"NOT A BED OF ROSES."

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 10795, 2 July 1898, Page 2 (Supplement)

"NOT A BED OF ROSES."

A FICKLE SWAIN AND HIS JILTED SWEETHEART. At the Manchester Assizes the action of Turner v. Jackson for breach of promise of marriage was tried. The plaintiff, who is 28 years of age, and has means of her own, said she had spent £50 on furniture and ; other preparations. Defendant, who is 27, is a timber merchant. His courtship began about four years ago, at Prestwich, and the promise was not denied. A mass of correspondence passed, warming on the one side from protestations of constancy "for cvei" through an incidental boast of having "the . pick of the village" at Old Whittingham to choose from, to a stage of decline in which tile plaintiff thought that letters were fewer and shorter than they should be. She got a friend to watch defendant, and he was found walking nut with another young lady. In January last defendant- wrote to plaintiff as follows:—"Dear Jane,—Yours to hand this morning. I blame you, and you blame me. Therefore we differ, which will always be the same. Therefore it is best we should part. This quarrelling has made me cold against you. and I have felt it as much as you. if not more, but you will outlive it. I am thankful we have found out each other before it is too late. I must say, in retaliation, that the charges you make against me are untrue. I can prove they are. Also, the rumour that you have heard is without foundation.—From H. Jackson." The final letter on the plaintiff's part contained the following passages: " Mr. Herbert Jackson, —Sir,—Your letter of the 13th lias been sent on to me here, and, now that there is no doubt about your having broken off the engagement, I know exactly what to do, and how to address you. It is exceedingly kind of you to say, ' I wish to keep all I have given you.' What little you have I certainly shall keep for various reasons, which I leave you to imagine. It is not difficult to be-, lieve you when you say, ' I shall esteem it a favour if you will return the ring,' but. aftCi your heartless, shameful, and contemptible treatment, this is an article which I particularly want to keep— to wear, you may be sure: but merely for the purpose of making certain use of it presently. You have caused me more pain and suffering during the last month or two than I have ever experienced in the whole course of my life. It is now my turn to retaliate, and you may rest assured that the treatment yon have meted out to me shall be returned with interest. It may bo a source of satisfaction to you to know I have given instructions for my solicitor to commence an action for breach of promise of marriage, and you will far from him in due course. You may also like to know I have kept all your letters, and some of them will be of special interest to your friends when read out in Court, I mean not only to those in the neighbourhood of Prestwich, but also to your friends at Old Whittingham. The information I have obtained shows clearly what a mean, despicable, cowardly creature you are. I confess I havo loved you sincerely, but I am only sorry to have to say it. You have wrecked the best years of my life, but yours will not now be a bed of roses." The, jury awarded the plaintiff £200 damages,.,,