Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-12-20

n beautiful brown eyed girl. q good
mother and a good wife. But had
she been a good Latter Day Saint,
she would have gone to the Temple
with us and before the altar placed
my hand within her young husbands s
and said: ITO thee this woman 90
/ freely give.' How many first wives
have been talked into Bwallowins
that bitter pill; sullying her lips with
q lie In the house of the Lords an
nointed to please her criminal .lus-
band and that night gone to u lonely
bed and drenched her pillow with
tears.
Goes to Other Wife
MY husband after our marriage
remained in the city 10 years, then
returned to his wife in the North.
Not until then did seem to realize
what / had done, and it would be
impossible to describe what l felt.
Mr. Williams later came to Salt
Lake City and took me to my new
home in Bear Lake, Utah, located
just across The street from his hrst
wife.
Mrs. Williams was very much
liked and had many friends, ana
everyone was in sympathy with her.
She snubbed and hurt me and under
the sting l had to smile, pretend l
saw nothing and heard nothing. l
was stunned at the dances where l
had been most sought. Those who
preach and advocate polygamy Ike
to see it in other families; theysenJoy
the change, the gossip, the slander,
and fill the first wife full of rebel
lion. They love to sympathiZe with
her. for she will receive a crown OF
great glory if she keeps quiet and
says nothing.
Father Had Two
II rrecall the day my fathe
brought to my mothers home q sec
ond wife-a little girl 16 years old,
one year my senior. There were five
children in our home older than that
girl. I had known of suicides and
seen women pine away and die; l
had sat up to the wee small hours
of morning and listened to pitiful
stories and tales of woe from the
lips of martyred women; first wives
sisters betrayed, housemaids dis
graced, girls accommodated be-
cause they would not go into polyg-
amy, women who drank to drown
their sorrows, girls warned to pro-
tect themselves against certain bish-
cps, girls courted at the same time
with the object of marriage to one
man, girls fallen by the wayside
saying L am no worse than my
mother sisters standing at the gate
waiting and watching for the same
husband, a widow and her own two
daughters bearing children and shed
ding tears for one husband under
the same roof. l saw a strong man
weep when Brigham Young robbed
him of his Amelia. All this had
known, and yet 1 went into polyg-
amy, but it was all so different from
anything l had ever imagined that
l concluded l could not live in it
L preferred death.
Il had been initiated into polyga-
my four years when Mr.. Williams
concluded he would leave the coun-
try and go to New Mexico. Mrs
Williams No. l refused to go If he
took me. However, he sold his prop
erty and we went to Salt Lake City.
l cherished the hope that l would
soon be in Mexico, away from every
one l had ever known. little dream
ing my real sorrows were yet to
come. l kept quiet, l saw nothing
l heard nothing and asked no oues-
tions L had been educated to that
Mr.. Williams began to take great
pride in his personai appearance. lie
wore the best OF clothing and al
ways was well groomed, while
looked very shabby. L never had
respectable clothing which would
allow me to appear anywhere-my
poverty was pitlful. l was the last
consideration, and 1 often heard il
wished l looked like other women
Only once had he taken me any.
where, and that was not from choice
My spirit long had been crushed
but l did try to brace up and be
myself again.
II asked Mr.. williams to take me
for a drive. He had urgent business
elsewhere. That afternoon he passed
the house with a lady in carriage
1.-TWO great actors were playing II
the city, and l asked him to take
me to the theater. Tickets were toe
expensive. That evening he and the
same lady sat in a box.
Then 1 overheard members o.
the family talking of a third mar
riage for their boy. l knew he Wa'
taking a woman out, but L lid no
think it had gone so far. Ever.
member of the family had gone t
the theater but the mother. L pre-
pared my little girl for the night
she was my life, my staff and m!
strength; then L sat down to avail
fate.
knowing where he was, conniv'
ing at mis- plots and plans, the mother
said: Where can my boy be to-
night?" Assuming that air of in
difference that had been sapping th'
very substance out OF my soul fol
years, | smiled and said Why won
der tonight, after the many night
he has not come home, and for day
we have not seen him. Then sh'
said, why don't you leave him
L SHALL said /, not only for marry
ing another woman, but for years o
neglect and deception; for bringing
me to the city to live at the mere!
of his people; for leaving me nigh
after night with a sick child; 70
spending money freely while we e.
destitute; for taking women 10 the
aters, who are very much my infer
ior.
THE rich mems wives may. hav
a place in society, but not those o
! poor one. A woman lives with
polygamist until he tires of her, ant
then she is q miserable cast-away
| 1t is crime to allow this thing to &c
on under the guise of religion, orig
| mated in the heart of a thief, a bias
phemer, an adulterer and mur
| derer. Married men are courted b.
| women and girls. and looked upon a
heroes. Why have women commit
ted suicide and died with broker
hearts in polygamy? The only wa,
out of its practice is death
'I packed my scanty wardrobe
| left the house, and went into tn
world to battle with poverty an,
| temptation. 1 was at the critica
point of my life-two roads Ioomet
up before me. Which way should
go, up or down? 1t was easier to g,
! down, but L sat by the little grav
of my child, reviewed the brave Ugh