The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1867-11-30

DIVORCE TRIALS AND THEIR VARIOUS
SENSATIONS PRODUCED UPON THEIR AUDI
ToRs.-At recent sitting of the Circuit
Court at ST. Louis, the calendar seems to have
been crowded with cases of divorce, and the
Court House with so extraordinary a num-
Der of the gentler sex as to excite general re-
mark A sensitive yet philosophic genius,
who appears to have been an interested
spectator of some of these trials, thus expat-
iates upon divorce trials in general and their
effects upon the spectators:-
There is something saddening in the con-
temptation of a divorce, aside from the
notions of evil that may be associated with
it. After Il courtship of years, perhaps: at
ter all the warnings and pinings, pledges of
fidelity and whisperings of affection in moon
light bowers. days of torture and nights
without comfort, what a spectacle it is to see
the romantic structure that has cost so much
time and anxiety crushed to atoms 10y q sin
gle sentence muttered from the judicial
bench. But there is a more serious light in
which to view the matter. The humanita-
rian must necessarily compassionate the
poor, unfortunate woman, who, free and I'M
fettered as she imagnes, rushes from the
court room intO-she knows not what. Mis-
cry, 1t may be, thousand times more terri
BILE than what she has endured for though
an lnharmOniOuS married life is a bitter and
disagreeable thing, there are conditions and
situations far more wretched and unendu-
rable.
In watching the department of complain
ants In divorce suits, one can almost read
the entire history of their difficulties, and
the emotions OF the spectator are prone to
rise and fall in unison with the manners and
expressions of the persons to whom his at
tention is directed For instance, no par
&Iar1l or1 IxNl l.
when blooming young lady sweeps into
court with an air indicating that she would
like to sweep everybody else out of it, and
with the utmost sang troid proceeds to mar
rate her suferings as methOdicaly as if the
performance were daily pastime. There is
a specific charm in the hateur of the creature
as fascination in the proud curl of her lip
and the dignity OF her carriage. The little
ceremony OF divorcing her seems to afford so
much Qualification that you can scarcely re-
strain desire to congratulate her, as upon
the occasion of her marriage, hoping she
may live to be divorced many times. and en-
JOY it hugely.
Not so with the wan, melancholy looking
matron, who comes forward reluctantly.
with feeble step and eyes cast downward, as
II the occasion were next in solemnity to
funeral. He: eyes are dim and lustreless-
They may have possessed a brilliancy once,
but II SO, it has melted away in tears. There
IS no trace OF beauty in the pale and hollow
cheek, but her very tenderness speaks of a
power OF fascination that is departed, and
there is startling melody in her meek voice
that produces an involuntary shudder
throughout the entire assembly, The rela-
tion OF her wrongs is long and tedious, and
she often hesltates, as if she would give the
mr. 1,r, -
ly false Something is said about neglect,
and cold and hunger of drunkenness and bru
tality, and finally it may be desertion.
When the object of her mission has been ac-
comphshed, she does not leave the room
hurrledly. but casts a lingering look be-
hind, as it there were something precious
that she was about to part with forever
You have witnessed the whole proceeding,
and, being only flesh and blood, you feel a
disposition to use your bandana, or there is
a strange sensation in the vicinity of your
toes, and you feel an inclination to kick the
next man to you in the insane belief tor the
moment that every may in the world mis-
treats his wife, whether he has one or not.
And so it is, over and over again-each
new applicant thinking, no doubt, that his
or her case is the most pitible on record,
whereas there have been thousands to match
It, Judges would deserve pity, were it not
Tor the fact that by constant contact with
such scenes they school themselves to regard
them with Indifference. Justice is blind
and likewise pitiless. ....,-
An inevitable accompaniment of each
particular suit seems to be a female witness
who is more familiar with the domestic
affairs of the family involved than the wife
herself She knows whole chapters of crimes
and cruelties, some of which at times appear
to startle even the parties most interested,
by their novelty. - >
The N1oo 10.