Did Not Complain

NZ Truth, Issue 1237, 15 August 1929, Page 7

Did Not Complain

more novr than ever we did, because if you don't have us, God help us. - Your wife, : Moab xxx .'••.■ : xxxx Leah' xxxx Jim." Mahalath Beynon,' yoiing and not unattractive, said that m. August of last ye.ai-, her husband was keeping company with another woman at jthe time he left her. , y > I : Before .doing so,, he asked his wife whether she would agree to a separation, continued^, respondent, but he refused to advance any reasons for such a request. | He had not com plained^ about her methods of housekeeping, but: he objected to her 'getting certain' things on. the time -payment system. "He wanted a separation m 1927," too," she added, and said he wanted to get a divorce, as' he 'didn't want to" \vait until he^was an old man before he got it. : "Eventually I took out an order from the court against him, and was given custody of the two children. "He' came 1 to my mother's home and asked -me to make it up, but I said it would take time to think it over on account of the way he had treated me. "At length we decided to get. a home tog-ether at Be'rbampore, and he paid a

week's rent m advance. That was on October 8 last year. "But on the Monday morning he said •he preferred the free life, and would nqt be tied with a wife and children. Hfs statement that my people interfered between us, and advised me not to go back to him is absolutely untrue. She related how he had met her on May 10 or 13, she couldn't remember which, at the Petone vbus stop; how she told him something, he didn't like, and his hitting- her. ■ -. -./ --,;Sh&;said he told her he was sick ■< ;=p'f 'gQifig' on m the "same way, sick of being tied to her,, and tha.t he •would go for a divorce. "He said he had someone who vwoul.d. swear to anything he liked to say, but I : said : 'That'sVridiculous.' " ••-' Mrs. Beyhon swore they had contin- : ued -their relationships as man and wife" right:upto the twenty-seventh j of May. - She^dehiefl also, ever making any ad-' mission of improper conduct m Beyiion's ofß4e>^but?skid, lapßgoyerjVthat on the" day 3in question; some friends-had > arrived from Gisborne, , and she, of ' course, entertained them. Far from Handyside's. having escorted her to \yanganui at Christmas of 1925, lie had* not even r: travelled m the same train. ;^.'.- v^''>' ) : : " Mr. Leicester: ' So Jar as these allegations of immorality are. concerned, you say both your husband- and Handyside are lying? : Mrs. Beyndn: Y^es. * And you say»> they '-have come here and concocted a Ptory against you! — I doi V Counsel: Why ;db you say ". . . Help' me to live it down . . ." What' had you to live down? Mrs. Beynon: Well, he (had been at my people's house, and people near would know he had been living with me, and then he suddenly;, left the i house ... .'■■■■"'-."."• The most fitting close to this somewhat pitiful chapter seems to be the last letter Mrs. Beynon wrote to her

husband, a letter filled with pathos and womanly anguish, born of the moment when, she made her final supplicatior to the man she loved, so well.. "Dear Harry, — I am writing this ''" on Sunday morning- and it is going to be the last, as I have pleadyou so. many times for our „ ■"' life ahd v .that .is iw,hat ? it means to me. V'Tou are-ray husband and the children's father and if we can't look to you for " protection, where are we going- to get it from. Jim , and Leah are such good, companions now, and I have had them with me. , such a lot that I can't let one of them go. ,- "They are brother and sister and should be brought up together like you: were with Itheir mother and. father's 'love, 6r what will they . grow up like if they are not given . your love and protection with mine. ' "I; suppose 1 X am not the only wife that has done wrong and been, forgiven. If it was your sister you would like her husband to help her ajid not push (her down, wouldn't you? "Do you forget when we were . , married it was for better or. worse, but to protect for ever? Harry, when you came to me after you had left me, after you had been with me when we had the house, ( l.was just as ready to give you my lbW as' ever, and that hurt just as much to me as this has to you. . "You see, there are so many you are going to hurt if you don't forgive me, and you are going to cut puv life: off, too. ; . "If it had 'been you I know I could forgive- you.' Love for you could make me do that. You see, to err is human,' to forgive divine. You could help me to belar my sin as you are my husband, and I have no one else to look to if you don't. For God's sake, help me as no one else can. ■ 1 "For a husband to forgive a. wife / or: a wife to forgive a husband_ is all we have m life. It is not as t though I don't love you, because your life is my. life and I need you now and for ever I" : . Your wife; . Moab." ' The jury found m favor of the husband and a decree nisi was granted.