Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1878-01-02

lHCIe was, 100, vague ureau leSG he
might be frozen to death, from the fact OIL
his being generally found in the morning
asleep upon the floor, wrapped in single
blanket, instead of the snug bed where he
had been placed Moreover, certain
cache of pie, broken meat, etc, found in a
remote corner of the stable, could have
rad its suggestion only in the predatory
days, when little Pe-toh-kip had subsisted
upon such furlively obtained mamma in the
wilderness. Nevertheless, he moved
quietly about the house, apparently taking
but little note Of the domestic machinery,
though tractahe and obedient to my COM
mands; for being limited in speech to his
native tongue, he depended solely upon
me for any expression Of his wants Yet
there was so much of simplicity and cum
ming, so much of close reasoning and
chlld-like suspicion, so much natural
quickness, sense of humor, credulousncss
power of observation, faith, fun and sci.
hshness mixed up together in this little
waif mental composition that the person
who found nothing in his characler worth
studying would be likely to start from n
base of nulity in his own brain.
Of his moral conscience, ! am safe in
saying it was just the balance of his own
impulses and opinions His feelings settled
the right and wrong Of things among
themselves, without any reference to re-
ceived Standards No prophet could be-
more confident of his ins piration than little
Pe-toh-kIp was of the oracle within him.
and he was. moreover. not Il child to desire
u favor out of rule, to ask, or wish, in
thought or word, for a personal benefit to
soul or body, or to fear or evade any egil-
innate consequence of his own large liber-
ty of soul. 1t is true hat his religious
sentiment, strong and active, was undtF
mobilization of his peculiar surroundings
in former life. My wife discovered, early
in course of weekly abIulons to which
he passively submitted, that he wore, sus-
pended about his neck, II totem, in the
shape Of birds claw, which he had
found about the yard. And, when some
what summarily deprived of this, he
lurtively set up II dried fish head in its
stead, and continued his devolions in the
privacy of the stable for some weeks be-
fore he was discovered.
| think it was IL vivid sense of the Chris
tian duty she owed this little soul that sug-
gestcd to my wife n few weeks later the
propriety OF exposing him at intervals to
the means of grace; SO she took him to
church. 1t was during the January tlaws;
the weather was extremely warm for the
season, and the large windows behind the
pulpit had been left partially open for the
free admission of air. The presence of
little Pe-toh-kip in the congregation nat
urally attracted considerable attention,
and the battery of eyes fastened upon the
pew became at last exceedingly annoying.
SO, much to his own delight and my wife's
regret, permitted the little fellow to
await the conclusion Of service in the
church-yard. Unucky thought! for, i'm
mediately after the first hymn, in the sol
emn hush just preceding prayers, there
suddenly sounded through the deep silence,
the notes of an Indian war song" Ill.,
hi-ah, he-ah "-in the shrillest of tones
balf J clip, half howl, with an inconceivably
ridiculous effect. There was momenta-
ry struggle, then one universal roar Of
laughter. fastening out, covered with
shame as with n mantle, found, beneath
the open windows, and lost to all sense of
his surroundings, little Pe-toh-kip,stripped
to the waist, his slender figure wrilhing
and twisting in the mazes Of heathen
To me, the wild instincts Of this child
of nature were fascinating study, and |
confess to becoming negatively accessory
to much of his idle wanderings. | was
willing, even anxious, that amid the
splendid artificial culture to which he
should run thread of his old life, sutli-
Giently distinct to ar-mark his nationality;
that there should appear not only the cul
tivated gentleman, but, by certain indubit
able signs, he should be known as the
much despiscd Indian. SO, when little
Pe-t0h. kip requested my assistance in
lashioning Il bow, called in the skill of IL
carpenter, and had good one made for
him. In the use Of this primitive weapon
he rapidly became proficient; and it was II
source Of no little pride when could
summon my evening visitors to witness
this expert bowsmm shoot nickel from
between my extended fingers. But there
came II time when my joy was turned to
the gall of bitterness by discovering that
this subtle archer, lying concealed IN the
long grass Of MY own door-yard, had frCm
his coi9n of vantage, deliberately Slot to
death an entire flock Of game chickens,
the pet properly OF my next door neigh
Dor. And as this act of vandalism was
closely followed by the unwonted spectacle
of II valuable terrier carceling wildly
alung the street, tranStiXed with IN arrow,
it was thought advisable to suppress the
bow. and permit the barbarian in litle
Pe-loh.kips nature TO appear in some less
murder Gus way.
1t was the laudabe desire that little Pc
toh-kip should feel no sense of inequality
with his fellows That prompted his mis-
tress to dress him, if anything, beyond his
station in life. And yet the best efforts OF
the well meaning gentle woman were
constantly set ut defiance, during the warm
days of the summer, by the seeming i'm
possibility Of keeping him dressed at all;
and her keen sense Of prupricty was often
outraged by vague reports which repre-
sented her little charge us dvesting HIM
self of his garments in an adjacent field,
and then roaming over the ncighborhOod
in Il state of nature. 1t WAS reserved,
however, for lawn ttte, given in the in
terest of the sanctuary under whose drop
pings we sat, to furnish ocular dcmonstra-
llOl Vi lHc lNpoltS' N'Suo ''ih ihlo'J "I
best
Little Pe-toh-kip had been invited to
figure Us the son OF a squaw in charge of
the cigar stand-the squaw, II handsome
young lady gorgeously gotten up for the
occasion. To this end aplmreled him in
IL heavy dress of heads and wampum, ar
tisticaly arranged and impressing upon
him the part he had TO play, dispatched
him alone a chance trip 10 the stables,
soon after, revealed the gaudy lrnppings
of this imp of the pervcrsr, carefully
slowed in i'm out-ol-th1 way corner, and
prepared me, in some measure, Tor the
Sight which was TO follow; for, in sole pos
session of the cigar stand, and surrounded
by motley crowd of men and boys. sal
little Pe-toh-kp, clad only in an Intense
coloring of sloye-polish and moistrncd
brick-dust, and seemingly overwhelmed
with gravity and his own sense Of inn
portancc
His life became such succession of AN
noying instances, his character developing
into SO thorough-going IN aboriginal, lhlt
no one knowing him could imagine any
change of conditions capable Of altering
him; that transmigraton itself could con
ceal or confuse him. that u par of wing,
Il suit of lalons IL beak, on II man cuuld
have smothered or masked the abso ne
Pe-toh- kip, or suppressed his Individuality.