494 Curiosities of Legal Experience. 



loss of half his fortune, and has now taken high honours in black- 

 leggism, at the slight expense of health, character, and the remainder 

 of his property. Of course he is a desperate man, and Mrs. S. will 

 be hard pressed to give up her separate estate ; but she must be firm, 

 if it were only for the sake of her children. Mem. Brown is a beast. 

 Four bottles of my best Port " opened the flood-gates of licentious 

 mirth ;" and such a display of grossness of brutishness rather I 

 never before heard. There is a craving for excitement in some 

 men, which drives them to wallow in the lowest excesses, as there are 

 some diseases by which negroes are irresistibly impelled to eat dirt. 

 Aug. 29. Early this morning a note from Mrs. S., requesting an 



interview this day at twelve. 



********** 



I was punctual to a minute. She was greatly agitated, her eyes 

 sparkled, and her usually pale cheeks were a bright hectic red. 

 She spoke in a sharp, decided tone : <f Mr. D., I wish immediately 

 to apply for a separation. I have borne much from him, threats, 

 insults, and neglect for years ; but he never struck me " and the 

 blood rushed to her face as she uttered the degrading word. " Good 

 heavens!" said I, "is it possible?" "You told me cruelty is a 

 ground for separation. Last night he came home half intoxicated, 

 that was nothing uncommon. He called for brandy, and by the 

 way he swallowed glass after glass of plain spirits. I knew what 

 was coming ; the bitter coward ! he is afraid to face me, till he is 

 mad with drinking. I went to my own room and prayed for a 

 patient heart. It was useless to think of sleep while the hour of 

 persecution was hanging over me, so I tried to pass the time in ar- 

 ranging my wardrobe, and putting up my hair; at last, there was 

 nothing more to do but to sit and wait ! How many times I started 

 at the rattle of a window from the wind, thinking it was him. The 

 watchman called two o'clock ; probably he had gone off in a doze, 

 and the sound awoke him, for soon after I heard the table and glasses 

 thrown down, and he came plunging and stumbling up the stairs. I 

 thought I should have fainted." 



She stopped for an instant, and looked so very pale that I handed 

 her a bottle of volatile salts which lay on the table ; but she declined 

 it impatiently. 



" I looked at him as he reeled in ; his cheeks were swelled, and 

 his eyes met mine with that stare of obslinate defiance which I know so 

 well now. ' What, you're up, are you ? So much the better/ he 

 began in a rough coarse voice ; and then came the demands for 

 money, the threats, the horrible imprecations. He had lost every 

 thing at the gaming-table ; he told me so, and then wanted to force 

 from me my children's bread to supply his riotous waste. I spoke 

 to him quietly about the children, about old times, though my^heart 

 was bursting when I thought of them ; but it only irritated him the 

 more. * Curse your flummery,' he said, catching me by the arm ; 

 1 give me the money, and you may preach to the devil and his imps.' 

 I begged and prayed him to consider, not to make his children 

 beggars, that it was for ihem I feared, but, oh ! Mr. D., it was all 

 in vain. * You think to get rid of me,' he retorted, ' to drive me to 



