line a box or curl her maiden locks; i while she can make her antagonist exhibit to the keen eye of the cold world whatever corre spondence he may chance to have. How ever, not infrequently the fair lady produces only too readily the epistles of her quondam admirer. Fortunately, the publication of letters will often be restrained by the courts at the sug gestion of the writer, when they are not con nected with actual litigation; otherwise, in these days of the making of many books and of thirst after realism, we would be having the society belles publishing the cor respondence received by them from their lovelorn swains, under the title of "The Complete Love-Letter Writer." (How such a volume would sell, if the genuine names of the writers were given!) "The general property, and general rights incident to property, remain in the writer." In England, at one time, it was thought that this rule only applied when the letters " are stamped with the character of literary compo sitions;" and under that category love-letters are not very likely to fall.2 The receiver of a letter, although she may not publish it, may destroy it.3 Ladies who have never experienced the delights of matrimony sometimes complain that those who have had spouses but have failed to keep them in this mundane sphere, have unfair advantages in the race for nup tial prizes. In 1733 a number of maids in Charleston presented the following petition to the Governor of South Carolina : — To His Excellency GOVERNOR JOHNSON. The humble petition of all the maids whose names are underwritten. Whereas, we the humble petitioners are in a very melancholy disposition of mind, considering how all the bachelors are blindly captivated by widows, and our more youthful charms thereby neglected : the consequence of this our request is, 1 Curtis v. Mundy (1892), 2 Q. B. 178. a Rice v. Williams, 32 Fed. Rep. 437; Percival v. Phipps, 2 Ves. & B. 19; Pope r. Curl, 2 Atk. 342.
- 1 Kerr on Injunctions, 499.
that your Excellency will for the future order that no widow shall presume to marry any young man till the maids are provided for; or else to paveach of them a fine for satisfaction, for invading our liberties; and likewise a fine to be laid on all such bachelors as shall be married to widows. The great disadvantage it is to us maids is, that the widows, by their forward carriages, do snap up the young men. and have the vanity to think their merits beyond ours; which is a great impo sition upon us, who ought to have the preference. "This is humbly recommended to your Excel lency's consideration, and hope you will prevent any further insults. "And we poor maids, as in duty bound, will ever pray. "P. S. I. being the oldest maid, and there fore most concerned, do think it proper to be tho messenger to your Excellency in behalf of* my fellow-subscribers." We cannot say if the legislature passed any act for the relief of these poor, neglected wall-flowers. In England, for the purpose of assisting " to carry on the war with vigor." about 1695 Parliament placed a tax upon all bachelors and widowers over twenty-five years of age, who did not marry anybody, of one shilling a year; if the man was a marquis, he had to pay ten pounds; if a duke, twelve pounds ten. It is a common impression among men that unmarried ladies are sometimes exceed ingly loath to give their correct ages; some times, we are informed, they will equivocate, prevaricate, or even lie on this point. Fräu lein Catherine Mahl went still farther, and committed forgery to deceive the very desir able partner to whom she was engaged. The circumstances were in this wise : She had imprudently declared to her lover that she was six years younger than she was. " As soon as the moment arrived for producing the certificate of birth, she was aware that her little deception would be discovered, and she feared the match would be broken off. She therefore took the liberty of altering the official document, so as to make it corre spond with the statement she had already made. The ceremony took place, and the
