The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1905-07-21
ABOUT MOTHERS .IN.LAW
In South America the Hus-
band Must Not Look at
His wife's Mother.

students Of social conditions hnd many
quaint cence.ts among strange peooies.
and none are more odd than the much
ridicuied mothcr-s,-ia~. Neny feel ,h.t
the mothcr-in- law question Is mere
whim for the humorlst to delight in.
others that q IS bone of contention
cause by toe much love for girl by a
mother and husband
BE the cause what It may the feeling
,s 80 strong with many races that a wo-
man is forbidden 10 speak to her son. IN
law. Among tho ANwaks OF South
America q Is uplawfb f1r young man
TO see the face OF his mother In -law.
II they live in the same house par
tltion must be set W between them.
II they 80 ir the rane 9oat she mas to
s;ep IN FIRST 20 as 20 keep her back
turned on him. Fochefort says. Among
the Caribs all the women talk with whom
hey will. but the husband does not con-
verse with his wife's relatives except
on extraordinary occasions.
In mary parts OF Australia a woman
viii not look at her daughters husband
al an hazards sfe hides whenever he
20 avoid him. and " Il is Impossible she
hides her face with her cloak. She would
not mentior his name for ans thing in
the world. rhe Kafir woman hides be-
hird bush and holds shield 20 her
face. She would rather speak To a
stranger than 20 her .'rn-ia-ilw
Franklin. who gave much time to stud
les OF the North American Indian. as
sHrcs us "it Is considered extremely hu-
proner for woman t. eaK to her som
in-law. and when she has m important
communication to make Il is consid-
cred proper for her to turn rer 'ack
an him and speak by means OF third
person The srme law holds good am, ng
the sioux and Dakotas, and if violated
the offender is punished by having his
garments torn from his back ana n own
away with the Omahas neither the
fasner nor The mother has ar, thing "a
do with the son-in-law, nor he with
them. They viii rot i,ok g. one am
other nor speak his name.
fn his travels 1imbuctoo Ca1iics mar
rnte- Inst from The omen. o. he'fo hal
the lover Is careful NOT to gee ne fith-
er and the mother Of tho bride. rhes
avoid eaoh other an the time lie ssvs
4 tried in vain so discover che oeigin
of this whimsical custom but me onls
answer could Obtain was. "lt D. oui
way
This rtatum extends beyond the r''a-
tios Il The lover is OF "a different
camp he avoids al Che Inhabitants ol
1 the womans camp. except few ntlrlats
frc9ds, whom he IS permitted 10 yisit
IA little tent g generally set up for the
son-in-aw. and when lie IS Obliged tC
cross the camp ho coverr his face 1ri.
custom exists among Indian tribes an,
extends far beyond
IN the tribes OF New South Wales. th,
Young nun. when coarting a gir. avoids
her mother MS much as he can and grew
more distant offer they are married
With some Victorian tribes The ostrange
mout IS even greater the mother an,
leunt as welt may not look az the yoIml
man nor speak to him from hcsrothm d
death When they speak before encl
other they have to use "a turn language
/ Under mo- condition would the youn mai
dare 10 speak 70 his wlfe's mother.
| Macleul Hho has studied the customs
among theZulus Of Africa says daugh
! tor- On. law must cit herself on rom he
/ husbands relatives. She is not even al
( lowed To- prone nn,e their names mentally
This shows that la some countries th'
ein must Ignore her husbands relatives
as much as he does her mother bu
/ this is less frequent.
Ia Asia among the Mongol and tbs
Caimunks woman dare not speak q
] L. I.f
presence. Pallas, IN an interesting worl
on the Asiatics of siboria, declares ina
q young married wOnia avoids her f,ih
er-m-law whenever she can, espeoilll'
during the early years OF her married
life In IN, r.ea~tne the husband J.
not expected 10 see aHything Of hi
mo her-n-law. &c he meets her b,
chance ne nldcs
IN China, after the wedding day.
man never sees the face Of his dauglite
in-law similar custom exists In For
neo and the Fiji islands.
Some people consider IL absoluiel
criminal for "A young man 10 give q strr!
gsance TO his mother-in-law. howeve
good looking she Is. They say that the,
4 ,t0st not look on her lest ihey go mad
II is the fashion with some tribes Il
Central Africa TO slt with bent knees Ii
their presence and not 10 put thor Zee
out A Congo proverb says. "Aiy moth
lerrin-hw Is angry with me. bur wha
DO / care2 We do not eat from ,he sam
dish" some men will speak TO- thci
lmoihers boy marriage but will not c1l
Ittem by nape This IS true o. the pco
pie among the Tories straits.
Many more instances might be men
Toned. bur these are enorgh to shos
that the position of the mother-m-las