romance. The first mating of young people is usually suggested and
arranged by the mothers, yet there are slight indications noticeable to
the initiated that will often point to the intentions of the persons
interested. If one sees a young man beating out a piece of metal and
fashioning a finger ring, it is apt to be for some young woman; or
should a young woman be making a fancy tobacco bag, of course it is for
some young man, and the whispering of love is probably back of the
inspiration. It only remains for the meeting of the two mothers to
arrange matters.
The two families may be living close together, yet the mother of one
will call on her neighbor and tell her how she has intended to be more
neighborly, but she has been so busy. Then the neighbor will declare
how delighted she is to see her, after which the conversation is
carried on in the usual strain, or until mother number one commences to
tell what a great hunter her son is and how good he is. Then mother
number two remarks that her daughter is such a good sewer and knows how
to chew a beautiful boot sole. Mother number one declares that they are
never hungry in their iglo, as son is always so successful and brings
lots of seals home. Mother number two now remarks that daughter is such
a lovely cook, having taken lessons and knows how to cook everything.
(At the same time, she may consider herself fortunate if she has half a
sack of China flour in the house.) The conversation continues for a
while, each mother trying to present her side in its most favorable
light.
The father now arriving, and being suspicious of what is taking place,
will naturally try to be as agreeable as possible. He will relate some
old story that has been doing duty in the tribe for a number of
generations. Of course the women gather around and listen with a great
deal of interest, as if it was entirely new to them. Returning to
business, it is decided that the young man shall enter the family on a
sort of trial. If the girl turns up her nose and makes faces, he might
as well leave, as the match will never amount to anything; but should
she greet him with an occasional smile and allow him to sit by her side
in the evening, with his arm around her, it will be all clear sailing
and they will unite as husband and wife.
With older people courtship is different. They plead and arrange their
own affairs, usually without the assistance of a third party. As I have
watched these marriages, I could not help but think that they turn out
as happily as in any other section. Divorces, formerly so common, are
now far less frequent, and when the people marry it is usually for
life, most couples living together happily until parted by death.
XXII
THE WOOING OF BILLY FISHTAIL
There was a bond of sympathy between Billy and myself, for I had looked
upon him as a permanent bachelor, and he was always such a reliable
fellow. If I set him to whittling a bit of wood or to sawing a board,
he was sure soon to apply for a bandage to stop the flow of blood from
a wound. On trying to bore a hole through a board with a sharpened
knitting-needle, only the bone of his second finger prevented the
instrument from passing through that also. Even with the axe he was an
expert; lifting it high to take a vigorous blow he would bring the back
down on his own head, and rush for aid.
[Illustration: MR. AND MRS. BILLY FISHTAIL]
He was very faithful, however, and nothing seemed to make him so happy
as to be doing what he thought would give me pleasure. Some one had
informed Billy that far away in the States, the singing on Sundays was
accompanied by an organ, so on the following Sunday Billy brought his
small accordion to church and tried to accompany the singers. He had
not practiced the tunes, and there seemed to be a difference between
the drums of his ears, for one would catch a tune one way while the
other gave a different interpretation. The accordion could not please
both ears, so it squeaked and wheezed out an air of its own.
At last a time came when it was evident that a change was coming over
Billy. He was growing more particular in his personal appearance, and
was even trying to learn how to whistle.
Just about the same time, rumor said that the widow Okpoktoah had been
seen running around the village trying to procure the loan of a cake of
soap. It looked very suspicious, but Billy would not admit anything. He
would simply hang his head and grin. Then the cook came one morning
with the information that Billy had been seen very late the previous
evening talking earnestly with the widow at her iglo.
Time has now rolled along and Billy is very happy for he owns the
widow, yet those gossiping neighbors will persist in saying that Billy
is not finding his nights quite as restful as formerly, for his little
daughter has a very imperative way of ordering him to take a walk
during those hours of the night when sleep seems the most refreshing.
XXIII
WRITING
To the uninitiated children of nature, the art of reading and writing
seemed at first as great a mystery as the electric current. How those
scrawls of black lines were words, that could be spoken just the same
as in conversation, was beyond their comprehension. At first, they
gathered around every time a letter was received and listened eagerly.
Then arose the desire for them to be able to make out those
intelligible scrawls that had a meaning.
One elderly woman seemed to feel slighted that she had not received a
letter; so going on board the whalers at anchor, she inquired if there
was not one for her. At last her heart was made glad by receiving a
mukpar[=a] (letter) which read as follows:--"Give this woman a dose of
poison." Carefully wrapping the precious missive in a piece of sealskin
and attaching a string, she wore it around her neck as an ornament, and
guarded it zealously.
With the young people, it was a proud day when they had advanced far
enough in their studies to be supplied with a pen for the first time.
Eagerly taking the pen and copy, the scholar would lie flat on the
floor, in the most secluded part of the room, then call loudly to all
the others to stand out of the light. If a blot accidentally occurred,
an attempt would be made to erase it with the finger-nail. So the young
Inupash gradually advanced until he became proficient enough to begin
writing compositions.
The young tribal prince, for his first composition, chose to write upon
the seal, and supposed he had exhausted the subject when he wrote, "Man
he go on ice, shoot him seal. By and by woman she come dog sled, take
him seal home. By and by man he go home tell woman, You cook him seal
very big quick, me big plenty hungry."
Those earlier days have passed by and the mystery of the scrawls has
been solved. The young Inupash are learning to read quite nicely and
can now write their own letters. They still have the English grammar to
master; it is very different from their own, but at length they will
accomplish that task, and at no very distant time. The days when they
used to borrow each other's fingers to do their counting with have gone
by. They are steadily advancing and will, in the course of time, be
numbered among our good and intelligent citizens. They are the only
ones that are naturally fitted to inhabit this, the most northern part
of our country.
End of Project Gutenberg's Short Sketches from Oldest America, by John Driggs