"They have."

"Did you give them orders to yard and stable the cows ?" I did."

"To be sure,

"I thought you might have forgotten it," he returned,

half apologetically.

"When did I ever forget such things?"

"Never, that I know of-excuse me."

The conversation was resumed, and I soon began to suspect that the religion of this man, like his marriages, was founded on expedience. No man of the world could have exhibited a more utter absence of all moral principle, clothed in the most specious and sophistical language.

"I think your people are fond of hair-splitting theories," he observed; "they consider it just, and right, and virtuous for a man to have three or four, or even, six or seven wives one after the other."

"But only one at a time," I suggested.

"Yes, one at a time, though if it is right to marry several at different times, it must be right also to have them at Virtue or vice must be inherent in the action itself,

once.

and not merely a question of time."

I replied that I was not prepared to argue the subject with him.

"But you can hear my reasons and arguments," he replied, and launched forth in a strain that I will not hazard the good opinion of my readers by repeating.

During the evening he requested his youngest and last wife, who was very pretty, to favor us with a song. She con

sented, accompanying her voice with the harp. When the music ceased, and I had complimented her execution, which was very good, her husband informed me, that she was the daughter of a wealthy New England family, who, becoming converted to Mormonism, had abandoned their home and friends, and emigrated with the saints.

He considered her courage, perseverance, and eminent love of truth, as most remarkable, and said these qualities first won his regard.

When bed-time approached, the ladies took leave of each other, with a friendly good-night, and retired.

"Do you prefer to sit up late ?" inquired my host, looking at his watch, "it is now past ten."

"About my usual bed-time," I replied, rising.

Judge White rose also, took a silver candlestick from the table, and said that he would show me to my room. I followed him up stairs, to a very comfortable chamber, neatly furnished. He sat down the light, politely hoped that I would sleep well, bade me good-night, and went out shutting the door behind him.

The bed was good and well made, the apartment fresh and airy, yet I found it impossible to sleep. Judge White and his wives, their seeming intelligence, yet absurd and depraved ideas, filled my mind. It was a new phase of human nature for which I was altogether unprepared, but it filled me with greater abhorrence of the system they denominated patriarchal, than I had previously conceived.

I had not yet learned to regard marriage as nothing more

than a civil contract—a matter of mere expedience. I had been taught that it was a holy ordinance, instituted by the Almighty, and that a union thus consummated would be perpetuated in another world. But to sanction and excuse polygamy, my Mormon friend had taken an entirely different view of the subject; he had divested it of every charm only mere practical utility; his connections were purely sexual, with neither romance nor sentiment to clothe and adorn them. How would my pious and venerable mother regard such sophistries? What would my venerable and white-haired father say to them? Then I thought of the first Mrs. White thought, too, of Fanny Wright, and others of the strongminded sisterhood, and their preferences for "free love."

THE MORNING.

The family were early risers. The morning star was blazing in the east, when I heard the judge

arousing his men,

The females were

and presently the whole house was astir. busy milking and getting breakfast. I saw two from the window tripping across the dewy grass, each carrying a clean bright pail.

Descending from my chamber to the sitting-room of the previous evening, I found the table laid out preparatory to the morning meal. It was covered with a cloth, white as the snow on the mountains. The dishes were stone china of elegant pattern, and the knives and forks had been rubbed

The food was

and polished until they shone like a mirror. brought in by the two first wives of the judge, and breakfast was announced. The two milkers had not yet come in, and we sat down without them. I have rarely seen a table better provided with good substantial edibles. There were fried fowl, and fried bacon and eggs, with cold ham and game. There were preserved strawberries and honey. There were cold wheaten bread, and hot corn bread, hot biscuits, and hot short-cakes. There were home-made butter and cheese, with most excellent coffee. A pitcher of milk stood on the corner of the table, and glass tumblers were placed by each plate to receive it when wished for. Judge White made a short extemporary prayer, nowise different from those usually delivered on such occasions-thanking the Lord for the bounties of nature set before them, and the revelation of divine truth which had enlightened their minds. At the conclusion, the females pronounced "Amen" with one voice, and their lord requested me to "help myself," though without waiting for me to do so, he commenced piling the delicious viands on my plate. I ate heartily, and my host was evidently delighted.

"Don't you think the patriarchal institution works admirably in my family ?" he inquired.(d.)

"It seems to," I answered.

"There is no seeming about it," he said quickly, "it is all real-matter of fact. Don't you believe it ?"

'Certainly I have no reason to doubt it."

"And there is no reason why you should," returned the first Mrs. White

I mentioned my adventure at the hut on the morning of the previous day.

I know them," said my host, "they are mischievous fellows, and doubtless were influenced by some evil intent. I have more than once suspected them of injuring my cattle ; and once I caught them in the very act of dressing one of my sheep."

'Are they Mormons ?" I inquired.

'They come under the spiritual jurisdiction of our prophet, though they have no faith-no religion of any kind. We have made great efforts for their conversion, but without success."

They seem to have adopted Mormon institutions. I saw several females with them."

"Yes; they have two or three wives apiece, and I don't know how many children."

"Does the system do well in their case ?" I inquired.

"I should expect not, very," he replied.

"If I had the

laws to make, such fellows should not get married at all."

I looked surprised, perhaps inquiringly.

"No one should have the privilege of getting married, who had not made provision for taking care of a wife.”

Thinking that the conversation might be profitably changed, I inquired what he thought of the general condition and character of the Half-breeds.

His observations and opinions might not be of much value here, though they verified my own experience of the same people. He said they combined the worst qualities of the