The St. Johns herald., 1890-10-23
LITTLE INDIAN GiRLS.
How They Pass Their Leisure Hours
 While Attending SchToL


 While Attending School
 One of the teachers in an Indian school sends to the Word Garner an ac- count Of tbo everyday life of her Indian pupils which the boys and girls will be glad to read:
 Their yard is g good one to play in. IL is q very large one, and has two groups of trees that make nice shade, two CT three swings, a toeteg-board and a little bridge over gully worn ont by the water. In the spring the ground is covered with flowers. There are violets and daudelons, the purple buffclo-bean, blue vetch, pink oxalis and others, and the children gather and give away many a pretty little bouquet without ever laavinr the yard. Tn one corner they have made Q cemetery for various little animals that have diad-a kitten, 8 chicken. sDarroW and two Or three more. Behind the wood-pile they have built of old boards two little houses, each large enough to hold several chil- dren. The houses have roofs to keep of the sun, and here, with blocks of wood for seats and broken dishes to set their table with, they play at keeping house.
 'sThe children often go to walk when there is an older person to go with them. One day last fall two of us teachers went with about twenty little girls. Some were close beside Us, and others were running ahead little way. Sud denly I discovered that those before us were nowhere to be seen. What has become of those children?' 1 asked. But a few steps forward explained the matter. They had thrown themselves flat upon the ground in some furrows made by running water, and were com pletely hidden by the side of the fur rows and the grass. In minute they were up again: they only did it for fun to surprise Us.
 'Wherevcr they go, they seem to find some plant that has part they can cat, and they greatly enjoy the berries or roots that they gather. Some of the fruits are really very nice. There are rooseberrics, blackbcrrics, grapes a d pluns in their season. Bat the children find something to browse upon at any time ill the year. Just now the chief dclicocy is the 'tipsinna,' CT Indian tuT- nip-a little white root, rather sweet and spicy-and the children sometimes go out expressly for the purpose of dig ginr these. They also eat tho bulb Of the oxalis, rosa-hips and sumac-borrie8. and these last stay on all winter, 50 hat even in January and February they tln.. something they like. One little girl even dug up a tuliP-bgIb ard 2so it. It is not because they are LUrHrT, either, but they have always been used to cat ing these thinr5 aGd they like them.
 "T5cy play with dolls ln the house. and among tho possession of tao twenty four rirls .here ere dolls s5 all materials, fror3 vax to rags. eomo Of the girls have made quite large and Sood-looling rag dolls: nearly alI are capable of mak- inc and dressing litCo ones. They make more than they need fer their own use, for they sometimes give their teachers litJle rag dolls as tokens of their love. They cut and make their dolls clothes very well. and dress them, as they themselves dress, in true Amer ican fashion.
 eBut sometimes tho loving rcmcm- brance of their homes will show itself in their play. One day I met halfa dozen or more little girls with their dolls ppon thcic backs supported by shawl, just as the Indian mothers carry thoir babies; and on another day saw Q little girl carving in the same way the great good-naturod black cat that belongs al tho Birds Nest Ditto, the cat, seemed perfectly contcnted. He had ono paw on each shoulder, just as @ child carried in that way would be likely toplacc its hands 1 think. however, that Ditto is acat of unusual patience, for l have seen him sleeping fit on is back in g dolls cradle with covcrlots tuchcdGoWr
 tightly over him.