UNKISSED WIFE'S DIVORCE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXV, Issue LXV, 6 September 1913, Page 12

UNKISSED WIFE'S DIVORCE

On the ground that he never kissed her, Mrs Macfarland, of this city, has (says the Chicago correspondent of the Daily Citizen, London) obtained a divorce from her husband. "My husband," she said, "met me at the station recently after I had .been away for two months, and even then he did not kiss me." The husband recited a speech of over an hour's duration, which contained "many ingenious arguments against the practice of kissing. He did not deny that he never now kissed his wife. He had an aversion against kissing, he explained, because it was the hypocrite's chief weapon. He preferred to show his love by deeds; by tender indulgence towards his wife, but chiefly by liberality in .her dress allowance. He was prepared, he said, to produce married women of repute who would aver their preference for marital conditions such as he offered; for generous cheques rather than generous kisses: His chief argument, however, was on hygienic grounds. He quoted many eminent scientists who have condemned the ancient but unhygienic habit. He sat down amid applause in court. Counsel for Mrs Macfarland asked permission to produce three witnesses. Then, while the Court rocked with laughter, three attractive actresses foL-; lowed each other into the witness-box^ and swore that Mr Macfarland had quite recently kissed them repeatedly. This decided the case in favor of the unkissed wife.