AND A LITTLE CHILD-

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13289, 22 September 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

AND A LITTLE CHILD-

BY H.H. Mrs. Mama Ann* STTTGGDJS desired a. judicial separation, and the magistrate invited her to unfold her tale of woe. Tnus adjured, the little woman rapidly ran over the ground of her complaint against her life partner, whilst he sat, scowling at nothing in particular, in at chair opposite. ;')'." don't never come 'ome, sir," she began, glad to give vent to her bottled-up wrath, and swaying to and fro to keep the baby girl in her arms asleep; " and when 'e does (inconsistently) 'e treats me very bad indeed— a-grumbling at me all the time. Says this ain't right an' the t'other ain't right. I'm sure as I've tried my best to please 'im, but it ain't no good. An' 'e don't give me no money, though 'e's in constant work, sir, an' I 'as to most beg an' pray for a few shillm's to buy food for meself an* babs 'ere." l' Here Mrs. Stuggins stopped for breath, and then, with a defiant glare in the direction of her spouse, resumed the detailing of his faults: £k" An' last week, sir," she went on, "'e come 'ome, an' without any prevarication from mo at all 'e 'it me with 'is fist, 'e did. Then I run out of the 'ouse an' 'e run after me an' shook me terrible, cos I wasn't goin' to stay there to be knocked about be 'im just, as V liked." V- Here the outraged wife stopped short, find there being apparently no other details the magistrate inquired: • " And so you wish to live apart from your husband?" ' "Yes, sir," determinedly, "I wants a judicious separation," adding in a tone of resignation, We can't live together 'appy, amd so we're best apart." "How long have you been married?" v" Three years, sir, come Christmas." "A rather short time for two young people to get tired of each other. Who advised you to apply for a separation?" No answer. "Who put it into your head to come here?" .'-. "M—-Mrs. Green, what lives next door, sir.", Here the husband interposed for the first time: , " It's this ere Missus Green what's Jcausin' all the trouble, yer Worship. We j was right 'nuf before she started ter put [all sorts notions into my missus' 'ead." K\ " Let me hear your account of the ! trouble." [|: "It's just this 'ere way, 6ir," replied the ''great six-foot specimen of a wharf-lumper. ["Me an' the missus used ter git on fu6t class till jest lately. There wasn't two la'appler people 'ereabouts than us. Then [.this 'ere Missus Green come ter live next door. She's a giddy 'un, I tell yer, and she's kind of attracked Maria 'ere. They would yarn by the hour, yer Worship, an' consequence was me meals wasn't never ready when I come 'ome. It gimme the pip. An' lately the bed even ain't been made nor the dinner things washed up till sometimes eight er niner, clock." Mrs. Stuggins made an impatient movement of her head, as though these statements had no foundation in. fact. :'j i,-. >>' It'svgaws^l...what I, see, sir," pursued Mr. Stuggins. ''"** Such were the infafciatioh o' this party that things was all wrong at 'ome. 'Course I didn't like it, an' I told toy missus she warn't ter speak ter Missus Green no more. But she would, an' that's what caused all the row." " But your wife alleges that you have assau.tcd her; hit her with your fist.' y

As ter that, sir, I did lose me' temper one night. She'd been a-gaddin' about agin, an' me tea wam't ready. I arsked 'er why an' she wouldn't tell me. I ses to 'er, ' Yers 'ave been wastin' of yer time aigin with that Green woman!' She ses, 'What 'if. I 'ave?' I were that riled I lorst me 'ead, an' I did 'it 'er, sir but only on the arm with me open 'and, sir. She run outdoors an' I fetches 'er back. Picked 'er up an' carried 'er. Next day she were full up o' this 'ere hidea about' a separation, which were all that other party's doin', sir. An' that's 'ow it come about as we're 'ere now." "Then you don't want to be separated from your wife?" asked the magistrate, when this virtuously indignant recital had finished. ;-.;'.'

"Me, sir! No,, not me. She's one er the beet, she is, if she'll only stop at 'ome am' not gad about."

" Don't you think,"' said the Bench, turning to the muchly-injured wife, "that you are somewhat to blame for this unpleasantness?"

"I've always tried to be a good wife to im, sir." That ancient feminine refuge, tears, was becoming apparent. "Yes, yes; but since your husband objected to your too pronounced friendship with this Mrs. Green, why didn't you give her up? Now, added the kindly justice, "why not both forget this little trouble and start afresh?"

'"Taint no use, sir," sobbed the martyred wife. " Bill 'it me, an' 'e might k-kill me one of these d-days!"

The murderer in prospective stood sheepishly fumbling with hia hat and casting sidelong glances at his better half. Apparently he would like to have made friendly advances himself, but the stubborn little woman maintained a; most unpacific attitude, with her back turned to him. The magistrate continued his role as peacemaker :

" I think you are very foolish," lie began ; " evidently

Whether it was the magistrate's voice or her mother's sobbing, or the natural termination of her sleep, it so happened that at this moment the child stirred in her afflicted parent's arms, rubbed her eyes with her chubby fist,, shook the golden curls twice, and sat up to gaze in undisguised wonder at the unfamiliar surroundings. The blue eyes travelled from one to another until, to her intense delight, they lighted on one well-known face.

"Daddy," she lisped, stretching out two dimpled little arms, " dear, dear, daddy; ties babs, daddy!"

of course it was hardly the correct thing to do in a court of law, but the brawny Mr. Stuggins didn't stop to consider. Striding across the floor he kissed the baby, and then, before his ill-treated wife could prevent it, planted a loud-sounding salute on her tearful'face also.

Whereupon the magistrate indefinitely postponed bis discourse on the duties of husbands to wives and vice versa. Instead he took off his glasses, and, wiping them, smilingly inquired of the complainant: "I don't think yon want that separation order, do you?'

. A wateiy kind of smile was the only response, and to relieve Mr. Stuggins' embarrassed feelings the complacent— experienced—clerk called on the next case. And, there being nothing else to do, Mr. Stuggins took the baiby, Mrs. Stuggins took his arm, and they left the court together, whilst a somewhat sour-looking female who had accompanied the complainant to secure justice made the best of her way home alone. '.„• •.;... • . ..,, ' ". •