Jasper County Democrat, Volume 19, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 March 1917 — MADE PROPOSAL BY PROXY [ARTICLE]

MADE PROPOSAL BY PROXY

His Task Was Similar to John Alden’s, but Fortunately It Had a Different Result. " One day while Bev. .1, Hines, a wellknown retired Canadian missionary, was residing near Sandy lake' an Indian came to him and after much.preliminary conversation 1 said: “Well it is about six months.since my wife died, and just before she left me she said in'the presence 6f witnesses that if I remained single until the following spring I was to get married again, and, as the leaves are already big on the tree?, ! have come to see you and heay wh.-it you have to say about it.” ; When I told him that there was no law. to prohibit his taking another wife sp soon, he went on, “1 want you to a wife for me.” "Why,” I said, "I should not Care to undertake such a responsibility, for, if I,named a woman and you married her and afterward she did not please you, you would be most likely ..Jo blame me for your unhappiness.” “No, I should not,” lie said. Then I said, “In the first place I do not know whether you want to marry an old or a young woman, and I must have something to gui<V - me in making a selection.” ■ “Well,” he said, “I do not want to be troubled with an old woman, and I do \not suppose a young woman would care to be troubled with me; I want a woman about my own age.” I w;as much pleased with his words, for they seemed to me to be sensible and thoughtful; so I mentioned a widow about his own age, whom I had noticed taking great interest in his bereaved children. “Ah!” he “said. “I knew you were guided by the great spirit in all you .undertake. That is the very woman I have been thinking about, and how could you' have unless the great spirit had guided your judgment?” “Well,” I replied, “I am glad that you look at it in that way; now you had better go and propose to her.” “No.” said he, “I cannot do that. If I knew she would say ‘yes,’ I should go; but she might say ‘no,’ and Indians never like tq, have their petitions rejected when they go on business of that nature.” Then I asked him what he intended to do. ."Why, sir,” he said, “I want you to propose for me !” Well, I was in a fix; but having yielded so far to his request, I felt bound in some way to .go on to the end. SO, having obtained my wife’s permission, I called on the widow at my earliest convenience and explained matters to her. taking great pains to make her understand I was proposing for the other fellow and not for myself, My mission was successful, and in due course they were lawfully married, and tile union proved a happy oue—“The Ked Indians of rhe Plains.”