William Hepworth Dixon, White Conquest: Volume 1

A girl goes into a shop in Montgomery Street to buy gloves. “ What size?” asks the young fellow. “My real size is sixes,” the damsel smiles, “ but you see my hand will bear squeezing,” --and the bashful fellow fetches her a pair of five and a half.

A damsel of San Francisco reads in one of Helen M. Coke's rhapsodies that “ kisses on the brow” make the richest diadem for a woman. “ Guess that sort of kisses is rather thin,” sneers the girl, “ and I doubt whether Nellie Coke herself likes them very much.”

So runs the moral to an end. “ Guess my husband's got to look after me, and make himself agreeable to me, if he can,” says a pretty young woman, in a tone of banter, but a tone that carries much meaning, “ if he don't, there's plenty will.”

Divorce is cheap and easily obtained. Sone legal firms are known for their alacrity in getting through such troubles. “Residence not required,” is one of the hints thrown out in circulars and advertisements to parties about to be divorced. The application mostly comes from the woman's side, and any allegation is enough to satisfy her judge.