The Merrimack River: its source and its tributaries. Embracing a history of manufactures, and of the towns along its course; their geography, topography, and products, with a description of the magnificent natural scenery about its upper waters./ By J. W. Meader.

ITS SOURCE A-VD ITS TPIBUT-iRIES.
Sports were indulged in, varying nearly from the sublime quite to
the ridiculous, serious, laughable, and grotesque; speech-making,.
feasting, and frolicking. Generally the soft and tender emotions were
indulged in, and the young lover poured the tale of his long-cherished
affection in a deep, overcoming guttural into the wvilling, ears of his
tan-coloredcl charmer, and bent down a strong sapling to symbolize the
tenacity of his affection and how much it could yield without giving
way; or, perhaps, to insinuate how he would " double up" any
luckless wight who should have the temerity to offer to put a ring in
her nose.
hiolidays and holiday-rites were frequent among the Indians,
the male portion of them, -the squaw's first genuine holiday coming
generally when she died. While living she was a mere drudge; her
sphere was to do all the work of every description in doors and out.
She was first to recognize the unquestionedcl superiority of the status
of her lord and master, anticipate and provide for all his wants.
keep the wigwam in (Indian) shape, prepare the aame and fish for
preservation, or for present use, care for the pappooses, cultivate the
gourd, the pompion, and the maize, and grind the latter for table
use, and then devote herself assiduously to ornamental needlework.
In thiis they were tasty, skilful, and active. ]l}esi(le moccasins, belts,
and head-gear, they wrought broad blankets with beacls, fancy feathers, and bones of animals in fanciful and fantastic patterns, in many
cases sho-wingll a genius for combination and display artistic and meriforious. It may seem strange, with all their other duties, arduous
and severe, toilsome and wearing, and in the face of the discouraging
fact that none of this finery was for their own aldornment, but for
their imperious and idle lords, that they should have found either
time or inclination to prosecute the ornamental art to the extent they
did: but it must be remembered that tradition and custom made her
uncomplainingly and willingly subservient. Even this is less than
the hct: for she taxed her ingenuity and strength, but never her patience, to devise or invent some new surprise, some ornament more
beautiful and rare, with which to greet him on his return from the
war-path or the chase. That the Indian woman should differ so
widely from the white in this respect, in her sliheer unselfishness in
abdicating regard for personal adornment in favor of her husband, in
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