The Pascagoula democrat-star., 1885-03-20
W0OING AMONG THE FNDI-
ANS.
Ma tdens Guarded by their Grnnd-
mothers While LOvesicIk RO-
meOs Wait Upon Them.


meOs Wait Upon Them.
Sarah Winnemucca, daughter of
a Piute Indian chief has been tell.
ing u reporter OF the San francisco
Call an interesting story of how
maidens are wOOed and won among
the Indians. Sarah said that when
a girl reaches wOmanhOOd, and her
desire to indicate to the tribe that
their daughter has reached a mar.
riage pei iOd, she makes her debut,
but the Piute girl comes out in an
entirely different way from that
adopted by her white sister. just
before she reaches wOmanhOOd her
grandmother has especial charge
of her. OF course, pretty, shape
~ girl is IN great demand, just as
belle is in your society. A girl
with a handsome face, and fine
black eyes, and flowing hair, as
black aud glossy as ravens wing,
and a Willowy, graceful form, is the
object of a great deal OF attention
from the young men OF the tribe,
and often of the older men, too.
A lovely Indian girl is as much
sought after in her circle as great
beauty is in a London drawing
room. The Indians have no par
ties in the wigwams to which young
folks go aud get acquainted and
court. The young meu and girls
have no theatre to attend, aud no
long walks after the play is over.
They never go riding together, nor
Strolling through the woods along
the river bank. They never idle
together in the canoe on the water,
plucking lilies and flowers. AL.
though they seem to enjoy much
greater liberty to roam and wander
whithersoever their fancy may lead
them, yet they are kept as close as
prisoners. The young man is never
invited to eat of food prepared by
the family of the girl, and her
brothers never offer him anything
on the hunt. His presence is
wholly ignored. If the girl does
not like him, she tells her grand.
mother, and when the young man
comes again at night, that good old
lady rises from her bed, takes a
handful of hot ashes from the fire
and throws them in his face. That's
the mitten. 1t he persists in his
attentions and continues to come
again and agaiu, the whole family
unite in heaping indiguities upon
him, but the girl is never a party
to this. Her brothers and sisters
and father and mother throw ashes
upon him, dowse him with water,
tlagelate him with stout switches
and drive him from the lodge.
Sometimes an Indian persists, in
spite of such assaults, and goes
again aud again to the tent where
the girl is sleeping. Sometimes his
perseverance, wins her heart, but
not often.
If the girl likes him, and is will
ling to marry him, then she tells
her grandmother, who informs the
girls father. If the family think
it suitable match the father in.
vites the young man to the tent
and asks him, in presence of the
girl, ii he loves her aud will take
good care of her. Then the father
asks the gin it she loves the young
man, and tells Der the duties of
wife. Ii both say they love each
other, the two become engaged,
but even after that they do not talk
together, neither do they go about
together. A day is fixed tor the
wedding. A great feast is prepar-
ed. The relatives of the girl aud
the yOung man sit around a great
camp fire together, the young man
aud the girl sitting side by side.
The food is in the baskets. The
girl has carefully cooked a basket
OF food for her intended husband,
and as she hands it to him he selzes
her wrist with his right hand, and
takes the basket with his left.
That is the marriage ceremony. |
The girls father then pronounces
them man and wife, and they 60 TO |
a lodge, where they live together.