Arizona weekly citizen., 1886-08-14
E INDIAN C0URTSHIP.
HOW THE coPPER-coLoRE0 Ro-
 mEo WINS HIS OUs<Y MATE.

MEO WINS Fl0 OOoNf MA e.
 A CourtshIP of ouietness, Without whis-
 Perings or KissIngs-Obtaining Consent
 of Parents and ReIatIves-Paying for the Wife-Marrying a wife's Sister,
 There are many different ways of doing
 the cOurting-sOmewhat different from
 our own, yet no less cunning and success | ful. 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 disappointment | in love unlike my friend, the dOcter, who, | during unfayorable periods, forsa -es his ' meals, looks pale and contemplates the | various ways of suicide.
 When a young man likes girl, he soon ! discovers her feelings toward him. He will carefully follow her footsteps, until | he catches her alOne-sitting on the grass, on a rock or dead tree. He quickly throws
 A blanket or robe over her head and | crawls to her side under the protecting l shelter. If the girl likes to be thus | captured, there will be peace and quietness, and they will sit side by side for hours, without whispering, kissings, or other endearings little trihes-they simply press closely together and look sadly happy. But if the girl is averse to the proceedings,
 there will be short, sharp and decisive
 battle, which always ends to the discom-
 fort of the amorously inclined swain, for
 he dare not persist by force.
 Capt. W. F. Clark. in his work says
 that the @Plains Indians do the most of their cOurting in a standing position. An
 Indian lover will stand and wait near the lodge, where abides the object of admira- tion, until she appears, when he walks up alongside of her and throws his blanket around her. If she reciprOcates the tender sentiment. they will thus stand for hours, his blanket covering both their heads and closely wrapped round both their bodies
 SUCCESS IN COURTSHIP.
 have seen as many as half 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 as she was going down tO fill the water vessel While so waiting or stand ing outside lodge, they usually have their heads entirely covered with their blanket, excepting only little hole for one eye. II the girl likes 10 be held, she makes some reply Co the first tender greeting; if she expresses dislike to his advances, the man,
  sist.
 The boys aspire 10 appear as men at the age of l6 or IS: they have become success ful hunters and warriors, and, as soon as their means warrant, they will marry. The girls. under the tutelage of their mothers. learn the manifold details of their future life of drudgery and attain woman hood at about 13, when they soon after marry.
 After the young man has succeeded in cOurtshiD it becomes necessary tO obtain the consent of the parents and relatives. He puts on his robe with the hair-side out, draws iJ over his head, so as to en- tirely conceal his face, and in this guise walks Co the lodge ot the intended fair l 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. | Alter a lapse Of a few days he repeats his | visit wearing his robe as before. If, upon entering, the bear-skiu or other seat of | honor was made ready for his reception, be is at liberty Co disclose his face and be seated, for such @ welcome indicated that his addresses were not unacceptable; but if he met with no such preparations, he might as well retire for his attentions are not regarded fayorably. n he was re- ceived, the young girl soon took her seat by bis side
 A HARMONIOUS SOLUTION.
 The father of the girl would then sug- gest that both families of the contracting parties make a feast, and hold council tho proposed alliance. This Is done within 0 few days, and usually re-
 "a. La aNN II important question. It IS seldom that the match falls through on account of the poverty of or 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 persuasion, in some cases even resOrting to violence, cruelty beating her with their fists or sticks till consent is extOrted-
 II no cause of objection was raised on either side. then the two families proceed tO settle up the price that the young man should pay. This custom of paying for 2 the wife is universal among all Indian tribes; the cOst-frOm one Co six horses. The union then follows without any g further ceremony, than final feast given l by the girls father. The husband generally { goes Co the lodge Of the father in-law and c ives there with his wife. A particular c part of the lodge is allotted Co him, and lj Ieucet0rth he is a member of that family. Q With many tribes the sOn-in-law marries his wifes sisters as they become marriagea- ii Jle. paying Co the father a horse or two Or each successive one. Hence the son n-iaw usually speaks Of his vife's sisters Is wives, though they might yet be small children.
 When a white man marries an Indian c. woman, it is % genuine sale. growing out E ,f greed of gain or some Benefit, Teal or a imaginary, which will accrue Co the father ii nd relatives, the poor, dirty maiden is z, ften led away with tears and protesta- ., ions Of a most violent nature. but she ,r Afterwards becomes a faithful slave.-COl. ~ iUidO llges in Chicago c.. phic News =