The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1888-11-21
Canadian Indians at Home.

The inmates Of this fniiian home were
the strangess part Or the scene. TIE tidy
women we're sqnatting on the foor. s,me
cros-iergea ike Turks. others Sitting On
one foot As cushion. their toes tusnci
inward under tbe1s. -en their knees and
heels They were quite ereci. yet easy
in their attitudes. a. comfortable as we
are upon iuxurions furniture.
One Of them changed her dress By de-
tachments at my elbow The men were
waiting for dinner one slept curled up
in heap near the vail another sat faf
on the floor by his wife ard the other
Two lay stretched across the opposite end
Of the lodge. The children showed a re-
markabie capacity fer slowing themselves
away il grotesque shapes ia nooks aud
corners. whence they Stared n me with
black. bead-tks eyes AZ expfessioniess as
those Of animals Meanwhile the people
kept up a general conversation IN their
own tongue their voices were low. even
in laughter. and expressive % kind and
conaderafe nature You notice a good
deal Of abruptness in their talk bur THIS
is cue % their Language, in which you
hear mznv inariieulate Erunts. short,
bruslue infections = and long. disiointed,
unmelodious words. Bot when they talk
French. which most Of them understand.
their speech is quite agreeable. 7 tried
in macy ways % engage the slnaws IN
conversation in this tongue. but they
turned 70 me deaf ear. o. else their hus-
hands. It seems that the missionaries
advise the tribe 70 have but little inter
course with whites, they win oteu pre-
tend not to understand you. or VIII grant
your request without replying TO your
speech.
The diHner, meanwhile hal been pre-
pared by one of the sIuaws. She 81 out a
number Of plates on she door, and Louis
invited me to eat Of their stewed ducks.
accordingly settled from the chest where
sat 10 the floor Only the men come 10
the meal. for It Is custom among them
70 serve .he men first, the women. having
Iess exposure and travel toendure iu win
ter. consider their needs as secondary.
They viii absolutely fast when provisions
are scarce. And yet. notwithstanding
their extra noarishmenf. IN times Of star
walton the men always succunlb first. We
helped ourselves from the kettle and
when We had finished, two Of the men
rolled up into heaps and went 20 sleep
The women. children and dogs then gath
cred about the dishes. EIch one had an
attendant dog ai her elbow. ready forany
emergency. The meal was social and
pleasant, with good natured taking and
manners quite deferential Bat tn dogs
we're an aggressive element They wers
eager and nnscrupulous. If a hand re-
manned too long awav from the plate
dog captured the contents. Novand then
a yelp. or a cresceudo Of ire or the word
~ahwis.r broke the calmness Of the c1n-
versation. The dog of the pretfiesi maid
en- kept advancing his nose forward her
plate, and she Kept pounding his bead
with her spoon till he concluded % re-
treat Another cur sat very quietly f1r
some time beside a child. but at last be
rose in open rebellion. Il rushed to the
plate. The child screamed. spoons -four
ished in the air, and screams resounded 3
aud finally the dog settled back 0n his
launches with a revengefui smart When
the women bad finished their meal they
sat still and let the dogs struggle over
their laps, and take possession Of the en-
tire culinary department. Aher setting
things TO rights the women resumed their
sewing on the floor, and left them chat
ting away the afiern0nn, more happily
than our careworn h0usekeepers in their
palaces Of taste and educated diseonient.
&c. II. FARNHAM in Hupsrs Mlg1-ng