The Meeker herald., 1899-05-13
cAoED WOMEN OF SOUTH Sc.
Wives Traiasd from I.s.a.y to 0bs,
Fature Husbsad.

How would the modern American
girl enjoy life in a 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
Asland OF New Britain In the South
-. The natives. in the simple Poly
oesien way. have solved the problem
taat worries so many American moth
ers OF young daughters, and the maid
ems Of the island never get into bad
company or entanglements of any sori
up to the day of their marriage. These
natives are 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 Tight 1t was not SO Ions
ago that feast followed every hght
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 giveE
in 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
riage 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 thatched 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
outside. But they can't "come out and
play" and all the pleasures Of child
hood-even 4 south sea childhood-are
denied them. This is not such hard
ship as would seem at first considera-
tion, because the little ones are i'm
INJURED in their cages at such an early
age that they grow up without think
ing to rebel against their enforced cap
tivity. Once a day only are they
taken from their cages to be washed.
Food Is given them through the inter-
stices. which are plenty large enough
to admit the little fresh air that gains
entrance to the low cabins. The girls
grow fat and healthy on this sort of
life. and these are doubtless the quail
ties deemed most desirable in south
sea wife But to an American II
seems almost incomprehensible that
people living almost altogether out OF
doors In an equatorial climate should
80 bring up their young females. still.
the plan has its advantages. There
Is no fear Of the frisky maidens stay
Ing out too late at night. nor need
tneaE narents be alarmed lest the
aauSnters got into bad company.
When the ardent young man nnds q
GIRL whom he would like to make his
wife he IL compelled to do his wooing
through the bars. Papa's chairs arc
never broken because Of having to
carry double weight, and all the court
Ing 10 necessarily done In the daytime.
As consequence, when the young girl
leaves her cage to become . wife the
husband is possessed of none of those
harassing doubts that come with q
higher civilization. And they make
good wives. too. and are ready, should
the fates bring them daughters, to
keep them close within the same cage.
Still. the south sea girls Of today are
luckisr than those of thirty years ago.
They were not brought up at all then.
but simply killed at birth. and the
young men of the tribe went to neigh
boring islands for wives. So the
march of civilization has the island
of New Britain in its path after all.