Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1886-12-09

bne bintiuy hOu Ol tnC gray WObnCf
face nbove him. Very sclf-fellant was
This young ScOttish-Saxon product
from the iirstl though orphaned at
once and stripped Uf fortune and all
familiar sights save the two kind old
faces lowering about he babbled on
unconsciously. Only at long intervals
did his trembling lips betray the hum
ger of his little heart, as sitting on the
threshold In the sun he looked out on
the yellowing meadows and lisped
the name Of "Mammar At
such times old Jade would turn
away into the garden with his chin
against his breast aud ply the hoe with
Ineffective vlgor, and Grandam Erric's
ample gingham apron sought her
| quickly filling eyes. Dear soft-hearted
old childreut the summer had como
back in part. bat dashed with clouds
and misgivings, They knew this flick
efing sunlit season must, from the un-
derlying fitness of events, prove but q
transient gladncss. No natural claim
was theirs; the child to them was but
n rosy accident, gift Of sorrow, whose
solace needs must prove ephemcral
Still, to them the dimpled waif was
not unlike some magic Hover, picked
up after storm in the gray winter OF
their lives, with power to make old
blood seem new. Their pleasure In tho
child was softened. too, and touched
with something like religious care,
since its well-lOved parent-piant and
| place were so mournfully wrecked and
lost. Up in the little chamber,as white
and clean as lime and soap could make
it, old Nora slept beside the
child; aud Jade doserting his couch
below with the first note of the lark,
would softly ascend the stairs and peep
at the two sleepers with their silver
heads upon one common pillow, and
slip chuckling down again into the
little kitchen and set the coflee-pot to
boil. then 60 out to dig about his few
rich acres In the dawn. Coming back
when the sun began TO look kindly
over the hills. and the house being
scented with the coffee's fragrant
steam, he would wake the sleepcrs II
not yet astir and the nights fast would
be broken cheerily. Much child-like
satisfaction too. the old gardener gave
himself in those soft indian-days Of
autumn, by carving many and most
indescribable wooden wonders for the
babbling babe with that pruning knife
of his, which for razor-like keenness Of
edge and general uncomeliness of out
line had perhaps no rival in that region.
Under one Of the six great apple-trees
that made the orchard, he would sit and
whittle by the hour. content to shape
these harmless baublcs. and watch the
child at play among the scented shaw
ings, tossing now and then n lazy word
and glance TO Grandam Eric, sitting
| just inside the open doorway in that an
| gular but easy seat, the well-sagged.
! splint-bOttomed chair. Very placidly
would Grandam Eric smoke upon
these mellow afternoons; her caps
| frill trimming her creased but pleasant
| face, her handkerchief crossed upon
her breast, and leaning forward In her
| lap with life's Indian summer mirrored
in her eyes, she looked the picture Of
contentcd peace. Something touching
| this would the aged whittier murmuT
IN his beard by times, the slight unc.
ton of these little rumbles being in
deed the chief conveyer of expression.
| For old Jade was chary of Inscriptions
of praise to things OF either earth or
| Heaven, and when most deeply stirred
by love or pride or satisfaction. as in
these furtive glances at old Nora, his
words were prone to quit his
| lips reluctantly. He had quiet
pleasure in her smoking, too,
which. since he affected to despiso
the comforting weed, it was his habit to
disguise. But few things gave him great.
er ease, in truth, or put him in more
| forbcaring humor with the world, than
the placid picture Of his dear old spouse,
as with great content she burned the
soft intoxicant
So the days went forward drcamily;
old Nora caring for the child with live
ly pleasure or smoking in benignani
quietude. and the ancient gardener
turning the fat autumnal vegetables
out of their lOamy beds, or under his
favorite fruit-tree whiting out wooden
toys of divers kinds and most unut.
terable shapes Ever and anon
these happy indolent hours would sut
fer an eclipse from the neyer-resting
Absalom. Scarce a day went by un.
hallowed Of his presence. Across the
meadows he would come upon the run,
with his ragged hat-rim tapping aud a
tuft or two of hair stickin z up through
before him for their lives. In at the
gateway he would enter. not
unlike small and sweating
tempest. race up and down the garden
walks and round the house and in at
the doorway. No human eye had ever
caught him motionless, or seen him
yet without his grimy knee pans being
visible, with other more OF less COM
promising wears and rents. At least II
such discovery had ever yet been made
the rare phenomenon had gone some.
how unrecorded. That he lay still
while sleeping was also problematical.
Those entitled to most credence had
been heard to say, indeed, that most Of
his hours of slumber were occupied in
turning hand-springs in his dreams, and
fighting of imaginary bears; and that
the dawn seldom found him save with
his head against the foOt-board Of his
bed, with quilts and blankets twisted in
ropes Of divers sizes aeross him Also
that he removed his scanty clothing ai
one ''rip" twas said, and dressed him
self again when he arose with almost
equal swifiness and was of. That his
ebulitiOns too were dispatched with
like celebrity and haste. the manner Of
their ministrations consisting alone in
dashing the hands together in the
water and smashing them in circle
round the face. and dabbing towel
once thereon. leaving a rather doubtful
photograph upon the linen.
Something was said, too. touching his
aptitude in appeasing hunger with ra-
pidity and indifference, and some one,
though not remembered Of what sex or