Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1880-01-03

AN INCIDENT CONNECTED WITE
! INDIAN SLAVERY ON TIE PA
CIFiC COAST.
From the Argonaut.
Many years ago 1t was custom
quietly conducted, for certain law.
less white men to go among thu
Red River Indians and steal the
i children of the tribe aud carry
them away to be sold as slaves
among families in other parts OF
the State / have seen the poor
creatures, after they had been
driven like beasts before their
captors, with sore feet and sullen
faces, sitting alone. apparently
hopeless and apathetic. But who
shall say that beneath that stoIid
exterior there was not a human
heart hot and bitter from cruel
wrongs endured?
Two lustrums have passed since
one of these raids resulted in the
capture, among others, of a girl
five or six years old. With the
characteristics of herrace she pos
sessed no beauties to soften the
hearts of beholdcrs, but as she
promised a sturdy frame, she was
readily disposed of to a lawyer,
who, in turn, presented her to his
wife to be trained as maid-of-all-
work. She received the name Of
Marie, and soon became neat
and deft worker in all household
ways. | can bear testimony to the
immaculate neatness OF her kitch-
en-, aud the snowy whiteness o.
the clothes that hung on wash
day from her line, and also to the
quiet way In which all this labor
was performed / knew Marie
for many years, and / never
heard her speak but once or twice
in that time. Her face always
wore the same look, and I have
often wondered whether she tho't
at all. She went to no place, sa "
no company, and year after year,
with automatic precision, per-
formed her tasks.
AS the years went by Marie
grew to womanhood, but she de-
veloped to our eyes no new
beauty, and no new awakening of
the faculties and affections, and
she stirred no new thoughts on
our part concerning her. AS the
village where her owner lived en-
larged 1t had the ambition to pos.
sess an Episcopal church and
curate. The man sent to. this
place was a gentle, charitable
character, who strove to make
his people better, and worked
faithfully among his charge, al
ways giving them the ligh. of a
true life and earnest purpose to
help them into better paths. This
man had an Indian in his employ
whom he strove to eulighten.
Pedro, like all his race, was not
easily impressed, and If things
touched the deep places of his ma
ture no outward sign betrayed the
workings within. 1t happened, IL
things ever happen in this world,
that Pedro and Marie met, and,
though no one ever knew how,
they soon developed into ,intIma-
cy. This intimacy in time be-
came love, and they planned to
marry and pass through the
world together.
Marie was SO much slave that
she had no idea of leaving her
mistress, or organizing house of
her own, without that mistress
consent. 1t will never be known
what mental struggles she passed
through before she told her de-
sires and asked permission to wed
Pedro. No doubt establishment
was the first feeling her story
aroused, but soon indignation ap-
peared. Poor Marie She was a
good servant, she saved dainty
hands from disagreeable tasks,
and the loss OF her meant many
disagreeable things, She must not
marry, as go she was told that she
could not be given up. Not
muscle moved as she heard the de-
cision, but she seemed 10 quietly |
submit, and went about her work |
as usual. If she suffered as her
white sisters suffer it was never
known, and If the little chamber
in the attic she called her own
was witness ofheart's anguish and |
remuneration it never told the |
story. The mistress rejoiced that |
Marie's nonsense had passed away,
and she was In no danger OF losing
her efficient handmaiden.
But one morning she did not
come down to her tasks, and the
mistress crep up the narrow stair
way to ascertain why her repeated
calls were not answered. The
room was neat and orderly, and
on the bed Marie lay--dead. Be-
side her was the knife with which