Morning journal and courier., 1883-04-27
CourtShfp i'm Zuni.

In his concluding paper on his adventures in Zuni, strikingly illustrated in the May cen i tury, Frank H. Cushing goes deeper into the social and religious customs of the Zunis than in his previous articles, and gives many anus ing incidents like the following had nearly given up seeing pair of gar ters which had been promised me, when one day, all hustle and smiles, the Little moth CT" came in bearing them. They were beautiful and well made,-thsy endure even yet, t,-and with matronly pride I she laid them before me. paid her Eberally, that the subject of Lai-iu- -lut-sa should not be resumed. But it was broached to the gover- I nor. That night when we were alone, he came and lay down by my side where I was writing.
 "Get big piece of paper" said he, and knowing him, I oboysd. '.New write" I seized . pencil. ' Thou comest P said he, in his own Ian suags.
 I wrote it and pronounced it.
 @Good," said he then added:
 Yes how are you these many days?'
 C 'Happy!' Sit down. Eat CThen 8 tray of bread will be placed before you, but you must be polite, and eat but little, and soon say ) Thanks
 '' Eat enough. You must have come thinking of something. What have you to say2'
 ''I don't know
 '' Oh yes, you do; tell me-
 '''Tm thinking of you'(in whisper).
 Indeed You must be mistaken
 eNo!'
 " Anal do you love mer
 'Ay Hove you
 "Truly?
 C rYesI' fathsr?'
 's'As you think, my child'(th father will | say)."
 "What in the name of the moon does all | this mean, brother7' asked him when he had made me read the questions and answers | over two or three times, and said had pro- nounced them all right.
 ''1t means what you will say to Lai-iu-lut- | sa tomorrow night when you go to see her."
 was perplexed. knew not what to say, as feared offending the good old man.
 "Look here, brother. can't go to see her i; she would laugh at me because I can't speak good Zuni yet"
 'tNow that's all have to say to you," he replied, angrily ''I've done my best for you if fools will be fools, not even their brothers can help it. see you propose to live single and have everybody say There goes man that no woman will have; not even when his brother helps him. No! Do you suppose am blind? You are no Zuni; you want to go back to Washington but you can't, I tell you. You might well get married you are a Zuni-do you hear me? You are 8 fool, tool"
 With this he left me nor would he speak to me again for many days, save on the most commonplace affairs of life, and then but briefly.
 My old father here came to my relief He persuaded the vexed governor that perhaps Lai iu lut-sa did not suit me- and that my re- fusal of her was no argument against my love for her people. With a sublime sense of his power of diplomacy, he also sat down
 to have talk with me the same evening. T bod fr about Lai iu lut-sa don't like her myself," said he, with smile. 'Now had it been Iu- i-tsaih-ti e-tsa I should have said Be it ! well ?" and he waited for me to ask who she l was I kept wise silence-my old brother kept g sulky one. "She is the finest being 1 in our nation and my own niece" he add ed, with emphasis.
 q never saw her," said I. f'Is that all ?' he exclaimed, eagerly. ''Well she shall bring you bundle of can | dle-wood tomorrow evening"" he remarked.
 ''What shall I pay her for it ?' asked. | wish her to think you a fool, and cover me with shame ?'
 Next evening went to see Mir. Graham, 1 the trader, and staid late. When I returned, | a little bundle of pitch-pine was lying by the
 doorway, and the old governor, getting up with an oath, left the house. Again the girl | brought wood, at time unexpected to me, | yet happened to be absent; and the mat | ter with many vexatious remarks on my | strange behavior, was for 8 time given up. The Zuni customs connected with courtshlp are curious. Regularly, girl expresses l fancy for young man. Her parents or her | relatives inform those of the youth, and the | latter is encouraged If suited, he casually drops into the house of the girl, when much | the same conversation as the governor tried 1 to teach me ensues and eff it be well,'' the | girl becomes his afianced, or Vi Iu-k'ia-n nj ha l (His to be). Thereafter the young couple
 may be seen frequently together-the girl eombing his hair on the sunny terraces or, | in winter, near the hearth, while he sits and sews on articles of apparel for her. When he l has made his bundle," or gathered suf- l fcient number of presents together,-invari- | ably including pair of moccasins made from l 8 whole deer skin,-he takes 1t to her, and It
 they are accepted he is adopted as son by
 her father, or, in Zuni language, ''as ward, | Ta-Ia- hi; and with the beginning of his resi-
 dence with her commences his married life. 1 With the woman rests the security of the
 marriage ties and it must be said. la her | high honor, that she rarely abuses the privi- 1 lepe; that is never sends her husband sto | the home of his fathers, :" unless he richly de-
 serves it. Much is said of the inferior posi-
 ton of women among Indians. With all ad- | vaneed tribes, as with the Zunis, the woman
 not oDly controls the situation. but her serf
 dom is customary, selfimposed, and willing
 absolutely. To her belong also, all the chil-
 dren and descent, including inheritance, is l on her side