Telegram-herald., 1891-05-22

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One Of he most ffsqu.nt lbss Of man
kind against womankind 10 that IL can
not hold It's tongue, mnsE have the last
word IN a controversy, - note the IA
nous scissors dispute between q man
and his wife. where he. irrit.fsd beyond
endurance, threw her into the well, and
sne, too nearly drowusd 10 speak. held
ous hand above tho water and worked
the dnssrs 10 imiAbs = paix OF SCISSORS.
and 20 maintained her opinion not only
with her Last breath but sf>sr it was
gooe.
know have mentioned before, and
yet must mention again. my mingled
amusement and indignation 1t . little
incidens Of my visit to Nassau. In the
town squzse OF that pleasant hstls city
stands very large tree, believe Of tho
locust species. When ws were th-re il
was covered with long pods flied with
seeds. which being ripe and dry clSttered
against each other IN every breath OF
wind. predicting q constant muxmur and
whisper. rising occasionally 70 . perfect
babel Of inarticulase voices.
OF course we inquired tho name Of -
singular . tree, and l shall never forget
the dernure satisfaction with which tho
consul who accompanied rs replied,
"We}l, they call il Women's Tongue,
because. you see. the merest breath Is
enough TO set il 70 talking"
Now, OF course. this is q prejudice 50
deeply implanted In tho masculine mind
that it 10 quite hopeless To try to eradi-
cato it, bat is 1t well founded preju-
dicel
Ny own impression Is that tho sexes
IN this. as in many other directiors,
share the foible about equally, and that
there arc IS many male ns female chat
teuboxes-
Tho public prints some tirno ago noted
the death OF q woman who certainly was
q notable instance Of the feminine power
OF silence.
Some thirty years ago this fair lsdy
bad q dispute with her husband, at the
close Of which he pettishly exclaimed:
''Oh, do hold your tongue! I'm sick
TO death Of tho sound Of your voicew
"You ere, arc YOU" retorted the wife,
hurt through and through in the fashion
only . woman can comprehend. "Well,
you never shall hear my voice again"
And she kept her word. After . day
or two Of silence on her part the husband
grew uneasy. and finally made advances
toward reconciliation Thece were re-
ceivsd after fashion-that is to say, the
wife's fsco resumed its usual expression,
che performed her household duties and
looked after her husbands comfort; she
was cheerful with her children. and soon
taught them to understand her signs as
vellasthey might have her language. but
even 10 them, even to her little baby,
she never spoke, never laughed aloud.
usv9, In fact allowed her voice to be
bard, lest to whomevcr she spoke her
hushand might catch its sound. Then
tho man, fully aroused to theseriousness
Of tho occasion. expostulated, command
ed, begged, wept and pleaded upon his
mess that his wife should break this
turible resolution He brought the
minister to iutrcede for him, he brought
her nearest relatives. and he taught the
oldest children to plead for him and for
thrurselvea
But ono coWso W. - uselso - IN
0Gher. Tho woman had but ono reply.
and that she wrote upon slip Of papez
and presented to each petitioner.
Il ssid be newer should hear my voice
again. and he shan't"
When, SITTER several years use, this pa-
Der became suiled and torn, the stubborn
creature wrote out another, and never
did she add word or make any farther
explanation Of her course.
At last the husband lay upon his death
bod, and ~ his wife ministered to his
needs he caught her hand, and in the hol-
low and broken voice of dying man he
begged his wife to forgive him il indeed
he had offended her so deeply, and to
SPEAK 10 him, il only to say goodby,
and bid him depart in peace. II was the
last chance she would have, he reminded
her. and those who needed forgiveness
should Do ready TO make forgiveness.
She listened patiently. and then wrote
for one OF her daughters to read and re-
pat that she had nothing to forgive,
and that shs babe him an afrectionate
--.>~,<yhw. fsxxt - n l. al ,,,I H.. $500 -
hear her voice again. and he never should.
But, sdded shc. neither should any
body else. for she never should speak
a.yain 20 long a she lived. And with
this strange comfort she let him die.
Theu began q new struggle, for the
children pleaded thss they had never Of
Tended her; there was no pretence Of .
cause for renewing her VOW Of silence
against them, and begged and hesoughs
her 20 set it aside and come back from
her terrible isolation 10 b once more
their mother.
But still she shook her head, and only
wrote out new slip Of paper:
II promised him never would speak
again. and won't
And 80 she lived another ten years or
%, and finally she died, dumb even upon
her deashbei. in spite OF the piseous en-
treaties Of the children. who still loved
her.
Now. after such IN instance - that
does sny man say shss . woman cannot
hold her songue2
OF course I douH mean this - an ex-
smpls. nor do think such per1se0cy .
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