Page:A thousand years hence. Being personal experiences (IA thousandyearshen00gree).djvu/228

 and been freed from most of the grosser aspects of former centuries. Wives had not much complaint now of cruel or sensual husbands. Their wrongs were of a much more refined character, and one that was more accordant with the delicate sentiment, and the high aims, hopes, and expectations of that age. The following two instances of divorce suits will form a sufficiently characteristic illustration, more especially as these cases, both famous in their time in this century, assisted respectively in establishing authoritative precedents for subsequent times.

First case.—A youth, heretofore of promise, who, in the severer part of his university ordeal, had unguardedly addicted himself to the injurious, dirty, and then all but exploded habit of tobacco-smoking, had afterwards also fallen in love with a different and far more worthy object of affection. But, perfectly aware, as he could not fail to be, that the public sentiment as to his unfortunate habit, and more especially the firm stand which, as by tacit agreement in matrimonial relations, the other sex had made against it, for more than a century past, would give him but slight chance in his proposed courtship, he not only at once laudably abandoned his smoking, but by a course of thorough medical purgation he successfully eliminated every possible trace of his old infirmity. Rejoicing in the strength of new purposes, and a new life and manhood, he now introduced himself to the fair object of his hopes, and was duly successful in his suit.