WOMAN'S WORLD

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 48, 18 August 1911, Page 6

WOMAN'S WORLD

(Conducted by "Eileen").

KISSLESS BRIDE

REMARKABLE SCENE IN COURT. An excited crowd, roughly estimated at 3000, fought to enter a courtroom capable of accommodating a sixth of the number to hear Mrs. Edith Russel Gambier, who has become famous during the last few weeks as "America's kissless bride," give evidence in her suit for separation against her husband, a stolid, elderly banker, who confesses that he is devoted to business. He luis entered a cross-suit for annulment of the marriage, alleging that during the two years of their union he has not lived with his wife. Public interest in Mrs. Gambier's narrative of her strange marriage was so keen that a cordon of police was necessary to keep order at the court door. Inside, Mrs. Gambier, an attractive young Southerner in a smart blue linen frock, with a string of pearls, sat with a look of stern determination on her face listening to the conclusion of her husband's evidence as she waited to tell of his shortcomings.

Mr. Gambier has already certified how after writing "I love you" on his shirt front before their marriage and bidding him keep the shirt as a souvenir, which he did, she refused to kiss him afterwards. When lie finally left her, hopeless of overcoming her coldness, she said that if he were "only half a man and not an old woman" they would have got along like other married couples. Besides Mrs, Gambier sat Mr. Harvey Sicklcr, a young, athletic man, head of the Fertiliser Trust, with whom, according to the evidence of the husband's witnesses, Mrs. Gambier took many late suppers and motor car rides, described bv Mrs. Sickler's chauffeur as "joy rides."

On these rides, it was stated, Mrs. Gambier returned Mr. Sickler's kisses.

Mr. Sickler, though unnamed in the husband's suit, has volunteered to go into the wituess-hox to deny this evidence. Before Mrs. Gambier was called he gave evidence denying in detail the allegations that he had embraced Mrs. Gambier. He said that he and Mrs. G-ambier were merely friends. i Mrs. Gambier, giving evidence, deelar-1 ed that she never repelled her husband. I She proceeded to testify that the reason I for her desire for a separation from her I husband was that the only caress lie! ever gave her ,was in Paris, when he came behind her and gave her a little pat on the shoulder. "Was it a hard pat?" asked Mr. fJambier's lawyer. "X». It was just a nicp little pat," said the witness, smiling through her tears. Counsel for the husband, arguing for the granting of an annulment, said that it was asked for on the ground of fraud. Mrs. Gambier induced the banker to marry her by pretending that she loved him. She did not love him, and merely wanted him to marry her so that he should support her, which was making a contract under false pretences. The eontract was, therefore, void.

QUEEN ALEXANDRA AND EX-KINQ MANUEL.

A London paper says that Queen Alexandra is showing a determination to extteniT favors to the exiled member's of the Portuguese Royal Family, anil that it is again hinted that ex-King Manuel will be permitted to marry one of the daughters of the Duke and Duchess of Fife.

ITALY'S MARRIAGE LAW.

According to a correspondent of the Scotsman, who writes to,that journal from Venice re the Italian marriage law, which is now operative, marriage is defined as a purely civil contract, which must be performed by the syndic (or mayor) of the place where the couple reside, or by one of his assessors, and not in a private house, but in a room open to the public in the Municipal Chambers. The presence of a priest on; such occasions is illegal, unless he comes as a witness or a spectator. The couple may choose afterwards to go to a church and get the Church's benediction on their union. But "a priest cannot marry a couple in Italy; the Pope him-j self could not do so, and if he did, the couple would be considered living in concubinage, and if any children were born of the union they would be registered as illegitimate, and on the death of their parents they could not inherit real property, which, if it existed, would be in part given to the next-of-kin, and in part confiscated." It is further said that l a Bill was recently brought before Parliament to imprison the priests and their witnesses who dare to pretend to be able to perform the marriage ceremony. Further, no priest is allowed to annoy an Italian subject for doing what the law enjoins or permits. "If, therefore, a priest goes to a couple married civilly, and says to them that they are living m concubinage, because not married by the Church, he renders himself liable to law and imprisonment. He is not allowed to impugn the law of the land, nor is lie allowed to disturb the peace of a family."

BETTING AMONG WOMEN.

The report of the Lancashire and Cheshire branch ef the Anti-Gambling League states, inter alia: The enormous profits reaped by some newspapers and the professional betting men make their task a difficult one; but the Government are very sympathetic, and we wish to show that they have the support of all moderate men, who feel that the time has come when this serious national evil must be checked. That professional gambling has made gigantic strides is evidenced by the fact that whereas a century ago in Great Britain and Ireland there were only about 2.0 bookmakers carrying on business as such, there are now in 1911 some 30,000 men getting their living wholly or partly in this way. The evil is spreading alarmingly among women and children, and is restricted to no particular class of society. By means of foreign lottery circulars, newspaper gambling competitions, football coupons, sweepstakes,

girls' betting clubs, and children's bookmakers, the traffic is being carried oil in , such a way as must inevitably weaken the fibre of the national character if some efficient counteracting influence is not brought to dbear immediately. Bishop Welldon, the president of the branch, was the chairman of the meeting, and in proposing the adoption of the report he said that about the prevalence or the seriousness of the evil of gambling there could be no doubt. It seemed to be a law of human nature that, as disasters, so moral evils rose and fell, and as one diminished another increased. Thus it was that as intemperance declined 'betting and gambling seemed to become worse. They arose from the love of excitement, and in some degree from the love of gain, and they beset all classes of the community, especially perhaps young men and women; and there was evidence to show that the evil of gambling was growing among women. Public sentiment was rising against gambling and its causes. The newspaper which had, at the risk of pecuniary loss, refrained from publishing inducements to betting were in a high degree benefactors of society. For his own part, he looked forward to making the lines of the betting fraternity harder and harder. These pests of society must, sooner or later, be extirpated. He looked forward to the time when the publication of betting odds would be prohibited by law, but in the meantime, since legislation could not go in front of public opinion, it was the business of the league "to raise public opinion to an appreciation of the evil. The great principle upon which he insisted was that citizens had no right to make their living by the demoralisation of their fellow-citizens.

MARRIAGE CANCELLED BY CZAR'S UKASE.

A charge of bigamy against Alexander Koutouzov, Count Tolstoy, son of the master of the hunt at the Oar's Court, and now residing on Paris, will shortly come before the Law Courts there.

The count was married 18 months ago at the Russian Church in Paris to a | well-known American girl, Miss Frottinghain. Miss Flora Coriat, however, says that the count is her husband, and that she was married to him at a Strand registry office in 1893. The Russian count is also charged with having married a Miss Julia Jackson at Hull in 1898. In an interview in the Matin the count asserts that the marriage with Miss Frottingham is the only legal marriage he has contracted. He met Miss Coriat at a London music-hall one night, and "learned to his astonishment" a few days afterwards that he had married her. Hut the count says this is of no importance, us it is not valid according to Russian law. "I came to live in Paris with Hiss Coria," he adds, "and after a few months I parted from.Jier. She wrote asking me for money, but I did hot answer her. To put an end to it I obtained a ukase from the 'Czar-an-nulling the marriage. I- have- asked' the French judicial authorities to. aiyiul .it also. This is my answer to Miss Coriat's charge of bigamy. It is also saiil," proceeds the coiint, "that I have married Miss Jackson under similar' oircumstances. The lady has apparently for- | gotten me." ' ' >

OPEN-AIR TEACHING. " '

The medical inspectors of' the Victorian Education Department are,doing their best to popularise open-air ing in connection with the work of schools in Victoria. They are adV<&'tittg the adoption of the instruction'liv the open as far as circumstances will permit, and with this object in view they have urged the authorities to construct schools specially suited to such practices. They favor the erection of pavilions and shelter-sheds in school grounds which can be used as 'open-air class-rooms when desired. Dr. Harvey Sutton, the chief inspector, explained that he was a strong supporter of the movement for open-air teaching, because he considered that it improved not only the physique and the spirits of the-child-ren, but also their intelligence. The inspectors were trying, to,, extend .the practice of deep-breathing exercises and handkerchief drill througfiou't 'the schools. Highly satisfactory results had followed wherever it had been adopted. It was of primary importance that the deep-breathing should be done in th" open air, and it was wise to precede i. with handkerchief drill. The latter had two good points about it.. ;Fjrstiof all, it encouraged the use of handkerchiefs among the children, and, secondly, it taught children to breathe through tlie nose.