New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-04-03
DOMESTIC BOYC0TTIkG.
From The Saturdav G,rrr.

From The Saturday Rerlc.
MT Lorlmer fi5On once saw a nan OF the Aus
tralan tribe Wapgaratta iuil of the distress
and disgust beca,se his m0ther-in-la~s shadow had
fallen across his legs. lie bad been lying az the foot
OF an enormous gum tIce winch hd him from tho
old ladys view as she approached. and the catas
trophe occurred" Among less scrupu.ous sayages
nother--in- law are not absolutely Boyeotted. but
there must be no fntOment they are respectfully ai
dressed III the dual or plural Even 50 the presence
OF relations by marriage iimong certain American
tribes n man must strictly Boycott his own father
in-lawl always brings chill cOnsraint into tho
family circle. Tins Is the more Inconyenie
because a man and hunter is bound TO give much
of his game t. these same relations his wfe's par
eDts Thus Boycotting stops good way short Of the
irish system. which chiefly exists for the opposite
purpose of deprlvinR landlords. agents and paying
tenants of tool. If married black fellow, aided by
an unmarried black fellow. kills Kangaroo the
whole quarry goes to the iatDer-lnlaw and mother
n-law. except the left leg the share Of the married
aud the right leg. the property of the bachelor.
IF q married mau is lucky enough to spear a native
bear his parents-in-Iaw get the left side aud two
legs, be himself obtains part Of the heal. aud
gives his wife portion while she supplies
her sister with the ears These negotiations nztuf
ally have to be conducted through the wife, while
the hunter makes lis own arrangements with his
own father and mother When wombat is slain
the father in-law only gets the backbone. and the
mother-ln-law some skin. Much ll-iecling is natur.
ally caused, we may presume, when a hunter Is al
ways supplying the camp with wombl and never
with native bear or kangaroo Owing to the simple
and salutary rules of intercourse. however, the
moiherin-law cannot reproach the broad-winner. or
rather we should say, the wombat-winner, OF the
family.
Dali, knows nothing OF what civilized nations call
mudestyD yet tue bashful creature positively blushes
when he Is obliged 10 speak to his wife, to ask her
for anything IN the presence Of Others. Custom
cOmpes them TO assume the attitude OF perfect
strangers; and it Is greatly TO be desired that this
rule. or a modification OF IT, might be introduced
into Germany, Where bethrothed people behave in
company as If they were alone In u wilderness Of
space. possessed the secret Of fern seed The Hot
tentots used have bad character for domestic at
ecton because they never seen TO speak TO their
own wives But .ie HOttentot is not really cold and
Indifferent; be ~ only con PEELED, by the law Of his
people, TO Boycott his wife. The lady NAV never
enter her husbands room 10 the hut and the hus.
the ncghbOrhOod of the wife. Among the Yorubas.
an African tribe this domestic Boycotting is car
red ont with the EXTREMIST rgor woman Is
forbidden 10 speak 10 her husband. and not even TO
see him II 1t eau possibly be avoided. Apparently
IA similar custom existed among the early Sanskrit-
speaking people, for the wife, IN the famous story
of Uryasi and Pururayas. says to her
lord: Never let me see thee without
thy royal garments, for such is the manner Of
women" And when this rule Is accidentally broken,
trvasi must "soifly and suddenly vanish away"
like the victims who have looked on the mysterious
Bpujun. The CI,assian, are equally shy. "A Or
cas,ian bridegroom must not see Ia wife, nor live
uuconycrted natives of the FIJI Islands display the
utmost distress OF mind when adventurous nissuE-
aries suggest that there Is no real harm ~ mans
living under the same root with his wife.
inG and SO opposite 10 cur own are their
ideas of decorum. that il IN tht correct thing for
VIE 10 run away from her husband In this case
the lady Boycott, her lord aud II is his duty to try
10 make her return To the family tent Domestic
Ipyc.itihg goes even fuIther than this among tho
FIjians and Other islanders of the Pac lie. Tho
Nonn. kuurks bolts with a I'D scream into tho
bush J.. you even mention the lame If hls amlab!e
sister, white III FIJI not only brothers and sisters.
bat hrst cousins OF opposite sexes. sifcty bUyt"tt
each other, and may ncihcr eat together nor speak
taCl other.