Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1888-11-24
Canadian Indians Mt Home,

The inmates of this Indian home
were the strangest pant of the scene.
The tidy women were sluatbing Oh tbG
floor, some cross-legged like Turks,
others sitting on one foot as cushion,
or on their toes tuxned inward unda'
them, or on their knees and heels.
They were quite eject yet easy, III
these attitudes, as comfortable as We
are upon luxurious furniture.
One Of them changed her dress hy
detachmcnts at my elbow. The men
were waiting for dinher; one slept
curled up in n heap near the wall an
other sat fiat on the floor by his wife;
and the other two lay stretched across
the opposite end of the lodge. III
childrt :, showed a remarkable capacity
for slowing themselves away in gro
tesque shapes in hooks and corners,
whence they stared at me with back
bead-like eyes as cXprassionless us
those of animals Meanwhile the Ieo-
pie kept up general conversation il
their own tungtle: theirvoiccs were low,
even in laughter, and expressive Of
kind and consilerata nature. lou No.
tice good deal of alruptness in tn ir
LUX. bllu llll6 Is tlt u } tIltiI it!iS 'uSt
in which YOU hear many nart,culat2
grunts, short, hrusque infections, and
long, disioihtcd. unmcledious words.
But when they talk Ftench, which the
most of them undcrst and, their speech
is quite agreeable. | tried in mant
ways to engage the squaws in convcr.
sation in this tongue, but they turned
to me deaf ear, CT else their husbands.
1t seems that the missionaries advise
the tribe to have hut little int rco,lrse
with whites: they will oftan pretend
not to understand YOU, OF will grant
your request without replying to your
speech.
The dinner meanwhile had been pre-
pared by one OF the s0uawa. She set
number of plates on the floor, and
Louis invited me to eat Of their stcwcd
ducks / accordingly settled from the
chest where ! sat to the floor. Only
the men came to the meal; for it is n
custom among them to serve the men
first; the women, having less exposure
to endure in winter, consider their
needs as secondary; they will absolutely
fast when provisions are scarce. And
yet, notwithstanding thrir extra nour-
ishment, in times OF StarvAtil II the men
always succumb first. We helped our.
selves from the kettle; and when we
had finished two of the men rolled up
into heaps and went to sleep. The
women, children, and dogs then gath
cred about the dishes. Lach one had
an attendant dog at her elbow, +, ady
for any emergency. The meal WAS
social and pleasant, with Sood-natured
talking, and manners quite defcrenti&l.
But the dogs We're an afgr. s3lve cle-
ment. They We're elgcr and unscrU-
pulous ifa hand I manned too long away
from the plate dog captured the con
tents. Now and then a yelp, CT crc5-
cendo of lie on the word "ahwis," broke
the calmness of the conversation. The
dog of the pretties. ma'Hen kept alyanc-
ing his nose toward her plate, and she
kept pounding his head with her spoon
till he conclud ID to retreat. Another
cur sat very quietly for some tine
beside child but at last he rose in
open REBELLION, | rushed to the plate.
The child screamed, spoons tlouished
i'll the air, and screams resoundtd: and
finally the dog settled back on his
haTnch s. with rcvengeful sn0ri. When
the women had finished their meal they
sat still and let tn dogs strlggln over
their laps, anl take possession of the
entire culinary department. After SCI.
ting things to rights Tie women re-
sumcd their sewing on the floor, and
left them chatting away the afternoon,
more happily than many of our care
worn house-keepars in their palaces OF
taste and educated disco 4tent.-C. H.
FHmhdn', IN Hnrpcr'S Mayd:ipe