EXTRAORDINARY MARITAL DIFFICULTY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 9307, 16 September 1893, Page 2 (Supplement)

EXTRAORDINARY MARITAL DIFFICULTY.

SAD PLIGHT OF A HUSBAND.

A STRANGE STORY IN THREE CHAPTERS.

A wedlock incident; closely resembling the first stage of the memorable Jackson case has just cropped up in the neighbourhood o Liverpool. The facts disclosed relabe to the courtship and marriage of a gentleman in a good position and a widow, who reside within a mile of each other. chapter I. In the first act of this conjugal drama the circumstances are of a somewhat prosaic character. The gentleman is a widower of 57, living with his sister in a trim little house; and the lady, who is tall and fair, has the advantage of being his junior by nearly 20 years. After 18 months' acquaintance, Corydon led Phyllis to the altar, and the twain were made one according to the rites of the Church of England, the marriage being solemnised at a genteel church in the suburbs. It was a quiet wedding, as befitted the mature ages of the contracting parties and their previous matrimonial experiences. Immediately at the close of the ceremony thoy started on their honeymoon. CHAPTER 11. The wedded couple wore having supper together in the lodging which they had secured, and after talking over the events of the wedding-day the bride intimated that she wished to write to her maiden sister, with whom she had been staying near Liverpool. He, of course, had no objection to her doing this, and the missive was duly indited. She then asked him if he desired to communicate with any of his people, to which he replied in the negative. All of a sudden, and without any premonitory symptoms of what was coming, she told him, with dreadful deliberation, " I do not love you, and I will nob live with you !" The husband, in tones of deep emotion, said, *' Surely, L , you do nob mean it." " Oh, yes, I do," she coolly rejoined. The despairing bridegroom entreated his wife to reconsidor her determination, bub without avail, and finding that persuasion and protestation were equally fruitless, he retired, while his better half went and engaged separate apartments. According to his statement, he asked her on the following morning whether she had "a good sleep and on her answering in the affirmative, ho inquired if she was still of the same mind. " On, yes," she responded. Said he, " Oh, very well. I thank God we are not married, and J. will take steps for a divorce." Thoy then parted, he returning to his home at once, and she to the house of her sister a day or two after. CHAPTER 111. Simultaneously with her return the following announcement was inserted in the " Births, Marriages, and Deaths" column of at least two of the Liverpool papers:— " Contradiction : Wo are requested to contradict the announcement of the marriage of which has appeared in the , no such marriage having taken place." The announcement appears to have been a stupid joke. The hapless Benedict, who in the meantime had received ample proof that his marriage was no joke, and that the matrimonial knot had been firmly tied, then published a second notice of his wedding, with the addendum :—" Marriage indisputable. Certificate submitted to editor." As matters at present stand, the two continue to live apart, and the wife (who has private means) so far evinces no inclination to join her lord and master. The latter professes to be perfectly unable to give any reason for his wife's conduct, and positively asserts that no words of an unpleasant nature passed between them prior to her startling declaration. On the other hand, her friends tell a different story, alleging thab both in the church and on the journey in the train to Buxton he acted strangely, his demeanour towards her being cold and unsympathotic. Then he likewise took possession of the marriage lines. They further state that she cried very much, and that she was exceedingly irresolute as to making up her mind to meet him at the church. But ib may be asked (in view of what passed) : " Why did she marry him at all *" The explanation would seem to be that, although she had mistaken the first dictates of her heart, she thought it was too late to withdraw ; and, moreover, she felt she was morally bound to accept Mr. . Ho is quite conscious that, according to the Jackson case, a wife cannot be forced to live with her husband against her will, and that he is powerless to obtain a divorce. So much does he realise the injustice of the law in Ids case, that he is very anxious to proclaim his great wrong in the hope that somebody may be induced to remedy the existing legal anomaly.