The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-03-15
souAw Jrn.s RELIGION.
Inni Nve. !. New Yosh Mercury ]

Referring to religious matters. the other day, Squaw linn said "l was up al the Post yesterday to kind of rub up arains, royalty and refresh my memory with few papers. aint regular suo- scriber to any paper, for l can't always get my mail on time. We're liable 10 be here. there and everywhere, meboe a, some celebrated Sioux watering place and mebhe on the warpath, so l can't rely on the mails much, but l manage generally to get hold of few old papers and magazines now and then. dont always know who's presiden, before breakfAs, the day after the election, but 1 manage 10 skirmish around and ind out before his term expires.
 Now, speaking aboa; the religion of the day. or rather the place where Il used 10 be, Il seems 10 me that there's mis- take somewhere IL looks as if religion mean, greenness, and inhdeli,y meant science and smartness. according to the papers. I'm no scientist myself dent know evolution from the side of a house. As an evolver l couldt earn my board. probably. and l wouldn't know a proio- niasm from a side of sole leather but l knos when get ,o the end of my pieke, rope. and know lust AS sure where the movable quits and the unkno xable be gins as anybody l mean can crawl in 0 . prairie dog hole and pull the hole Tn and put t n my pocket. m my poor, weak way. ast as well AS seientis, can. If man offered to trade me a sp4vined negathcrlum for d foundered hypothesis l couldn't know enough about either of the blamed brutes 10 trade and make proiii- l never run around after delight- tui worms and eccentric caterpillais. l have Sc far controlled myself and es- caped the habt bu, 1 am able 10 arrive \, certain conclusions. Aou lhlnk tha; because l m the bro,heI-in-la~ 10 an ln- dian outbreak. don't care whether Iion langulshes or not but you are erronco@s. ' oa make very common mistake.
 Mind you, don't pretend 10 be up on the plan oi salvation. and so iar as vi- canous atonement goes, don't even know shc Is the author oi Ii. but I've eet a kind ot hand made religion that suits me. lt's cheap and portable. and dura- ole. and stands out severe northern ch. mate tlrs, rate. l. amt the protuberant kind. l, don, pro,ubc into other peo-
  relision don so around slth..a chip an Us shoulder looking toI a personal deal.
 II l had time and could move my li-s br4iy around with me during our sum- Eier toNer might monkey ~ith specu- iatlse science and expose the plan ot te a,ion, but as !, ls now, really haven't tune.
 l say this. however. friends. komans and bae kshdefs ,hink sometimes when any l,t.e half-areea girl comes to me m the evening n her n ghtdress and kncels by me with her lttle brown face between my knees. and with my hard hand n her unbranded han. tha, shes got something better than speculative ssieuee-
 When sine says
 NoA As mc doNp io sleep
 ITf3y lfe ort my sau# to Sref
 l' should Glc before ! S.ts
 ! pray the Lord my soul ta take
 lAl- ask Tor ssus sake
 ard know that million more little an gels are saying tha, same thing al that same hour to that same imaginary God, say ,s myself fl that is q vain. empty inia'uation, blessed be that holy infatua- ..on
 /" ifthat's q wild and cray delasion. let me be always deluded If forty ms.- ,ions of chubby little angels bow then 1impled knees every evenng to a false ,nd foolish ;radl,lon, l-t me do so. too. II die then ~Il! be m good company. even | go np farther than the clouds ci the valley.