Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1854-07-12
Original sturp.
For ne Spirit Of the Age.
LIFE IN GL1MPsEs.
by THE ASSOCIATE EDITOR.
The nla Man with the Crutch.

.llNHsf INV va
strands Of snow white hair that hung around
bis shoulders. Was he listening to the song
Of the wild birds in the bonghs above him,
or cas- old time memories Of bye-gones stir
ring the old pilgrims breast None could
tell; for he spoke not to the passcrs py, put
sat there for hours with bis wrinkled lace
buried in his palms. lie arose, and with
crutch and STAFF began to toll up the hill to-
wards the village. Now stopping to rest
now bending TO the weary march again. An
old, old man was he; ninety summers must
have bronzed his cheek with their suns.
lie stood in the middle Of tho village and
the curious citizens began to gather about
him and ask him many questions, but he
rpoke not. The fash Of his keen black eye,
that had remained undimned by the coming
night, told that he was not of as. An old
man of the village approached him and
asked Il he was not an Indian. But he no.
ficed him not, while his eagle eyes scanned
the houses around him and fingered upon the
sun in the west now fastening away to his
setting.
.sAil gone p sighed the old man, "and
the Great Spirit calls Wyandott to come to his
fathers"
And the old man hobbled on with his
crutch towards the creek at the south. AL
the village followed after him with slow
steps for he was a strange old man. A
thousand conjectures were expressed as TO
who the old man was and where he was going.
lilo turned from the main road and went
down into the narrow dell among the trees
that leads to the creek. He stood and gazed
up among the green branches that waved
overhead and away up to the blue heavens be-
yond, while his thin lips moved as ifin solemn
Invocation to the Red Mans God. All stood
around in silence while the old man breathed
his aspirations. He went down slowly into
the depths Of the darkening dell, and stood
over a little mound and trembled while q tear
rolled down from his piercing eye and tell
upon the mound and its grass. 1t was a sol
emn scene. Silence reigned.
The old man sank down and wept with his
wrinkled face in the grass like a child. lie
took from his bosom q beautiful little urn
euriously ornamented with beads and laid 1T
on the mound and wept more bitterly. With
n strange energy he tore up the turf ana
shaped a hole in the mound with a worn hunt
ing knife. Then taking the urn in his hands
and bending his eyes upon it he said:
"For this Wyandot hath made q long
pilgrimage from the banks of the grea'
river. Child Of Wyandot, the last of his
blood, here rest thy ashes with thy kindred
until the moon shall burn, and the swee
south wind is loosed by the arrow of tn
Great Spirit to watt thee to the everlasting
hunting grounds beyond the great waters.
And he reverently laid the turf over tn
precious urn he had brought with him. IL
plueked grass from the mound and place.
ii in his bosom and laid his crutch and sta
upon the mound so sacred to him and sat g
zing at the sun that was now casting his lew
beams through the trees. All stood an
gaSod silently upon the old white heade
-RailEpEAiwp1- in a, his Esyerie.
since Wyandots shadow fell in this wood
None Of Wyandots blood runs more in 9th
veins wife, son and young Glenora, tn
was lovely as the great STAR in the pale Eas
now rest in the woodland dell and the lit
bird sings its peace song in the long linn
that make tho shade on the grass"
Turning to the group Of villagers, he fix,
his piercing eyes upon them like the gid,
serpent charming its prey. All felt reli
when his stern gaze relaxed and his Ii
parted inspeech.
"My pale brothers and sisters, Wyand
is n stranger to you all but he was he
many moons before you saw the great su
lie wins born at the wigwam over the hi
in the plain by the river, and there he learn,
20 FIX the arrow and chase the deer. His oy
canoe brought the first Of your pale fathe
across tho deep river and told him the tri
to this spot. His name was Reuben, and
helped him cut logs and bark to build /
wigwam there where your great town nc
stands. We loved Reuben and told hi
many Things, and his young squaws learn
C. make wampdm. The red men thong
Reuben was a brother but he was not
went again across the deep river and broug
much FIRE water with him which he gave
for furs. And the red men drank it and (
down. The red men drank of the fire-wat
until the black spirit took hold Of them.
Reuben WIS not q brother.
81 had a wife and a strong son then, a
n little child, Glenora, who was lovely as t
great star the Great Spirit sends before t
moon. ] can see them nowl' and the
Pilgrim extended his trembling hands
wards the hill on which the last beams of
Sabbath's golden sun was falling. The {
man gazed with his lips parted and his ire
bling hand extended towards that sunny h
All looked that way rs if to see the brig
visien on which the old mans mental eye
pleasingly fingered.
Il can see them now as they used to CO.
to my call across yon great hill-my stro
son with the fruits Of his trusty arrow, q
my wife with sweet little Glenora smiling
her bosom. Reuben set traps and caught
strong son. lie set the fire water bef
him and he drank of il. He laid aside
arrows and went with Reuben. lie dra
till the evil spirit took hold of him a
burned his heart until it was black. On
seventh day Of the moon Reuben turned h
away from his path and sent him to my "
wam Sighting with the great serpent that
coiled about him. His blood was rum
the wrong way and q devil possessed him.
was digging in my young corn when l
him come leaping towards the wigwam
bowling like a wild beast in the woods.
heard Glenora scream and | FASTENED to
Wyandot's heart broke when he stood in
door Of his wigwam; his strong son
struck the war hatchet into his own moth
head and had plunged the hunting knife
his own hearth Blood that could not
burned stood in pools on my wigwam fC
and Glenora had hid among the skins. f,
evil spirit that Reuben had brought accr
the deep river bound up in barrels "
strong hoops had been turned loose am,
the red men and he came to my home
broke it in pieces.
81 buried them here with the bloody
Ratchet and hunting knife between them
Wyandot, that was brave in war, feared
ovilspirit that Reuben brought, so he bur
his wigwam and took Glenora with him
the banks OF the great river. Twenty
four score moons went by while VIVIAN
wandered there with a broken heart in
bosom from moon to moon. Glenora,s as
now rest IN the green mound with her m,
er, over which the little wild bird s;nOs
peace song while Wyandot's last sun Is
ting. Poor old Wyandot, your heart Is br,