UNDER THE MISTLETOE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13455, 6 April 1907, Page 2 (Supplement)

UNDER THE MISTLETOE.

.4 PARTY INCIDENT AND A COUNTY COURT SEQUEL. The story of a Christmas party at a est End boardinghouse was related in the course of an action at Marylebone County Court. Lieut--Colonel Bartholomew, of Leinster Gardens, W., was sued by Mrs. Silda Maud Campion, the proprietress of the llchester Mansions, Bayswater, \V., L for £8 Is. said to Ix? due for one week's board and residence for defendant, his wife, 'and daughter, and a maid. Mr. Augustus Campion, who said lie assisted his wife in the management of the mansions, said defendant took the rooms on December 15, find a lortnight later sent word that he j would be leaving in a few hours. Witness wrote to say that as the rooms were taken 'by the week, he should expect a weeks money in lieu of notice. Colonel Bartholomew wrote to ask if there was any intention to detain his l>oxes, because in such ia. case he should speak to an inspector of 'police. "It might be useful to you." pinit iff replied "lie might give you some good advice." Anyhow, the colonel left. Mr. j'Thesiger (for the defence) : Is your house lan hotel or a boardinghoufce'.'—lt is a residential mansion. You lay stress on the fact that mere are separate tables? —Yes ; so there are, except on Christmas Day, when we invite all our guests to dine at a large horseshoe table, and give them free champagne. Did you ask Colonel Bartholomew if you might vary the contract you had made with him?— 1 did not think it necessary to ask my guests if they would accept of a very tine dinner, with plenty of wine, for nothing. (Laughter.) Were you going about with pieces of mistletoe afterwards threatening to kiss the young ladies —That is absolutely untrue. As a inatager I would not in any circumstances threaten to kiss the young ladies. (Laughter.) You stood in the doorway and waved the mistletoe in a suggestive manner? —I held a piece of mistletoe; 1 don't know whether i waved it. Did you actually kiss anybody? No. Re-examined : Not a single" guest complained about the Christmas party, which was a highly successful affair. Mis. Bartholomew said that oil account of her husband's poor health she had conducted most of the negotiations with regard to taking the rooms at Ilchester Mansions. Witness described the Christmas party with indignation. "I was leaving the room after dinner," added Mrs. Bartholomew. "when 1 saw a great many

people with mistletoe BINNING apik. it THE young ladies. ' I said to mv daughter, 'Com* up to the! drawing-room.' We went, but Inter Mr. i Campion and some of the other gentlemen procured some mistletoe. Mr. Campion and another gentleman were standing at en eh side of the door, and said something to the effect that they would not let the Indies I pass unless they went under the mistletoe. My daughter managed to get through, hut another young lady rushed up to me and said, 'Hold mv hand and save me!' It was so undignified and horrible, ] said I must take mv daughter to bed." Mr. Hartley (for plaintiff) : With regard to this mistletoe business, 1 don't suppose, Mrs. Bartholomew, you would have looked at it so severely some time ago?—l certainly should not have permitted it except with brothers and sisters, in all my life. j |I had a young daughter, remember. Miss I Margaret Francis Bartholomew, defendant's daughter, a tall young lady, was the next witness. Mr. Thesiger: I propose to refer to the mistletoe incident briefly, sir, unless you think it immaterial. Sir William Selfe : Do you wonder that gentlemen held it up? Mr. Thesiger: No, I don't' sir? (Loud laughter.) Witness, in reply to her counsel, said she felt insulted by the holding up of the mistletoe. Mr. Hartley : Perhaps you objected to the particular gentlemen who did it? Witness (stiffly) : They were not gentlemen, sir. His Honor awarded plaintiff five guineas in respect of notice. Some notice was required when a place was taken by the week, he said, although it had never been definitely settled as to the proper duration of such notice. With regard to the acts on Christmas Day, which were said to tie sufficient to excuse defendant's abrupt departure, it seemed that the landlord and landlady had been minded to entertain their guests in a festive manner, such as was generally associated with a season when mankind rejoiced together, and there was apparently some amount of joviality and invitation to a not possibly wholesome but wholly enjoyable exercise which was not unknown to'the youth of both sexes in these islands. (Laughter.) No attempt seemed to have been made to put force on any young lady to make her comply with the custom, and lie did not see that there was anything out of the way in the affair at all-