Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1882-12-13
Better than Divorce.

A long procession Of men and women
passes in front of the desk of William Blake
the superintendent of outdoor poor, every
day. As a tall, broad-shouldered man
reached the space in front Of the desk one
morning day or two ago, he laid down
four silver dollars and walked away without
saying anything. The superintendent took
them up and dropped them into box. An
hour later demure little woman came in
timidly, and when she presented herself the
four silver dollars were placed in her out
stretched hand. With nod of acknowl-
edgment, but without speaking, she went
out. "This is a curious phase of life" said
Mr.. Blake. "The man who left the money
and the woman to whom / gave it are hus-
band and wife, but they do not live together.
/ am mediator between them" How is
this brought about 2" asked the reporter.
"a wife whose husband is cruel to her
or has deserted her comes here and states
her case to me. / then send for the
husband. He is told when he comes that
he must leave so much money here
every week for the support of his family.
Usually he is frightened into promising
that he will pay the alimony." "How is
this amount of the alimony fixed 2" "I
find out how much his weekly earnings are
and tell him he must set aside ia certain
proportion Of them" "What is done if the
man refuses ?" /" He is told that it is much
better for him TO pay the money through me
than TO have the case go before a Judge. To
have the case tried would cost money. The
most ignorant man soon sees that he would
lose in the end by refusing to make the
agreement. Persuasion has much more TO
do with this class of men, some of whom
appear to be merely animal in their nature,
than you would think" "Have you any
legal authority" "No. But they know
that can take steps to have the law en-
forced" "Do husband and wife often come
together again ?" al take every opportunity
to induce them to become reconciled to
each other; sometimes / succeed. A few
weeks ago | induced man and wife to
live together again who separated in
1872. They were both moral and intelli-
gent When the husband came told him
that there were differences in every family
and that it would be more economical if he
and his wife should agree to travel the
same road again, and that both would be
happier. So one day he says, Tell Mary
I'll talk it over with her. The wife was
willing-they always are-and / arranged a
meeting to take place at my house. They
met, and both cried like children. 1t was
so touching | fed to another room. Well,
it ended by their going away hand in hand,
smiling and happy. A week ago l re-
ceived an invitation to visit them, which
did. found them living as snugly and
contentedly as if the cricket had always
chirped merrily on their hearth. Here is
another romance that didn't end so well. A
woman came to me and complained that
her husband would not provide for her, but
spent his money for drink. She was as
fiue-looking woman as you would see in a
days journey. The husband admitted that
he spent his money, but he said he didn't
want all of his wife's people quartered in
his house as they were. Il am keeping her
whole family said he. Il didn't marry the
whole family But after several talks he
said he would have meeting with his wife
1t was arranged that shs could come for her
allowance at the same hour he called to
leave it. They went home together. But
at the end of two years the husband came
here total wreck, and had to be sent to
the almshouse. His appetite for drink had
been too strong for him, he said, and he
laid the blame on his wife's relatives.
: don't know what became of his handsome
: wife. Another case was that of a husband
and wife who were separated by the disso
lutte habits of the husband. The wife said
: that her husband was all the time trying To
steal her child from her. The child wa
;; beautiful. told her to let him have the
! child, and it might induce him to go homt
with it. Sure enough, when he became
sober he went home with the child in his
arms and promised that he would give W
his cups He kept his promise. Not lonl
ago there was another case in which tn,
+ child was instrumental in bringing its fathe
a., and mother together again. Through SOM
mistake, the wife came for her allowanc,
! Just as the husband was handing it to mi
at the desk. She was carrying baby il
Q her arms. When the husband saw her h
brushed tear from his eyes with hi
, sleeve and taking the child from her arm
| kissed it. Coming up to me he said
t Would you mind, Mr.. Blake, ii pay tn
4 money to my wife herself after this
y You had better go home and live with her
g said |. We'll, believe | will he replied
: So he did"