The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-04 00:00:00

A LANDLADY'S PERPLEXITY WITH A
"GRASS WIDOW."

The London magistrates almost daily are made ac-
quainted with domestic complications and perplexi-
ties for which certain of the British public seem to
expect them to find immediate remedy. They have
to listen to most extraordinary stories, and here is
one told to the magistrate at the Thames Police-court
the other day: Among the applicants for adl ice was
a woman who wished to know if she could turn het
lodger out of her (applicant's) house. Ihe Magistrate:
What has he or she done that you wish to get rid of
the person in such a summary manner? Applicant:
Well, you see, sir, I had a room to let, and a woman
came and wanted to take it. She told me she was a
widow, and had but recently lost her hus-
band, and mourned his loss very much. I
told her I was a respectable woman, and
did not want anyone but those who bore a
good character in my house, both on account cf my
husband and children. She assured me she could
get the highest references as to respectability, and
further said she wanted to live in a house that was
known to be respectable, as, being a widow, and no
one to take care of her, evil-minded people might be
disposed to talk. She also told me a lot about her
friends, all of whom she assured me held good posi-
tions. On the strength of these statements I allowed
her to have the room. Before she had been there
many days I began to get suspicious, on accountof the
late hours the woman kept, and also because she used
to lie in bed half the day. When I spoke to her
about it she said she always spent each evening with
her friends, and having a little competence btu) had
no occasion to get up early. On Friday night,
sir, she came home about eleven o'clock, which
was early for her. Whilst she was going upstairs,
walking heavily, I thought I could hear someone
'else treading very lightly, but I was not sure.
Not feeling satisfied, I listened, but could not
hear voices. I then went outside into the back-yard.
On looking up at the lodger's room I saw that the
blind was down, but at the same time I could dis-
tinctly see both the shadows of a man and woman,
and after a few minutes the man undressed himself,
close against the window. When I spoke to the
woman this morning about what I had seen, she
laughed at me, and said she was a grass widow. I
requested her to leave my house at once, but she re-
fused to do so. I've come to you, sir, to know what
lam to do. The Magistrate: My advice to you is,
get rid of this objectionable widow as soon as pos-
sible. Applicant: That's what I want to do. Can I
go back and turn her out of doors, sir? The Magis-
trate: Oh, dear, no; you have no legal right to act in
that manner. You must serve her with the proper notice
to quit in the ordinary manner. Applicant: But she
disgraces my house. The Magistrate: That is all the
advice I can give you. You had better consult some
respectable broker, who will advise you what to do.
Applicant then retired, apparently very much dis-
satisfied with the advice given her.

Mr. Sam-pleson is a very irascible man, and is in
the habit of punishing his boys very severely. Not
long since he observed that one of his sons needed a
new pair of pants. He scolded the boy for wearing out
his clothes so fast. " Pa, no pants can last any time
th away you hits." replied the son reoroachfullr.