Upper Ten Social Life.

Manawatu Standard, Volume X, Issue 26, 29 June 1885, Page 2

Upper Ten Social Life.

Some strange stories are told m the Divorce* Court, hut few more singular than the one just decided by Sir James HAnueu m the suit of Durham v. Durham. A few years n.30 Miss Ethel Milner was one of the beauties of society, moving m iU highest ranks, and many were the eyes that w. re longhair turned towards the fair prize. Amongst the suitors to her hand, if indeed therS were not more than two, a certiatt Lord Burghersh. «o f.r as now can "' be ascertained, seems t» have occupied the favored position Unfortunately he was poor, and m that aspect unacceptable to 'h.'':tinhitions" views of Mish Miiuer's family, And m particn-* lar to the somewhat matchmaking disposition of the beauty's elder sister, ; ; the Honorable Mrs Gerard, tt * (joes not appear that ha* a fact Tx>rd Burghenh ever openly proposed, l>nt from the sum.ning up of the Judge, it is obviou? that m his Lordship's mind Bnrghersh was the unhappy girl's actual heart, choice. However that may have been, the Earl of Duiv. ham at this juncture appeared upon' the scene, and, from his wealth and position, was evidently just the- man for Mrs Gerard's purpose. Lord Bnrghersh accordingly disappeared pretty rapidly from the. .arena, and „ the noble Earl as "quickly advanced to secure the unoccupied territory. . Frmn the fiat he Reerus to have thought Miss Milner remarkably shy and t inapproachable, hut he seems, before marriage at lease, to have made evei^ endeavour to-* win the young ffirl's affections,, and . was induced 1 to suppose that his feelings towards her were m fact reciprocated. Indeed, ho was. b>ld by Mrs Gerard that her sister's shyness arose really from her deep attachment and love to him. Acting., therefore, on this assumption, and without apparently a suxpici m as lo the cruel anguish that. imiMt all the tinm have been tearing the unhappy girl's young he* rt,tht« Earl proposed .uid was accepted. Putting down her reserve and silence to a natural timid*, ity, every preparation for Ihe wedding was made, aud it was notuu.il that day's cerem?»niea -had been gone , throngU that the brjileirrooiiMieglin to " suspect that something was wroiia. Her conduct after leaving church was exceeding arrange, she took no notice of anything that was said to her by the quests at breakfast, took no interest hi the presents, and s/.oke to no one. In the carriage, she shrank . from her husband and seemed afraid of him, m fact, she sank rapidly into f a condition of melancholy nn<i hysteria, and m reply to her husband's questions, would only, say she had done something too drea.lful to tell. What that something was has never I'ieeu discovered, but "the Judge holds, the opinion that all she meant was that her heart and affections were • another's, and not her husband's, and the knowledge of. this fact, together With a possible actual dislike foi Lord Durham, who, when he found himself repulsed, did appaiently strive to win,; ; his wife's affections, acting on a waak , and sensitive miud,-gradnally broughV ' on a condition of hopeless, imbecility. Into this deplorable coudition the once beaulifwl and attractive lady has sunk, and will never recover j and her hushaud has imw brought his Lroublea ■*■-. to iheDivbrce Court, and demands & h release <»n the groiind that his wife was a tually insane when jie married her, and that therefore the ceremony • is null and void. Her family 'have - successfully resisted bis appeal, and "" the Judge, m giving judgment against the Earl, condemned most strongly ;, tho f ital advice of Mrs Gerald. whereby to secure an ambitious alliance for her family the happinessof two young lives ha 1 been hopelessly wrecked.