom
Think OF all this. dearest and then your
fancicd love for the Bell woman will pass
as a dream, for such IL is. Your loving
wife. ALICE.
Salt Lake City. October 25, 1900
My Darling Alce.-I have read your
letter OF October %. little wife, with
mixture OF feelings hard TO define and
! altogether impossible to place upon
paper The first thought which came TO
me was one OF rejoicing over this added
evidence OF your love. You struck a tender
cord when you carried me In memory
back to Tennessee and the time of our
6rst meeting No: / have not forgotten
IL, Alice ii is as fresh in my memory as
II II had happened only month ago L
feel the same thrill stealing over my be.
ing now as then, when you nt last
promised TO be my wife, My love, dear.
is as much yours now as In the old days:
and. my darling, 1t viii be yours
throughout the countless ages of eternity,
for as you know, our marriage Is not
alone for time, but also for the glorious
life to come,
which brought pain, The pain dear, was
caused by the evidence showing forth IN
| many lines you wrote that you have
! NOT vet overcome the training OF your
| pirIbood 1t was the Gentlo woman,
dear. who dictated portion Of your
| letter and not the faithful, obedlent
| Iatted-Day Saint. whom ! know you try
to be II may take, my Alice, greater
| trial than that OF our present temporary
| separation to refine your heart taking
| from IL the begGarly drosS which IL
gained through Its early religious assocla-
| tlons.
| and YOU thus early link my name with
| that OF Emma Bell. Remember, my Wife.
| that she is not yet convert to the
glorious gospel Of this dispensstion: so;
| fs seems to me. that jealousy has entered
| a little early into your mind. Further
| moro YOU say that YOU know that
| nnIygnmy lis the highest state a man or
Woman can enter Into upon this plane
| .s wcil as In the life to come; and In tho
noxt line that YOU could not endure 1t.
| ~ Ia of that ] spoke above. A woman
rShn ia a true Latter-Day Saint cannot
| oe NJ Alice / cannot leave on my visits
"a Tho Hell home. My mission is good
So- iiftle II Il falter in bringing one soul
| ~ knowledge OF the truth. And such
- souI ns that which nnlmatcs the body
| az ETnnn Bell is too precious to be left 10
| ~ noasible bluaders Of young mis-
stnnary. 40 / cannot leave her TO the care
| ~ Prothcr Kimball, as you suggest,
| Vas with her last night She is