on until there was nothing but what was 

 worn out except the floor, and sometimes 

 there was very little of that left. Some 

 may perhaps think that the moccassin 

 part of this account is over drawn, but I 

 can assure you seriously that I am, if 

 anything under the mark. Of course 

 you must understand that when I use the 

 word "dancing" I mean "dancing;" 

 not the dances of the modern days ; oh 

 no, instead of pianos and orchestras we 

 had the good old fashioned fiddle, and 

 always plenty of able and willing hands 

 to play it. Instead of the effeminate, 

 easy going and dreamy waltz, we had 

 the always exciting and lively "Red 

 River jig, " which required not only skill 

 to dance but lots of endurance as well ; 

 instead of the modern Cotilion and 

 Quadrille we danced the ever reliable old 

 Scotch Reel or Reel of Four, and instead 

 of the somewhat lazy and languid Lancers 

 we danced the ever popular and swingy 

 old Eight hand Reel. 



The next important step after the 

 marriage festivities was the "Kirking." 

 On the Sunday immediately after the 

 marriage the bride and bridegroom 

 accompanied by the groomsmen and 

 bridesmaids, drove to church, their horses 

 still flying the many colored ribbons 

 used on the wedding day, and the bridal 

 party themselves all arrayed in their 

 wedding habiliments. They all sat to- 

 gether and were of course the cynosure 

 of all eyes in the church and it is pretty 

 safe to opine that the clergyman would 

 have to vise considerable lung power and 

 do a good deal of '■'desk pounding'''' to 

 attract the eyes of his flock from this 

 particular seat to himself; and I fancy 

 that the dresses, bonnets &c. of the bride 

 and bridesmaids would be the chief topic 

 of conversations after church instead of 

 the sermon. The bridal party all dine 

 together that day at the house of the 

 bride. 



Now you may perhaps imagine that 

 this would end the festivities, but not so. 

 The bridegroom is still at his father-in- 

 law's, and he must be brought back to the 

 paternal roof, and the new daughter 

 mnst be welcomed right roj-ally. The 

 day fixed for the groom to take home his 

 bride (always to his father's house where 

 he lived whilst preparing his own home) 

 was Tuesday. It was now the turn of the 

 parents of the groom. They invited, in 

 the same way as before, all their relatives 

 and friends to celebrate the arrival home 

 of their daughter-in-law. It is now the 

 same old story fiddle, "jig," feasting and 

 making merry, generally till sunrise the 

 following morning, when all go home, 



put off their wedding garments, and go 

 about their daily work as if they had 

 been peacefully slumbering all night in- 

 stead of passing a sleepless night, enjoy- 

 to the fullest the giddy dance. 



During the winter months private 

 parties were frequently given and as 

 everybody knew everybody, they were 

 much more enjoyable than some of the 

 larger and more formal parties of the 

 more recent times. 



An "At Home," a "Five O'clock Tea," 

 and the modern " Card Party," were un- 

 known, as was also a "reception day." 

 Instead of having some stated day in the 

 week for receiving calls or visits as we 

 called them, every day was a reception 

 day. When one lady wished to visit 

 another she simply went when it was 

 convenient for her to do so, and always 

 found the latch string on the outside of 

 the door. She invariably found the lady 

 on whom she was calling at home, if she 

 was not out, but never found her out 

 when she was at home. I was told by a 

 lady a short time ago that the words ' ' at 

 home" had two meanings, one of which 

 was "not receiving.^' I, of course, took 

 her work for it and did not worry over 

 looking through different lexicographies, 

 to ascertain if the words really had two 

 meanings. 



Christmas Day in the Red River settle- 

 ment was not very well observed, but 

 New Year's Day was the day that was 

 kept. It was a great day, a red letter 

 day, in fact, — especially for the abori- 

 gines. Every Indian who had a flint 

 lock gun would have it loaded up, and it 

 was a very common thing for settlers to 

 be disturbed about day light on the New 

 Year's morning by a volley of musketry 

 outside the door. This was the way that 

 our dusky brothers ushered in the dav 

 that would be to them one of continual 

 feasting. 



After this preliminary the Indians 

 would divide themselves into squads and 

 start on their visits calling at every house 

 on their way and getting something to 

 eat at each place. If they could not eat 

 all that was given them a receptacle was 

 always convenient in which the remnants 

 were stowed away to be discussed later 

 on. The settlers always prepared before- 

 hand for their numerous callers of this 

 class. When a party of them entered the 

 house the men shook hands all round. 

 The squaws moreover were always deter- 

 mined not to be behind their pale sisters 

 in keeping up the customs that prevailed, 

 of kissing on New Year's day and insisted 

 on kissing anybody and everybody. 

 While I didn't object seriously to the 



