Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874-1884Eells, Myron
Religion
Ten years of missionary work among the Indians at Skokomish, Washington Territory, 1874-1884
Eells, Myron
Clallam Indians -- Missions; Missions -- Washington (State); Skokomish Indian Reservation (Wash.); Twana Indians -- Missions
“_Married._--Clallam Bay is alive! One of the sensations of the season
occurred at that place on the sixteenth of November, and is news, though
not published till this late day. Five of the citizens having complied
with the laws of the Territory in regard to licenses were married by
Rev. M. Eells to their respective partners. Nearly all the inhabitants
of the place assembled, without regard to race or color, some of whom
had come from miles distant. First came a short address by Mr. Eells on
the history of marriage, beginning with the days of Adam and Eve, and
setting forth some of the reasons against polygamy and divorce, after
which Mr. Charles Hock-a-too and Mrs. Tau-a-yi stood up. Mr. H. has been
the only Mormon of the place, having had two whom he called wives, but
being more progressive than the Mormons, he boldly resolved to choose
only one of them, and cleave only to her so long as they both should
live. When the marriage ceremony was over, and he was asked if thus he
promised to do, he replied in a neat little speech, fully as long as the
marriage ceremony, very different from the consent of some persons whom
the public presume to have said yes, simply because silence gives
consent. It is impossible to reproduce the speech. It will live in the
memories of those who heard it, however, as coming from an earnest heart
and being all that could be desired. The bride did not blush or faint,
but also made her speech, showing that she knew what was said to her.
After this the four other couples stood up, Mr. Long John Smittain and
Kwash-tun, alias E-ni-so-ut; Mr. Tom Jim-myak and Wal-lis-mo; Captain
Jack Chats-oo-uk and Nancy Hwa-tsoo-ut; also Mr. Old Jack Klo-tasy,
father of the Captain, and Mary Cheenith. In regard to the ages of the
last two, from what we learn, the familiar lines would apply:--
‘How old is she, Billy boy, Billy boy,
How old is she, charming Billy?’
‘She’s three times six, four times seven,
Twenty-eight and eleven.
She’s a young thing and can not leave her mother.’”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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