Morning journal and courier., 1881-04-05
Tuesday Morning. April 5, 1881.

A TALE OF LOVE AND BUSINESS.
 A lawsuit which reveals good deal of the queerness of human nature is in progress in the city of pork and high art called Cincin- nati In this suit, which is for breach of promise, Mrs Charlotte Bruce, aged at least fifty-two is plaintiff, and Mr. John B. Gib- son, an old rich and widely known citizen of Cincinnati, is defendant. Mrs. Bruce's story of her wrongs is interesting and remarkable. She was, she says, approached by the defend ant in the year 1865 and asked to be his wife She was at that time at the head of the mil inery department in an extensive dry goods house in Cincinnati with an annual salary of g, 800. After thinking the matter over she consented to give up her place, ''fondly be- lieving in the truth and honor of Mir Gibson and trusting that she was soon to become his bride" But her trust was misplaced. For twelve long years Gibson continued to ad- dress her, but did not marry her. During all this time he was most attentive and affec- tionate, and wrote to her no less than twelve hundred letters. ssMany times he wrote twice day and was always very loving"
 As is often the case in such affairs, Mir.
  proposed marriage. They refused to give their consent to it, and were not modified by Mrs. Bruce's declaration that ia man who was old enough to be a grandfather was old enough to marry with or without the consent of his papa" But MT. Gibson did not choose to disobey his parents, and Mrs. Bruce waited patiently until October, 1877, when her lover coolly told her that she might as well look elsewhere for @ husband, as his parents had persuaded him to marry another woman who had a large fortune. This an- nouncement was naturally shocking to Mrs. Bruce, and she did not hesitate to tell her lover what she thought of his conduct She spoke with such power that he said 'tDar- ling, it is my parents desire that I should be married, not mine; would marry you now if they would give their consent Indeed, you are in the sight of heaven already my wife; my heart will always be yours can nev- CT love another as do you" Proceeding from sentiment to business, he continued 'Iottie, you are entitled to one-third of my property, which is $50, ,O0O. I will make out my notes for $5O,O00 and bring them to you.' Apparently convinced that this was the best she could do, Mrs. Bruce agreed to receive the $50, 900 and release him from his marriage contract. The next day he sent her basket of fruit and large bottle of perfumery, and he also tried to make a bet ter bargain with her. He proposed that she should take $4O,OO instead of $50, 900, to which proposition she swears that she re- piled: "No, John, you have sold me for money, and propose to take what you first offered, which was fifty thousand" He ap- parently recognized the justice of her posi- tion, for he afterwards delivered to her his notes, duly made out, and promising in short time to pay her the sum named. But before the notes became due he changed his mind visited her, swore by all he held sacred that he loved her to distraction, could not live without her. and again promised to mar ry her if she would give him back his notes. This she did. Whereupon Gibson again re- fused to marry her or make any reparation for the wrong she believed he had done. Becoming at last convinced that he never did intend to marry her. she brought suit against him to recover her $50, GOO.
 In answer to the charges against him Mir. Gibson does not deny that he offered to mar ry the plaintiff, but he says that she is at least fifty five years old, that she has been married twice, has lived with number of men who were not her husbands, and that she is not in short, a very desirable old wo man. For these reasons he thinks he should not be made to keep any promise he may have made to her. Altogether the case promises to be celebrated one, and it's de- velopments will be looked for with interest. It would seem that both the plaintiff and the defendant were old enough to know better than to bring themselves before the public in such ridiculous way, but unfortunately age does not bring wisdom, in love affairs at least.