The San Francisco call., 1906-09-16

did not occasionally come home drunk
and drag me out OF bed and beat me-"
Dreams seldom come true.
She married an invalid and spent the
rest Of her life In burying dead babies.
Once. near High Holborn. the shriekg
OF woman were so agonizing turned
to policeman and said:
This Is too awful Why don't you
go IN and do something?"
Hi never likes to come between man
and wife. STR was polite Bo6by's reply.
In artistic Chelsea, near Cheyns
Walk. the home OF Thomas Carlyle. who
must have written with cotton IN his
ears, I thought, This time I cannot
endure itr'
Quite a little crowd had collected.
which was unusual. I'VE can't stand
this" I said. and was about to burst
the door open when 1T was flung open
from the inside and child about ten
years old. OF the faithful little Annie
type. stood on the threshold with fam
ing eyes and cried:
What are you doing here? Why
don't you go home and attend to your
own beatings?"
She voiced the British ldsali
What is home without its beatingsf
The America of Dickens has passed
away, but in London every one OF his
prototypes walks today.
In another stretch OF classic ground,
where Turner and Whistler onoe lived
and wrought stopped at the head OF
an alley whence came the word. Ser
pent! Serpenti' hissed after every blow,
which seemed to complicate the sftua-
tion, for the exemplary wife seldom
gives retort.
OF course. in speaking Of beatings
one does not refer to the still more
common husband and wife combat
duel where he uses his masculine
weapon, the fist, and she the feminine
weapon. the tongue
Our streets are very tame.
In London I have seen a woman with
a baby IN her arms lighting with q
one-legged man and the crowd cheering
her on.
"serpentl serpentr' held me with un-
usual dramatic interest 1t suggested
q third party.
young Bill Skies slouched down the
alley; evidently one OF the family,
though not engaged IN the combat. As
the chastisement continued, he said.
with threatening gestures
"Wot yere doin'7"
Taking a walk"
''well. walk on-wot yers stoppin'
ere fur7"
ITO listen to those cries."
what bloody cries7"
Don't you hear anythingf"
Nav. don't-and yer don't"
Al the time the shrieks were blood
Burdling.
AZ this 3uncturs I felt a pull At my
coat, and looking down. there stood lit
fls oliver Twist to the life.
~Yed better SO haway, GUNNER, ye'd
better 30. Yer carn't do hany good,
hand yea only get .urt"
&c f. notorious that women are av-
fully fond Of these bad husbands. They
are more interesting Wives rarely can
be made to testify against them. One
ala set 50 far as to have her husband
arrested for biting her nose OF, but
when they got into court she weak
ened and confessed she had bitten It OF
herself.
defng home from q supper with W.T.
liam Morris one night. filed with the
beauty OF the seven portraits OF Mrs.
Morris, by Rossetti. In the dining room.
my dreams were broken by the usual
shrieks, and ] saw an untidy crowd col
1ected on Shepherds Bush common.
This time a policeman did interfere.
but as the crowd dispersed saw him
come away empty-handed- Soon
woman passed with swollen and black
ened eye. Without any Interrogation
on my part. she turned and said:
HI couldn't do hiti Hi couldn't do
hit! HI carn't never tell on i'm. They
may beat me till the blood's Jest a
goolpin' outer me. but hi couldn't never
hi was 'aving ha pleasant little scrap
WI my sister"
Authorities differ as TO what constf-
tutes moderate tigation'-au that
was expected in polite circles. also as
to the nature OF the reasonable In
strument." which. as reports go. has
been construed to mean anything. from
a riding whip to a red-hot stove. and
CONT forget the warming PAM
I remember an old print where a la
borer Is reading an Illustrated paper
after his days work:-"Ere's ha ard
go,-man Jung for kickin' is wife to
deth! Hill take OF my boots next
time"
One man who hacked his better half
to pieces with meat chopper was
found mot guilty" as 1t was not GER
J tain her death resulted from the
wounds-perhaps only OF heart fall
ure' or from fright.
One Jury found It's hero guilty but
Of strong provocation." she having re-
!. fused him two-pence for beer.
Owing to almost universal prevaiencs
OF drink among the gregarfous Door
such excuse is frequent: for instance, a
box of lighted matches being thrust
into woman's bosom because she was
too slow In bringing up the bitter
For sthe same reason, another set @
bulldog on who tore pieces from her
flesh, while he was beating her with
the lawful yard measure.
Knocking out the front teeth Is quite
common-and wives still try to smile
after IL.
Many reports say: ON previous oc-
casions' (mark the 81 he had frac-
tured her ribs"-"Jumpin' on 'er Stats"
they call It
One bit a piece out OF his wifs's
cheek.
Another poured tobasco sauce into
her eyes-which sounds quite I'D to
date
Knouting IS termed kissing Black
Betty" while vivisection OF wives with
hobnailed shoes is "purring's-"God
send gentle ladies better SPORT"
1t usually begins with "Justinaols