Year: 1872

the Penalties or Counting ~ Post.


The weak, soft sides Of human nature are.
perhaps, moro frequently exhibited in breach
of promise cases than in any other branch of
legal inquisition. The Asmodeus Of the law
in his diabolic unroofng of the secrets of the
heart has seldom such cause for sardonic
laughter as when he lays bare the story OF .
failure to marry after the parties concerned
have reached the roseate height Of matri-
monial engagement. Whether it is that So
ciety chucklingly finds therein repetition Of
its own happily hidden experience in sending
or receiving biuets doa1, or whether the intrin-
sic fun Of the developments is sufficient in
itself, certain it is that everybody laughs
heartily when breach of promise is brought
before the world. 1t is, however, very rare
that the heroines Of riven engagement
fetters can bring the same cause into
court as Miss Margaret Gilmore lately did
at Pittsburg, in her suit for damages
against J. S. Corbett. The gushing swain
found some dozen specimens of his hand
writing as well as the lady before him. The
story Of these epistles, as told elsewhere, is
among the most curious Of the kind. Mr..
Corbett is a native of Ireland, and lad lost as
he says in one of his letters, great deal Of his
hair in California, which delicately implies
that he is bald. His experience Of lovely
woman on the American Continent did not fill
him with the desire to confer his hand upon
any fair one between the two great oceans.
But he VI wanted 70 marry. Turning fondly
backward in imagination to the pure moral
atmosphere Of the home Of his childhood, the
original idea struck him Of engaging his rela-
tiyes in the Emerald Isle as matrimonial
agents. A maiden was soon selected by them
for the position, and her photograph for
warded to the trusting Corbett. He was de-
lighted, and commenced a series Of letters to
the bride expectant, wherein the cool delibera-
ton of the middle-aged man Of business
gradually merged in the passionate gush of the
ardent lover. He avowed himself q Covenanter,
that the traditional srimness Of Puritanism
was much subdued in his Celtic soul. Like a
true gallant he thought Miss Gilmore should
cross the sea as soon as practicable, so their
marital jubilee should begin at on early day.
1t is here curious to note how deftly Gov
enanter can WOO. Miss Gilmore was anxious,
it appears, in traversing the wild Atlantic
to have man for safeguard. The
willy and pressing Covenanter, if he had
lost great deal of his hair, had not lost
particle of his mother wit, for he suggested to
her that the Almighty was the caretaker on
which she should rely. This was neat
stroke The lady trustfully consented to
leave her home, and the Covenanter furnished
the tickets On her arrival at Pittsburg by
train from New York she was to wave white
handkerchief, whereby the Covenanter would
recognize his treasure. The train came putting
into the great, dingy depot Of the Smoky
City. He peered around for some time
anxiously. At last the white handkerchief
was waved and on she came with her maiden
smile. Could there be q mistake? No. She
waved the blanched talisman she answered to
her name. His heart sank within him. His
riotous fancy had painted fairy picture The
reality weighed close on two hundred pounds
and was close on forty years Of age. He con-
Quoted her coolly, but with shattered hopes,
to the house Of relative, and as soon as pos
sible fled precipitately to Ohio. The lady
pined and after careful consideration valued
her blighted prospects at ten thousand dollars.
The law thus invoked overlook the Covenanter,
and he was finally allowed to rid himself of
the portly Margaret forever for four hundred
dollars damages-that is, about two dollars
pound, if we view it from the standpoint Of
avoirdupois. 1t was very cheap, and although
neither party is satisfied it is hard to say with
which side to sympathize in what was folly on
the part of both. A Partisan dramatist has
lately developed on the stage the idea Of mar
rying by telegraph, but courting by post and
photography does not seem to succeed in real
life. If the Covenanter were younger it might
have worked better. The sanguine soul of
youth might have tided over the disappoint-
ment; but it may now be decided that it is
impossible with O man who has lost great
deal Of his hair.


The Centre Street Fire-Wherc Are


a.