Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1876-11-18
A Peculiar Divorce Suit.

A new case was entered on the docket
of the district court OF Davenport, Iowa.
It was entitled " B. B. Babcock against
Fannie Babcock." 1t Itappears that eight
years since Miss Fannie Hurd and Mr..
Babcock were united in marriage. The
bride was highly respected by her ac-
quaintances, and well known there as
music teacher. Four years of happy
welded Life passed, and then the wife,
impelled by conscience. confided
troublesome secret to the husband.
Years before her union with him she was
the wife of man in Pennsylvania; no
clergyman nor Justice had oficiated at
that marriage-the two promised each
other to be true to each other; live as
husband and wife; made VOWS as solemn
as though preacher had joined them,
and kept house. and lived as a married
couple, and were respected as such by
their relatives and Tho 1reighborhood.
After some years the husband went away
and then the wife went West. What
troubled her was the fact that she be-
came the wife of Mr.. Babcock without
having been legally divorced from her
first husband, who was still living, and
without informing Mr.. Babcock Of the
facts. She made her confession, as
stated, four years ago, aud during the
period since, until recently, Mr.. Bah
cock made no motion of consequence
for separation; in fact, a child, their Sec
ond one, has been born to them during
this period. But lately both parties
have become impressed with the idea
that they We're not doing right in living
together; their consciences were bur
dened, and they felt that separation was
the only course allowable. Judge Hayes
heard the facts in the case; he made him
self sure that the poor, sorrowing
woman was perfectly free in her assent
to the proceedings instituted--question-
ed her thoroughly. She had implicit
confidence in her husband, and felt just
as he did about it, SO the Judge grant
ed decree, declaring the marriage OF
Mr.. Babcock and Miss Hurd nnlity Oh
account Of previous marriage of the
lady which had never been set aside;
one child to ba retained by the father,
and the other by the mother. The pro.
ceedings were not instituted for the pur-
pose of obtaining divorce from the
previous husband, and then remarriage;
for the separation is intended to be final.
BY Frenchman.
NJ. de Molinari has been writing some
very clever letters upon America for the
DIES d'De6ats. In his last he
makes the following remarks upon
American cities
All American cities are built upon the
same plan. that of chess board all the
streets have very nearly the same
breadth, the same aspect, and the same
tue names of trees or
Of ilustrious men. Everywhere, for ex-
ample, you will find a Washington
street and Lafayette street, crossing at
right angles avenues which have mum.
bers and not names. All the houses and
all the public edifices look alike the
hotels are built after the same colossal
model, so that, after having passed a
night in a sleeping car, you wake up in
another city long distance away, and
have difficulty in realizing that you have
changed places at all. The hotel at
which you arrive has the same colun ned
entry as the one you left the evening be-
lore, the same Office opposite the door,
;he same cigar stand, newspaper stand,
he same elevator with mirrors, the same
sntries with red carpets, the same bar,
;he same dining room where you are
served by the same looking waters,
who invite you to seat by the same
'igns and when you g2 out you find
he same ticket Office at one side where
hey sell you the same railway tickets,
md at the corner the same druggist
With his soda water fountain. Who was
{ that said that France was the country
If unity II unity is found anywhere it
s in the United States, aud it must be
confessed that this unity considerably
implifes the work of travelling. |,