Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1913-11-12
IUsION
|. SHATTERED BY
new CUPID
Thomas Treadway Insists That
He See the Bride Before the
Ceremony Is Performed
CONTINUED from page one,

hours before the ceremony. or to talk
to anyone, and 1t is unwritten law
that she shall have nothing to say
concerning the selection OF the man
who is to act as bridegroom and be
Der life partner. That is an import
ant business affair to be discussed
only between the parents of the
young couple, a gift amounting to sew
eral hundred or thousand dollars, de,
pending on the wealth of the families
involved in the negotiation, being
passed over TO the brides parents.
But when Tom Kon Chou, SON of a
weil-known Chinese merchant, appear
ed before Treadway yesterday after
noon for marriage license and the
agent learned that Au Ian Ying, the
bride-to-be, was only II years OLD, <or
under the legal age, he fatty declined
to grant the permit. He insisted on
seeing the bride and her parents and
getting the consent of all before issu-
ing the license.
Somewhat discounted but perfect
ly willing to do all he could to con
form to the white mans law In order
to get his bride and get her legally
Tom Kon Chou departed, leaving his
address and an invitation to Tread
way to attend the wedding, which
was to be held there last evening.
Treadway FASTENED home in hack
bolted his dinner and hurried to the
scene of festivities on upper Fori
street near Pauoa road And there
affer wait of two or three hours
while the preliminary Chinese wed.
ding rites were performed. he finally
met Miss Au Ian Ying and her pa.
rents and got their formal consent,
sOf course, it was easy to get the
parents consent" said Treadway
..but having no experience with Chi.
nese marriages and knowing that
sometimes the bride is sold outright
/ had some doubt about the girl.
WASN'T certain whether she would be
willing to take the young man. But
she did, and then stayed awhile and
witnessed the proceedings.
The wedding was strange mixture
of Oriental with occidental custom
j. G. Waller pronounced the words
which made the couple man and wife
according to American law. But &C
cording to Chinese habit the bride
was brought to the wedding swathed
effect1ally from public gaze in many
yards Of cloth, never once touching
her feet to the ground from the mo
Iment she left her parents home until
she crossed the threshold Of her fu'
ture home. From her father's door.
step to the carriage and from the
carriage TO. the door of her future
husbands house she was carried on
the backs of aged Chinese women.
she took no part In the festivities
leading up to or following the wed
ing ceremony, but was guarded In
mysterious seclusion in another
apartment by the old women. Even
her husband was not permitted tc
gaze on her faee until some hours
after the wedding ritual had beer
concluded.
The girl was born In Hawaii and
has been educated in the local schools.
Her husband was born in China, al
though he has resided here many
years and speaks English fluently.
Treadway granted license to one
Porto Rican couple yesterday evening
and Is licenses to Japanese couples,
Is of whom were welded at the immi
grafton stations, the women being
picture brides. "a