The Penn's Grove record., 1886-07-17
INDIAN couRTsHtR
How the Copper-Uoiored Romeo wins
his Dusky Mate.

There are many different ways of doing
me courting-somewhat different from
3ur own. yet no less cunning and sue
cessful Whether successful or not in
the suit. the young mans relish for food
and other pleasures of life is not In the
least diminished; he meets his disap-
pointment in love unlike my friend, the
doctor. who, during unfayorable periods,
forsakes his meals, looks pale and con-
Templates the various ways of suicide.
When a Young man likes a girl, he soon
discovers her feelings towards him. He
will carefully follow her footsteps, until
he catches her alone-sitting on the
grass. on a rock OF dead tree. lie
quickly throws a blanket over her head
and crayls to her side under the pro-
tectinp shelter. If the girl likes to be
Tins eaptured, there will be peace and
onietness. and they will sit side by side
for hours. without whispering, kissing,
or other endearing little trities-they
simply press closely together and look
sadly happy. lBut if the girl is averse to
the proceeding, there will be a short,
sharp and decisive battle, which always
ends to the discomfort Of the amorously
inclined swail, for he dare not persist
by force.
Capt. w. p. Clark, in his work, says
that the "Plain Indians" do the most of
their counting in a standing position.
An Indian lover will stand and wait
near the lodge, where abides the object
of admiration, until she appears, when
he walks up alongside of her and throws
his blanket around her. If she recipro-
Gates the tender sentiment, they will
thus stand for hours, his blanket cover
ing both their heads and closely wrap
ped round both their bodies.
have seen as many as half a dozen
young men waiting by the path, which
led down to the water near a camp, and
one after another throw his blanket
around a girl las she was going down to
fill the water vessel. While SO waiting or
standing outside a lodge, they usually
have their heads entirely covered with
their blanket, excepting only a little
hole for one eye. If the girl likes to be
held, she makes some reply to the first
tender greeting; if she expresses dislike
to his advances, the man, by the law OF
courtship, must at once desist.
The boys jspire to appear as men at
the of 16 \or Is; they have become
successful hunters and warriors, and, as
o as their tneans warrant, they will
marry. The lgirls, under the tutorage
of their moth rs, learn the manifold de
tails of their Iture life of drudgery and
attain w%omanhood at about Is, when
they soon after marry.
After the roung man has succeeded
in courtship it becomes necessary to
obtain the consent of the parents and
relatives. He puts on his robe with the
hair-side out, draws it over his head, SO
as to entirely conceal his face, and in
this guise walks to the lodge of the IN
tended fair one, enters and squats down.
No one addresses him, nor does he utter
a word-but his object is sufficiently
understood by all concerned. Having
thus sat in silence awhile, he arises and
passes out. After q lapse of a few days
he repeats bis visit, wearing his robe as
before. If, upon entering, the bear-skin
OF other seat Of honor was made ready
for his reception, he is at liberty to dis
close his face and be seated, for such a
welcome ind .ated thatnis addresses were
not unacceptable; but if he met with no
such preparations, he might as we'll re-
tire, for his attentions are not regarded
favorably. II he was received, the
young girl soon took her seat by his side.
The father of the girl would then sug-
gest that both families of the contract
Ing parties pkse a feast, and hold coun-
ell concerrt the proposed alliance.
This is do within a few days, and
Usually resrs 9in a harmonious solution
of the ~all-important question. 1t is sell
dom that the match falls through on
account Of the poverty or of some stigma
attached to The suitor, or the personal
aversion of the maiden.
In the latter case, if the man was ac-
ceptable to her relatives, they endeavor
to overcome her opposition by persua-
sion, in some cases wen resorting to
violence, cru9lly beating her with their
nsts or sticks until consent is extorted.
If no cause of objection was raised on
either side, then the two families pro-
coed to settle up the price that the
young man should pay. This custom OF
paying for the wife is universal among
all Indian tribes; the cost-from one to
six horses. The union then follows
without any further ceremony, than a
final feast given by the girls father.
The husband generally goes to the lodge
of the father-in-law and lives there with
his wife. A particular part of the lodge
is allotted to him. and henceforth he Is
a member of that family.
With mary tribes the son-in-law mar
ries his wife's sisters as they become
manageable, paying to the father a
horse or twb for each successive one.
Hence the sbn-in-law usually speaks of
his wife's sisters as wives, though they
might yet BID small children.
When a white man marrles an Indian
woman, it il a genuine sale, growing
out Of greed or gain or some benefit,
real or imaginary, which will accrue to
the father AID relatives; the poor, dirty
maiden is often led away with tears and
protestationS of a most violent nature,
but she afterward becomes a faithful
slave.