Lewisburg chronicle. [volume] (Lewisburg, Pa.) 1850-1859, 1854-02-17
VOLUME X mo. 46.
WHOLE NUMBER. 514.

neck and arms had become completely
Drowned BY tha. summers exposure. My
mother took me by the shoulder, set mo
down in a Chair, not very gently and looked
at mo with a real frown on her sweet face.
She told me in plain terms that was an
idle careless child! Iput my finger in one
corner Of my mouth, and swung my foot
back and forth. She said I was . great
romp! pouted my lip, and drew down
my black eyebrows. She said was more
like wild young squaw than white girl !
Now this was too much; it was what I
called twitting upon facts" and it was
not the first time the delicate question Of
my complexion had been touched upon
without due regard for my feelings. Ives
not to blame for being dark-I did not
make myself had seen fairer women
than my mother. I felt that what she said
was neither more nor less than an insult;
and when she went out to see about sup
per, and left me alone, / brooded over her
words, growing more and out of humor,
till my naughty heart became so hot and
big with anger, that it almost choked me.
At last, | bit my lip and looked very stern,
for l bad made up my mind to something
great. Before / let you know what this
was, must tell you that the Onondags
tribe Of Indians had their village not many
miles from US. Every few months, parties
of them came about with baskets and mats
to sell. A company of Eve or six had been
to our house that very morning, and l
knew tina. they had their encampment in
our woods, about half mile Distant
These j knew very well, and had quite .
liking for them, never thinking Of being
afraid of them, as they always seemed kind
and peaceable.
To them resolved to 60 in my trouble.
They would teach me to weave baskets, to
fish and to shoot with the bow and arrow.
They would not make me study, nor wear
bonnets, and they would never find fault
with my dark complexion. l remember to
this day how softly 1 slid out Of the house
that evening. never stopped once, nor
looked round, but ran swiftly till reached
the woods. / did not know which way to
go to iud the encampment, but wandered
about in the gathering darkness, till l ~
light glimmering through the trees q
some distance. I made my way through
way through the bushes and brambles, and
after while came upon my Indian friends.
In very prett, place, down in hollow,
they had built them some wigwams with
hemlock boughs. There we're in the group
two Indians, two squaws, and boy about
fourteen years old. But must not forget
the baby or rather pappoose, who was lying
in sort of cradle, made of large, hollow
piece of bark which was hung from the
branches Of tree by pieces Of the wild
grape vine. The young squaw, its mother,
was swinging it back and forth, now far
into the dark shadows Of the pine and
hemlock, now out into the warm freight,
ard chanting to the child wild Indian
lullaby. The men sat on log, smoking
gravely aud silently; while the boy lay on
the ground, playing lazily with great yel-
low hound. which looked lean and starved,
ike all Iutiian dogs. The old squaw was
cooking the supper iu large iron pot, over
a fire buils among pile of stones.
"Eor some time, / did not dare to 20
forward, but at last | went up to the old
squaw and looking up into her good na-
tured face, said, {" am come to live with
you aud learn to make baskets, for I don't
like my home" She did not say anything
to me, but made some exclamation in her
own language, aud the others came crowd
ing round The boy laughed, shook me
by the hand, and said / was brave girl;
but the old Indian grinned horribly and
laid his hand on my forehead saying,
% What pretty head to scalp"
screamed and hid my face in the young
squaw's blue cloth skirt. She spoke sooth-
iugly and told me not to be afraid, for no.
BODY would hu,t me- She then took me
to her wigwam, where I sat down and tried
to make myself at home. But somehow
| didn't feel quite comfortable. After q
while the old squaw toek of the pot, and
called Us to supper. THIS was succotasb,
hat is. dish Of corn and beans, cooked
With salt pork. We all sat down on the
ground ncar the fire and eat out Of great
wooden bowls. with wooden spoons, which
must say tasted rather too strong Of the
pine. But did not say so then-by no
ate great deal more than
wanted, and pretended to relish it, for fear
they would think me ill-bred. / would
not have had them know but what l
thought their supper was served iu the
very bes. style, and by perfectly polite
md genteel people. Twas little shocked,
however, by one incident duriug the meal.
While the young rquaw was helping her
husband for the third or fourth time, she
dropped little hot succotash
IL IAny nd