Page:The Pima Indians.pdf/189

184 of the fourth day they go to the home of his parents. At dawn the next morning the mother-in-law gives the bride a large basket of wheat to grind on the metate. She is expected to have completed the grinding by sunrise. In the quaint language of the interpreter we were informed that "if she ran away and left part of it unground it was a sign that she would not be a very good wife. When she finished her work she went quietly into the house and sat talking with those around her until she got acquainted with her new home." The groom presented the bride with a new blanket and his parents gave her presents, but there was no idea of purchase and no gifts were made to the bride's parents.

Occasionally a man possessed such a character that no woman would marry him, and more rarely a woman would remain unmarried. There is one such at Casa Blanca and one at Blackwater at the present time, the latter being regarded as possessed of supernatural powers because of her spinsterhood.

A rejected suitor might appeal to the medicine-man for assistance. If he stole a hair from her head and the medicine-man buried it the girl would die. How like the folklore of the Caucasian is this bit of superstition that savors more of vengeance than of love. But that the divine passion does take strong hold upon the Pimas there can be no doubt, as disappointed hopes have been known to lead to suicide.

Polygamy was practised to some extent, but the division of labor was such that no great economic advantage resulted. There were seldom more than two or three wives, though a chief's son in recent years had six. The plural wives lived in separate houses, the husband spending most of his time with the first. When a youth married he brought his wife to the home of his parents if there was room for them; if not, a house was built near by and the families ate together.

It was the custom for a widower to wed the sister of his deceased wife. "Supposing that she does not like the man and does not wish to marry him?" the writer inquired. Whereupon the answer was given with an air of superior wisdom, "She always wants to." Uncles and nieces are not permitted to marry and cousins do not marry "out of respect of the parents for each other." The most careful search failed to discover any trace of groups within the tribe between which marriage was prohibited.

Separation was lightly regarded and easily effected. The woman usually took the initiative, by either going to the home of her parents or going away with another man. Sometimes such remarks as "Rainbow Leaves is trying to get Sand Cloud's husband away from her," "Dawn Tinkle has changed husbands," were heard. Notwithstand-