REAL LIFE DRAMA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18757, 10 January 1923, Page 6

REAL LIFE DRAMA

A MOTHER’S LOVE. SCENE IN POLICE COURT. (From Our Own Correspondent.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 9. The Star prints the following vignette of life as seen in the police court: A young man, with no very honourable record, had left the court with the threat of imprisonment over his unless his ways were mended. It was one of those simple maintenance cases that are forever before the court. The man had loft the dock, and the policemen and clerks had fallen to their laughing and talking once more, when a little withered woman, with the frost of age upon her head, shuffled towards the bench whore the magistrate was sitting, and silence fell upon the room. “Your Worship,” she began, “he’s been a dear; good boy to me, and I am going to help-him. Take mr old-age pension certificate and take all the money you like, but don’t send a good lad like him to gaol. I’ve got a pound note. That will save him, won’t it?” The silence was more pronounced than ever, and there was a strained 1 look on all faces, save that of the woman, and hers was sapplicant and sorrowful. The Magistrate. in a kindly voice, handed back the papers, saying: “The court does not want -your money. We only want your boy to do his duty bv another woman and provide for his family. I know ho must have been a dear, good boy to you—all sons are. — but you promise me that you won’t give him the money. All we want to do is to make him work, and if he does that there will be no fear of gaol.” "Oh! God. thank you for that.” she cried, and went out to the prisoners’ room in search of her son.