DIVERGENT LIVES OF TWO AUTHORS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14375, 21 May 1910, Page 2 (Supplement)

DIVERGENT LIVES OF TWO AUTHORS.

WRITER AND AMATISER OF "JOHN CHILCOTE, M.P." UNHAPPY. MARRIED LIFE. The authoress, Mrs. Katherine Cecil Thurston, whose novel, "John Chilcote, M.P.," was a sensation of the season five years ago, obtained a decree nisi on the ground of the misconduct and desertion of her husband, Mr. Ernest Charles Thurston. The suit was not defended. Mr. Thurston adapted his wife's novel for the stage, when it provided Mr. George Alexander with a notable " double identity " part. The marriage took place in February, 1901, at the Roman Catholic Church of Corpus Christi, Maiden Lane, Strand, and the couple subsequently lived in Victoria Road, Kensington. Mrs. Thurston also had a house at Ardmore, Waterford. The marriage was one of affection. Both husband and wife were engaged in literary pursuits, and they lived together happily down to 1907, in which year Mr. Thurston seemed to become dissatisfied with his home, and from that time down j to December 30, 1907, when the desertion j commenced, he was from timo to time ! making excuses for the purpose of leaving his wife. After returning from Waterford in October they were at the Berkeley Hotel, and he then told his wife that he must lead his own life, and that "it was necessary for the purposes of his literary work that he should go down into the j verv depths of society.' His Lordship: What sort of | literary work was he engaged in ? Counsel : He has written books. Counsel went on to say that Mrs. Thurston went to Paris shortly after this, and when she returned she joined her husband, who complained to her that she was making more money from her work than he was, and that was the , reason why ho should leave her. Later on he gave another reason, saying that her personality dominated his, and that he must get "away from her. The result of this, said counsel, was that Mr. Thurston left his wife and took a flat in Soho. He called on his wife once or twice, and said that he was miserable living apart from her. She said that he could come back to her. Just before Christmas, 1907, he did so, and stayed a week with her, but on December 30 he finally left her. He had never returned to live in the house, -although he had come on various occasions in the daytime to see her. In December, 1909, she had an interview with him at the Berkeley Hotel, he having sent for her. They had tea, and in the course of conversation she asked him if he was ever coming back. He said " Never." -Mrs. thurston's evidence. She then consulted her solicitors, and the present proceedings were instituted. With regard-to the charge of misconduct, counsel said that whilst Mrs. Thurston and her hushand were living together. she had her suspicion that he had misconducted himself, and he admitted that he had committed himself. On inquiries being made it was found that the respondent had stayed with a lady at Barton jCourt Hotel, New Milton. The authoress then took her place in the witness-box. She said that it was in 1907 she eamo to the conclusion her- husband was dissatisfied with his married life. He ...told'.her that he was a man who was not fit for married tile. Before that —in 1906 he ; had s confes^d. to her that he had been unfaithful to her. • She forgave him at the time. In October, 1907, when they were in the Berkeley Hotel, he told her that he. was; going to speak more frankly to her than ho had -ever done before. He said that he could not live conventionally as a married man, that he had been unfaithful to her, and was sorry he had not had the courage to tell her of . his j temperament before that. • She told him then that she was still willing to have , him with her as her husband. ■ v: ' ." ' - - It was at this time, in k October, 1907, that he, in fact, left her. She did ;hot consent to this separation, but it was not her place, Mrs. Thurston went on, to say that he should not go to Soho, a . place where *he could improve the chances of success in the work in which he was en- ; gaged. * _ ~*. A chambermaid from the Barton Court Hotel having given evidence, His Lord-, ship pronounced a decree nisi, with costs. Mrs. Thurston, since " John Chileote, M.P.," has Published "The Gambler" and "The Fly on the Wheel." ! Mr; I Temple Thurston's most recent works are The City of Beautiful Nonsense," 1908, ; and The Greatest Wish in- the World," published th» year. When he dramatised his' wife's novel, which contains! a double," Mr. George Alexander ' adverI tised for a gentleman closely resembling himself, and ' found his living image in Mr. W. J. Thorold, editor and managing director of : the "Smart Set." When the two i were made up for the stage it was a matter of difficulty to tell one from the ■other.- ;■' .',;-'. ~:" ... .;.,-;..