The Cook County herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Minn.) 1893-1909, 1900-02-17
TEST " OF FEA.LTY.
MADE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
ISLES. sS>5'.
What Was Required OF q Samoan Lover
Who Offended His Family-A Grew
some but True Story of Life In the
Samoan Islands,

The following grewsome though true:
story shows what powerful lever
family approval and tribal influence
exert upon the Samoan character. The
story is vouched for In every detail.
A certain young Samoan, the son of
a chief, who had reached that age when
"a young mans fancy lightly turns to
thoughts Of love-" became deeply en-
amored ofthe taup0 OR belle belonging
to neighboring village, between whose
talking man." father Of the taupo and
the suitor's family there existed a bit
ter feud. The attachment was recipro-
Gated, but, as is customary in such i'm
portant matters as matrimony, the
question of eligibility was duty sub
mitted to the aiga (a-e-noJ or family
council, which promptly returned a
verdict of "impossible.'' Instead, how
ever, Of accepting the decree of his
family and renouncing his inamorata,
the young man rebelled and declared he
would wed his dusky sweetheart in
spite Of all the code of Faa Samoa and
the trammels of family and tribal dis
approval that could be imposed. The
young girl also asserted her independ-
ence and scorn for the obstacles which
were put in their way, and, with the
help of a few girl friends, began pre-
pairing her trousseau of fine mats and
gaudy tapa, which brides in Samoa af
feet. The wedding day approached.
The feeling between the rival villages
ran high, and before the arrival of.the
date fixed for the ceremony eliminated
in open hostilities. Overwhelming
pressure was brought to bear upon the
poor lover, who was revi1ed and
taunted with being traitor, and all
the curses OF endless generations of
ancestors were heaped upon his de-
voted head; family influence combined
to exert its every vile to break the
engagement, but still he stood resolute.
He was driven from house and village,
an outcast on the world, and his prop
erty confscated and divided. The day
came, and the bride sat alone, deserted
by her family, waiting for her faithful
bridegroom. The hours passed; he
did not come. Suddenly a step was
heard outside the hut where she anx-
iously awaited She rose expectant.
A curtain was thrust aside; something
was thrown into the room and rolled
to the feet Of the Mortified girl. She
stopped and picked it up, and then
screaming and laughing she fell upon
the ground-a maniac. It was the sew
cred head of her father, and before her
stood her afianced husband, stern, re-
lentless and cold as if turned to stone,
in his hand the terrible mife-oti (head-
knife), freshly dripping. Family per-
suasion had triumphed at last, and the
ordeal which had been given him of
proving his fidelity to tribe and fam
lily in order to be forgiven was the
task he had just performed-taking
the head of the brides own father and
throwing it at her feet. The shock
was too great for the poor girl, whose
reason, mercifully, gave way. She may
yet be seen about Apia, homeless and
wandering, sadly pathetic figure,
decked Ophelia-like in bridal wreaths,
with a chaplet of vines twined around
her head, singing her family song of
victory, or grooming a love ditty. The
young warrior upon whose fealty SO
terrible test had been imposed sought
and found in war that oblivion which
his poor afflicted bride-elect yet hope
lessly awaits.-San Francisco Chron-
icle.