Year: 1873

VIC DELOOh O4lEClNC"


to the curious and critical reading OF
Brt tach of Promise cases, and the more


we read of them the more fascinating


do we find them To be. All reports OF


law proceedings contain a good deal


of human nature. Suits for divorce,


mournful as they ale, rarely bore US,
and will cases are confessedly anus


ing to everybody except the unfOrtun-


ate legatees but we incline TO the be-


lief that your breach of promise cases


usually contain the largest proportion


of human nature, brought out in the


boldest and most varied relief. Has
any body for instance ever considered


philOsOphically the connection be
tween Love and Victuals? We never
did. We acknowledge, until we read
this report now before US in an Eng
lish newspaper. The plaintiff, Miss
Emma Welsh, was a young lady de
scribed by her lawyer to the jury as
"Of considerable attractions" which
is a most unmeaning, and we should
think to the feminine mind, a most
irritating description. TO'her Mr.. U.
R. Freethy made desperate and decid
ed love, and so warmly did be plead,
that she at last consented to be his.
Then commenced a tender correspond
ence. The main points which this
swain desired TO impress upon his
Emma seems to have been that his
love for her had given MIN a great
appetite. For example:


any DEAREST ENISIA:-We eat an
enormous qusntity OF food every day.
| and my friend think nothing of eat
ing three pounds of bread every day,
and how all kinds of food vanishes is
surprising"


Again he wrote:


"DEAR ENSIA:-The receipt of your
letter this morning made me eat twice
as much as l usually do, it was so re-
freshing and invigorating.


The receipt of a letter from the lady
of his love gave him an appt tite, and
he was not ashamed 10 say so. When
she was away, he could console him
self after a sensible fashion and we
advise everybody in similar state of
temporary bereavement to try the vir-
tues of chops and steaks and outlets,
with bread at discretion. So long as
a lover can WELD a good kniie and
fork, there is hope for him. Sly old
Major Pendennis knew that young
Arthur would not die for the FOther-
ingay the instant "my boy" began
to relish his breakfast again. In the
case before US, absence, we are sure,
was not indispensable while Mr.. Free
thy could make away with 50 much
bread. The question, however, is
whether he did not go a little too far,
led away by the letter-inspired appe-
tite. SC that under the malign infiu-
ence of an indigestion reaction took
place. For it was mournfully record
ed that his hessrt grew cold toward his
Emma-mOurnfully, because il is
clear that here was just the man for
those most delightful feature, of do
mestic life, the break fasts, the din
ners, the teas and the suppers. What
changed his intentions aud made him
false to his Emma, We are not in
formed. Perhaps he heard that she
was not good cOok-and in the face
of all the poets, we resolutely affirm
that a man may do much worse than
marry a good cook. "If ever marry
a wife" merrily chanted Charles
Lamb, "Ii II marry landlords daugh-
ter, that / may sit in the bar, and
drink cold brandy and water" In
these days of teetOtalism, it may be
more moral to be alimeniarily and de-
indolOgically amOrOus, and marry the
COOK No love, however intensely
hot, can stand a series of i'll designed
and ill-prepared breakfasts. We are
satisfied that many divorces must be
referred to too much saleratuS in The
bread, or too little juice in the joint.
No lassie can be " too bright, too good,
for human natures daily food" by
which we mean for the purchase and
preparation of it. Perhaps Miss EN-
for this kind of household duty but,
at any rate, Mr.. Freethy declined to
lead the lady of '' considerable per
sonal attractions to the altar, sur
missing possibly, that Af he married
her his appetite for breakfast would
be ruinously enormous. He left her
to pine alone, and the jury gave her
ESQ to console her.


We are conscious that we have not
on this occasion treated the grand pas
sion in high and romantic way but
our plea must be that if marriage is
TO be considered merely as civil con-
tract, to be entered into for the sake
OF mutual convenience, then there is
nothing high or romantic about it,
Actions for breach of promise do most
take the perfume out of
wOOing and winning. How any wom-
an of refinement can be plaintiff in
such suit surpasses our comprehen-
sion, and for the credit Of the sex we
must say we have never known any
such woman TO figure in such case.
The evidence invariably shows an in
grained coarseness and rapacity in the
female plaintiff Still, marriage is in
the eye of the law q civil contract, and
II the heart broken lady insists upon
going in, we might as q matter Of gal
lantry wish them more than ESQ dam
ages.-N. Y Tribune.