St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1892-08-14


employed a young black fellow named
Roboor to help me in my work. His
hair was bush of kinly fuZZ and stood
up on his head in a mass as big as half
bushel measure. / found out that he
was in love, but he admitted with a sigh
that ne was
Too Poor to Marry
the girl of his choice.
"'You are young and strong said /.
why do you not go to work and earn
enough to support yourself and your
sweetheart"
"'You do not understand he replied.
L have good garden that would supply
what food we wanted; besides, | can
throw the spear farther and truer to the
mark than any other man in the dis
trict, SO that L can get plenty of kanga-
roOs and pigs. But they will not buy
the girl. Her mother wants an AK for
her. and that | cannot grow in my gar
den or hunt in the forest with my spear
1.-The poor fellow groaned. made sew
eral despairing remarks on his prospect
i've mother-in-law, and finally said that
if he d d not love the young woman so
dearly he would go away and never
come back again.
"'But, my boy, you need not despairl,
said |. If the possession of an ak wiz
secure your happiness l will give you
one. | want many paradise birds, for
in my country people think more of
them than of axes. If you will help me
get as many birds with the long plumes
as you have fingers OH both hands you
shall have the ak on the day we get the
last one'
"He accepted the proposition delight
eddy. AT length, with his assistance,
the ten good birds were procured and
fhn uv nornnH nrQSnnt yVhnn RO-
bOOr
Bought His Wife
with it. They were married the follow
ing morning, the ceremony being con-
Guided with wild dance and singing
by chorus of girls.
''Papuan girls are sometimes very
pretty. Once, when out shooting. l met
strikingiy handsome young woman.
She was frightened at first and turned
to run away. but L Quoted her fears
with small offering of beads. l should
| teen years old, rather tall, OF fine
figure. and as supple and grace
| full as swan. She was very
light. and the warm blood glowed
| through the brown color of her skin.
| Her hair was brown and curly, and
clustered about her face in the most at
| tractive manner. Her eyes were dark,
with a mischievous twinkle: her nose
was straight and her mouth handsome
enough for a Venus, had dimple at
| each corner when she laughed. Alto
| gether she was beauty.
Zone day. after we had been i'll the
country good while and were able to
| talk pretty well Ill the Papuan lam
guage, friendly native named Lohier
| came to US with something important to
say. After receiving assurance from us
that we liked the people and the re-
gion, considering the latter as beauti-
full and fertile as any we had ever seen,
he asked:
DO you possess wives in American
NO we replied.
"'Have you Sweethearts"
"'No; we have had, but they are all
married.
"'How do you like the Papuan girls?'
Some of them are very handsome
and pleasing
Would you like to get married in
New Guinea"
"sThat depends on circumstances
How much do you pay for wives in
American
"Some are very expensive and others
very cheap. Usually the expense comes
after they are married. The parents of
some girls are SO anxious to dispose of
their daughter that
They Buy Husbands
for them"
Would you marry any you have seen
here?'
Hardly. You see, Lohier, we came
long, long distance to get to New
Guinea, and, as we are rich and very
gOOd-loOklng, we ought to have the best
your country affords"
"At that Lohier started up with a
whoop and yell and was off. We went
on with our work, thinking no more
about the matter.
..As we were preparing our dinner
one afternoon litter and a giggle were
waited to our ears. Looking around
we beheld Lohier In the midst of
group of fifteen or twenty girls, many
of them of superior beauty, who were
laughing and peering at us over each
others shoulders. They all wore flow
ers in their hair. and bands of green
leaves adorned their arms and ankles.
Each maiden had on her best striped
petticoat, and some wore necklaces of
dogs teeth.
"At length Lohier, stepping forward,
said that he had been long way, had
visited the biggest towns of his coun
try. and had brought back with him the
most beautiful woman of his nation. He
hoped we would each select one that
would please US. marry her, and settle
down in New Guinea. The parents of
some of the girls had come also, and
were standing in the background. Our
friend explained to us that the prices
were high, as they were the finsst girls
in the land. He arranged them all in
A Giggling Line.
that they might be seen to the best adj
vantage. Beginning with the first, he
told their names and gave their differ
ent accomplishments.
"'This young lady's name is Mime.
She can sing, dance, work in the garden,
cook kangaroo and is good tempered.
The price for her is knife and look
ing-glass. What do you say for her?"
What about the neXt?' we asked.
"'This ono's name is Dimena. She is
handsome, very shapely and has nice
hair and eyes. Her father is rich, and
she can make earthen pots and fish nets.
Her father Is the chief man in his vii
lage. He wants two axes for his daugh-
ter, but if you will live in his town he
will give you part of his house and
garden
"'Tell us about the next we said.
"'Here is nice little girl. Her
name is Kioto. She is very affection
ate, is kind to her aged mother, knows
how to make broOms, can cook pig
| without burning it and Is economical.
| Her garden has no weeds in it and she
raises excellent bananas. She
Wants to Get Marrfetfss
and her mother win Efv Ter go for
H. -