Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-10-30

pleaded, he would see he had a steady
job. / did not feel as I acted, but I lei
him out / eot a regular copy plate Letter
OF thanks from the Englishman, and felt
at last rather proud of my discernment.
He was to go to confession to thai
priest In weeks time, on Friday night
Monday morning the churchman appeared
with sorrow on his cOuntenance and an
nounced that his find had been drunk
refused to attend confession and had de-
parted for some less religious Cline If ]
had not yielded he would have been safe
in jail. where he belonged.
1T is also an inability to close ones
ears to the plants of wives and children
that causes so many judges to make mis-
takes. which the public always pounces
on without knowing the reason. Often
have d woman bring her husband into
court with her face bruised and eyes
blackened where he had struck her !
hear the narrowing tale, get ready to pass
sentence. and then. suddenly. she wakes
up TO the. fact that her husband is going
to Jail.
Judge she will wall, he only struck
me because he was jealous
Why didn't you tell me that before? p
l demand. sternly, and then follows a
recital Of how she knows he only did il
because he loves her and she wants him
let out. And what can | do? I have
about as much chance of hitting it cor
rectly as the child who says My mother
told to take this one in counting
One thing l never am mistaken about is
that a woman will forgive her husband
anything If lie can only convince her
that he acted through Jealousy. Another
is that witness must think when ne
is lying.
The truth comes readily, almost me-
chanically, but when one is lying the
far-away look in the eyes and the tense
alert expression of the whole body will
reveal itself. That is why l often keep
on talking all the time to witnesses-so
they won't have time to think before re-
plying. The exception is what I shall
recall as in line with what you want A
young fellow was brought in here
charged with non-support His wife, who
preferred it, was a pretty little thing.
not much more than child The hus-
band told straightforward story of his
clothes not being looked after meals
never ready on time-that tragedy in the
laboring mans menage-and had his
mother as witness to corroborate.
She was all talk and Indignation
couldn't seem to get any real grievance
out of it, 50 | kept insisting: What is
the main trouble?' When she replied,
We'll. she will sweep the dirt under the
sofa l thought l never would get any
order In the courtroom. The husband
would support her She was amiable and
gracious. Said they had met at dancing
school, that she had never done any
Homework and was trying her best to
learn. But the others told such a con-
elusive story that I rather believed them.
So ordered him to pay his wife in week
ly installments, and they departed
Later l discovered that that was eX-
actly what the mother-in-laW desired.
She was jealous of her son having mar
ried at all. So / exercised my pre-
rogative and decided the husband should
pay his money personally at the home
of his bride. l understand they are reg
ularly keeping company now and will
make 1t up. You see, no couple could
go on meeting week after week and not
come to some kind Of an understanding. -
The judge paused. looked reminiscent
and then said jokingly. with an under
current of reality in his tone:
II used to make an awful lot of mis-
takes with those mother-in-law cases
Wives would claim they couldn't stand
them and husbands--ditto. One day
that her better half provide a separate
home for her because the mother-in-law
was impossible. l took the latter's part
and read little homily on her outraged
position in the world and really felt very
proud or my virtuous self. But when
got through the complainant turned on
me and exclaimed:
What do you know about it? You ain't
nothin' but bachelor
And now?" queried the caller.
But Judge Mullowny was automatically
silent
ut is hard to decide in winter time