Mormon Maidens from Europe.
Curiously affianced brides are those who come to town from across the ocean without knowing who their bridegrooms are going to be. Moreover, they are not certain whether they will have half a husband, or a third, or a quarter or what fractional part away up to a thirtieth or a fortieth. For these maid-ens are Mormon converts. Several batches of them have been pothered over by our emigration commissioners, who were de-sirous of saving them from Utah and polyg-amy, and half a dozen are today detained at Castle Garden. But there seems to be no law under which their antebridal tours can be stopped. The commissioners may legally return to the Old World only such immi-grants as are criminals or paupers. These girls are neither. Their passages are paid by the Mormon elders accompanying them, and homes are ready for them in Utah. Bonds are filed, guaranteeing that they will not be-come a public charge, and that settles the question, so far as the law is concerned.
Some charitable ladies determined to try moral suasion to deter the girls now here from going to their unknown husbands. I accompanied them to Castle Garden, where they talked with the six indefinite brides. They were English girls from Lancashire, ranging in age from 16 to 24. They were daughters of small farmers, and their lusty forms and bright complexions had resulted from plenty of outdoor exercise. They were imperfectly educated, but made a good ap-pearance by reason of youth, health, neat clothing and decidedly high spirits. In the same company of converts were entire fami-lies from their county. They said that they had listened to the Mormon revivalists' preaching until convinced of its righteous-ness, and that they were firmly determined upon seeking happiness in Utah. They had been solemnly promised that they should get husbands there.
"But do you understand that your hus-bands already have numerous wives?" a bright Lancashire lass was asked.
"Yes," she replied quickly, "and if a man is good enough that six wives will stay with him he isn't going to be bad to one more."
Every argument was met by some reply as conclusive as that. The girls seemed genuinely pious, in a Mormon way, and the elders were to them holy men indeed.
"Now, why should I stop here in New York," said one girl, "when I've the promise of marriage to a real elder out there in Utah?" There was something celestial, to her mind, in becoming a bride of a Mormon elder, no matter how minutely his matri-mony might be subdivided. We gave up our attempt to rescue the six sweethearts who had not seen their wooers.— New York Sun.
