Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1872-01-12
From Light into Darkness.

/
Lancaster (Pa.) Intelligencer, more than
"a years ago-before / had reached
manhood-Mrs. Dickson, the amiable
and gentle postmistress Of that place
handed me soiled letter directed %
the editor of newspaper which she
said had been in her possession for more
than year, and had not been delivered
because it had no definite address. Up
on opening it l found it dated Logans-
port, Ind, and signed by George w.
Ewing, United States Indian agent. He
stated that he had only recently stopped
at an Indian wigwam for the night on
the banks of the Mississinewa, about fif-
ty miles south of Fort Wayne, and found
it occupied by family who were rich for
Indians, and boasted of considerable
property in houses and lands. He went
on to say that in the course of the even
ing he noticed that the hair of one of the
women was light and her skin under her
dress white, and so he entered into con-
versation with her, which was not diff
cult as he spoke the language of the
tribe. She told him she was white, but
had been carried away when very small
girl. She could only remember that her
name was Slocum; that she had lived
in little house on the banks of the Sus-
quehanna also the number of her ia
theirs family; and the order of their
ages; but could not recall the name of
the town from which she was taken.
Fascinated by this romantic story, yet
undecided how to let the facts be known,
he wrote letter and sent it to my native
town of Lancaster as the place nearest
the Susquehanna that he could remem-
ber of any Importance. After, as | have
said, sleeping in the post Office for many
months, it came out through the columns
of my little journal, and in that way got
to the Slocums of Wilkesbarre, being
the first intelligence of the child which
had been stolen from them 60 years be-
fore. The brother of Frances, who was
only two and half years old when his
sister was carried off by the Indians,
started for the little Indian country in
company with his eldest sister, who had
aided him to escape, and another broth
er, then living in Ohio, born after the
captivity of Frances. After long jour
ney they found little wigwam among
the Miami Indians. We shall know
Frances" said the sister, because she
lost the nail of her first finger. You
brother, hammered it off in the black.
smiths shop when she was four years
DID," They entered and found a swarthy
woman who looked to be 70. She wa:
painted, jeweled, and dressed like an In
dian in all respects. Nothing but hel
hair and covered skin indicated her ori
gin. They got an interpreter, asked hel
name and where she was born. How
came that nail gone ?" said the elder sis
ter. She answered, My elder brothel
pounded it off when was little chile
in the shop" They had discovered tn,
long-lost sister. They asked her Chris
tian name. She had forgotten it. "Wa
it Frances ?" As if smitten by revela
tion, she answered Yes" 1t was th,
first time she had heard it pronounced il
60 years. Here they were met, tw,
brothers and two sisters, and after havin,
been separated for more than half cen
tury. The brothers were walking in th
; cabin, unable to speak, the sister wa
: drowned in tears, but the poor Indial
sat motionless and passiOnless. She di'
not know when Sunday came. Was no
this the consummation of ignorance il
descendant of the Puritans? She wa
carried off by the Indians, and when sh
grew up she married one of their nun
Der. He either died or ran away, an
then she married a Miami chief, sine
dead. She had two daughters, both maj
ried, who, "a years ago, lived in all th
: glory of Indian cabins, deer-skin clothe
and cow-skin head dresses. They ha
horses in abundance, and when the In
dian sister accompanied her new rels
tives, she bridled her horse and mounte
it astride. AT night she slept on th
floor, with her blanket around her. The
could not persuade her to return t
Wilkesbarre, even when the invitatio
, was extended to her children. She ha
always lived with the Indians, they ha
been kind to her, and she promised he
husband on his death-bed she would ney
er leave them. 1t is now nearly 50 year
since this white child was torn from be
. parents home in Wyoming valley. Sh
herself has been gathered to her father
and most of her double family who wer
: living in 1888, with the exception, l b,
: lieve of Mr.. Joseph Slocum, one of th
# most influential and respectable citizen
e of Scranton. Among all the change
+ that have taken place in this long intel
d val. few are more interesting than th