The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-04-10

under the most advantageous conditions OF
the social organism, from selecting their
mates from limited number Of
men who seek their society and
deign to look on them with favor.
This view is not wholly novel. for there are
few, though very few exceptional cases where
it was carried into practice, as among the
Hill tribes, and also the Dyaks of the Malay.
Polynesian race, where girls and women have
unrestrsined freedom implied by regular
courtship and choosing their own mates; and
among the Pueblos with whom Mr.. Bancroft
says the usual order of courtship is reversed,
= girl being disposed to marry does not wait
for young man to propose to her, but
selects one to her own liking, whsreupon her
father visits and acqusints the parents OF the
young man. But whatever force there may be
10 the logic, however in principle or on theory
correct the views announced, yet we appre-
bend that the age is not ripe for SO radical an
innovation upon the sanctioned custom of
this serious business. Indeed an examination
of the social metamorphoses, their varied
structures and diversified activities will dis.
c'''r the fact that in even the most primitive
ion of the sexes, and among the most
a. riized OF the tribes. save in the instances
Indicated, courlship, or rather the posses
sing of helpmate has been monopolized
by the male gender. We have read that
among the bushmen, for example, when a
| girl has grown up to womanhood, her love
must gain her own appreciation; and that in
70 seeking, his attentions are received with
an afectation of great alarm and disin-
clinaiion on her part, and with some
squsbbling on the part of her friends. So
too with the Esquimaux among whom,
when damsel is asked in marriage, she
directly falls into the greatest apparent con-
sternaton; for their single women always
affect the utmost bashfulness and aversion for
any proposal of marriage, lest they should
lose their reputation for modesty. Among
tends herself with stones or other missiles
when the marriage proposal is made by the
over, and during the procession to the hus-
bands camp, deceDcy requires her to cry and
sob most bitterly. Another Asistic tribe,the
Muzos, are quite etiquettish on the subject,
rs there tho groom is required to come and
spend as many as three days alone with his
intended, csressing her, etc, while she
responds by beating him With her fists and
sticks,.it being understood that after these
three days, she is to grow tanner, cook his
meals, etc, But the Sumat ran women carry
the opposition still further, MS not only the
bride elect acts obstreperously, but even her
female relatives maze it a point of honor 10
prevent Tor appear to prevenD the bride.
groom from obtaining his bride, by srmipg
themselves with clubs, stonea, etc., and rush
ing TO her defence. Now, while it is true
that doubtless much ofthis opposition may be
based upon the fact that the wife of one
OF tncse people, was in reality his slave, yet
it is equally true that it very largely pro.
ceeded from the inherent modesty and native
coyness Of the sex. And this obtained not
only among these tribes who selected their
consorts from within their own people, but
among those whose invariable and religious
practice il was to choose and steal them from
other tribes foreign in blood, SO that the
eniogamlst and the exogamist stood upon
common ground in this respect. And SO
likewise OF those who as the Andsmaness
and the EruIsr Indians, practised "promis-
Guilty" where temporary fancy determines
the connections add nero whims dissolved
them, q co.habiting tie thus recognizing no
permanency save that which might establishes
and liking maintsins and if those
who practised "polyandry" ms
with the Fugians, the inhabitants of Tibet,
tho Hottentots and some Australians, where
one wife has several husbands dilIerentiating
into tho iraternal and the non-fraternal, NJ
with the Caribs and the Esquimsux; or of
those who prec,iced "Polygamy, where one
msn Is allowed plurality of wives, rs Is tn
case with tho Mormors to-day, in our U IN
territory, snd was with the ancient Hebrews,
and with many OF tho French down 10 the
18Th century; or Of those civilized and I'm.
civilized who are Mortified at aught else than
the more evolved rule Of Monogamy, or the
union Of one man with one woman, although
mong the less civilized, there exists the alb
Grant form distinguished by wife married
for "a part of each week, and at large during
its remainder. And all this, too, of all these
peoples whether their habisan,s were in the
icy regions of the north, or within tho trop.
icsl belt.
With this mass of biological history and
sociological data before him, tho author o,
the article in the Liberal Reyiew can scarcely
hope for an early contamination of his
wishes. And besides, in tho present pro,
cesses and modus of womsn's courtship,
thcro Is y delectsble sentimen,alsm that in
the "Silaires du ceur,' ,akea precedence over
tho coldly practical procedure of the "pop
direct The arch glance of the eye that
melting messenger of bliss, the undi'guisaole
nervousness Of manner and sympathetic rhy-
thin Of tho poni up bosom, the lingering and
magnetic pressure OF the hand, the significant