Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1890-11-30

land, however, had she been a resident
there, she could have got nothing more
than permission to live apart unless she
could produce the c!eGrest evidence o!
cruelty and the half crazy savage whose
name she bore would not otherwise have
been Invested of any right except her
companionship.
Much of the iaXity in upper English
society is probably due to the existing
law OF divorce, and especially the re-
uuirement that the wife must prove the
husband to be an humanity william before
she can receive her freedom. The aver
age EDgiishmen. of decent tr6iuing, OBJ
jerts as much as the American to beng
held up before the world rs monster
who mauls omen, and many q couple
are Kept in reluctant bonds because the
husband will not do his wife the favor of
being cruel, although in other respects he
may richly merit the penalty OF divorce
II Is well known in London society that q
leading duke has not spoken to his wife =,
OF 10 les, glittering lineage, i'll fifteen
years. He maintains an establishment
ut the West Eud with a housekeeper
who in grace and manners does credit to
his household, but who, for obvious rea-
sons. never goes into the dukes social
set. She has twice accompanied him on
yachting tour TO the West Indies and
once they visited New York, but in q
very quiet way. The duke would proba-
blV marry her if he couli. But in n
mansion about five squares away resides
his lawful wife. The duchess is not
averse to obtaining divorce provided
she herself is not besmirched in the pro-
cess. But divorce they cannot get for
the duke has not been cruel to his wife
i'll the legal sense and separation they
already have by mutual understanding.
If the duchess could get q divorce she
would probably become the wife OF a
marquis well known in politics who is a
frequent visitor at her home. Such is
tine situation, not alone i'll this family;
but doubtless i'll many others less dis
tinguished and such connections cannot
be wholesome in their influence upon
society.
THE LOWER ORDER OF ENGLISH
very seldom resort t the divorce court.
Contrary to the rule among the aristoc-
racy, iuhdelitv is much less frequent
than cruelty in the homes of the English
poor. Brutality, as the police records
show. is very common, and the spec tacle
Of battered and bruised wives is as ia
millar rs il is saddening i'll certain dis
trirts of London. But the English law
affords no relief in such cases except to
consign the husband, when complaint is
made, 10 the treadmill. Divorce, in
England. Is the luxury of the upper
orders, and not dealt out laTishly TO
them. There has been one amusing eX-
ception to this rule that at the time ex-
cited good deal of fun. 1t was the
case of Walter Stort, the husband of
stmlwart fishwife at BIilingsgate market.
Mrs. Stort, who is as broad and strong
rs her husband is a weak!ing, was In the
habit Of administering physical chastiSe-
ment 10 him on the slightest provoca-
ton. She assisted him, or rather he as
sisted her, at their stall in Billingsgate,
and many q time. above the din of that
fragrant center of London smells, rose
the shriil cries Of poor Walter as he
trembled like rabbit in the
strong grasp of his wife. Things
eliminated when one day Mrs.
Stort nearly shook the life out of her
better half, and tossed him, limp and
gasping, into big basket of founders.
When Walter recovered he found his
waT home. His wife, who had u streak
of goodness somewhere in her compost
ton. nursed him back to health.
But he made up his mind to separate.
To prosecute her criminally would hurt
the fish business, in which she was an
expert. stort sued for separation on
the ground of cruelty. When his wife
received the notice
SHE WAS IN A TOWERING RAGE.
She proceeded 10 look for her husband.
and meeting him on the street, near the
market, she compelled him to begin eat
ing the notice. He had actually con-
sumed about half the paper when po-
lice constable, attracted by the crowd,
StOri got his separation and
Mrs Stort continues the fish business,
share of the procee Is going to her hus-
band 5 support. 1t was altogether one
an English court.
But, apart from the fun and tragedy,
or perhaps in consequence of It, there is
a powerful sentiment III England that
men and women, husbands and wives,
should be as in America on an equality
before the law, and that the husband
should not be permitted TO do wrong
with immunity, while for the sune acts
the career of the wife should be blasted.
and she would be deprived of all marital
rights. This sentiment Is likely 10 find
an expression in parliament at an early
day. 1t will probably, however. meet q
persistent opposition on the part of the
element.
CURTIS KISGLARE.