The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1867-08-09

Pierce, holding the Court of Quarter
Sessions, was engaged in hearing de
sertion" cases, quite number Of which
were reported al length in the Ledger
of Friday, Saturday and Monday last
These arise mainly under an act of As
sembly passed in April of this year
which Is part of the new legislation
referred to yesterday in these columns
1t provides, in additionto existing laws
that whenever any husband or father
has neglected to maintain his wife oil
children, any alderman or magistrate
on the oath of the wife or child, or any
other person, may issue his warrant o.
arrest of such person, and bind him
over to answer at the next Court o.
Quarter Sessions, where, If the COM
plant is made good, the Judge may
order him TO pay u reasonable and pro
per amount for the comfortable support
OF the wife or children, or both, not eX'
ceeding Sl00 per month, and to commit
the man to prison until he gives securi'
ty for the payment OF the sum ordered
BY the same act both husband and wife
are allowed to testify. Provision is also
made for the arrest and bringing back
any such husband or father who alb
seconds TO escape his obligations.
In reading over the reports of these
cases, no one can fail to be struck with
the general similarity of the causes
WHICH DTlIB hbuul NIOuDlO1
husband and wife; and every reader
will have noticed the kind and judi
cious advice given to the parties by
Judge Pierce. 1t is the old story Ol
happiness for u few months or few
years after marriage, and then es'
arrangement, neglect, abuse, and even
cruelty, brough abo ut either by lntem-
perance, the Interference of imprudent
relations, the meddling of acquaintan-
ces, or improper intimacy with other
women. In five of the six cases re-
ported these remarks hold good. Two
of the difficulties were the direct result
OF excessive drinking. In both cases
the wife was not only abused but beat
en-, and in one of them under circum-
stances Of great cruelty. In the latter
instance the wife said in court that she
never had anything to complain OF as
long as the husband was sober. In the
others the trouble originated in part
from the bad counsel given by the
mothers-in-law of two of the women,
or through the Interference of ill-Judg-
ing neighbors, whom the Judge stig-
marized as "bad advisers" or by the
husband leaving his wife to pay atten-
tions to another woman.
These cases should have their lessons
for all married couples who are travel.
ing along the same road which led
these parties into court. Estrange'
D1eHlSs htHlttlo
came from very slight causes at first
In such cases there is no philosophy
wiser than that which teaches that u
gentle answer turns away wrath. The
angry word from either side should al
ways be answered by gentle word
from the other. 1t is not in nature that
men and women who have loved each
other, and pledged themselves be true
to each other, can come 10 hate and
abuse one another at single bounds
but such lamentable results come on by
degrees, and especially when anger is
met with anger. 1t is also the gradual
wOrk-as the cases referred TO show
of what Is called "sticking up tor ones
rights" This is II very natural thing
to- do; but ali ought to remember that
while they have "rights" to protect,
they also have duties to perform. II is
in this matter of "rightS" that unwise
relatives and well-meaning, but
bad advising" neighbors, come
In to such disadvantage. 1t
is the husbands fright" 10
have his home well taken care OF; but
il is his duty" to provide his wife with
the necessary means to do 1t. 1t is the
wife's right" to have the kind afiec-
ton of her husband; but it Is her duty
to so net Hs to preserve his affection.
While the husband is hard worked to
earn the means to support his family,
ana may teel ulspOseu 10 COhpldIn vi
his life of toll, he should not forget that
his wife also may have been toiling
equally hard all day in the duties of
their home and the care of their chill
dren. They both have their rights"
they both have their "duties," /" and they
both have their hard labor and their
vexatious cares. 1t is therefore always
best for both to avoid talking about
their rights" and to think only OF their
mutual "duties." The man should
avoid hard drinking as fatal enemy
to domestic peace, and the companion
ship OF disreputable women as one II
possible still worse. The woman should
let no one, whether neighbor or rela-
tive, come between her and her hus-
band with meddling advice. Judge
Pierce advised all these parties to go
home and try to live with each other
and do for each other as when they
were first married. t -.E..