84 CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE 



tinct and uncertain. But we still follow the trail with ardor in 

 an endeavor to enrich our barren annals, and we know that we 

 are on the ground. Some may even thank us for this attempt 

 to restore these fast-fading pictures of the past. 



MARRIAGE AND MOTHERHOOD. 



It is not certain that the Nipmucks were polygamous, but the 

 line was not far removed. They seldom lived with more than one 

 squaw at the same time, but on the other hand a healthy brave 

 generally contrived to marry from six to nine maidens during an 

 average life of four-score and ten years. The squaw was wedded 

 when quite young, frequently at twelve years of age ; but con- 

 stant drudgery and exposure broke them down early, so that at 

 thirty they became prematurely old and were wrinkled at forty. 

 They endeavored for a time to keep up appearances, just as we 

 observe the old hens of our generation in their efforts to parade 

 with spring chickens. It made little difference to the mother, 

 and none whatever to the pappoose, whether the medicine-man 

 was called in or not. When his services were invoked he com- 

 monly made a great pow-wow in front of the wickyup before en- 

 tering, and more pow-wow upon emerging, concluding with an 

 invocation or chant addressed apparently to the great Square of 

 Pegasus. In order that the old wife might be supplanted by the 

 new, separation was made easy, and the discarded wife and moth- 

 er did not complain, afterwards contenting herself with adopting 

 some captive as a son or husband, as the case might be. Some 

 of these captives, thus summarily wedded without ceremony or 

 consent, were white men, and part first of the very pathetic story 

 of Pocahontas rests solely upon this custom. 



We have purposely omitted the disgusting details of home-life, 

 suggesting merely that an ample water-supply was not dimin- 

 ished or contaminated, as the Nipmuck squaw never took a bath 

 or any other step toward cleanliness. 



