Show among the special correspondence out on the painted desert on the border line of northwestern arizona md extending down into mexico there lives a race of the most mid clannish people on the face of the the hopis are now uncle sams awn people for they have their homes on his reservation and yet few besides the government officials who look after their welfare have even a reading acquaintance with this inter esting tribe of red men it red men they are it Is pretty generally conceded that all the pueblo peoples of the great painted desert are descendants of the race or races which dotted these territories and southern colorado with strange ledge houses and who are known as cliff dwellers but beyond that very little Is known ot them even by their next door neighbors dr elizabeth snyder ot philadelphia is the first woman to penetrate into the heart ot the people recently return ing from a lengthy visit among the hopia she brought with her a romantic love story the enacting of which gives a clear idea ot the ancient customs still strictly adhered too by these people living right in our midst the young people on these reserva alons are noted tor their strength and beauty and courtship among the hopis Is just as ardent as in civilized circles marriage is a sacred institution and although separation Is countenanced there can be no remarriage once a child Is born to the couple the mar ria gable age is thirteen and it Is sel dom a girl marries after seventeen although a virgin Is treated with per feet courtesy she does not receive the same respect as a wife women highly esteemed among the hopis the women are held in high esteem they are treated with a gallantry remarkable among indians unlike the women of other tribes they perform only the lightest duties and are consulted on all trans actions of note the men farm and barter they also make the clothing and household utensils the dress making is done in the alvas or under ground ceremonial chambers where some stone shelves run around the room upon which the leather cloth etc are placed for cutting it was from young a famous hop beau that dr snyder gained an insight into the courtship and marriage customs ot this strange race of people loved and was loved in turn by a popular belle known as or butterfly wings he had also won the affection of another young beauty aladie or fleet foot and like the young gallant in the song he sighed oh how happy were I 1 were t other fair charmer away both ot these young girls were in high favor with the parents of goneril aliez liez while the handsome fellow him self was thought well of by the respective spec tive mothers and fathers of ma and aladie they each pulled at his heart strings and he found it impossible to decide between them finally however it was ar ranged that the matter should be decided by a corn grinding bread making contest ground corn for lover it was the betrothal ceremony which dr snyder witnessed and of which she took photographs east mas and aladie arrived at the home of their beloved early in the morning bringing with them the corn which they were to grind and prepare tor the wedding feast it was decided stat the one completing her task first and most successfully should become the bride of in the homes of the hopis the chief family room serves as kitchen din ing room corn grinding room bed room parlor and reception hall here gathered the parents and maehong ce friends of and aladie to watch the contest in one corner ot the room in which the two hopis beauties strove for the man of their heart Is a quaint hooded fireplace fire place and here the successful maiden would cook the meal after it was ground the corn grinding trough Is never absent in the bouse of the hopis sometimes it Is on a little raised plat form and Is large or small as the tarn uy demands the trough Is composed either of wooden or stone slabs ce dented into the floor and securely fastened at the corners with rawhide thongs this trough Is then divided into three or four compartments and in each compartment a sloping slab of basalt rock Is placed kneeling behind this trough mas hong ce and aladie with their hair done up in virgin whorls commenced side by side to grind the corn they seized in both hands a narrow flat piece of rock and with the motion of rubbing clothes on a washboard moved up and down over the corn throwing a handful of grain at every few strokes on the upper side ot the grinder maehong ce wins victory steadily the girls kept at their faeh all through the long morning and way into the afternoon until aladie feel ing that her rival was gaining on her and furthermore that she was being favored by ez threw down her grinder and sorrowfully departed to her own home leaving maehong ce a free field Mash onge ce then let down her hair which had previously been fixed in the customary large whorls which represent the squash blossom an emblem of purity and maidenhood to the hoats the grinding or betrothal ceremony continued until nightfall when a small fire was made of cobs over which an earthen olla was placed when this was sufficiently heated the meal was stirred about in it by means ot a round wicker beater to keep it from burning then the feast cakes were made and refreshments were served the festival continued three days amid much merriment the guests corn ing and going at will and always par taking of refreshment which was kept in waiting when the ceremony w s completed maehong ce bade farewell to her mother in law very early in the morn ing and returned to her own home followed in about two hours by gono as was the custom two weeks later aladie died of a broken heart her name will never again be mentioned among her people on the second morning after the betrothal ceremony and maehong ce traveled to a hillside car crying a pinch of gound corn in their hands facing the sun they awaited its rising and instantly as it appeared they scattered their corn and pros grated themselves in prayer er hand in hand they returned to their home |