Page:The Green Bag (1889–1914), Volume 06.pdf/474

 Rh Tho' they put him on committees where the work brought no reward, Tho' they made of him a sort of special agent for the Lord, Yet they had no labor for him that his hungry purse would fill, And he's growing gray and grizzled waiting for a client still. , Paul Dunbar. Dayton, 0.

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convey to Sir Richard any accurate idea of his oc cupation. The New Yorker was quite elated with the acquaintance and decided to introduce Sir Richard to his wife, the first time the opportunity offered. When the appropriate moment arrived, the presentation took place on deck, as follows : "Mary, let me present my friend, Lord Webster of England, one of the greatest lawyers there. He is the Howe Hummel of London!"

NOTES.

The English law courts have formally decided that a wife is not a necessity of life, but a luxury. There have been a good many breach of promise suits before the courts lately, and in two promi nent ones the defense was set up that the con tract was invalid because the contracting parties were minors when it was made, and that no con tract made by a minor is binding at law, except it be for a " necessity." In one case the defense failed because the contract was renewed after the youth attained his majority, but in the other case the young fellow got off, the court deciding that a wife could not be considered a necessity.

The Madagascar " Gazette " recently printed an advertisement calling for " a lawyer, capable of interpreting the laws of China, Siam, and Japan. He must also possess a thorough knowledge of English constitutional law. No applicant who is not willing to assist at farm work and help in the blacksmith shop need apply. He must also be a good rider and driver."

Some years ago a farmer sued an orphan asylum at Buffalo, for injury to his sheep by a dog kept at the asylum. The case was tried in the county court, and the judge held as follows : " I have carefully looked over the defendant's charter, and I find that it is not authorized to keep anything but orphans. Keeping a dog was therefore ultra vires, and it is not liable in this action."

It is said that when Sir Richard Webster, ExAttorney-General of Great Britain, was crossing the Atlantic, last summer, he encountered, in the smoking saloon, a well-known New York sporting man, whose appearance and conversation did not

The " Omaha Bee " reports that in San Franciscoa sensitive husband is suing his wife for divorce because' she bleached her hair. In his petition he says : — "Bleached or artificially colored hair is easily distinguished as such and does not appear natural, nor does it deceive any person, but it is perfectly patent and noticeably conspicuous. It is regarded by the majority of right-thinking persons as an indica tion of a loose, dissolute and wanton disposition, and is regarded as and commonly held to be a prac tice never affected by modest, pure and respectable women." The husband claims that he is mortified and humiliated on account of the change in the color of his wife's hair. He adds : — "She is a brunette naturally. Her hair is of a chestnut brown color, which in its normal state is. modest and becoming, and harmonizes with the nat ural color of her skin and eyes. Since we married she has, against my wishes and protest, and with intent to vex, annoy, exasperate and shame me, dyed her hair and changed its shade to a conspicu ous and showy straw or canary color. As a conse quence of this artificial coloring, she has been obliged to paint her face to secure an artificial complexion in keeping with the artificial color of her hair. The combination has given her a giddy, fast and sporty appearance." a patent case before the U.S. Supreme Court. He claimed an infringement of rights in the manu facture of a new style of collar button. Incident ally, he spoke at length and with enthusiasm of the varied merits of the invention. Justice Shiras, who is the humorist of the Supreme Bench, interrupted his glib discourse by saying : .— "I wish to ask if, among the numerous admir able qualities of this collar button, one of partic ular and indispensable importance is embraced.
 * On a recent occasion an advocate was arguing