Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1885-03-05

face and fine black eyes and flowing
hair as black and glossy as a ravens
wing, and a willowy, graceful form,
is the object of a great deal of atten-
ton from the young men of the
tribe, and often of the older
men, too. A4lovely Indian girl is
as much sought after in her circle
as great beauty is in London draw
ing room. But, oh, how different the
two kinds of courtship are! We have
no parties in the wigwams to which
young folks go and get acquainted and
court. The young men and girls have
no theatres to attend, and no long
walks home after the play is over.
They never go riding together, nor
stroiling through the woods along the
river bank. They never idle together
in the canoe on the water, plucking
lilies and flowers. Although 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. Piute
courtship lacks freedom, and yet it is
not devoid of that intense excitement
that attends love-making the world
over.
"You may suppose that the girls
and young men would steal out of
their lodges of moonlight nights,
and have calndestine meetings and
WOO in that way, but they never dare
to do it. Indeed, they never speak
together. A word never passes be-
tween them. But still a girl very
soon knows when young man is in
terested in her. He tries to catch
her attention by his horsemanship,
or his skill with the bow, or his athletic
accomplishments. He rides by her at
furious speed and returns again and
again. Ia this way he attracts her
attention and informs her, although
he does not speak a word, that he
loves her and would like to marry
her. But this does not comprise AL
of his courtship. At night, when the
Indians have retired to their wig
vans and are sleeping the young
man rises from his bed of leaves and
skins and goes to the lodge oc-
cupied by the girl ne
loves. He enters silently and sits
down beside her couch. A lodge is
circular In shape, and at night, when
the inmates 60 to bed, they heap
brushwood and logs on the fire III the
center of the tent, and then lie down
with their feet toward the fire and
their heads toward the outside or cir
cumference of the wigwam. The IN
dians sleep on leaves and robes, and
are covered when sleeping with skins.
AS the young man enters the lodge
he can see by the freight where the
young girl is sleeping, and he goes
over other sleepers, and sits down by
her bed. 1t is customary for the young
girl to sleep near her grandmother,
who is expected to rest lightly after
the girl has made her debut. As soon
as she sees the young man enter she
awakens the girl, who rises and goes
to where her mother is sleeping and
lies down beside her AS soon as she
does this the young man rises and
goes out as silently as he came in.
mot word is spoken. He does
not touch the girl, while he is sitting
by her as she sleeps. Her grand
mother does not speak work of en-
couragement to him, neither does her
mother indicate that be is a welcome
suitor. The next night he comes
again. and takes up his position beside
the girl, and keeps this up for a long
time. During all the time he is court
ing in this way he is treated as an alb
solute stranger by the girls relatives.
They may have entertained him be-
fore he began his attention to the
girl; her brothers may have hunted
with him and shared the game with
him, but, when he once begins to
WOO the girl, all familiarity and
friendship ceases. He is never in-
invited to eat of food prepared by
the family of the girl, and her broth
ers never offer him anything on the
hunt. His presence is wholly ignored.
If the girl does not like him she tells
her grandmother, and when the young
man comes again at night, that good
cid lady rises from her bed, takes a
handful of hot ashes from the fire and
throws them in his face. That's the
mltten. If he persists in his atten-
tions and continues to come again,
and again, the whole family unite in
heaping indignities 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, fagellate him with
stout switches and drive him from the
lodge. Sometimes an Indian persists,
IN spite Of such assaults, and goes
again and again to the tent where the
girl is sleeping. Sometimes his per
severance wins her heart, but not
often.
If the girl likes him and is willing
to marry him, then she tells her
grandmother, who informs the girls
father. If the family thinks it is
suitable match the father invites the
young man to the tent and asks him
in the presence of the girl if he loves
her and will take good care of her.
Then the father asks the girl if she
loves the young man. and tells her
the duties of a wife. If both say they
love each other, the two become Gu
gagged. but even after that they do
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