CLARSON V. BLAIR.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1136, 19 March 1872, Page 4

CLARSON V. BLAIR.

The following are the remarks of the Melbourne Argus on the great scandal case, which has recently caused so much talk in the colonies :— Dramatists and novelists need not despair. The varieties of human character are by no means exhausted. ' There are nooks and corners of the human mind which even yet are wholly unexplored. For the purposes of the playwright or the romancist, how many Caroline Clarsons await discovery and description ! Here, at least, is something new— a character oapablo of being elaborated into a fiveact dratna or a three-volume . novel— of being dissected by a Balzac, or tnado the centre of a comedy by Ponsard or Sarpou. A repulsive subject, we admit; but in many respects original, and in some aspects striking. Her moral portrait, as painted by herself in the witness-box, was so unlovely that wo can only wonder at the candour of the artist, and turn ' aside with a feeling of pain, if not disgiist, at the picture presented to us. So singular a combination of prurience and prudery, of nasty thoughts and nice scruples, of spurious vivacity of sentiment with genuine malignity of disposition, is rarely exhibited to the public gaze. Here was an elderly female actuated by a professedly platonic tendresse for a young bachelor, to whom she was old enough to stand in the relation of a mother, persecuting him with her attentions, addressing. him by the most endearing epithets, selecting his consulting-room as the scene of her fortnightly fainting fits, lavishing upon him nance pies which he declined to eat and slippers which he did not refuse to wear, and assuming all the airs of a playful young kitten towards him, purring round him, and caressingly offering him nothing but pattes de valours. So long as he remained a bachelor, the frisky matron was all smiles, all honeyed words, all affectionate solicitude. He was her " dear darling doctor," the theme of many tender epistles, and the inspiration of some of the worst doggerel ever indited by female pen. If ho disobeyed her wishes, the sentimental old woman could not suffer harshness to proceed boyond the application to him of the infantine epithet " disadreable treature," and when she gave way to the dictates of her loving heart and gushed, the full tide of her affection swept ■ awaygramtnar, orthography, and coherency in one devastating flood. But in an evil hour, the young surgeon, whose brows Mrs Clarson was so anxious to deck with laurels, and on whose behalf peace and plenty wore invoked by his " sincere little friend Carrie," took unto himself a wife, and then the scene changed. The "loved ono" was transformed into a "sensual dishonorable liar," against whom the lately, devoted " Carrie" felt it to be her duty to warn his mother, his sister, his wife, and mankind in general. The secret, chambers of Mrs Olarson's memory were suddenly unlocked, and sho recalled to mind acts of indelicacy of which she alleged he had been guilty toward* her two years previously, and j»he determined to proclaim to the world how much she had been deceived in her estimate of her " dear darling doctor," now that he had given his Caroline the cold shonlder. Pamphlets were printed, and circulars distributed, for the purpose of representing the "sensual villain" in his true colors, and as moai of the curses thus oast abroad came home to roost, as such evil bir Is usually do, Mr and Mrs Clav--Bou instituted the action which has been the talk of the town for. the last week. By whose advice, and under what circumstances, such a case could ever have been brought into court, must be classed among the mysteries that are inscrutable. A verdict for the defendant was recorded by that large jury which is composed of newspaper readers, so soon as they had made themselves acquainted with Mrs Clarson's evidence. Her folly and malignity could not have been depicted with anything like the vividness and force by the testimony of a dozen other witnesses. As a piece of unconscious and spontaneous character drawing her revelations were really admirable. She was as ingenuous as Montaigne and as unreserved as Rousseau ; and yet only a vulgar, mischief making, amorous, and disappointed old woman, after all. The wonder is that her attentions were received with so much complacency, and her folly humored with such a culpable indulgence by Mr Blair. If lie had repressed her effusive demonstrations of affection at the outset, this half-ludicrous, half-lamentable scandal and exposure might have been avoided. We know that tamo curates are very much petted and fondled by the female members of their congregation, especially by the single ones or an uncertain ago; but wo should think that in the medical profession it is not customary for young bachelors to receive love-letters, or missives closely resembling them, from married women who have "somewhat declined into the vale of years." When Mr Blair was asked by the copious " Carrie" whether he " appreciated the warmth ef her heart towards him," he might have taken occasion to remind his hysterical patient, by a delicate periphrase, that she was a fool, and to request her either to change her language or to change her doctor. But this sort of thing went on; Mrs Clarson continued to make herself more and more ridiculous ; and Mr Blair, if he did not encourage her, as seems probable, reprehensibly refrained from remonstrance o\* rebuke, until his sentimental admirer was no longer free to " dash through his "house, and play the piano/ and to "decorate his looking-glass and dressingtable" with fantastical ribbons like those on Barnaby Rudge's hat ; and then came the inevitable explosion. Gulbeyaz felt herself slighted and scorned* and her indignation knew no bounds. How it wrecked itself was sufficiently disclosed in the evidence adduced at the trial just ended. The mischief effected or attempted by this exasperated woman, ought to be a lesson to the members of the faculty to be very cautious how they encourage manifestation of platonio affection from f jmale patients, especially when the latter happen to be married and are approaching 60 years of age. | .■■-.<•