Year: 1879

Courtship Among the Hudson Bay Half.


Breeds.


Francois or Gabriel generally comes
early in the evening, and having been
duly embraced and hand-shaken by the
entire family, is at once invited to dine.
The fact of its being past the dinner
hour makes no difference, as the invita-
ton is extended in accordance with hos
pitable custom. The father of philo-
mel takes his seat at table with his guest,
being in duty bound to eat with every
one he entertains, and the female men,
bers of the family wait upon them. Both
proceed to make themselves omnipresent
as far as possible. Their fingers are
everywhere, and ignoring such confining
influences as knives and forks. they soon
attain an enviable state of greasiness.
During the progress OF the meal the host
is untiring in his efforts to overload his
guest with buffalo-hump and tea. He
informs him that he eats no more than
sparrow; that it is a constant mystery
to him how he is able to preserve life at
all on 80 small q quantity OF food; that
he confidently expects him to become
saint in glory ere long, but intends doing
his best not to let him 60 up from his
roof by reason of starvation; that Phil
omel has an appetite something like his
own, and that it has been cause of
anxiety to him all her lite long. While
thus commiserating his guests poor ap-
petite, mon pere is rapidly and bounti-
fully helping himself, and makes amends
for what he is pleased to call his visi-
tors abstemiousness. When both have
eaten enough to cause immediate surfeit,
and the father-in-law in prospect is blue
in the face, smoke IS suggested.


While the smoking is going on Philo-
mel deity sweeps from the table the
remnants of the repast and retires to a
corner of the apartment by herself.
Here, when the fumigation is over, the
enamored Gabriel Joins her and his do
ing 80 is a signal for the rest of the
family to become suddenly unconscious
of their presence. This oblivion does
duty on such occasions for a separate
apartment. Whatever incidents of q
tender nature occur are supposed to be
invisible to any per:on save the princi-
pals. Everybody acts on this theory.
Even the respected but dissipated host
produces his black bottle with the
boarded store of rum, and drinks it him
self, under the assumed belief that his
young guest is in the next room. The
small brothers-in law that are to be in
dulge in a rather vindictive skirmish
over q moccasin game in utter ignorance
of any bodily pressure; and the seven
sisters of Philomel criticise the cut Of
her lovers garments and the classic but
retiring beauty of his countenance with
q charming Inconsistencies of his close
proximity. Philomel, plastic and plla-
BILE Philomel, is in no manner abashed
at being wooed in the presence Of her
relatives, and even becomes herself the
wooer on discovering that Gabriel is in
a certain degree timid. She intimates
by caresses of the hand that they arc
alone, and converses in tone of voice
sufficiently loud to dispel the idea that
they are alone. If Gabriel RECEIVERS
courage in some measure. he looks upon
Philomel admiringly, as he would upon
any other thing Of beauty, and it is not
long before she becomes conscious of
the observation. Then it is study to
watch the airs assumed by this half
breed belle. Size is as well versed in the
freemasonry of her sex as if born with
white skin and reared in Madison
Square. There is no difference in her
mode of action; the only difference is in
the effect.


Gabriel, unless he is m adept at the
business, cannot entirely rid himself Of
the depressing effect of twelve pairs of
eyes taking in his glances. He is, in
conseq uence, not 80 susceptible to her
wiles as he would be if otherwise stu
ated. At first he limits his love-making
to affectionate looks, caresses. and the
simpler forms of speech which convey to
her the knowledge that she Is the light
of his eyes. As the evening advances,
and his embarrassment wears off, he
ventures upon remarks of a more in
tepsely passionate nature, indicative Of
his love and desire to be first in her affec-
tions. The mixed language spoken by
the lovers affords IN unlimited supply
of diminutives; and Gabriel may call his
sweetheart by the names of almost all
animal creation, and yet use but legiti-
mate pet names. In the Cree tongue he
may address her as his musk-ox, or, if he
desires to become more tender, may call
her his must-rat with equal propriety.
By blending of two Indian tongues she
becomes beautiful wolverine, and a
standard but commonplace love-name is
my little pig"


The ilalf-breed's pet names have all
been taken from those of animals that
seem to be especially innocent or beau
tiful in his eyes; and the fact that differ
ent persons have different standards of
beauty and innocence has led to the in
vention of an almost unlimited vocabu-
larry of diminutives. When the lady
love is inclined to be stout the names
of the larger animals are chosen, and
rather liked by her upon whom they are
conferred. We remember that one
woman was affectionately called the
Megatherium-a name that clung to her
for months as being peculiarly the rep
resentative of ideal love.


After the lovers have passed consid-
erable time in this manner alone. as it
were, the sisters and other female rela-
tives of Philomel evince an inclination
to take part in the wooing. They par
ticipate in the conversation by almost
lmpefcepClDle degrees, tilen SatileF ny
slow approaches into the corner set
apart for the counting, and at last become
a radiant but tawny group, sparkling
and scintillating in the humor of the
heather tongues. They resolve them
selves into species of whippers-in, con-
dole with each other upon the prospect
i've loss of their dear sister, congratulate
Gabriel upon having gained the affec-
tions of so irreproachable a maiden as
Philomei, and feel assured that their
lives will be one of unalloyed happiness.
In this way the haif-breed lover IS
waited into matrimony with n facility
and dispatch not easily excelled by her
fairer sisters ofpayed avenues.-Harper's 8
Weekly.


Robbers Outwitted.