Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1869-09-01

uCdl OuL OlCatAhE OASOPt a SoASA LIZ
ter. Day after day we found her waiting
for us in the shade of the old oak, or look
ing out for our approach from the nearest
of the forest thickets. Shy and gentle in
mind and in manner, the Lonely Dove of
the Hurons seemed to find no companions
among the young of her own wild people,
and therefore to seek association with the
children of a more refined, though foreign
race. She would join our sports if invited,
she would help us to gather forest flowers
and plants for our garden, and she would
sit quietly listening while We learned our
lessons or read our books on the messy
bank. BY and by she got well enough ac-
quainted to come into our house. All the
elders there were kind and considerable to
the motherless indian girl. Our father
and mother, our grandfather and grand
mother, our man Robin Ross and his good
wife Janet,-all made her welcome to our
homestead and our company, showed her
the ways of civilized life, and helped to
teach her the English tongue, which they
spoke well, though come from a highland
parish.
Lanoma did not learn rapidly. | think
NV hdS CpuiIu VI ultuCISLduuluH Budl
quick of comprehension. Like all the red
race, she was grave and quiet to a remark
able degree for one so young, and learned
to think sooner thar she learned to speak.
Her first appearance among US had been
while we read the Bible in the shadow of
the old oak her first words had been that
she wanted to hear what the book said to
US and as her knowledge of our language
and life increased, that simple but earnest
wish was more plainly spoken. She asked
us if it were true that the white mans
book could tell the surest way to the hap
.py hunting-ground, which her father and
the wise men of the tribe, whose heads
were grey, spoke of at times beside their
council-fre. Her mother had gone there
long ago but the way she went must have
been hard and long, for they kept fires
burning nine nights beside her grave TO
give her light on the journey. This talk
showed even to us children the gross dark
ness that covered her people, and we tried
to teach the Indian girl what we had
learned from the blessed volume-which
she emphatically called the white mans
book-of the Way. the Truth aud the Life.
l. lt iAc VI AAlG AainAlN lUOh a stu AtEDtE
interest in Lanoma'S instruction. Her
gentle, quiet, thoughtful ways had won
their hearts and from the fires which
superstition had lighted beside her moth
er's grave, they tried to lead her mind to
the true light and only guide to that
promised land, which the darkcned nations
in all times have so dimly dreamt off.
My father in particular took every op-
p%ortunity to teach our young and interest
ing visitor the truths of revealed religion.
She had, in common with all the natives
Of the American forests, 4 sort of natural
faith in the Great Spirit, by whom all
good things were given, and a slavish
dread Of the evil power, to whom homage
must be paid and sacrifices offered to ward
off his malice but Of the Christians
Saviour and the Christians hope, Lanoma
knew nothing. To that hope and to that
Saviour my father endeavored to direct
the Indian chiefs daughter. He said 1t
was his commission to preach the gospel
10 every creature and here was the child
Of = heather tribe sent, he doubted not, by
a special providence to his house aud home
in the wilderness, may be to carry back
the light of Christian faith to the utmost
bound of her peoples wanderingS. Mis-
sionary enterprise was not so active and ex-
tensive in those days as it Is now and
partly owing to their rowing so far from
the dwellings af e;viIined mcu, partly TO
their knowQ f~erocity and readiness 10 take
~etieuse, thchIurons had never been visited
by any preacher of the gospel. But my
fathers hopes of sending them the knowi-
of salvation through the girl that had
so kindly to his family, seemed to
have little prospect of fullflment. Lanoma
listened, after the manner of her race.
patiently and gravely to all that was told
but, between Der imperfect knowledge
Of English. her Indian mode Of thinking.
and his inability to express anything in
the Indian tongue, it seemed scarcely pos
sible that the truths he taught could reach
the girls understanding.
Yet | believe that the power and
of the gospel found their way to
her heart at length, through a simple
Among the graves in the little
churchyard lying in the midst of our fields
there was one planted with flowers, and
by a rustic maidstone, on which
grandfather's own hand had cut the
name and age of his youngest daughter.
mothers only sister, called from tn 5
world in her fifteenth year. Her death
happened long before | was born. 1t
was the first in the settlement. and hers
was the first Christian burial, as far as
knew, ever made in that forest soil.
The girl had been beautiful, her parents
and friends had set their affections on her
I,-1,1 A. 49,, -. - -, -l-LN
set on things above. And well for her
that it was so. Though none had a fairer
of long life and good health to
human eyes, suddenly in the l~eaf-fall of
the year she was seized by that form of
consumption which some think is
breathed out of the Canadian woods at
that season, and died almost before her
family could believe that she was going
from them, but died in the blessedness Of
those that die in the Lord. Her brief.
but beautiful and blameless life, her happy
death, and the sore sorrow with which
that first and fairest of the emigrant com
pany was laid in the alien earth, were still
remembered and talked of in the settle
gent. To my mother and her parents the
pembrance was always green. Time
q mellowed their grief, and faith had
aught them to look for a joyful meeting
with her,-not lost, but early gone before
them and it was one of their quiet
D easures to train and trim the flowers upon
Der grave, and clear away the moss that
night obscure and cover the inscription on
hr head-stOue.
Lanoma observed this loving care of
theirs, and in her broken English asked
why they took such pains about the flowers
md the stone, and who was laid below.
Her question was addressed to my grand
nosher, with whom she had become an es-
,ecial favorite. Maybe there was some-