The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1881-06-25
Welded I'M SILENCE.
N Y SIM

William g. Pownall and Miss Lizzie
/ Wells, both of them deaf mutes, were mar
| ried in the church of st. Peter and St
Paul, on Second street, Brooklyn, at seveu
o'clock last evening. The groom is mem
Der of the firm of Harvey & Pownall, art
| stained glass works, 479 Hudson avenue
| Brooklyn. He is well to do man of ed
| ucation, and not more than % years old.
Soon after his arrival in this country from
| London year or two ago, he became a
teacher of class of deaf mutes in st.
Francis Xavier's Sunday school in this
city. One of his pupils was Miss Wells,
with whom he thus first became acquaint-
ed She was able to hear and to speak
| until she was five years old. She
then had fall which destroyed her hear
ing, and upon this misfortune followed
loss of speech. Her parents subsequently
sent her to be educated in Buffalo deaf
| mute institution, Last May she removed
from this city to Brooklyn, and became a
member of Father Malone's church of St.
Peter and ST. Paul
About $50 ladies and sprinkling of
gentlemen had gathered in the church yes
terday when carriage drove up contain
ing the bridal couple, Miss Agnes Lynch,
the bridesmaid, and Thomas F. Brady. the
groom's best man. The last two are not
deaf mutes. They walked before the bride
and groom, up the aisle, to the music of
the wedding march. In front of the chan
Gel the leading couple divided and the
bride and groom took places between
them, The bride was dressed in a travel
ing costume Of ecru silk trimmed with am
Der. Ecru feathers swept over her hat,
which was also trimmed with silk and sat-
in of the same color. She wore diamonds.
She has fair complexion and dark brown
hair
The Rev NJ. P Costin, S. J., of st.
Johns College, Fordham, assisted by
the Rev. Father Gallagher of the
Church of St. Peter and ST. Paul,
performed the ceremony. He has taken
much interest in deaf mutes, and has Incl
dentally acquired knowledge of the sign
language. Not word was spoken during
the ceremony until Father Costin said the
Latin prayers in closing. 1t is supposed
to be the first wedding of deaf mutes, sol
emnized in the sign language by clergy
man, in the diocese.
When Father Costin spelled out with his
fingers the words t'Wilt thou take Lizzie
Wells, here present, for thy lawful wife
according to the lite of our holy mother the
church," Mr.. Pownall shut the first three
fingers Of his right hand and extended it
before him with the thumb and little finger
held out straight. The position of his
thumb and fingers represented the letter
\, but the motion of the hand increased the
significance of Yes" which in his case
took the place of the ritual words, Il will. +"
Then the same question was put to the
bride, who gracefully replied in the same
way, and at the same time bowed her head
in assent.
Next, Father Costin began to signify the
words, 4, William S. Pownall, take thee,
Lizzie Wells, for my lawful wife, to have
and to hold from this day forward, for
better for worse, for richer for poorer, in
sickness and in health, till death do us
part" He expected that the groom
would repeat them after him clause by
clause, but the groom, who evidently knew
the passage by heart and who is very
dexterous in the use of the sign language,
took the words out of Father Costin's
mouth if the expression may be allowed, |
and completed the declaration. The
priest soon stopped making signs with his
fingers, and contented himself with bow
ing assent to show that he understood the
words spelled out to be according to the
ritual. When it came to the brides turn
to make the corresponding declaration, |
she also ratified it off ahead of the priest
wi tn similar f1uency
Father Costin said in silence; II unite
you in matrimony in the name of the
Father, Son. and Holy Ghost" The ring
having been blessed and sprinkled with
holy water from an urn, the groom receiv-
ed, and, holding it in his left hand, said
with his right: with this ring thee
we'd and 1 plight unto thee my troth- -
Then, with his right hand he put the ring
on the brides finger.
After the ceremony the bridal party was
driven to the brides home, 166 South
Second street. Last evening the bride and
and groom, who can speak, started on a
tour to Saratoga Among the many hand
some presents displayed at the brides resi-
dence were large and very valuable dia
mond cross and gold-lined solid silver
service of twelve pieces.