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Show i 48 PRACTICAL POLYGAMY. to any one to learn that divorces are numerous. They are granted by the President for very trival causes. Sometimes upon mutual agreement ; oftener upon the application of the interested, who may have been aggrieved, or imagined they have. When the application proceeds from a woman it may be set down as a rule that it is from good cause. I was rather surprised to learn that the wishes of a woman would be considered at all ; but if she has evidence to pre sent of neglect of her husband, or of his unkind treatment of her, and there is a probability of her marrying again, the divorce will almost certainly be forthcoming. This is more particularly the case with the poorer classes. With the more influential the wishes of the husband would receive very grave consideration. From what I have alreadv said about women being taught that marriage is so essential to their future glory, it might be supposed that their belief in this respect would prevent them from applying for divorce, but such an> application is by no means evidence of scepti cism. The woman knows too well what a marketable commodity she is, and almost any of them would be willing to risk the chances of getting other men to introduce them into heaven if they desired a change of the relations of this life. There is not the slightest objection to a divorced woman marrying again ; she is supposed to hold the same relation to society as if her husband were dead ; and, indeed, she is " counselled " to take another. The laws of marriage and divorce are so lightly considered that a Bishop not long since, when addressing his sisters in a ward meeting, re marked : " If your husband doesn't suit you put him away and take another," and repeated the changes until he had provided the seventh husband, if so many trials should be necessary before a suitable one was found. I suppose his advice to the other sex would be " if your first wife doesn't suit you, take another, and if she should not, another and another ad infinitum, omiting the ' put her away.'" That is, he must keep them all. Mr. Hyde says he knew a woman in Salt Lake City who had been married six times ( she was then one short of the |
