as heard of the bright eyes and olive cheeks
of the half-breed woman is sorely disappointed when
drawing near to her on the prairie path, or in the village
street, to see her pull the hideous blanket over her face
while he passes her by. Not always will she do this, for
the wild women of the plains, and the half breed beauties,
find a strong charm in strange faces; and after she has
received some little attentions, and a few trinkets or
trifles, she will be ready enough to appoint a tryst upon
the flowery prairie, under the mellow moon.

We might forgive her for all this, if she could but
restrain her tongue. From morn to noon, from noon to dewy
eve, this unruly member goes on prattling about every
conceivable thing, especially the affairs of her neighbours.
We have seen that she goes out after she has eaten her
breakfast; and she returns not till her appetite begins
to be oppressive. She will then kiss her dusky little
offspring, who, during her absence, has likely enough
tried to stuff himself with coals, and then played with
the pigs. In the evening one is pretty certain to find
at some house a fiddler and a dancing party, which ends
with a bountiful supper; though frequently, if the
refreshments include whiskey, the party terminates with
a regulation "Irish row." At nearly every such dance
there is a white lad or two, and they are certain to
monopolize the attention and the kisses of the prettiest
girls. As the Indian had to sit by and see the white man
come and take away the most beautiful of the wild girls,
so too must the half-breed bear with meekness the preference
of the Metis belle for the Caucasian stranger.

The morals of the women are not over good, nor can they
be said to be very bad. Amongst each other their virtue
reaches a standard as high as that which prevails in our
Canadian community. It is when the women are brought into
contact with the white men that this standard lowers.
Then comes the temptation, the sin, the domestic
heartburnings, and the hatred towards those who tempted
to the fall.

The half-breed young men are fatally fond of show. The
highest aim of their social existence seems to be to
possess a dashing horse or two, and to drive a cariole.
It is stated, on excellent authority, that a young man
who wishes to figure as a _beau_, and to get the smiles
of the pretty girls, will sometimes sell all his useful
possessions to purchase a horse and cariole.

But it must not be suppose