Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1865-10-26
A sad Case.
Prom the Albany Evening Jourhsj ]

Al New Haven. sad case OF domeati
infideity ard suffering is now on trial Th
plaintiff is Mr.. Harris, member Of las
years Connecticut Legislature-tbe defen
fendeDt, his wife, gay, fashionable, ratbe
pretty and very sentimental woman Of forty
mother of boarding school girl old enough
to have passed through ono broken mar
riage engagement.
| The testimony reveals a shocking stat
of affairs. 1t shows Mrs. Harris to have
been modern Catherine III. Her love,
were shameless a. those Of Pompsdour, aDG
various as those Of d Enclos Her house
seemed to be a rendezvous for well-formed
good-lookiDg fellows who went there tc
make love to the mistress, wrong the mis-
/ tress, wrong the master, drink sparkling
wines and eat rich disners. Her trunk wa
full of letters, abounding 10 variety and
spice equal to the Couptess Of Blessington'
correspopdence. Her diary, which she kept
! With faithful minuteness, was little more
than narration Of swiftly succeeding
an1ours.
The unblusbing effrontery and cold blood.
ed heartlessDess OF her conduct, seem to
have been its Distinguished features. She
hardly deigned to Disguise her loves from
her husband. In her household
ShO oSt' t'dutS dIu EtNdlUcIh-lnSl HeFt LDaL-
ters OF current gossip. The daughter, evil
IDENTIFY refined young lady. was compelled
to witness them, aud when she went upon
her knees. and with tears besought her
mother TO reform, the base woman rebuked
her assurance 10 attempting to teach her
morals Miss Harris was engaged to be
married to hight toned young gentleman.
He discovered the criminalty of This New
Haven Aspasia, and rebuked her for it,
Her response was an attempt 70 ensnare
him in her libi1inous tolls. As result, the
marriage contract was broken.
Aud now this almost broken hearted
Young lady is forced upon the stage as q
witness against her wretched mother. -
While tears stream down her checks, she is
compelled to testify to scenes that would
make Partisan lorefte blush for shame, or
excite the indignation of Mercer street -
Her evidence, of itself, seems sufficient TO
condemn the defendant az lacking in every
principle OF honor and decency which en-
mobiles and dignifies woman.
But this is not all. The testimony re-
veals something more. 1t lifts the curtain,
and unfolds some of the mysteries of high
llte" at Boston, at Newport, at Nahant.- -
1t shows the concomitants of late wine sup
perS, and after. midnight dinners, and surf
festivities. 1t pictures to us young women,
moving in the best circles-'the cream OF
the cream -slouching, in a state Of help
less drunkenness, into the arms Of tobacco
smoking, billiard-p playing rakes, and swear
ing great round oaths, like fshwomen Of
Biilingsgate. 1t presents US the fact that
this female viper, though known by all who
knew her at all, to be vile woman, was ad-
mtted into the 'best company that faith
ers and mothers gladly welcomed her as the
associate Of their daughters, because she
belonged to the aristocracy of money; be-
cause she wore rich dresses, and displayed
expensive jcwelry; because she lived in a
paiatal mansion, with its "blue room" and
its "crinson ROOM" its Wilton carpets and
its Gobelin tapestry. In short, it proves
what very slight golden barrier separates
the debasing vices Of the rich from the de-
grading vices of the peor.
Possibly this is sample case. The ten
dency of the age and country is to looseness
in thought and habit, promscuousuess of
intercourse. vulgarity of coRduct-to extrav,
agant display and morbid, yelow-coversd
sentimentalty. The austere virtues are
going out Of fashion. A man is rather voted
m old fogy who treats his wife as If he
loved her supremely, above all others; and
a woman is pronounced prude who will
not consent to familiarities on the part Of
acquaintanccs that should be permitted to
none but husbands. Conduct hardly ex-
cites passing remark now, which, in the
times of our grandmothers, would have
been all sufficient ground for social cxclu-
sion. Women travel with gentlemen es-
corts," attend balls and concerts with gen
tlemen ccerones," take long carriage drive.
with gentlemen attendants" throw their
boudoirs open to gentlemen friends" and
write letters full of gushing sympathy to
gentlemen correspondents. The result
is, that every now and then husband
awakes to the consciousness that his wife
has forgotten her duties to him-if indeed,
she does not disremember his existence
and then some Mrs. Harris is ground to
powder between the upper and neither mill
stones of righteous indignation. .. ....
If there is any truth in evidence, this
Connecticut woman deserves the fate which
is probably in reserve for her. She will
She will be driven out from the beautiful
illicit loves. She will be separated FROM
the society in which for years She has beer
accustomed to move, enjoying the best lux
| uIlCo VI WCalth pOsibiOus w hu q oidhN
upon her forehead, with the curse of pub
lie opinion following her, she has one alter
native--the seclusion Of retired life and thu
penance Of austerity, or descent step b.
step to deeper infamy and more utter degra
dation. until she reaches the end, where s.
many like her have preceded. Society ev
cry once in awhile arouses from its mora
slumber, demands and crucifes victim
and then goes to sleep again. In this case
Mrs. Harris is the predestined sacrifice.
But is the woman now so much wors
than she was while pursuing her career 9
crime-hoding levees at her mansion, Fl
ting through the saloons at Newport luxur
ating 10 the smiles of nabobocracy whic
knew all about her weakness and her sin
Is it not the great and crowning reaso
which demands her punishment, that she hs
been found out; that she has been expose
in Court and to the public; that she vi
/ not skillful enough to disguise her intrigue
|. IF her infdelity had been nothing mo,
. than current chamber gossip, would 81
n have been otherwise than popular and f
!. vored2
The real fault is in the system Of societ
which makes it possible for such women
exist in respectable circles; which is blir
and Indifferent to the consequences Of &C
= that tend logically and inevitably to prcois
!. lv such resuIts This social world will n