The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-02
PAIR LIVE YEARS
IN UTTER SILENCE
London Divorce Court Has
One of Strongest Gases to
Hear on Long Record.
BY FLOYD MAcGRIFF,
International News Service Staff Cor.
RESPONDENT.

respondent,
LONDON, Jan. 1.-THE old adage is
wrong: Il woman can hold her tongue.
In one of the strangest domestic rela-
tons cases that has come before the
London divorce court in 200 years, A
wan, little blue-eyed woman, whose
hair was once flaxen, admitted that she
had lot spoken to her husband for three
years, although they continued TO live
IN the same house. The husband had
been equally silent.
IN 1915 George Hill. Of Ilford. handed
nus wlte a slip of paper which stated
that ne wanted nothing more to do with
her: 1t was the capsheaf on a harvest
OF domestic s%quabbling. And from that
time she had not spoken to him.
But they continued to occupy a taste
fully furnished suburban dwelling. and
communicated through hundreds of
notes only. Mrs. Hill cooked the meals
and made the beds. The husband each
week laid down $40 on a table for his
wife. '
So Mrs, Hin sued for judicial separa-
uon on the ground of desertion. She
charged that her husband locked his
bedroom door and forced her to sleep
ly herself in another room.
i cooked his meals" said Mrs, Hill.
He left before Z in the morning and
was away all day. Only once in three
years was Il silence broken"
Mrs. Hin smiled rather wanly and
continued:
II had a sudden influenza Seizure,
After several days my husband came
into my room and inquired what was
the matter. He brought n doctor and |
ordered them out of the room.N My hus-
band did not reply. Our silence con-
tinued."
That was in January this year, after
more than two years silence.
Her counsel suggested to the judge
that there was a degree of inhumanity
IN leaving a wife to sleep by herself.
But the judge ruled that the only ques-
ton raised was desertion and it was
impossible to contend hat divorce can
be obtained only on substantiated evil
fence OF desertton or unfaithfulness
me cour ruled that want Of proper So
licitude, liberality or reasonable means
by the husband were not desertion. Sc
the case was dismissed.
So the mi~ddle-aGed couple. with their
silent feud, went back to their cosy
house In Ilford. Asked If there would
be a reconciliation, Mrs. Hin said:
None, How could a woman think
Of reconciliation after an that has
passed? ! suppose it Is a wrecked life.
"Ah, yes! 1t has been u strain, living
without IA word. They say that {
woman cannot hold her tongue. 1t /,
always the woman who Is supposed tt
find silence an impossibility, /, for one
have shown that it can be done"
Mrs. Hill smiled, but it was a smilt
Of tears.
Their home is comfortably Furnished
and stocked with memeutoes. photo
graphs and things which make a mid
de class house a human home. Their
Is a dog, a big, si~lver-haired fellow. an,
he speaks" to both the husband an,
wife.
This home" said Mrs. Hill, rs n
home in the ordinary sense Of tn
word. There is everything | want in /
except affection. Sometimes | think /
is u comedy. and at others | know /
to be a tragedy. There is nothing NOR
to say. We are baCk again in on
silence. We try TO avoid meeting on
another as much as possible"
The husband also has Il few thing
to say after the long domestic silence
Il cannot put up with this sort of lif
| much longer Mr.. Hin said, "Severa
people want to buy my house, | thin.
| shall give it up and take a couple q
rooms am seldom at home in an.
3 case. | spend most Of my evenings wit
friends. | shall invite her by note t
share my rooms with me-
So the house Of silence-evcrythin
! silent but the clock and the dog-ha
again come into it's fun estate.