The Ottawa free trader., 1883-11-03

anything OF that nature We have our
3 Lovers Rock" Several of them) and a
"Maiden's Leap" or anything else you
> please to call 1t. Bat, by n large majority
/ We call it The "Maiden's Leap" lis
: legend, until very recent period, was n
litile obscure, as 1t was supposed to have
perished with the Illinois on Starved
Rock. But the letters of Marquette, La
Sale and Others OF the early Jesuis, who
labored IN this then remote region, are now
beng published complete, and from them
we get the thread of the story OF the
"Maiden's Leap"
1t is well understood fact that little
transpired dur.ng the early days Of the
mlss!on-those outpOsIs of civilization in
the wilderness and "the times that tried
mems souls'-but WAS carefully written
down and sent TO France or Spain, from
whence copies were sent t. Rome. And
now by the 10Th century like" "liberality of
Pope Leo, the great Vatican Library is
thrown open to the world, aud at last Jew
and Gentle, lntdel and Catholic, alike
have the same privilege there as the
n0blest Roman The archives are un-
locked, and those who wish may dive deep
into their almost untathoma6e depths, un
roll the musty documents that for ages
have remained undlslurhed, and If their
search Is to show how much truth there Is
IN all that "the wandering jew" by Eu-
gene Sue, tells the Jesults did for Rome.
there they will find it.
Regarding our legend, 1t may be SAID
that, long before Marquette sailed up the
Illinois, or its placid waters reflected the
face of II white maa, when over these
prarics the thistle nodded in the WIND and
The wild fox rosmed unscared, here lived
and loved another race of beings. Here
the wigwam blaze bcamed on the tender
maiden, and The couHcl fire glared on the
wise and darnm. Along these rocky
banks the dusKy braves padded their
| light canoes, sang the deatenipg death
song OF their tribe, aud when the strife
was over here curled the smoke of peace
Beneath the same sun that shines for US
to-day the Indian hunter followed the
painting deer, and by the light of the same
bright moon the Indian lover woCed and
wou his dusky mate, not exactly III the
same way but somewhat after the fashion
of his paletaced brethren of today, only
that there was no application for divorce
before the honeymoon was over That
was an art unknown 10 the sons and
daughters of the forest 1t belongs ex.
cluslvely to civilization and those with
whom the sciences have longest flOurlshed
Wee nah tOC-tec was the wild rose of
the prairie" the pride of the village, the
peerless belle of TIE Him maidens and
such belle as only the daughter Of a |
savage monarch III those days could be.
Yet her home was not a palace: her house
was hut, and her bed bunch of leaves
her learning such as nature taught her IN |
studying the Architectural grandeur of
Gods first temples Her love for the |
beautiful was in making the mocca.ins |
and working feathcred robes. As she
emerged from her teens her queenly beau
ty made the heart of the brave and war
rlor alike go pity pat" But like some
of the maidens in our day, she despised |
the worthy loye OF her own village braves, |
to go further and get-left. There were
none good enough tor her royal highness, |
as she thought, and at last Glove, that mys- |
ferrous fire that lights to heaven OF feeds
the flame of the hottest hell" came to her
IN the form of dusky brave from the
land OF the rising sun. "a warrior brave
and proud, with many scar and many
feather; 'one that almost any maiden would |
90 mashed on.n OFT would they sit In |
the cleaning, or walk in the light of the |
Han-y ye.tu-wec 0he night SUM, which we |
call the moon. They rambled over the |
praires and sat on the bank of the river. |
during which time he would whisper tales
of love, and tell her all manners of sweet |
things, such as every gill that ever had
fellow Is familiar with. Till the "red |
lily moon (July), he fingered in the vale
of the fair llljnOl.. But at last the day of
parting came, when he must return to his
home tor certain reasons. Bidding adleu
to the braves and warriors who had assem-.
bled on the banks, according to the custom
of those days, he waived his feathered
plume to WeC-nah too tee, and then away
shot his light canoe up the sparkling Hi
nOls. Sad faced Wee-nah.toO.tec watched
1t fade IN the distance, and saw the last dip
OF his oar rs it cleaned on the water, and
then all vanished forever. When he left
''the moon Of the red blooming lily"
July was full the wooded slopes, The
grassy wales and picturesque bluffs were
robed in their summer lOvellness. In the
moon OF the Wa-yu-pee.wfc (Octobcr),
when the wild rice lS gathered for winter,
he promised to return, but he never came,
and during all the Han-yetu.wee's that
waned, Wce-nah tOO-tec was true to her
absent lover. Again the valley blo0mcd
with the tassels OF the corr, and autumn
lnts beautitied the foliage The long win
.er passed and on the wings of spring came
he feathered sOngsters. The robin sang in
he old oak tree, and the bObolInk piped
IN the prairie, while the merry voiced
birds trilled and warblcd IN woodland and
meadow, and still no tiiings of her absent
)nc Ia time tears dimmed her eyes, and
Dallld grew her cheeks, hut hope, like a
star cleaning through broken cloud,
,heered her heart and bright in her
lreams boamed the face OF the loved and
he lost, but she never despaired Of his com.
ny. BY The moons mellow light she
would sit by the door OF her teepcc, ever
in dreams OF HIM tar away IN the
and of the sunrise; and oft IN her fancy
she heard the dip of his oar in the rlver,
,s glimmered the stars on It's dark, silent
waters And morning and evening, like a
urtle dove, widowed and waiting, she
would sing:
AXE u, akc.u,
Ma can tc maseCa.
Ake.u, axe u,
AXE e ca Sc ca"
's( 'Omp aupiu In