_Child-mother._--Four months ago, on board the Brazil packet, the royal
mail steam-vessel Severn, there was an instance of a "child-wife," which
might be worthy of a place among your curiosities of that description.
She was the wedded wife of a Brazilian travelling from the Brazils to
Lisbon, and her husband applied for permission to pay the "reduced passage
money" for her as being "under twelve years of age!"
As the regulation on that head speaks of "_children_ under twelve years of
age," this _conscientious_ Brazilian's demand could not be countenanced.
His wife's age was under eleven years and a half, and (_credat Judæus_)
_she was a mother_!