Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1914-03-17
TO-DAY'S INSTALLMENT.
Fifty-ninth chapter-continued.


Fifty ninth Chapter-continued
But even if the civil law could and
would divorce you" said the Bishop,
think of the injury you would be in
tlicting on the Church Yours was
what is called a mixed marriage, and
the Church does not favor such mar
riages, but it consented in this case,
and why? Because it hoped to bring
back an erring family in a second
generation to the fold of the faith.
Yet what would you be doing? With
out waiting for a second generation
YOU would be defeating its purpose. -
cold chill seemed to creep to nv
heart al these words. Was it the lost
opportunity the Bishop was thinking
Of, instead of the suffering woman
with her bruised and bleeding soul?
| rose to go. The Bishop rose with
me, and began to counsel forgiveness.
Even if you have suffered injury,
dear lady he said-"I don't say Nol
haven't-isn't it possible to forgive?
Remember, forgiveness is divine
virtue, enioined on us all, and espe-
Cially on a woman toward the man
she has married. Only think! How
many women have to practice it
every day, all the world overt"
'Ah, well.' | said, and walked to
the door
The Bishop walked with me, urging
me, a. a good daughter of the Church,
TO live at pease with my husband,
whatever came (as please God they
WOULD to "instill into them the true
faith with a mothers art, mothers
tenderness" so that the object of my
marriage might be fulfilled, and a
Catholic become the heir to Castle
Raa.
so the Church can do nothing for
me" l said
Nothing but pray, dear lady" said
the Bishop,
When | left him my heart was in
fierce rebellion; and, since the Church
could do nothing, | determined to see
if the law could do anything, so
ordered my chauffeur to drive to the
house of my fathers advocate at
Holmtown.
The trial in the trees was over bv
this time. and q dead crow tumbed
from one of the tall elms as we passed
out of the grounds.
Holmtown is little city on the
face of our bleak west coast dom
mated by a broad stretch of sea, and
having the sound of the waves always
rum bling over It. Mr.. Curphys house
faced the shore and his office was an
upper room, plainly furnished with a
writing desk, a deal table. laden with
law books and foolscap papers, a
stiff armchair, covered with Amer
lean leather, three or four COlored
engravings of judges in red and err
. 4h 10 hi
self in wig and gown, an illuminat-
ed certificate of his membership of
a legal society, and a number Of
lacquered tin boxes, each inscribed
with the name of a client - the
largest box bearing the name of
Daniel O'Neil"
My fathers advocate received me
with his usual bland smile gave me
his clammy fat hand, put me to SIT
in the armchair, hoped my uneX-
peCted visit did not presage worse
news from the Big House, and finally
asked me what /. could do.
l told my story over again omit
ting my sentimental grievances and
coming quickly, and with less deli
cacy. to the grosser facts Of my hus-
bands infdelity,
The lawyer listened with his head
aside, his eyes looking out on the
sea and his white fingers comblng
his long brown beard, and before l
mad finished I could see that he, too,
like the Bishop had determined to
see nothing.
You may be right" he begun
Il am right" I answered
But even if YOU are. ! am bound
10 tell YOU that adultery is not
enough of itself as a ground for di-
Vorce'
Not enough
IF you were a man it would he, but,
being a woman, you must establish
cruelty as we'll"
Cruelty? Isn't it all cruelty ]
asked
In the human sense, yes; in the
legal sense, no. answered the lawyer
And then he proceeded to explain
to me that in this country, unlike some
others, before a woman could obtain
a divorce from her husband she had
to prove that he had not only been
unfaithful to her, but that he had
used violence to her struck her in the
face, perhaps; threatened her or en-
dangered her life or health.
Your husband hasn't done that
has he? No2 ! thought not. After
all, he's a gentleman. Therefore, there
is only one other ground on which
YOU could establish a right TO divorce
namely desertion, and your husband
Is not likely to run away In fact he
couldn't. 1t isn't to his interest. We've
seen to al that--here, and, smiling