Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-27
LAUGHING AND DIVORCE
Novel Plea of New Jersey Woman

From the New York Times. M
To multiply causes of divorce III
these days when great church organi-
cations erect their mitred fronts TO
frown upon 1t altogether seems out OF
time and keeping and lends a new
tangle to a perpIexity which is prob
ably as old as marriage, or at least as
the last quarter of the first honey
moon. To make of innocent laughter
such cause and give to TINS EXPIRES
sion of generous mirth the effect OF pc
ing a conjugal oppression looks IKE
trifling and the Introduction OF comeuy
into a matter where 1T does not Delone.
But here Is New Jersey spouse VINO
comes into court with a plea to pe
legally released from her husband pc
cause he wakes up at night ana
laughs: goes on in riotous manner
with barking paroXysms petWeen
sleeping and waking, and when asked
the cause of his merriment, says 1t was
something which happened yesterday
or last week and was altogether too
funny to resist.
He never tells his wife what 1t was.
No part of the fun comes to her as
compensation for being walked in the
midst of the dreary night watches. her
lord holds a monopoly of his mldnlsnI
mirth, she getting only the barren
echoes of it, as the cracking OF tnorhs
under a pot, endurable by no mortal.
Otherwise he is not more cruel than
consists with his somewhat rigorous
theory of domestic discipline; he does
not bang his wife about nor shut ner
lap dog out of doors on cold nights
there Is a long schedule of hard
hearted things which he does not do.
Still the general effect of his conduct
Is to submit his spouse to torture ana
give her nervous prostration. She
A. ha
lief as may be found in the seVerlng
OF the bond between them.
The case is a curious one, and lts
decision will establish precedent
where none now exists. 1t would pc
fruitless to try to forecast the court
Judgment upon it, and single one
might not stand as the final ad1udl-
cation. 1t is of such novelty and I'M
portance that it might be carried from
one court 20 another tilli came before
the biggest wigs in the business quan-
fed to utter the final words upon IT,
The practice of laughing is so common
that to make a statutory oHense OF ~
and a ground of marital separation
would hardly be in consonance with
wholesome public sentiment or tne
general spirit of the law which, as De-
| tween masculine cachinnation and fem
mime hysteric, ever aims to hold the
| balance even.
The case will be followed with inter-
est and may establish lot Of Legal
principles hitherto never thought or.
But til it is settled one way or the
other husbands, and wives, too, Tor
that matter, conscious of incontinence
IN the expression of merriment ana
nrone TO go off like bundle of Foo
| Chow firecrackers on untimely and un-
suitable occasions. should take lessons
an seIf-restraint and discipline. 1t is
in the highest degree inconsiderate 70
burden the already burdened divorce
courts with complaints grounded on roo 90
one marty or the other to the marital
contract. Cultivating soberer way OF
looking at things would go far as a
corrective, and the expedient Is rec
commended as better than lawsuit and
as holding the promise of much more
satisfactory results.