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Show 78 evening Brother and Sister Smith came bringing their daughter, who is to be Milford's wife on the morrow. There is a sweet, peaceful, happy spirit in our home, a calm and holy joyousness, born of the spirit of God. Oh, may that blessed spirit ever exist. May these same kindly feelings ever burn in our hearts, and may this heavenly unity ever link and bind the hearts of Milford's family though it may number thousands!'2 Today's woman, however spiritually oriented, will find it difficult to conceive of such largesse. Is there too much pragmatism abroad in our time? Too much of looking out first for our own interests? Too much skepticism? This is Milford's fourth wife-making him one of a very small number of those practicing plural marriage who had that many spouses. A large percentage of the men stopped at two; a few more added a third wife, but not many acquired four. Many of us on such an occasion would, rather than invoke heaven's blessings upon a husband who was about to- add another competitor for his time and attention and resources, be asking ourselves: When did he find the opportunity to conduct the courtship? What gullible and trusting instincts were guiding me_ during that time? The more introspective among us would certainly dredge up every hint of personal inadequacy in our past performances and, shocked at the number of our fallibilities, conclude that we had somehow failed in our role as helpmeet. Background for this fourth marriage comes from family lore. Lizzie seems to have told one of her daughters that after joining the Shipp family she felt somewhat isolated from the two older, more serious wives, and that Milford was counseled (by someone having |