MARRIED HIS NEW LOVE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15646, 27 June 1914, Page 2 (Supplement)

MARRIED HIS NEW LOVE.

• ' . . '-■■i'-rj•'•.;<<;■• ?-«!■■■'»>iiii..ii..kb».i.....i.■,»■„„„. ;,•■.;.'. -'.•"•••.' - - ■ . END OF. BOY AND GIRL COURTSHIP. \ ' SEVEN YEARS' ENGAGEMENT. •" :^ ; ;--->. ; v^'- i T 7 -■'.. ■/. '' '..■•■' ■" wO. As. boy .and girl an Oxfordshire, couple |£V iwere sweethearts, and though for a few j£ f years there was silence between them, the Wi .• man eventually wrote to the girl and they, f' became engaged. Letters from all over 5: Europe were written by the ardent lover. i : Then ho met someone else, and after his first love had been bound to him for seven '' years he broke off the engagement and >. married the other woman. The jilted • sweetheart, Mis-j Lucy White, took proceedings for broach of promise against her faithless lover, Mr. J. Thomas Bew, an accountant. The case came before the London Sheriff's Court recently, Miss .White claiming £500 damages. Mr. Edgar Dale,'for plaintiff, said tho letters would show the man had been humbugging the girl for years," and he asked tho jury to say by their award that it was no light thing to enter into a contract of marriage, and then for defendant to back out of it because ho wanted to marry another girl. The couple were sweethearts when defendant was 17 and plaintiff 14. They corresponded after he left Witney, but that boy and. girl friendship ended, until early in 1904 he wrote and asked her to renew the correspondence. He also requested her to send him her photograph. She agreed, and they met again at Whitsuntide. The friendship deepened, and they met as often as they could. In November, 1906, he wrote to her, addressing her as {| My deartitCissie," a letter in which he-said: *I' am quite satisfied. All 1 have to say is. 'Be mine always.' When I said I shall have to take a step further I meant get engaged. Send me the size of your finger, and say what sort of a ring you would like, and I will try and fit it by Christmas." ' A Mother's Cordiality. m The L Wged,.aud on December -A, 1905, defendant's mother wrote to Miss White a letter containing the words: _ "My first duty and my first pleasure is to congratulate you on your engage- • ment with Tom. I hope I shall live to see you married and settled comfortably." Defendant, travelling in different parts of Europe, kept op a regular correspondence, an which he said he was only waiting to better his position were married. He went *° Lucerne on business in 1907, and there he was hoping to settle down as Thomas Cook and Son's representative. He invited plaintiff to visit him there, and they lad - a most delightful time. Defendant introduced her to his friends as his fiancee, and. said he would not let her go back, as he was shortly to settle down. The appointment he hoped - for, however, did not materialise, and she ' returned to England. ■"* The letters of affection from him con- >■ tinned, but about the end. of 1912 they :' became fewer. Plaintiff wished to know ~., the reason why, and suggested another ? * girL Defendant -was indignant at the ?:; suggestion, and in a letter dated March ;;;./ 8, 1913, and written from Moritreux. he rjg' said to her: • "

a "1 am sorry I did not send you a, card ,;•;;•, last time, but yon/are very much wrong ? K ; : - .when you say that most likely other girls Ip v get the card. Why should you say such :'*'■■ aching! A nice opinion'you'hare of - me. \How are yon enjoying yourself at ;. .Witney? Think of me slogging 'away in U the 1 office, while you are having a nice -j Mn» at some, Easter beanfeast." v :V Hr ; > Within a month however, defendant ||-» .tent/a letter to plaintiff'from Mbntreux— I ;/*.}' which, counsel described as a most insultZ&i ing osie»i • breaking off the" 1 engagement. • % "- Broken Off ;By /Letter. *£*<r.ln it he said:. • .', . '''<•■ ■■, <}■■ "My dear Cissie,—This letter will be, v.'... to doubt, very painful to you, but it, f ; -'..'■ should have, been, written -long ago/ It i. is qmte certain our relationship is one - .which, if what we profess is true and sin•Jr, , cere, should be totally different; and,cer : ■£$■% Jain cucumstances which have amen here ■„'-, '■ during the last three months have proved /.y ■; the state of affairs to me, and also com:' pel me to write as I do. You are well , y., aware thai whenever we. meet, which we |j£; vjdo /rarely,- -two/days/do-not pass without 'disagreeing;. It has been apparent to me ,-"=/ .for, a long 1 time/thatwe have nothing in ;,-,.-.■■■-cominon.-.'-i.Tor.:Somo-..yearß':l' have given ; ■ - .a great deal of thought to this question. V: r •The reason : is'one cannot learn to love. :-'f;,}.. If yon think I have an affection for. somei j.<V- on© else you. would not be exactly wrong, {.;-, but. don't think it 'is:solely on that ac-: ;.;.. count I,write, to you, because 'that person '_■■ is ignorant of your existence. -*I feel 1 must at least say' what"l. think and have' Rp /; done/ with mockery;, . .. I shiver when 1 think of entering an unhappy marriage, i- which 'I. firmly believe our union would /, be. I prefer, remain single, or even ; ■:]' die before. taking such a step. One.can- |?. /..: riot'bay or cultivate happiness, but misery ;*•*:.; is easily found. .My friendship with the fr.f-i girl mentioned -makes me 'write, you as I m ..;..d0, hscanse I feel that it is on)y right |j ■■■■■'. do so. Do not think I write because I intend to make her my fiancee. Such a 1/ /. thing is, unfortunately, impossible on both %'■■■'■ our sides, and very socnf she will most I*- probably pass from my life, which has fe/i --been much better. and enlightened by her (iff-.r acquaintance." wjjfr. Shortly 'after writing that letter, conj?/v - tinued counsel, ■defendant married a lady ;j.-' who had some means. He was living in jpt Home, and was in .a good position. > v -.'■'• Plaintiff went into the. witness-box and % ■•-.- bore' out her counsel's statements. She ; .. 6aid that when 20 she became engaijed to defendant on .Christmas Eve, 1906. In |f one of his letters he told her he had sated .2". '£180 towards the cost of the home. The !%<■■ letter breaking off the engagement came './- as a great surprise to her. - The jury assessed damages at £100, and '< ' ijudgment was passed accordingly.