The Newport miner. [volume] (Newport, Wash.) 1899-current, 1908-04-30
Their Wedding Silence.
rOriginal.1

bachelor.
"Idsten to this, Alec" and Mabel
Rnrpet read: "'In Korea during the
whole marriage day the bride must be
mute. If she says word she becomes
an object of ridicule. 1t may be q
week or even a month before her hus-
band hears the sound OF her voice.
Singular custom, isn't it? How would
you like to adopt it when we are mar
ried"
Her father and mother were sitting
near, the father reading his paper, the
mother sewing. The latter said: "That
reminds me of the night we became
engaged. Do you remember l made
you wait a long while for your an
swer? I kept you a whole hour with
out giving you a word"
"Happy day" observed the husband
dryly and without lowering his paper.
A smile passed over his wires face,
and tender light shone in her daugh-
ters eyes. AS for Alec, he cast q sus-
picious glance at his prospective IA
ther-in-law.
Nothing would do for Mabel but to
introduce the Korean custom at her
wedding. On account Of the recent
death of an aunt who had made her
life miserable. but had left her $4,000,
the ceremony was to include only the
family Alec protested against the In
PRODUCTION of a custom taken from
degenerate eastern race, but Mr.. Bur-
nets remark, Happy day." had fas-
tened the idea upon Mabel, and It
could not be removed.
On the day of the wedding the bride
did not speak from the moment of her
awakening After the ceremony she
kissed the family all round, but spoke
never word All agreed that her 81
lence added a solemn charm to the
most impressive occasion in woman's
life.
mediately after wedding breakfast
lat which the bride sat mute) on their
wedding journey. AS they rolled along
in parlor coach the young husband
remarked upon the presents they had
received, the interest taken in their
marriage, the concourse of people who
would gladly have been present had
not the ceremony been private. His
wife listened, but spoke not. Then he
directed her attention to passing OBJ
jects. There was a happy, dreamy
look on her face, but she uttered no
word. They dined in buffet car; but,
though there was bottle Of wine, her
tongue was not loosed. After dinner
Alec surprised her by telling her that
he was going into the smoking room
for an after dinner cigar. Half an
hour was enough for the cigar, but he
took an hour. When he returned she
received him with lowering brow.
How long" he asked her coldly, lis
this beautiful Korean custom to be
kept up:"
She made no reply, but inwardly re-
solved that it should be kept up until
he learned not to leave her for whole
hour on the evening of their marriage
for a nasty cigar.
Meanwhile there was much talk
among the women left behind in COM
mendation of the custom introduced at
the Hicks wedding. One elderly spin
ster of practical views declared that
since men were forever commenting
on women not being able to hold their
tongues perhaps one man would get
all he wanted Of wOmans silence.
Many young girls said that they would
adopt it at their own wedding. A few
feminine gabblers dissented, consider
ing it a shame that a man might say
what he pleased to his wife without
matter brought about number of mar
ital differences where husbands took
occasion 10 sheer at their wives under
cover of this Korean custom. Great
interest centered in how long the 81
lence of Mrs. Hicks was to endure.
The sneering husbands declared that
the second hand to a watch would not
divide time delicately enough to meas.
ure her silence after the first sign Of
independence on the part of her hus-
band. Other cynical men said the
whole affair was paradoxical, for in
stead of a wife muzzling herself her
first act after marriage was to muzzle
her husband. One woman forgot her
SELF SO far as to remark, "How can she
get him UNDER but checked herself.
The wedding trip was to cover the
honeymoon. but it lasted only three
days, when the bride and groom re-
turned, and, instead Of going to the
house that had been prepared for
them, the bride went to her mother
and the groom to bachelor quarters.
For heavens sake, what's the mat
ter?" cried the mother as her daughter
fell on her neck weeping.
He's BRUTE
What has he done?''
I'VE hadn't been gone half day be-
fore he ceased to say a word to me-"
'But you didn't say a word to him.
did vOuS"