The Wooing of a Young Civil Servant.

Thames Star, Volume XIII, Issue 4300, 12 October 1882, Page 3

The Wooing of a Young Civil Servant.

r 3 . ; Wellington. The sittings of the Supreme Court were commenced this morning. The case Swiney t. Ley bourne, for breach of promise of marriage, and was tried before Hia Honor and a common jnry. Mr ISdward Shaw, appeared for the plaintiff, and Mr J. Gordon Allen- for the defendant. The proceedings were briefly commenced by Mr Marrah, who stated that the plaintiff, Harriett Swiney, was a. young lady residing in Wellington and defendant a clerk in the Civil Service.

Harriet Swiney, the plaintiff, said her parents died at home, and she came out to this colony five years ago, having two brothers residing in Wellington in the employment of Mr Gear. She lired with her brothers for a time, and afterwards secured employment at Mr Holiday's, stationer, etc., for which she received £2 per week. She was there for nearly two, years and a half, and left there about a year ago. Afterwards she was employed at Mr Hamilton'?, in Cuba street, for 30s per week, and subsequently at Palmerston North, where she,got equal to £2 5s per week. She recollected the last Prince of Wales' birthday. There was a picnic at Island Bay that day, in connection with the Church of. Christ, ,of Troy street. She did not belong*' to the Church of

Christ herself—she belonged to no church at all. She went first to one and

then to another, just as she felt inclined. (Laughter.) She. met defendant at the picnic. He was a Wesley an, but occasionally attended the Church of Christ Ley bourn introduced himself, so to speak. (Laughter.) They were playing a game, - "Jolly Miller," and he caught hoia of her,arm, and said be bad been promised . an introduction to her. Mr Shaw: He was the Joily Miller, I suppose. Witness: No doubt he was sometimes. „ (Laughter.) Examination continued: " Jolly Mil-

ler "was not a game like kiss-in-the-ring. Defendant was"very attentive and got her , plenty of buns and cakes. (Laughter.) He made an appointment with her on the following Sunday at the Wesleyan Church. Subsequently she was in the habit of meeting him continually st bis request. Before she went to Palmerston North defendant gave her a watch as a present instead of an engagement rinp. This was to remind her of the hours during his absence. (Laughter.) She went to Pal--1 merston, via Foxton, by steamer. It was a rough passage. Mie remembered writing the letter produced, in the course of which she described how she " communed casting up her accounts at 7 p.m., and continued the f performance all night." That' was the first message of love. (Laughter.) In reply she ' received a letter from the defendant, dated from the Audit Department, in which he addressed her as "My dearest Harry," and sought to excuse himself-from a long letter, as he was not allowed to write private letters during business hfeurs. There were also several references to "Our Heavenly Father," and the writer forwarded her numberless, " nice, long, deep, sincere, loving kisses, full of the richest stingo she could h»ve.'' (Roars of laughter.) His here wished to know whether " stingo " was another name for hop beer. Mr Allen interposed that he thought it was. (Laughter.) Examination continued: The writer subscribed himself as her " loving and spooney Willie." When she answered his letter she concluded by appropriate quotations from Burns, Moore, Wordsworth, and Shakespeare. Defendant's next letter was from Bachelor's Hall, Nairn-street, and commenced " My dear Zukie." She did not know what ".Zukie "

meant—she thonght it was a pet name he had coined himself. He informed her in that letter that be had been feeding himself on porridge, peas and barley; had taken no tea or fresh meat lately, and was, therefore, looking much better. He concluded by giving her some religious advice. About this time he sent her a

ralentine containing a nice pieie of poetry about love. Her reply was dated, Palmerston North, 15th Feb , when she addressed him as ," My dear Spooey," and in it she expressed a desire to see again shortly those eyes of his (the defendant's)," which looked".!, so 'lovingly - into hers —Shakespeare." (Laughter*.) She also wrote, "What God hath put. together let no man put asunder—Shakespeare." (Re v newed laughter.) In the course of his answer he: took occasion' to. inform her that he " Never courted any young lady without his . intentions being strictly honorable." With regard to a certain other young lady'whom he had been accused of being " sweet upon, he said he could not' marry her for fear of the children having noses like hers. (Loud laughter.) .■ > ; She remembered writing another letter, in which she gave defendant leave to flirt to bis heart's content, because she was confident -she. retained his loving heart. She wound that letter up with some original poetry as follows:—'. [After. Moody and Sasket'].— ■• ■ r" Oh; to be nothing, nothing, Sitting in my arm-chair ■.". Teasing and kissing spooney And pulling his nut-brown hair. (Boars of laughter.) She recollected receiving a letter from him afterwards, which •he had destroyed. In that letter the defendant expressed a wish to break off the engagement, because fourteen days had elapjtf before she answered the last letter. Sheroßl destroyed the letter because it gave her such great pain. She was sincerely attached to the young man at that time. She received another letter from him after that; addressing her as "My dear Miss Swiney/' with the word " Swiney " erased, and "Harry" written underneath. He called her "an impatient and excitable little, darling," and told her he bad to go to a tea-fight that night. He had a ticket given him or he would not have gone. He bad several anthems toeing after drinking ■oTeralcQpsof~—sdishwaterand rubbish. (Jioud laughter). Toward the conclusion he told her he was well and "so was the eat." Xo?< cat was one .he had at Bachelors' Hall. „