Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-07-22

any. Tanning or dressing hides, making
tents, clothing, moccassns, &C., all deyolye on
her. Under such dispensation, it is not diff
cult to believe that she often willingly accepts
rival in the affections of her sullen master as
promising mitigation rather than an aggra-
walton of the hardships of her lot.
And yet even the Indian women are idle
half their time, from sheer want of anything
to do. They will fetch water for their white
neighbors, or do anything else whereby piece
of bread may be honestly earned; and they
would do ten times more than they do if they
could find work and be reasonably sure of even
meagre reward for it.
L urge, therefore, that, in future efforts to
improve the condition of the Indians, the wo-
men be specially regarded and appealed to-
A conscientious, humane, capable Christian
trader, with wife thoroughly skilled in house
hold manufactures and handicraft, each speak
ing the language of the tribe with whom they
take up their residence, can do more good than
dozen average missionaries. Let them keep
and sell whatever articles are adapted to the
Indians needs and means, and let them consti-
tute and maintain an industrial school in which
the Indian women and children shall be freely
taught to make neatly and eXpeditiously not on
ly moccaSSlnS, but straw hats, bonnets, and Tin
tme) hundred other articles combining taste
with utility. Let a farm and garden be start
ed so soon as may be, and vegetables, grain,
fruits, given therefrom in exchange for Indian
labor therein, at all times when such labor can
be made available. Of course, the school,
though primarily industrial, should impart in
tellectual and religious instruction also, wisely
ly adapted in character and season to the needs
of the pupils, and to their perception of these
needs. Such an enterprise, combining trade
with instruction, thrift with philantrophy, would
gradually mold a generation after its own
splrit-would teach them to value the bless
lngs OF clvilisation before imposing on them its
seeming burdens, and would in the course of
twenty years, silently transform an indoleut
savage tribe into a civilized christian COM
munity. There may be shorter modes of eff
fectng this transformation, but think none
surer.
OF course such an enterprise demands rare
qualities in its head-that of patience promi-
nent among them. The vagrancy of the In
dams would prove as great an obstable to its
success as their paltry but interminable wars.
Very often, in the outset, the apostle of indus
try and civilization would find himself deserted
by all his pupils, lured away by the hope of
success elsewhere in marauding or hunting
But let him, having first deliberately chosen
his location, simply perseve and they will
soon come round again, glad enough to find
food that may be had even for solid work !;
for all l can learn impels me to believe that
hunger is the normal state of the Indian, diver
sifed by transient interludes of gluttony
Meat Is almost his only food and this is plenti-
full at seasons, and at others scarcely obtain
able in the smallest quantities, or dried to the
toughness of leather. The Indian like bread
as well as the white he must be taught to
prefer the toll of producing it to the privaton
of lacking it, This point gained, he will easily
be led to seek shelter, clothing and all the
comforts of civilized life, at their inevitable
cost; and thus his temporal salvation will be
assured, otherwise, his determination is mex
orably certain, and cannot long be postponed
H. G.