334        ILLINOIS HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS
en guerre sans les avoir connues et ont ete tuez, cela vient quel-quefois de ce qu'elles ne les aiment pas, d'autres pour ce faire honneur, car quand elles accouchent immediatement au bout de neuf mois elles s'en font quelquesfois des reproches, quand elles ont des querelles entre elles, en ce disant qu'elles aimoient leur maris devant que de l'epouser, puisqu'elles avoient accouchez sitost. J'en ay connu une qui m'a assure et son mary avoir este six mois ensemble sans ce connoistre, quand ces sortes d'accidents arrivent ces femmes sont a plaindre, Les parents de l'homme sont toujours a luy faire des reproches de sa mort, elles n'osent pas se peigner, n'y se trouver dans aucune dances, encore moins se marier, il faut qu'elle se compose malgre elles, en Repen-dant souvent force pleurs, dont a la fin les parents en ont pitie, La soeur est celle qui la peigne, et luy dit de ce marier si elle trouve quelque partis, pour leur marquer le Regret qu'elle a et sa recon-noissance elle doit rester un an sans se marier, si par par mal'heur pour elle, elle le faisoit devant qui luy fust permis Les parens du
[Translation]
without having known them, and have been killed. This happens sometimes because they do not love their husbands, at other times to do themselves honor, for when they have children immediately at the end of nine months, it is a matter of reproach when they quarrel, to say that they loved their husbands before marrying them, since they had borne children so soon. I have known one woman who assured me that she and her husband had been six months together without having intercourse. When such accidents occur, these women are to be pitied, for the relatives of the man are always reproaching her with his death. They dare not comb their hair, nor be present at any dance, still less can they marry. They are obliged to live very quietly in spite of themselves, and often in shedding many tears, until the relatives are finally inspired with pity. The sister is the one who combs her, and who urges her to marry if she finds some suitor. To show them the regret that she feels and her gratitude toward them, she must remain a year without marrying. If, unhappily for her, she were to do so before it was allowed, the relatives of the deceased would take her scalp