OUT OF TUNE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11207, 13 October 1914, Page 5

OUT OF TUNE.

HOME BROKEN UP. SEPTUAGENARIANS IN COURT. r A TURBULENT TWILIGHT. Lovo's old sweet song, badly out of tune, brought to the Magistrate's ./ Court to-day two old people, well orest seventy years of nge, who in the twilight of life found it impossible to live 7 amicably. The case came before Mr H. W. Bishop, S.M., in the shape of an application by Emily Rouse, aged seventynine years, for a summary separation •' from Charles Rouse, her husband. " What do you mean by coming here ' at your age, Rouse?" was the Magia» ' trate's greeting to the man, a white- - haired but hardy-looking veteran* ' ; "How old are you?" "I am seventy," said Rouse. "You've been that ever since Pve known you, and that's about twenty- - five years," was the Magistrate's com- - ment, followed by the advise that if .. the action were pursued one of the ;7 parties might lose the old age pension. "Why don't you two settle this affair between yourselves, instead of com- , E \' ingto Court at your time of life?" ' Rouse commenced a statement to the effect that the complainant made him $ do all the domestic work. This was in- - terrupted by Mrs Rouse, who asked if ' she could be permitted to speak. " Oil, yes, you can both speak at once if vou like," said Mr Bishop, and . using the permit to its fullest Mrs Rouse monopolised tho talking for a considerable time. She accused Rousa of taking her savings to buy a horse, and then not buying it, and of usijig " frightful" language. To this Charles House rumbled s " What are you talking about?" The complainant elaborated her charges, adding statements that lie had throat-' ened her lifo and had struck hor often. Rouse,-at the invitation of the Magistrate. offered to pay 5s a week to his wife "out of his pension. "You still have your cab?" inquired.

Mr Bishop. . ... "That's no good to the home; it doesn't..bring in any money," said Mrs , Rouse. Then followed another long recital of marital woe. including a charga , that during the Exhibition of 1900 shfe had worked eighteen hours a day, and had never left hor home. _ *" "Rouse has had a hard life," saM 1/1 Mr Bishop-. '"V'.i? " Yes, lie is a hard man," replied the \ complainant, and once more she mono- V policed the conversation, concluding .with the statement that Rouse was cruel and hard. ■ - _ The Magistrate told the parties to : live separately and not to go near oach other. This was accepted by both, bu£ Mrs Rouse then requested an order for the recovery of her furniture.' "He had a poor home," she said, " he hadn't a proper bed to sleep ou, and now all he wants to do is to get my furniture, - I've been a gocd wife to him and true. I've worked for him for and / years." _"For how long? I knew his first • wife, you know, and it can't be years and years," said Mr Bisbop. "I don't quite remember," said th® second Mrs Rouse. l " I thought not," replied Mr Bishop, ' after which he informed the complain- . ant that he had no control over the furniture. Rouse left the Court, but his spouse held her ground and proceeded to talk to the Bench. "To tell you the truth, Mr Bishop, he threatened to cut my throat, and he squeezed me between : the chair and the 'wall. No one could stay with a man who would do that." "Well, if you talked to him as you ' have talked to me, I don't wonder at " him getting 'ratty' at times," said Mr Bishop. > • "Thank you, Mr Bishop," was the rejoinder of Mrs Rouse, who had not caught the Bench's remark, and she turned to leave the Court. The next - case was called, and then she came back : to ask for an order for the recovery of her clothes. Mr Bishop told her to; get some mutual friend to go to the - home and get the clothes, and when. . Mrs Rouse had been piloted out of the Court by., the orderly, the business of the day was resumed. j