Shoshone journal. [volume] (Shoshone, Idaho) 1884-1931, 1899-05-19
smiles approval.--The New York Tslss
graph.
cAoEp WOMEN OF SOUTH SEA
Wives Trained from Infancy to Obey
Future Husband.

| Wives Trained from Infancy to opsy
Future Husband.
How would the modern American
girl enjoy life in cage, following the
example OF the modern woman OF the
south sea islands? At any rate, there
are no breach OF promise suits on the
Island OF New Britain in the South
sea. The natives, In the simple Poly
nesian way, have solved the problem
that worries 80 many American moth
ers Of young daughters, and the maid
ems of the island never get into bad
company or entanglements OF any sort
up to the day of their marriage. These
natives are a simple sort OF folk, II
simplicity can be used in connection
with people that renounced cannibal-
ism only within the last fifteen years.
They are of dark brown color, me-
dunn height, and they would rather
eat than fight. 1t was not 80 long
ago that feast followed every fight
on the island, and the edibles were the
roasted or fricasseed bodies OF the
worsted combatants in the battle. But
now the tribes no longer make war on
one another Instead they loaf and
eat and do as little work as they can.
Their ideas of morality could be given
in a very short chapter-almost as
short as the famous one about snakes
In Ireland-but they are great sticklers
for their complicated and peculiar mar
rage customs. There are two classes,
and man may not marry out of his
class. Girls become wives at II or
IL years Of age, and their wedding is
literally their Coming out party"
From the age Of one year to the date
OF their marriage these poor little
maidens are kept in wicker cages in
side the small matched huts. They
are as much prisoners as any unfor-
tunate criminal behind prison bars.
The cages, to be sure, are light and
airy, and the occupant is able to see
all that is going on in the free world
But they can't come out and
play" and all the pleasures of child
1ood-even south sea childhood-are
1enied them. This is not such a hard
snip as would seem at first considera-
lion, because the little ones are i'm
nured In their cages at such an early
age that they grow UP without think
ng to rebel against their enforced cap
'1Vlty. Once day only are they
AIKEN from their cages to be washed.
sood is given them through the inter-
tlces, which are plenty large enough
o admit the little fresh air that gains
to the low cabins. The girls
row fat and healthy on this sort of
lie, and these are doubtless the quali-
les deemed most desirable in a south
ga wire. But to an American it
GEMS almost incomprehensible that a
eople living almost altogether out of
oors in an equatorial climate should
0 bring up their young females. Still,
ne plan has its advantages. There
no fear Of the frisky maidens stay
ng out too late at night, nor need
nelr parents be alarmed lest the
aughters get into bad company.
When the ardent young man finds
ri whom he would like to make his
lie he is compelled to do his wooing
lrough the bars. Papas chairs are
ever broken because of having to-
'rry double weight, and all the court
lg is necessarily done in the DAYTIME
s consequence, when the young girl
ayes her cage to become a wife the
lsband is possessed of none of those
doubts that come with
lgher civilization. And they make
'od wives, too, and are ready. should
le fates bring them daughters to
sep them close within the same cage
i'll, the south sea girls of today are
ckier than those of thirty years ago.
aey were not brought up at all then.
1t simply killed at birth, and the
Jung men of the tribe went to neigh
ring Islands for wives. So the
arch OF civilization has the island
New Britain in its path after all.