Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-04-18
LIFE IN ENGLAND.


London Correspondence Philadelphia Telegraph.
There is very generally received impression,
that in England the higher you go in the social
scale the less regard you find paid to morals
think the social statistcian who first put for
ward this view must have based his opinion
upon the returns furnishedb by the divorce courts
The percentage OF peers, barOnets and army
officers who figure before Judge Hannen either
as respondents or correspondents in suits for
divorce is certainly very high but then, as f4O
Is the smallest sum which will suffice to procure
divorce even in undefended cases. poor men
have to think twice before they indulge in the lux
ury. Ii man or woman well known in good
circles sue or be sued for divorce, the circum-
stance becomes the talk of the town, and every
one exc!aims against the immortality undermine
Ing the higher classes in this country. | fancy
however that the lower classes are lust as bad
If not worse. and the looseness with which the
marriage tie is regarded by so ne of the ''dregs'
is far worse than that pervading the scum" A
story Illustrative of this was told me some time
ago disreputable laborer. called Joe" while
drinking in low public house, was informed
that an equally dsreputable friend of his named
Bib, had eloped With his wife. What" said
the injured husband, "Bl b0ted with my
missus! Well. I'm - if ever he gets back his
wheelbarrOw borrowed from him." and chuck
ling at the kindness of fate which had placed
such convenient method of vengeance in his
hands, he relapsed into beer and ''bacca," quite
satisfied with the aspect of affairs.
Probably the great middle classes of the COM
munity have more regard for the conuenances of
society than the strata above and below them.
Some attention has lately been drawn to the
yagaries of titled persOnages. The Marquis of
Blanford eloped with Lord Aylesford's wife,
Lord hrewSbury-quite young man-bolted
with married woman considerably his senior,
and after her husband obtained a divorce, mar
red the subject of his Illicit amour About two
years ago | served on a jury in the divorce
court, and some of the revelations were per-
fectly astounding. l remember one case in
which certain earl applied for divorce from
| his countess, who had certainly grossly miscon-
Quoted herself with another peer. 1t trans
PRED however. that the petitioner himself was
actually keeping up three establishments :"
and the Queens proctor intervening, the case
was stopped. The affair was hushed up and
never got into the newspapers.
The most abOininable scandal though ever
brought under my notice, was the following,
which. incredible as it may seem. is. | be-
ileve, strictly true. In beautiful village in
| Deyonshire reside Col. A. and his wife. who
is the daughter of a baronet. and think the
most beautiful woman l ever saw. The pair
live in good style, and visit all the best fami-
lies in the neighbOrhOOd The Colonel is about
fOrty-five. and his wife about TWENTY-FIVE 1t is
given out that the lady has considerable in
come Of her own. and it is well known that the
! COlonefs means would not be sufficient to keep
up the style in which they live. For two or
three months during the height of the season
the lady disappears. and it is given out that
she has gone a visit to friends in the north or
| is travelling on the continent. As matter of
TACT. she is IN London, one of the most sought
after and successful OF the members OF the demi-
monde. She takes house in PimlicO and at
her splendid establishment there entraps ali the
misguided young FOOLS with more money than
brains, whom she can get hold of. Sometimes
Mrs. N Gas she calls herself when in ondon)
falls in with richer and more infatuated prize
than usual and goes abroad with him for a time
There are scores of young fools this designing
woman has ruined during the past five years 1t
Is no uncommon thing for her to return to the CO.
lionel and rural delights Of DevOnshire with c5 600
as the solid results of two or three mouths
campaign In the metropolis. The Colonel Is
perfectly aware of the method by which the
money Ia obtained. and the pair live very COM
fOrtably during nine months OF the year upon
the earnings OF the wife for the other three. The
woman leads q strange kind OF dual existence
When In London she is one of the queens OF the
demi-monde: while in Devonshre her mode of
life Is most eminently respectable. She patron
ICES all the local institutions. subscribes to the
local charities, attends church regularly, and Is
the wears right-hand In all district visiting,
soup distributing. sewing meetings. and other
parochial work. She Is now In London, and it
was only last week that saw her riding in the
Row. She Is certainly one Of the most attrac-
overlooking women I ever saw and sits her
horse to perfection.