Year: 1859

u


Character.


The London journals come to us with the
certainly not over-delicate details of a divorce
case which has been making some noise in the
upper circles of society there. This history of
the case runs through many ponderous columns
of legal intelligence" but the main facts are
epitonized by the Times with sufficient clear
ness to enable rs to comprehend its general
bearings:


Mrs. Marchmont was formerly Mrs. Lock-
cit. Mr.. Lockett a tsvern-keepeH in the
course of nature died, leaving behind him this
widow, who, as 1t appears, became entitled
ritter his decease 10 the very comfortable sum
Of tJO, 600. This widow, at the time Mr..
Aarchmont paid bis addresses to her, was ffty
years OF age and partial to sherry. Mr.. March
mont was widOwer, as the lady was a widow,
but he had children by his former marriage
she had mono. He was the minister of Dis
sentiDg chapel ut Islington and according to
hts own account, what between the stipend of
his Office and his gains from literary sources,
ne made up an income OF something like e. 900
year He appears to have considered that
a union between himself and Mrs. Lockett
would be an excellent arrangement, although
the lady was fourteen years older than himself


He was successful in bis suit. 1t was agreed
between them that he was to give up his chapel;
that be should be at the charge of his own per-
sonal expenses; that he should educate and





riage and pair of horses. Mrs. Marchmont's
property, on the other hand, was to be entirely
settled on herself; but she engaged, on condi-
uon that her suitOr would give up his chapel,
that she would build for him a Protestant
church, which she would attend with his fam
lily. The document, dated July 10, 1857, in
which Henry Marchmont deyotes himself TO
eternal perdition if he should ever, during
her coverture, in any way attempt to meddle
with bis wife's fortune, is probably unpre-
cedented as sample of eager blasphemy
1t is as entirely discreditable to the man
who could write it as to the woman who could
receive such paper, and afterward marry
the author OF 1t. Married they were, and they
proceeded to Tonbridge for their honeymoon
But alas. No sooner was the Gordian knot
tied than the disturbances began which have
formed the subject of the recent suit In the
case Of this miserable couple there was a brief
pause, indeed, between the marriage altar and
the divorce court.


What fool have been to marry L hate
married life" W was nearly the earliest express
sion used by this devoted wife to her Affection
ate husband. Mr.. Marcbmont, however, ap-
pears to have soon had good cause to repent
the precipitancy which he had risen to the gol-
den fly; his married life was one scene of per-
petual strife, not mere ordinary domestic strife,
but OF swearing, cursing, struggling, chasing
his wife about, and Of behavior so scandalous
WletQer
husband or wife should be more loudly con-
demned. Mrs. Marchmont's matin and eye-
ming song was that her husband had married
her for her money alone; which was true
enough. Money, however, she would not let
him have; if his wife sent him to take a rail-
road ticket for her, he was obliged to bring
back the change, and was rated soundly and
publicly if she judged the tale incorrect


Sometimes one, sometimes the other would
go out ostensibly with suicidal intentions
There was row about dog. There was a
row because his pen made noise while he was
writing. There was q row about the wine
The wife in a maulin, sherry sort of way,
would take the seryants-anybOdy, in fact, but
her husband, into her confidence. Then the
lady would leave the house, and Mr. March
mont would betake himself to our advertising
office with sfsctionate entreaties to her to
come back. Here is specimen of one OF these
precious effusions:


Rose, dearest, with a broken heart your
dropping flower entrests you to return. Come
back, beseech you, without one hours delay
l shall not breathe your fight to a living be-
ing until L hear from you. OH Rose, you
are more fondly loved than ever by T-p
Forgive Do not sct rashly. We can be
happy"


Then the " dropping hower' wanted to be
refreshed with golden shower, and there wss
fresh disturbance. In cabs, in police sta
tions, at the houses Of relatives and friends the
same kind Of scenes, interlarded with oaths and
blssphemy, were Of constant occurrence The
result was the trial of which we have recently
been compelled to give q report in our col
umns- The jury have decided that this mis-
cradle couple are henceforth to live apart; per-
haps 1t is better that they should but they
might have done this without the intervention
of law; and for ourselves we cannot but regret
that either Of such pair should have been
able to occupy the court for seven days with
the details Of their obscene squabbles, and
have been relieved by it Of the consequences
Of a bad bargain deliberately contracted and
d deliberately vislated on both sides.