Elk City mining news. (Elk City, Idaho) 1903-1913, 1905-02-04

soberly, 'incompatibility is, in
"a itself, no grounds for divorce,
Notwithstanding the fact that the de-
sire of both husband and wife Ia to
sever the marriage bonds"
He was speaking to William Sprigs-
bee, q tall, handsome man of 30.
Sprigsbee had attained fame and for
tune as an inventor.
The scene was the divorce court, and
there were but four other persons In
the room. One was woman, plainly
though neatly dressed. Her pale face
at times was lighted by ray of sweet
ness as she smiled upon the two little
boys who nestled closely to her as If
in fear of the strange solemnity OF
their surroundings. Each Of the tots
took turns putting a chubby fist to his
mouth, yawning, and then looking up
at the woman with pretty smile An
attorney-the woman's attorney-oc-
cupied a seat near her.
When the judge ceased speaking,
Sprigsbee sank back into his seat with
a sigh of disappointment. 1t was not
as he had expected. A silence follow
ed, broken only by the regular tick!
kOCRl ~ tle DlS CloS6 SNCi eiO SSesAH
I'd KlkSs window.
The judge csaxinued: ''In nature
there arc . few things incompatible.
This so-ealfed incompatibiltty In the
domestic life of man and woman Is
more often the inconsistency or the
incongruity of one or the other, or
mayhap, both. 1t is easily remedied,
though not in the divorce court In
truth, the thing, the very thing, that
makes man and woman incompatible
is the divorce court itself. You come
here seeking divorce-what grounds
have 1 for granting such decree for
untying the sacred bonds and aiding
you in breaking the VOW you swore
before God to keep? None, absolutely
none! Incompatibility, you say? But
why that? Has not this woman, the
mother of your children, been good
and loving wife, fulfilling her duties
rs wife and mother? No, on the
strength, or rather the weakness, of
your argument, sir, 1 could not grant
a divorcev And Sprigsbee sank deep
or into his seat, his head bowed.
Again there was silence, and the at
torney arose. 'If your honor please"
said he quietly, as if anything but
softly spoken words would again dis
turb the lion that slumbered in the old
Judges breast, 81 wish to present a
few words in behalf of my client. You
said a moment ago that this woman
had been a loving wife and a devoted
mother; that is true. But has the man
whom she promised to cherish and love
+oI Hoo
he been a loving husband and a devot-
ed father? 1 dare say, If you question
ed him, he would tell you there have
been weeks and months that he has
not spoken a kind word to this patient,
forbearing woman.
when these two were married sew
en- years ago they were neighbors, and
had grown up together. They attend
ed the same school, and studied from
the same books. The first months, the
first years of their married life, were
one delightful harmony, for they were
yet, as they had been In childhood, on
the same level; they understood each
other perfectly. Then a change came
Success and fortune smiled on the hus
band. His name became a household
WOTQ Tie adhiOn ONCIs ne press were
loud in Their praises Of him; he was
lauded and adored, and everywhere
he went he was received with pomI
and ceremony. He was no longer the
loving husband he had been a shorr
time before. The fine ladies, the tai
anted ladies, the women who bestowed
their praises upon him in the world oc.
cupide a higher social level than the
simple, plain little woman who had
walked with him to the marriage altar
He grew to loathe her, to avoid her, t.
despise her. He could no longer cares
and love her as of old. Her very pres
ence is now obnoxious to him, and the
woman, though ever patient loving ant
devoted. must live her life in misery
You say, your honor, there is no in
compatibility in the domestic life
Why, If you please, this is the yer,
extreme of incompatbility. Not wo sub
stances, no two things in the univers
could react with greater force, coult
be more repellant, more disagreeabl
one to the other than this one case o
the world-renowned, ambitious, thougl
eonceited husband, and the plain, sim
ske. loving and devoted wife and moth