or personal property in the hands of a third party, the title
vests at once in the husband.

"By right of his marriage the husband takes an interest in his wife's
real estate, and during their joint lives the law gives him a right to
the crops, profits and products of her lands. He has the usufruct of
all her freehold estate. The husband is entitled to the profits of all
lands held by the wife for her life, or for the life of another.

"When a marriage is dissolved at the suit of the husband, and the
defendant is owner in her own right of lands, his right to and
interest therein and to the rents and profits of the same, shall not
be taken away or impaired, but the same shall remain to him as though
the marriage had continued. And he shall also be entitled to her
personal estate, in possession or in action, and may sue for and
recover the same in his own name.

"When the wife is forced to separate from her husband, by reason of
cruel and inhuman treatment from him, she may, by a bill in equity,
have a suitable provision made for her support, out of the rents and
profits _of her land_."

The code says: "A father, whether under the age of twenty-one years,
or of full age, may by deed executed in his lifetime or by last will
and testament in writing, from time to time and in such manner and
form as he thinks fit, dispose of the custody and tuition of any
legitimate child under the age of twenty-one years and unmarried,
whether born at the time of his death or afterwards, during the
minority of such child, or for a less time." If the father abandon the
family the mother becomes guardian, but she can not appoint one by
will.

No law requires the husband to support wife or children.

The legal age for marriage is fourteen years for boys and twelve for
girls.

By earnest pleading and continual petitioning during the past ten
years women have secured the following: 1. The passage of a bill
making women eligible as superintendents of county schools. 2. Police
matrons in two cities--Memphis and Knoxville. 3. A law raising the
"age of protection" for girls from 10 to 16 years (1893), but if over
12 the crime is only a misdemeanor. The penalty is, if under 12,
"death by hanging, or, in the discretion of the jury, imprisonment in
the penitentiary for life or for a period not less than ten years;" if
over 12, "imprisonment in the penitentiary not less than three months
nor more than ten years; provided no conviction shall be