THE DOMESTIC TROUBLES OF AN M.H.R.

Oamaru Mail, Volume II, Issue 386, 19 July 1877, Page 2

THE DOMESTIC TROUBLES OF AN M.H.R.

An explanation has reached us of (ho mysterious telegram which appeared in our Monday's issue, relating how aeerliiin M. H.R. was prevented from proceeding to Wellington to fulfil his duties an Uie chosen of the people. Mr. Henry Manders, the elected of the people of Queenstown, is the gentleman referred to, and the lady in question was the lion, gentleman's former domestic servant, liy name Margaret M'Kean. Poor Mr. Manders has been the victim of harsh treatment at the hands of the fair one. It is recorded that on certain occasions when he displeased her, she took the law into her own hands, and severely chastised the lion, gentleman, and other instances of the young lady's atl'eetiou for the M. U.K.. might be mentioned. The occurrence recorded as having taken place at Port Chalmers does not sec have been the climax to all this ha . fitment. On Monday morning, aooo" ° --g to the (.1-imr-dian, this persistent voing lady again " made things lively for the lion, gentleman by worrying round after him, and by exhibiting a very fairly-taken portrait of his handsome and commanding ligure. Later on in the day his manly ligure and the fair form of his female follower graced the portals of the Resident Magistrate's Court, where they ' had it out' in legal form to the tune of L 8 and costs, the complaint of the fair one being that her fickle master had detained certain portions of her property, to wit, furniture, underclothing, blankets, bedding, and fowls, to the value of nearly LlO. Strong in his right, and conscious of his integrity in the division of the household gods which they twain had used as one, Mr. Manders attitudinised before Mr. Pathgate on Monday afternoon, in the presence of a crowded audience." From the particulars to hand it appears that on the 11th June last, at (jueenstown, Margaret sued Mr. Manders, " jim nudist and M.H.R.," for the modest sum of L'.U'J, in which he put in a set-oil" of L7(> 10s. oM. The case came before Mr. District Judge Harvey. The proceedings at the hearing of this case were somewhat strange. From the report in the local print it seems that the fair one had been in the legislator's service for some years, and had received an occasional pound-note. The action was brought to recover the sum named as balance due to the plaintiff, who said she had " worked like a man for defendant." The judge appears to have been considerably puzzled by the confused statements of the contending parties, but after a careful consideration of the matter, gave judgment in the following manner, as recorded by the Wakatip Mail :—" His Honour said, in giving judgment, he did not intend to make any observations. The amount he had decided to give was arrived at by guesswork—by rule of thumb—as he had* nothing to guide him. He could only say there were very peculiar circumstances surrounding the case, and it did not appear to be one altogether of the relationship of master and servant. His judgment was for LSO, with costs Ls to be paid by instalments of L'J a month, the first instalment to commence on Ist July next." Here the curtain fell upon the first act of this little domestic drama,. The nextscene appears to have been laid in Port Chalmers, where the little incidents transpired which were briefly recorded in our telegraphic columns on Monday. According to one of the Dunedin papers the lion, gentleman had taken his passage by the Wakatipu, bound for Wellington—" He had arranged everything nicely—at least, he thought he' resting securely on the sweet assurance, was, after safely stowing his baggage and luggage below, engaged in blaJ(id converse with fellowpassengers. But what was it made him start so and gaze doubtingly on shore 1 Could It- be the presence of a lithe female,,. wjth 'dark hair wildly flowing,' making her way with no uncertain footsteps towards the steamer r ( It would seem so, for as she stepped t;i board, tlio

r jprt'sentath.; man was attracted to her as if fascination, and then ensued a close characterised on the one side by imperious, and on the other by deprecatory, gestures. The ]ady was heard to remark something about somebody ' being on board, and y;>u shan't go or I'll raisi.- a scene/ and then with lamblike docility the M.H.R. was seen to descend to the lower regions, reappearing with his luggage, and with an attempt—alas, how poor —at a bland smile, he marched on shore, closely followed by the lithe one. But not for long, for before they were half-way up the pier she stopped, and pulling a photograph from her pocket, addressed herself to some ladies, and much to their astonishment retailed how she had been ' cruelly undone,' and exhibited the photograph as that of a woman whom the M.H.R. 'hadn't ought to have known." And into other ears did she pour out her griefs, at least, to all who would listen to her ; whilst the object of her hate disappeared in a well-known hostelry and solaced himself there as best he might. As for the Wakatipu, she sailed without him, and yet, perhaps, as he could have averred, took away the better part of himself." As has already been said, on the following day things were again made lively for the man of wordy warfare. His fair enamorata again hatmted him, the last scene of this touching romance in real life being laid in the Resident Magistrate's Court, Dnnedin. Here the fair Margaret sought to recover from her former i master possession of the undermentioned articles, which "the defendant has illegally detained and illegally detains from the plaintiff, or the sum of L3l 10s., the value of the same, and the plaintiff also claimed LlO as loss and damage for the detention of said articles, wherefore the plaintiff claimed to recover from the defendant the sum of L4l 103., or LlO and the return of the articles." The articles particularised in the information were : 1 feather bed, 2 pairs white blankets, 4 sheets, ladies' underclothing, half dozen pillow cases, 1 dressing-table, 1 small table, 2 dresses, a "View of Queenstown," 15 fowls, and 3 small pictures. Legal talent was engaged on both sides, and each of the once happy, but now contending, couple had their say. And so had the Magistrate, the lawyers, &c. Plaintiff and defendant alike claimed to be the owner of the articles of ease and comfort specified in the information. Margaret said the ladies' underclothing mentioned was her's, that she had left it in Manders' bedroom, and that he had appropriated it and sent it to his intended wife. Margaret declared that the feather bed, the blankets, the sheets, &c, &c, were all hers : while the faithless M.H.R. ais" declared that they belonged to him. L nuially, the plaintiff obtained jtilgi ;e.'!V for the delivery of the views of Qucea.-rown within 30 days, or payment of L 7, the Magistrate remarking that rile tlefYrnlant ought not to have kept anything, .aid as his parting with the plaintiff seems to have been under peculiar circumstances, he should have made an effort to have got rid of everything that he could not say was his own. Margaret also got £1 damages, together with costs. And so ends this touching little episode in the life of one of the great men who frame the laws of this flourishing land. Let us hope that there will be no need to continue the narrative any further, but that Henry and Margaret may henceforth live in peace, happiness, and chastity.