Evening capital and Maryland gazette. (Annapolis, Md.) 1910-1922, 1910-11-28
Their
Wedding Silence
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

BurDet READ. IN h0fe0 curing tue
whole marriage day the bride must be
mute II she says a word she becomes
an object OF ridicuie 1t may be
week or even u month before her hus-
band hears the sound OF her voice
Singular custom, isn't il? How would
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 made
you wait a long while for your an
swer? | kept you whole hour with
out giving you a word
Happy day. observed the husband
dryly and without lowering his paper.
A smile passed over his wife's face,
and a tender light shone In her daugh-
ter's eyes As for Alec. he cast a 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 a
degenerate eastern race, but Mr.. Bur
nets remark, Happy day" had fas
tened the idea upon Mabel. and 1t
could not lie 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 a word. AL agreed tina; her 81
lence added a solemn charm to the
most impressive occasion in Toman's
life.
AIr. and Mrs. Alec Hicks started i'm
mediately after a wedding breakfast
(at which the bride sat mute on their
wedding journey. AS they rolled along
in q parlor coach the young husband
remarked upon the presents they had
received, the interest taken i'll 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 ina buffet car; but,
though there was a 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 a lowering brow.
How long" he asked her coldly lis
this beautiful Korean custom to he
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
on women not being able 10 hold their
tongues perhaps one man would get
all he wanted of woman's silence.
Many young girls said that they would
adopt it at their own wedding. A few
feminine gabblers dissented. consider
ing Il a shame that man might say
what he pleased to his wife without
- ct fnp
matter brought about q number of mar
ital differences where husbands took
occasion to sheer at their wives under
cover OF this Korean custom. Great
interest centered in how long the ST.
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 wife muZzling herself her
first act after marriage was to muZZle
her husband. One woman forgot her
self so far as to remark, SLOW 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, aud. 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
teri" cried the mother as her daughter
fell on her neck weeping.
He's a brute"
What has he doneT'
I'VE hadn't been gone half day be-
fore he ceased to say a word to me-
But you didn't say word TO him.
did you:'
NO"
SIS this all the complaint you have
to make OF him?"
Yes"
Foolish child. You have a model
husband Would that your father were
such a mani He could never have kept
silence for a single day-no. not for
twelve hours. Alec must be wonder.
Think OF possessing a husband who Is
able TO hold his tongue indefinitely and
let his wife do all the talkingT'
The good lady sent for her son-in-
law at once. and the quarrel was made
up. Alec Hicks is now middle aged
man. He is deaf In one ear. He says
be finds It very convenient. When his
wife talks TO him, as she frequently
does while be Is IN bed and she Is do