The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1910-05-22
LITTLE ROMANCE IN
AN ARCTIC WOO|NC
Sometimes the Suitor Seizes the
Lady by the Hair and Drags
Her Home.

Arctic women marry young and occa-
sionallv several times before they are
suited or suit their permanent husbands,
says the Pittsburg Gazette. Arctic
courships are brief, and there is seldom
lovemaking beforehand.
Usually a bachelor in search Of q
wife-and Eskimos marry when yet
mere boys-goes to the house of the
fair one. seizes her by the hair, or
anywhere else that offers firm hold,
and drags her to his home, she mean
time SIR eking and struggling as if she
were being murdered, while her family
gaze inditferently or smilingly on at
her courtship. The more high bred
the girl the greater her struggles and
outcries and the longer she keeps these
up it being considered the correct thing
for her to "carry on for two or three
days, even to the extent of running
home after her place upon the Eskimo
bench-portioned among from three to
ten families-has been assigned her.
In addition TO this place and its warm
skins, her bridegroom often presents
her with new lamp, lamp table and
water pail. Although the young hus-
band may be aware that his wife en-
tertainS an affection for him, If she
carries her observance of her wedding
customs too far he sometimes cuts the
soles of her feet slightly so that she
can not run away. BY the time her feet
are well she is cOntented housewife.
Occasionally girl really objects to, her
capturer, when. if he will not release
her-and a peace loving Eskimo rarely
wants an unwilling wife-the girl learns
to endure patiently her fate.
Another way of wooing is to visit
the young peoples house, of viii
lage and there select a wife. Each
village has such a house for unmarried
persons. The youth selects a wife, and
if they like each other and their re-
spective parents have no objections, a
brief trial marriage is followed by the
ceremony of taking home the bride in
less violent fashion than by the hair of
her head.
Eskimo couples are generally kind
and affectiOnate toward each other. and
the wife is usually well treated accord
ing to her code. This admits only of
entire obedience upon the part of the
wife. although henpecked husbands are
not unknown. She must submit to be
ing exchanged when her husband and
some friend arrange the matter without
consulting her, and for as long or short
a time as her lord pleases. These ex-
changes are often arranged for her in,
terest, however, as when she can not
accompany her husband on a hunting
expedition and ne takes a friend 5 wife
instead, leaving the friend in charge of
his own; or when a homesick girl wants
10 visit her people, when, if her hush
and can not take her, some other man
undertakes the journey and leaves his
wife as hostage. Refractory wives are
exchanged also by way of punishment.
An Eskimo always travels with his
wife or a borrowed one: therefore, the
wifeless plight of our explorers awakens
astonishment and compassion. Willing
ladies are offered them, one being re-
commended to Count Won Noltke as
having "the longest hair in the settle
ment and a perfectly new foxskin
dress" both highly priced possessions
in Arctic land.