sband, which is done by a ceremony of
walking her over it. And this he has a right to do; and when this is
done she is not required to go into mourning; or, if she chooses,
she has the right _to go to him_, and he is _bound_ to support her.

[Illustration: FIG. 32.--Chippewa Widow.]

I visited a lodge to-day, where I saw one of these badges. The size
varies according to the quantity of clothing which the widow may
happen to have. It is expected of her to put up her _best_ and wear
her _worst_. The "_husband_" I saw just now was 30 inches high and
18 inches in circumference.

I was told by the interpreter that he knew a woman who had been left
to mourn after this fashion for years, none of her husband's family
calling for the badge or token of her grief. At a certain time it
was told her that some of her husband's family were passing, and she
was advised to speak to them on the subject. She did so, and told
them she had mourned long and was poor; that she had no means to buy
clothes, and her's being all in the mourning badge, and sacred,
could not be touched. She expressed a hope that her request might
not be interpreted into a wish to marry; it was only made that she
might be placed in a situation to get some clothes. She got for
answer, that "they were going to Mackinac, and would think of it."
They left her in this state of uncertainty, but on returning, and
finding her faithful still, they took her "husband" and presented
her with clothing of various kinds. Thus was she rewarded for her
constancy and made comfortable.

The Choctaw widows mourn by never combing their hair for the term of
their grief, which is generally about a year. The Chippeway men
mourn by painting their faces black.

I omitted to mention that when presents are going round, the badge
of mourning, this "_husband_" comes in for an equal share, as if it
were the living husband.

A Chippeway mother, on losing her child, prepares an image of it in
the best manner she is able, and dresses it as she did her living
child, and fixes it in the kind of cradle I have referred to, and
goes through the ceremonies of nursing it as if it were alive, by
dropping little particles of food in the direction of its mouth, and
giving it of whatever the living child partook. This ceremony also
is generally observed for a year.

Figure 32 represents the Chippewa widow holding in her arms th