The Mormon Prophet and His Harem: Or, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, His Numerous Wives and ChildrenWaite, C. V. (Catherine Van Valkenburg)
History
The Mormon Prophet and His Harem: Or, An Authentic History of Brigham Young, His Numerous Wives and Children
Waite, C. V. (Catherine Van Valkenburg)
Latter Day Saint churches; Young, Brigham, 1801-1877
"Falling in love, and running in love, are, as everybody
knows, common enough, and yet less so than what I shall call
catching love. Where the love itself is imprudent, that is to
say, where there is some just, prudential cause or impediment
why the two parties should not be joined together in holy
matrimony, there is culpable imprudence in catching it,
because danger is always to be apprehended, which may have
been avoided."
It is plain to be seen, our Prophet did not walk into love,--he did not
run into it. He caught it, as a man catches the measles. It broke out,
and showed itself all over, in smiles, bows, and sweet honeyed tones. It
is also plain that he should not have caught it. Had he not the charming
Amelia, dear Emeline, sweet Lucy, pretty Twiss, his darling Lucy No. 2,
poetic Eliza, meek Zina, and his dear, dear Jemima, Martha, Ellen,
Susan, Hattie, etc., etc. How could any man, much less a prophet, wish
for more?
But he said to himself, "I have not a French lady in the family to teach
my daughters that charming language. I have no _prima donna_ to conduct
their musical education. Then my last love--my pretty, naughty,
bewitching Amelia--is so cross and fitful, she leads me such a crazy
life, she frets and scolds, and I cannot drown her voice, even with my
'sacred fiddle.' [He had frequently boasted that with his violin he
could put a stop to the scolding of any of his women.]
"Then my French lady is accomplished. She can receive my foreign guests.
She is so clever, that she can assist me in my business projects and
plans; and if she should prove unkind,--which God grant she may
not,--and if her sweet lips should scold, I should have a great
advantage,--_I could not understand her_. Then her name,--Selima! How
poetical. None of my wives have such a poetical name. With her in my
Harem, I could rival the Sultan himself. Yes, sweet, adored Selima, _you
shall be mine_. You shall be the high priestess of my affections, and
all my common women shall serve you."
The Prophet plead his suit, but Selima was like stone. He had a young
man in his employ who dared to love Selima. The rival lovers met face to
face. The Prophet was furious,--"She is not for you, sir, she is not for
you. Leave my service, and never dare to aspire to that young lady's
hand again."
Alas, that love so devoted, so pure and disinterested as Brigham's,
should fail to be rewarded by the object of its choice. But no sooner
had the poor singing-master, for such he was, left the Territory for
California, than another rival appeared in the field,--a California
volunteer,--a dangerous rival; one who would not fear to follow up any
advantage he might gain over his spiritual competitor.
To destroy the romance of the whole story, Selima, charming but
sensible Selima, becoming disgusted with the whole affair, soon after
left for Switzerland again, leaving her lovers to settle the matter
among themselves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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