PUBLIC OPINION.

Patea Mail, 26 July 1882, Page 3

PUBLIC OPINION.

»■ —■ Contributions, Letters, Inquiries and Answces thereto, are invited on Farming. Commerce, Politics, and matters of interest to the Patea district. Names of writers need' not be Printed. Breach of Promise of Marriage. A young lady of my acquaintance is ranch concerned about the piece which the Harmonic Society purpose to give this (Wednesday) evening; being a cantata representing an action for breach of promise of marriage. She thought of interviewing the conductor, to persuade him to give it up, but I assured her that not even her personal blandishments could secure such an end. Having ventured to ask what her objections might be to the piece, I was informed that it was cruel and improper-. It was very unfeeling to mock the sufferings of a poor girl who had been deceived by a “ wretch no other name was suited for one who would do such a thing. I remarked that the whole piece was a fit and excellent satire on one of the most ridiculous processes that remained in our courts of law ; whereupon I was thrown into some consternation by certain violent manifestations, while the lady indignantly declared tliat sbe believed I was as bad I besought her to be calm, and insinuated that she had mistaken the case ; that if a girl experienced what is said to be one of the tenderest emotions that the human breast can feel, she would never allow it to be paraded to the public gaze and ex-

posed to ridicule • that a girl of delicacy would not seek to retain the person of what was once her lover, when his feeling for her was gone ; but would rather rejoice that his change of sentiment had occurred before that union had been effected which an all-wise law had seen fit to make so difficult of dissolution.

My fair friend replied that the girl’s feelings had been changed by the defendant’s brutal conduct; and that she had instituted these proceedings to punish him. “ How then,” asked I, “ do you account for the passionate protestations that she madly adored defendant.” To this there was no reply ; so 1 ven" lured to continue that plaintiff’s whole motive was mercenary—money, and a husband if possible, but at any rate money ; and as evidence, I begged my charming champion of self-called “cheated lovers ” to consider how earnestly “ the broken flower ” besought the jury to consider the damages ; and how, still further to assist her case, she managed with infinite tact to ogle the whole of that-set of respectable noddies, the jury, and even the august judge himself, into such an imbecile state of infatuation for her that they didn’t know whether they were on their heads or their heels. . Finally, that her attachment to the defendant was of so deep a nature that she threw herself into the judge’s arms, consenting to become his bride.

I then heard a faint murmur that at any rate the defendant was a bad example to young men of inconstancy, which I silenced by quoting that gentleman’s very just remarks to the effect that if he wedded the girl he hated, there would indeed be a breach ; and further, his plea, somewhat hovel, but still worthy of consideration, that his inconstancy was in strict conformity with nature, which was constantly changing. Then there was the judge. Perhaps I would seek to defend his conduct in throwing over the rich attorney’s daughter simply because she was a little over 43 years of age. For her part, she would never believe that an English judge would behave so, or get himsely raised to the bench by a job.” I was happy at last to be able to entirely agree with my friend. The author must have been in liquor when he wrote that part of the piece, for whatever may have happened elsewhere, all the world knows that in England the stream of justice is free from the taint of corruption. We thus concluded that the only persons guilty of any design in the case were the plaintiff and bridesmaids. Trusting that if there are any other enraged and doubting maidens among your readers, this may bring them to conclusions as sound as those at which we arrived, I am, &c., INDEX.