Year: 1865

The case of Clinton vs.. Clinton in the
London Divorce Court occupies large
share of the attention of the British press,
and lively correspondence on the subject
has been going on in the London Post
The suit is instituted by Lady CLIFTON
against her husband, Lord Thomas Clin-
ton, second son of the late Duke of New
castle, on the ground of adultery.
This scion of a noble race enjoyed the
double privilege of having his domestic
affairs publicly canvassed in the Divorce
Court at the same time that en- attempt
was being made to settle his pecuniary
affairs in the Court of Bankruptcy. Lord
Clinton does not appear to be satisfied with
the proceedings of either tribunal, both of
them having meted out but little mercy to
the aristocratic suitor, and he has now ap-
pealed to the press with bat little better
result.


In reply to a previous communication of
Lord Clinton, the solicitors of Lady Olin-
ton send to the Morning Post few choice
extracts from the correspondence of the
noble Lord with the lady whose character
he now asperses. Here is one choice
specimen of lordly billing and cooling:


CLIMBER, Sunday.


My Own DEAREST PET, OF ALL DEAR PETS
MY TRULY LOVING DEAREST PET IL received
both your dear little letters quite safe, and a
thousand kisses to you, my own dearest life,
for them. How delighted it makes me to
think that my poor dear little pet is all WELL
Keep up your spirits, my own true love- and
arrange somehow to take plenty of exercise,
and then how delightful it will be to see my
loving dear well and fourishing when she runs
into my arms at our happy reunion. My
thoughts of You, my dearest life. is the only
thing which Is able to keep up my spirits in
this melancholy place.


After much more in the same strain,
and describing his sitting up at night with
his dying father, he continues:


What dear, economical little pet You are,
having f12 remaining now. l will tell Mad
anne Rue, to send you the money in the letter to.
dearest dearest, darling pet, indeed do think
of you when am sitting up in that wretched
room of death. You are my guardian angel
the dearest PETITE thought of whom deter
mines me to make the best of the present evil,
with the hope of future pleasure and reward
for o filial duty. Bless bless you again and
again, my own, my truly loving little dear.
Well might the world go round if all were like
you.


The letter ends:


Believe me for ever your truly loving and


THOMAS P. CLINTON.


Nothing cOarser than rose leaves should
be used for the setting of this tender
romance.


But the inexorable lawyers follow it up
with this miserably prosaic continuation.
In March, 1853, Lord Thomas had to leave
London to avoid his creditors. He first
went to Worthing, and afterwards to Arun-
del, Bognor and Brighton. During this
time bis wife supplied him with money,
through the assistance of friends and by
selling her own jeweiry. She continued
to reside in London, to look after his
affairs but, from time to time, went to
him for day or two at Reigate, Red Hill
and Horsham. What he then thought of
her he shows in the following letter, from
Worthing, written the day after he left
| London:


| My OwN SWEET, DEAR LITTLE PET Il ar.
| rived here quite safe yesterday evening, and
went to the Marine Hotel, where the people
were very civil and obliging. got good tea
and went to bed, and got up this morning about
our usual time. and after breakfast bought a
pad book, pens and paper, and then looked out
| for lodging. l found one close to the hotel
q very good sitting-room, and bedroom at the
back, at one pound o week. which took. and
| where am now writing. l then took a walk
aoout two miles along the seashore and back
| and then sat down on seat ON the parade
| who should come and sit on the same seat bu
MIR. and Mrs. Enraght. You may fancy hi
surprise at seeing me. walked about witt
him for nearly two hours. Poor, dear man, h