Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-12-24

/ meU1dL6IK. taxing HON his pUCkeL
pretty bauble, he handed il TO the child,
and as quick as a fash went out of the
house, across a field, and disappeared
amid the thick underbrush of the wood.
! Little Patience was delighted with the
new plaything, and showed il with great
| glee to Ruth when she returned, and to the
| folks as they came back from meeting. 1t
was curious string Of large, bright col
ored bead, and soue peculiarly shaped
stones and odd toys. Until Patience was
quite girl she played much with these
| baubes, and, as she was the youngest
child, her mother put them away for her
with other of her childhood treasures
which she though. her daughter would
! like to keep.
When Patience was thirty years of age,
a handsome young farmer, the son Of one
of her fathers boyhood friends, won her
heart and her band. Soon after their
marriage they, with quite a number Of
young married people from that and an
! adjoining town, emigrated with all their
| household goods, to western New York,
which they then termed the wilderness s,
where they settled on fine farms in the
vicinity of the Oneida and the Onondaga
tribes Of Indians. The nearest town to
which they went to buy provisions and to
sell the products of their farms was twelve
miles distant,
For some time this group of friends lived
alone without any disturbance from the
red men, on their fertile firms which
joined each other Little children were
born to them, and the grandparents cane
| out from New England to see their chill
dren and their grandchildren in the new
| western homes, travelling by slow stages
over the post-roads through these unknown
regions. One day during Eer mother s
visit, Mrs. Brewster,-for that was now
the name Of Patience Robinson, brought
out from an old trunk, the pretty gift she
had kept all these years, and gave it to
her little boy, now two years old, to play
with.
When the grandmother saw it, it
brought to her mind many of her expert
ences with the Indians about Plymouth,
which were thrilling still although more
than twice-told tales.
A few days thereafter a circumstance
occurred which caused the whole family.
and their neighbors as well to feel that
the tre5 surfing Of those Indian baubles and
bringing them out for the baby boy just
at that time was truly providential.
A recent transaction between the set
tiers and the Indians Tad not pleased the
tribe; and to show their displsasure they
han determined to make depredations up
on the colony. It is we'll known char
acteristic Of the Indians that they never
forget an injury, nor, on the other hand,
do they ever forget kindness.
One morning, when the men were on
in the fields at work, FIVE fierce, looking
Indians rushed into Mrs. Brewster's
house, and with their heads Enthusiastically
decorated with grey feathers, their faces
painted in startling colors, and with tom
ahawaks In their hands, seemed ready to
make away with everything valuable in
the house and to kill the occupants. The
little baby, William. sat on the floor, his
piaythings about him, the pretty Indians
baubles among them.
Mrs Brewster, as soon as the Indians
appeared started for the pantery, thinking
that if she brought them some good
things. she could appease their wrath, and
they might leave the house without doing
anything cruel.
She had learned, no doubt, how much
the condition Of the stomach has to do
with the mental state of many people,
particular y, perhaps, of men, and she
knew from her own experience, and from
that of her parents, that such kindly offers
had oftentimes warded off apprehended
bouble.
But as she came back into the kitchen,
she was surprised indeed to notice the
change in the attitude Of the savages,
and in the expression Of their faces as
well. One of them, who seemed the
leader, stood near the baby, pointing to-
wrrd the trinket which he held in his hand,
while the others stood mutely around him.
no longer with their tomahawks aloft, but
carried low at their sides, listening in
tently to a few words uttered quickly in
the Indian dialect. The savage expression
of their countenaDces hau changed TO
friendly looks, and with kindly gestures
they declined the edibles which Mrs.
Brewster offered
This sudden change was an enigma to
Mrs. Brewster. What it all meant she
could not underst and. Intelligent chances
were exchanged between the men, and in
few moments they all disappeared.
BEFORE the day was gone one of them
returned bringing with him haunch of
venison, which he presented to Mrs.
Brewster. That evening one of the gen
tlemen of the colony came to sit a while,
| and learning OF the event OF the morning,
and heari' Mrs. Brewster's Statement:
that she believed the Indian trinkets
which her baby was holding in his hands
had something to do with the sudden and
otherwise unaccountable change 10 the at
titude of all the men, told her be would
make some inquiries through friendly
Indian
He did so, and shortly afterward re
ported an interview with this Indian, who
said that the trinket he described was con-
sidered peculiar charm which by every
Indian was recognize. as sign that the
person holding it, or or some Of those re-
lated to him, had, at some time, shown a
kindness to an Indian, which every other
Indian, no matter from what tribe, was
bound to respect.
So the little child, who, away back in
Massachusetts, had been blamed for the
unbolting the door, and allowing the i'm
prisoned Indian to escape, received the
bauble as a token of gratitude, which,
more than twenty years thereafter, and in
a distant part of the country, considered at
that time, 'the far west" had saved her
children, herself, and her frieuds from
great trouble. possibly from horrible
cruelties or from death.-Standard.
| x LING SEALS.