90 Field Columbian Museum — Anthropology, Vol. V. 



out with the older sisters. She went in and seated herself. "Well, 

 daughter, this mother of a young man requests a marriage to you by 

 her son. This young man likes you ; so does his family ; and we have 

 had a good talk about it and thought best to try and induce you to 

 accept. Now, my daughter, can you accept this proposal and be con- 

 tented like other girls ?" said the father and mother.. "Oh ! No, 

 father, I can't do that. I am sorry, bvit I have no wish for any mar- 

 riage, for it is not my desire," said the daughter. The mother went 

 away disappointed. 



There was another girl born to the family, which, of course, was 

 beautiful before the parents and others. When the fifth daughter was 

 fully grown up, she also was attractive to the eye of every young man. 

 The other daughters were beautiful, but this one was fascinating to 

 everybody. One day there came along an old woman who went into 

 the tipi of this large family. "Will you please take pity on me? I 

 have come over to offer my boy (young man) as a servant, in order 

 that he may marry your daughter. It is my earnest desire that my 

 son get the girl as a wife, and I hope that both of you will grant 

 my wishes," said the old woman, shaking hands with the family. 

 "Well, old woman, you shall have the girl for that son. I think your 

 people are deserving, and because your characters are such, the request 

 is fully granted on my part and on the part of my wife," said the 

 father. So the daughter was called in and told the circumstances of 

 the meeting. The girl said that she didn't want to be married. The 

 mother went away disappointed and told her relatives that the girl 

 objected. Time went on peaceably with this large family; so with the 

 people in the camp. 



One day the mother of the family gave birth to another girl. The girl 

 was fair and fat. The sixth daughter grew up quite a sweet ydung girl. 

 All the young men who saw her face close, fell in love with her, for 

 they liked her very much. It happened one day that a woman came 

 to the large family. "I have come over to ask you folks in behalf of 

 my nephew for a marriage with your youngest daughter, who is just 

 at the ripe age. My nephew seems anxious for the marriage, and has 

 pledged himself to earn her for his wife, by being a servant. If you 

 folks agree to this T shall go home with a warm heart and get him to 

 begin looking after ycmr work," said the old woman. "Well, T will 

 see the girl soon, but as far as we are concerned, there is no objection." 

 So they asked their daughter if she would consent to the contract, but 

 she said that she would not marry anybody. She gave the same reason 

 that her sisters had given, yiz., that she wished to remain single. The 



