﻿FLETCHER-LA 
  FLESCHE] 
  SOCIAL 
  LIFE 
  337 
  

  

  scoured 
  a 
  borrowed 
  kettle 
  before 
  returning 
  it 
  to 
  the 
  owner; 
  the 
  well- 
  

   meant 
  act 
  was 
  resented 
  as 
  showing 
  a 
  lack 
  of 
  respect 
  and 
  courtesy 
  

   toward 
  the 
  latter. 
  

  

  Looking 
  into 
  a 
  lodge 
  and 
  seeing 
  all 
  the 
  inmates 
  sitting 
  or 
  lying 
  on 
  

   the 
  ground, 
  it 
  would 
  hardly 
  occur 
  to 
  one 
  unfamiliar 
  with 
  Indian 
  life 
  

   that 
  the 
  ground 
  space 
  of 
  a 
  lodge 
  was 
  almost 
  as 
  distinctly 
  marked 
  off 
  

   as 
  the 
  different 
  rooms 
  in 
  our 
  composite 
  dwellings 
  ; 
  yet 
  such 
  was 
  the 
  fact. 
  

   The 
  father 
  occupied 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  space 
  to 
  the 
  left 
  of 
  the 
  fire 
  as 
  one 
  

   entered. 
  The 
  mother 
  kept 
  all 
  her 
  household 
  belongings 
  on 
  the 
  left, 
  

   between 
  the 
  father's 
  place 
  and 
  the 
  entrance. 
  It 
  was 
  thus 
  easy 
  for 
  her 
  

   to 
  slip 
  in 
  and 
  out 
  of 
  the 
  lodge 
  without 
  disturbing 
  any 
  of 
  the 
  inmates 
  

   when 
  attending 
  to 
  the 
  cooking 
  and 
  getting 
  the 
  wood 
  and 
  water. 
  If 
  there 
  

   were 
  young 
  men 
  in 
  the 
  family, 
  they 
  generally 
  occupied 
  the 
  space 
  near 
  

   the 
  door 
  to 
  the 
  right, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  in 
  a 
  position 
  to 
  protect 
  the 
  

   family 
  should 
  any 
  danger 
  arise. 
  If 
  there 
  were 
  old 
  people, 
  their 
  place 
  

   was 
  on 
  the 
  right, 
  opposite 
  the 
  father. 
  The 
  young 
  girls 
  were 
  farther 
  

   along, 
  more 
  toward 
  the 
  back 
  part. 
  The 
  little 
  ones 
  clung 
  about 
  the 
  

   mother 
  but 
  were 
  welcome 
  everywhere 
  and 
  seldom 
  made 
  trouble. 
  

   Each 
  member 
  had 
  his 
  packs 
  in 
  which 
  his 
  fine 
  garments 
  and 
  small 
  

   personal 
  treasures 
  were 
  kept. 
  These 
  packs 
  were 
  set 
  against 
  the 
  

   wall 
  back 
  of 
  the 
  place 
  belonging 
  to 
  the 
  owner. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  earth 
  lodge 
  the 
  compartments 
  were 
  quite 
  commodious. 
  

   The 
  w 
  r 
  illow 
  seats 
  were 
  lounges 
  by 
  day 
  and 
  beds 
  by 
  night. 
  There 
  was 
  

   ample 
  space 
  beneath'them 
  for 
  stowing 
  packs, 
  although 
  storage 
  spaces 
  

   adjoined 
  the 
  lounges. 
  In 
  cold 
  weather 
  skins 
  were 
  sometimes 
  hung 
  

   between 
  the 
  inner 
  circle 
  of 
  posts, 
  making 
  an 
  inclosed 
  space 
  about 
  

   the 
  fire 
  where 
  the 
  family 
  gathered 
  — 
  the 
  children 
  to 
  play 
  games 
  or 
  to 
  

   listen 
  to 
  the 
  stories 
  of 
  the 
  old 
  folk. 
  It 
  was 
  a 
  picturesque 
  scene 
  that 
  

   can 
  never 
  be 
  forgotten 
  by 
  one 
  who 
  has 
  enjoyed 
  the 
  welcoming 
  cheer 
  

   and 
  kindly 
  hospitality 
  of 
  an 
  Indian 
  family 
  circle 
  in 
  its 
  earth-lodge 
  

   home. 
  

  

  Young 
  girls 
  were 
  carefully 
  guarded; 
  they 
  never 
  went 
  to 
  the 
  spring 
  

   or 
  to 
  visit 
  friends 
  uidess 
  accompanied 
  by 
  an 
  older 
  woman 
  — 
  mother, 
  

   aunt, 
  or 
  relative. 
  Young 
  married 
  women 
  seldom 
  if 
  ever 
  went 
  any- 
  

   where 
  alone. 
  Custom 
  permitted 
  only 
  elderly 
  women 
  to 
  go 
  about 
  

   unattended. 
  

  

  Etiquette 
  demanded 
  that 
  when 
  husband 
  and 
  wife 
  walked 
  abroad, 
  

   the 
  man 
  precede 
  the 
  woman. 
  (PI. 
  43.) 
  This 
  was 
  explained 
  by 
  the 
  

   old 
  men 
  and 
  women, 
  "The 
  man 
  ought 
  always 
  to 
  go 
  first; 
  it 
  is 
  his 
  

   duty 
  to 
  see 
  that 
  the 
  path 
  is 
  safe 
  for 
  the 
  woman." 
  

  

  Women 
  held 
  no 
  official 
  position 
  in 
  the 
  tribe 
  but 
  under 
  certain 
  cir- 
  

   cumstances 
  they 
  were 
  consulted 
  during 
  the 
  annual 
  buffalo 
  hunt 
  

   (see 
  p. 
  277); 
  they 
  were 
  respected, 
  the 
  value 
  of 
  their 
  industry 
  was 
  

   recognized, 
  and 
  their 
  influence 
  was 
  potent 
  in 
  all 
  affairs 
  pertaining 
  to 
  

   the 
  home. 
  

  

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