Weekly Trinity journal., 1869-02-13
NUMBER 6.
Another Divorce Case.

Whatever may be the ills that single blessed
ness is heir to, the probabilities are that they
form mere moehil compared to the mountain
of trials, troubles and tribulatons that the san
guine Benedict is too frequently compelled to
shoulder. Courtship is delightful. The first
kiss of love is the sweetest recollection of fallen
humanity. The weddng-day with its tender
anxieties and soft affections, is red-letter day
on memory's tablets. The honeymoon is Para
disc regained. The first twelvemonth of welded
life is pleasant The next is endurable and so
on, in sort of declining matter-of-act progress
sion. Wooden, tin and other metallic celebra-
tions of the nuptial day serve to kindle anew the
enthusiasm that hovers around things hymeuial
and beside, prove that the couple have at least
won each others respect and confidence.
wife having remained faithful say, for five or
eight years, may be presumably supposed, like
the dame of Caesar, to be above suspicion. Yet
this condition of things has its exceptions, the
| following narrative will prove
Some eight years ago, Mr.. John Devanie
courted and married his pretty brunette Agnes.
AS her name implies, she was then meek and
lamblike, and passonately attached to her low
| ing lord. Peace settled in the borders of their
household, and for nearly eight years their mar
ried life was one of calm tranquility. Until
some eighteen months ago, the prattling of chill
dren's voices was not heard on the Devanie
|
with another dimnutive lamb, and the husband
| became a father. If the teachings of romancists
and poets may be believed, the advent of the
| frst-born binds the husband and wife more ten
derly and lovingly together than they had pre-
viousy been. Even the shadow of suspicion is
| banished from the husbands mind, and thus at
the birth of the infant Devanie, John regarded
| Agnes as his true and honorable wife, and
thought himself sort of ceestially- blessed in
dividual.
At this period they lived at 335 Hudson street,
New York. Mr.. Devane's china and hardware
store being situated at No. 343 in the same street
When May came around this year, like thousands
of other people, John and Agnes determined to
move. The house next door presented some pal
pable advantages in its second hoor and thither
were the lares and penates of the Devane house
hold set up. Here they had spare bedroom,
and desirable lodger having presented himself
in the person of James Nelson, this gentleman
was duly installed there. Nelson is well known
in the Eighth ward, and rumor has it that he
courts fortunes smiles successfully tables
usually covered with green cloth, where cards,
and not billiard balls, are used
! The rooms occupied by the Devanies formed
suite, and communication between the room oc-
cupied by Nelson and that in which the family
| slept was had by door which was somewhat
smy nailed up. Let it be further promised
that the door opened into the latter room, and
that the head of the domestic couch was placed
against it. Nelson's bed in the next was
also placed against the door.
Whether Agnes was acquainted with Nelson
before he came to reside under her roof, we have
no means Of determining. Certain it is, how
ever, that she seemed to regard him very
| nice man, and was altogether quite free and
familiarly-easy footing with him.
1t was splendid June morning-the sixth of
that charming month. The glorious king of
day rejoicing in the East, and some stray
beams danced round the Devanie bedroom win
dow and even tried to get inside and peep at
the baby. Seven o'clock, John rose, dressed
and departed to the store where, for the present,
we shall leave him.
1t was yet too early for Agness to rise; be-
sides she regarded that delicious hour of half
sleep, half-wakefuness before rising in the
morning, the most charming in the whole
twenty -four. She accordingly summoned the
servant-gir, and told her to take the baby she
had not slept well during the night, and an
other hours undsturbed snoose would do her in
finite good. So the maid took the child and de-
parted and the door closed
y Somehow, that morning, Mr.. Devanie, when
he reached the store, felt as if all was not right.
He was restless, hdgety-suspicious, in fact.
Only remaining there some half hour, he
walked back to his residence and with quiet,
cat-like steps. glided up stairs. The servant
girls ear, however was too acute to be deceived
with his eye placed to the keyhole of Nelson's
door, while huge carving-knife graced his
dexter hand. From this door he proceeded,
with evident excitement, to that Of his own bed
room. 1t was locked but to burst it open was
the work of moment. Like an infuriated Turk,
whose harem has been outraged, cimitar in
hand the vision of John burst on the vision of
the guilty couple. The suggestive sheen of the
cleaning steel had the effect Of hurrying them
out of bed nstanter. John charged with his
weapon (; but before he could reach the carcases
of his fathless wife and the guilty paramour, the
latter hurried down stairs with inconcevable
speed, preparatory to airing his person and
| night-shirt on the street. Agnes like the 1.-the,
spanking witch in Tam O Shanter was close at
bis heels !; but her courage failed her when she
reached the street. She felt she could hardly
''charge" the sidewalk dressed in one sparse
garment of thin cotton. So she % botedi into
the room of the occupant of the basement, ex-
claiming: 'Oh, for Gods sake, hide me, Lizziei
For Heavens sake, conceal me somewhere -
After which pous exhortation she emulated the
instincts and anxiety of the feminine grimalkin
and squatted beneath the bed Lizzie was
not satisfied with this condition of affairs and
insisted that Agnes-the lamb - should come
forth from her den preparatory to being con-
signed TO more secure quarters. The abode in
which she ultimately found herself was dark
closet in the cellar, where, in Cyclopean dark
ness and in a state of semi-nudity, she spent the
remainder of the day in cheerful communion
with her own soul-and was STILL
Mr.. John Devaine, as soon as opportunity Of
fered, carried the story of his disgrace to the
office of Mr.. Howes, No. 78 Nassau street. and
authorized that gentleman to institute proceed
| ings in the Superior Court for divorce. The
petition sets forth the particulars we have here
narrated. The case is now before referee. and
from the evidence of the servant girl it appears
that on several previous occasions when gentle
man John had gone to business, Agnes had been
similarly relieved of the baby
ANOTHER VIEW OF 1T.-An exchange says: