New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-12-29
INDIANS HOME LETTERS.
QUAINT MISSIvES FROM CARLISLE bAh'
RACKS

Carlisle Penn Dec 20 (specaD.-The indian chiiuIcr
NJ Carlisle Barracks write "home letters" once no,'
An extra mailbag IS required 70 hoio 'nen o., n,c
90 without stamps. The envelopes arc ma'N," - ,
ing TO the Interior Department, ana UhcIe "a"
no e,tra stamn Nv this seeming Partially To his Tea
children he preparing them TO bring MN III US
nue. by and by. The 'home letters are iul VI puS1 r
nithy savings These Indians have only beeh !" S'n
little WHILE they have not been taught
from habyhood rs white children taught Inc COIL
strrcton Of sentences is crude, almost unlntei"s'Oo
times, yet the penmanshp Is admirable lhu'a'' -
rally artistic and this talent Is eVlnced III ''' 7
raphy. 49,.
nv necia pe,mssion had access to few Of the letters
recently. vein OF happiness ran through theni al
Thanksgiving, with It's turkey ana pies anu soo1 -,
in for due attention. Nobody seeheu ui'c
There anticipation Of Christmas coming Ono ~
note the likeness 10 'white folks" in sly hints az houF
gifts expect shall get nice present TOT Chris'"
What do you want me 20 get for your V"o s'
asked his home folks, away on in Wisconsin, "ha' Nv
should send them Christmas present lie eViueh'N
his mind their wants, and what tney nos'
needed. Suddenly he hit the right thing. He wrote
that he 'would send them COW, II only ne couiu R' %
hornes In a letter" He and his people kne" tha1 inc
and her 'hornes" would never in an eh'eppc p'
mall but what almost good the right thought was
expressed and sent Another wrote that II shah DC
ready to go home soon with much thankful III my
mind" But the child leaves in doubt as to whether
It is the getting from Carlisle that makes the tha'
ful in his mnd' or the going home part OF It,
One pupils writes "Our best cousin IL well ana
happy beautiful bird flying around in the sky" An
other boy writes about his having been detailed 70 WASH
dishes in the boys kitchen. He called from his
pleasant room do this dlsagreeable Of all WORK
But he equal TO the occasion Finding some other
boys there he began to fish fun OF the dish water
He does complain Of the situation but writes that
II think is socabe." Another writes, II have
been consummate well since I have been here"
There is Indian girl poet at Carlisle She has been
here only short time and hardly speak English
She has not read Browning Tennyson. But she Is
poet If she had taken her pencil and sat down
after the manner Of a white schoolgirl determined to
write poetry die Only she stopped just before she
got to the rhyme. She writing letter to her
mother all about soclabe in the old chapel how the
boys and girls spent the evening together danced
and were polite another how the candy
and how pretty "wclcOme," wrought evergreen.
When she got ready home the door suddenly opened
and revealed outside TO he "gayheaded" Such
at least was her unsuded description OF IL. There had
been slight fall Of in the evening Just enough TO
leave white tips the grass blades. Tho girl did not
say that the ground all white. for IL But
there was just about much white expects
in the hair OF person whom age is only beginning
steal.