The record-union., 1894-09-21

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! We have heard great deal in recent
years about the shocking ease with which
in this country the marriage tie can be
! legally dissolved; but some of the cases
! in the latest law reports from the differ
ent States show that the half has never
! been told, and that, so far as the law goes,
all of us have given our respective wives
or husbands all the standing in divorce
court they could desire.
Had Mr.. Socrates been wed in these
happy days the divorce courts would
have prevented Madame Xantippe from
pouring more than one bucketful of slop
upon his offending head; at all events in
neighboring State the husband COM
planned of the cruelty of his wife, and to
/ sustain it proved that she had hit him in
| the face with her hustle, and the court
! thought that such ignominy entitled him
TO divorce.
In another case the husband complained
! that his wife would not walk with him
on sundays, and that she was forever
trying to make him lose his temper; that
! on one occasion she heaved teapot at
MIN and hit him squarely In the jaw, and
/ at another time she jerked out a bunch of
! his hair, which was filed an exhibit In
the case. He got his divorce. AS did
also another wretched Benedict who COM
| planned that his wife took all the cover
lngs off the bed and lett him TO shiver un-
1 til morning, and that when he remon-
strated with her she jumped on him with
! her knees and ran a needle into his arm.
/ 1t is related of john Hunter, The famous
! English anatomist, that he came home
| one evening and found the house full of
company dancing. He halted in the
! mil Ia of IA nd
| around. II knew nothing OF this kick
! up, and ought to have been Informed. As
! l returned home for the purpose OF study
| | hope the present company Will at once
retire." Which they did.
/ A Missouri husband took more polite
| way OF disposing OF unwelcome company.
! He came into court ana complained that
! although he had been good and loving
/ husband for twenty-five years, nevertne-
! less his wife rudely and maliciously de-
signing and conspiring TO disturb his
peace and comfort" hau recently become
! a convert to spiritualism, and had caused
his home 10 became a resort OF strange
men, principally drummers, whose pres
ence was not congenial 10 him. The court
agreed with him, and said he might take
unto himself another wife.
La Bruyere, when asked his experience
as to marriage, replied: Few wives are
SO perfect that they do not give their hus-
! bands cause at least once day to repent
| of matrimony." His opinion was con-
tirmed by the testimony of an equally
positive, though perhaps less noted hus-
| band who swore he would rather 90 TO
h-ll than live another day with his
spouse; and the court respected his pref
erence. That was in Western State,
but the Eastern courts have been equally
lenient, and husbands have been given
their liberty for apparently the most
trif1ing causes. One because his wife
hnl hi, IL
another, because his wife-reiused TO keep
his clothing in repair and never sewed on
any OF his buttons or cooked his meals
properly. In this case one of the wit
nesses testified that he had seen the
plaintiff with only one button to his vest.
Plaintiff also testified that his wife
would not allow him to go to fires at
night. and that if he went she kept him
awake the remainder of the night quar-
reling. In another case the vile took
dose of laudanum 'solely to harass and
vex plaintiff and not at all for practical
purposes, thus giving plaintiff much
anxiety and causing him to eXpend large
amounts Of money for medical services
and often, to veX the plaintiff, she would
go to bed and remain there for days at
a time, and upon one occasion, when
he asked her to cook breakfast, she was
SO enraged at the suggestion that she
took up all the dishes and smashed them
on the kitchen floor. Once, too, she
hurled all the dinner dishes out of the
window because plaintiff sowed grass
seed IN August
Another case is reported which may
serve as valuable precedent, in due
course OF time, Tor. certain notorious
Congressman, for the court granted the
husband divorce because it was show n
that on the day before the wedding the
| wile's brotter was after him with a pis-
toll" Another victim alleges that on his
bridal trip from New York defendant
met German on the train, with whom
she fell in love at first sight; that she sat
on the same seat with said German all the
/ way 10 Chicago, kissing him and en-
) twined in his arms. This conduct caused
/ the plaintiff great mental anguish,
: 'whereior he flies this his bill of com
T plalnt and asks Tor such relief as he NAV
be entitled TO in the PREMISES, He got ii.
) The same courts have granted husbands
3 relief because tLeir wives refused to
awake them in time for their work: be-
, cause they threw scalding tea in their
faces because defendant has almost
: driven plaintiff crazy with an 1ncessant
: quarreling when he is weary with his
4 days labor and wishes TO sleep"; because
+ defendant violently upbraided plaintiff
a and said TO him, You are no man at al, ,
/ thus causing him great mental anguish
Q and suffering; because defendant be-
I longed to peculiar sect called The
C Brotherhood of the New Life,' one OF
D whose tenets was that man should not
hold marital relations with his wife un-
5 less given a permit to do so by the Chief
2 of the sect" The husband had applied
Q for such permit from the chief, who not
= only refused it., but on the contrary for
4 bade the wife from staying with him for
/, three years.
: If the courts appear toi have been un.
: necessarily merciful TO men blessed with
t undesirable wives, what shall be said ot
q the gallant readiness with which they
: have acceded to the demands of wives
i weary OF their husbands? Divorces have
o been granted to the wife,
: Because husband slept with razor up-
= der his pillow.
Because husband abused her for having
e the toothache and getting her tootl
t pulled.
: Because after twenty-seven years Of
: married bliss husband said to her, "You
# are old andworn out: L do not want you
9 any longer-p
e Because husband called her a ripe
J, and forbade her being seen on the stre
d with her relatives.
y Because she had to black husband:
: boots while he made love to his mother.
q in-law.
9 Because husband drank paregoric BY
Q the bottle and thereby grieved plaintiff il
IS body and mind.
Because husband made wife eat wher