The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-04-07 00:00:00

PLOTTING FOR DIVORM

"All Paris" is laughing heartily over the misad-
venture which has just befallen a bonne bourgeoise,
who for some mysterious reason was anxious for
a divorce. She had a model husband—indeed, he was
such a pattern of domestic virtue that, unable to find
a pretext, she herself put temptation in his way. A
you n g and comely damsel was bribed by the wife to
visit her one day and make eyes at the worthy man.
As the trio was sitting together, the matron got
up and left the room on business of an important
character. The decoy-bird played her part so well
that the husband was soon enticed into a flirtation,
and then the outraged wife appeared on the scene
with a police-magistrate and a score of her female
friends. Unluckily, however, for the plaintiff in this
curious divorce suit, the details of the plot leaked
out. The Court got wind of the affair, and, at the
trial, the lady's tactics were so thoroughly exposed,
that her intended victim was triumphantly acquitted,
and she herself left the hall amid the jeers and taunts
of the spectators.

NEW TIIAMES EMBANKMENT ' •
The growing encroachments of the Thames at high
tide and flood seasons over the towing-path have for
many years past been a source of trouble and anxiety
to the authorities at Putney, who have at last com-
pleted a work which will no doubt materially add to
its popularity as one of the chief centres of below-
lock boating men, and as a riparian place of residence.
That part of the tow-path between the bridge and the
limit of the metropolitan area towards Barnes, a dis-
tance of about half-a-mile, has now been raised in such
a manner that, while the edge of the embankment is
lifted 3ft. above Trinity high-water mark, its crowning
point is 16ft, above the latter. It is hoped that later
on the Barnes Vestry will continue the embankment
over their own property. The improvement has been
carried out under the Thames Prevention of Floods
Act, 1879. At the request of the Thames Conservators
the Putney Vestry took over the portion of towing-path
in question, the former body paying £BOO towards the
expenses of the embankment, and providing the neces-
sary ballast at an exceedingly Tow rate. The Metro-
politan Board of Works, to whom the working of the
Floods Act is left, also contributed £1350, and as the
total cost of the work has been £5700, the parish of
Putney has now to pay £3550. This is a decidedly
moderate sum for the advantage gained, it being re-
membered that at high tides and in times of flood the
water used to render the towing-path and its urround-
ings totally impassable. The embankment has been
formally opened by Mr. G. P. Meaden (zhairman of
the Local Committee of the Board of Works for the
Wandsworth District), and amongst those present at
a luncheon afterwards held were Mr. Kimber, M.P.,
Mr. T. Beard, Mr. B. Weir, Mr. H. G. Hills (clerk to
the Wandsworth Board), Mr. Radford (Surveyor for
the Putney District), Mr. Hewett, and many other
gentlemen. Air 1ii611301 IMMO
WHERE IS STANLEY?

The date has now arrived (remarks the Globe) when
even the easy-going oracles at'Brussels calculated that,
some news would be received from Mr. Stanley. But
not a syllable comes out of the wilderness into which
he plunged after quitting the Aruwimi many months
ago. From that moment he has been as hidden from
view as if he had accompanied Jules Verne on a voyage
to the moon. We know absolutely nothing of his
journey from that time; all the intelligence subse-
quently received has been of a conjectural sort
resting on no basis of fact. The latest news from
the Congo is absolutely enigmatical, apparently
owing to the desire of the sender not to commit
himself to any positive statement. It merely states
that no intelligence of Mr. Stanley's movements had
come to hand "for some time," and then proceeds to
conjecture that he will next be heard of from Zanzibar.
Likely enough; indeed, it would not be altogether
impossible for the expeditionsto return by that route,
as being the shorter. The nature of the country and
the disposition of the tribes between the Aruwini and
the Albert Nyanza could only be surmised when the
expedition set forth. If, therefore, the natives proved
irreconcilably hostile, or supplies scarce, Mr. Stanley
might be influenced to throw over his
original purpose and return by the eastern
route to Zanzibar. There are dangers on that
road also, some of the tribes being exceedingly hostile
to Europeans. But perhaps Mr. Stanley, after weigh-
ing the perils of the two ways of escape, may have
found reason to alter his former opinion. In that
case, he would necessarily exercise the closest
reticence as to his future movements, so as to avoid
giving the eastern tribes any warning of his advance.
That his prolonged silence should give rise to anxiety
both here and on the Continent, is only in the nature
of things. But he has extricated himself before now
from even more awkward positions, and we feel.
every confidence that he will eventually turn up safe
and sound, perhaps at some entirely unexpected point.

which '