FAIRBANK V. FAIRBANK.-A HENPECKED HUSBAND.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1140, 23 March 1872, Page 4

FAIRBANK V. FAIRBANK.-A HENPECKED HUSBAND.

In the Supreme Court, Christchurch, Judge Gresson and a jury have for several days been engaged in the hearing of a divorce. case, in which the parties were Fairbank v. Fairbank and Behrens. The contention for the co-respondent, Behrens, was that the petitioner had by his conduct endeavored to bring about such a state of things on the part of his wife as would enable him. to get rid of her. The jury's verdict was that the respondent, Sarah Selina Fairbank, had committed adultery with Benjamin Behrens ; that Fairbank had not been guilty of misconduct conducing to this ; and that the case against Behrens was not now proseruted by Fairbank, and his wife in collusion. During the hearing of the case the following letter from the petitioner to his wife was read : —

"Dear Selina— l do not believe that you have ever oeen Unfaithful tome, and therefore I say I will forgire everything else, if you only make a full confession and ask it in a proper manner, ' The whole truth, and nothing but the truth.' I cannot stand your bounceable way of talklag. If you do \ae (or any one else) an Injury, it is your duty to acknowledge it humbly, and not try to bounce them out of it ; because, although nothing more might be said about it, for peace and quietness' sake, still the attempt to give them the lie would not be forgotten. When yon came back from Mrs Adams' ten months ago, we made certain promises to each other, one of which was that we were to have no secrets from each other. I ask how long these promises were kept, and who first broke them f As nearly as I can recollect, one fortnight, and I have cause to remember it, as it was the happiest fourteen days I ever spent in my life, during which time I treated you with the most perfect confidence man could treat woman, and deluded myself into Ihe belief that I was receiving the same from you, until one evening you went, out (ostensibly to get a stale loaf) and returned shortly before nine o'clock without making any allusion as to having been anywhere else. This course you followed for several evenings, until I found that you spent most olyour time (according to your words) a*Mrs Malcolm's, although you knew I did not like it. You gradually became more intimate with her, until scarcely a day passed without seeing each other, and the uncertainty as to what time you would be likely to return from your evening visits (wherever they might be spent), soon made me spend more time in the public houses than was good for my health or pocket. And thus arose a system of continual bickerings and strife, leading to a state of misery for myself, and I don't what for you. " Oh, Selina ! you have much to answer for in having made me what I now am, one of the most unhappy men on the face of the globe. I declare to you all the anxieties and worry of business (I think I had my share), are as nothing compared to the unhappiness you have caused me. My heart feels as though it would' break. It is not made of stone, nor is money my god, as yon would have people believe. I seem to be alone in the world, like a man that hae> hazarded his last coin on the throw of a die and has lost. When I left England I left behind me a father and a mother, who were very dear to me, besides other relations and friends who had contributed, and would have again, to my happiness. All these I sacrificed for you, fondly hoping and believing that I was making an honest woman of yon, at the same time taking to my bosom a companion who would be a cheerer of my path through life, and who would, not bring sorrow or disgrace upon the name I thought I had given her the right to bear. How differently have things turned out? How can I keep my senses ? You say Ido not treat you with respect. That is your own fault, for you introduce subjects before strangers calculated to annoy me, and think I suppose that I ought- to sit down quietly and allow you tohenpeck me without retaliating. However, there is one thing I can safely assert without fear of contradiction, that is, that I have never been heard to utter a word disrespectful of you in your absence. When I could speak in praise of your good qualities I have done so, and respecting your bad ones 1 have kept silence. Have you acted in a similar manner towards me ?

If you wanted me to feel respect towards you as well as show it, you would have cultivated that virtue which I prize the highest in woman (next to chastity)— l mean a love of truth-telling. It i 3 very evident from all that has occurred that we aie not fitted to spend much time in each other's company. Are we to meet but seldom, and then to commemorate the event by a quarrel, or how is the time to be passed ? Of course, after the manner ia which I was treated last.jSunday, you heed not fear that I shall trouble you with my company again in a hurry. I owe you an apology which I now offer for the coarse language I have addressed to you on various occasions, and while admitting that it was unkind and ungentleraanly, I must remind you that it was only after having been goaded almost to madness by your insolent behaviour, that I so forgot myself as to call you by names that half-an-hour afterwards I have felt that I ought rather to have had my tongue cut out than have given utterance to." -•■■.•-,,.••