An Elderly Lothario.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 68, 20 September 1884, Page 5

An Elderly Lothario.

In the London Divorce Court lately, Mr Frederick Warburton Stent, architect and surveyor, applied for the dissolution of his marriage, by reason of the misconduct of his wife, Annie Lilian, with the co-respon-dent, General Alexander Low, who has retired from the army. The petitioner deposed that he was married to respondent on May 15, IS6I, in St. John's, Margate. There are two children living of the marriage. He and his wife were on perfectly happy terms down to the last, and he had never had a dispute with her. He was acquainted with General Low, the co-respondent, who had been very intimate with both of them, they visiting each other's houses. What is his age ? I should think nearly 70. Examination continued : His wife was in a very bad state of health, anditwasanangedthat she should go to the baths, Kreuznach, Germany, as she required special treatment. General Low was to escort her, and she was to bo accompanied by her daughter, who is about 20. They all started in May, ISS2. At the time had you any suspicion of anything wrong between General Low and your wire? I had not the slightest reason to suppose so. I believed that I was acting with a gentleman, and not -with a scoundrel, at that time. Examination continued : He constantly received letters from his wife, which were in affectionate terms. Subsequently they all went to Geneva. As she did not return, he consulted with his friends, and one of them, Mr Edward Hart Smith, a solicitor, went out to see his wife. In consequence of what was told him he took his daughter back, and instituted these proceedings. Mr E. H. Smith said that he was aware of the circumstances in which the respondent and General Low went abroad. Last October he went to Geneva, and in the co-respondent's presence, she said that she did not intend to return to her husband, but that she had arranged to " cast in her lot" with General Low. The witness subsequently served them with the divorce papers in the Hotel Euler, Bale, where they were passing as man and wife. Sir James Hannen granted a decree nisi, with costs.

The Magyars have just held their exhibition of "the most beautiful women in Hungary," and the Poles, determined not to be behind their rivals, announce a forthcoming "exhibition of beautiful women" in Warsaw. They are determined, however, to be generous, and advertise tho show as "international." As the committee is Polish, we can hardly expect it to be so unpatriotic as to give the first prize to any lady who is not a Pole. The advertisement suggests to our Western minds the preparation for a slave market, for it states that the prizes will be given to the " exhibitors "—we presume the parents, guardians, or husbands— "of the most beautiful specimens." There is nothing to show that the ladies themselves will have a claim to the prizes, which are of three degrees — money, medals, and honorary diplomas. The announcement is careful to specify that "ladies of every rank in life, without distinction of class or of nationality, will be eligible " as exhibits. One of the songs in the " Gaudeamus " collection says that the Polish woman unites in herself all the charms that are distributed singly to other women. If this is true, husbands and fathers of other lands will do well not to send their wives and daughters to Warsaw.