Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1891-09-18


and children crouched there. We
heard the sounds Of the firing, the
shrieIls If the red iieud5, the cries and
groans Of the wounded. One moment
| cried: "Ralph.1 The next: Father
How long it lasted none OF rs could
ever tell; but there Nas silence at last,
and feet came over the iioor and down
the ladder to the cellar-my father,
with his head bound in a handkerchief,
but alivc-ahle To walk.
.'They had the worst Of it! They had
the worst of it this time.' he said, and
tainted in our arms.
And there weraothcr men who found
their women folk and clasped them to
their hearts. but my Ralph did not
come to rue. / knew he would not from
the first. | knew my doom was writ
ten when that cry: "1He Indians are
upon u.s." smote my ear.
Well, death had come 10 some, and
some were missing, carried off TO be
killed more barbarously, To he tortured
before they died. Ny Ralph was among
thesc-my Ralph. But many Indians
Law dead also, and they had been
bravely withstood, and had the worst
of it in numbers slain. rs my father
said All the village was in grief, for
we were like one great family, but
each mourns his own. mourned
Ralph-my Ralph. There was no hope
of mercy, as the day had gone. They
had left too many braves upon the
ground to spare their prisoners, and
yet it seemed to me, day by day, hour
by hour. for a long while, as though
Ralph might return. Not figure came
along the prairie or over the brow of
the hill but fancied it was he, until at
last despair seized upon me.
Oh, leave it TO those who have suf-
fered as | did to know what felt then.
As for others to whom such grief has
never come, they cannot understand.
God grant they never may. And while
our hearts break the years go on all
the while, and the skies are blue, and
the spring flowers bloom.
How many moons grew full and
waued? How many dark nights through
which | wept incessantly? How many
harvests were gathered? How many
times did young flowers spring up in
the young grass, and the winter come
with its SHOWS and sleet-storms?
Enough to make my elder sisters little
daughter seventeen years of age-she
was but ten on my wedding day-and
to bring her to her own marriage eve
There had been weddings, of course
but not in our own family, and had
been to none; but now | must go to
Annie's. The settlement was larger;
the safety greater. The men were
never without their guns. but they had
had 10 reason to use them for some
time. Did they know how the memo
ries trooped upon me all that time
when they were making little Annie's
wedding clothes and talking of her
happiness? Just so they talked of mine
seven years before-seven years before.
| had put Dn black dress and u
widows cap when | gave up all hope
that Ralph was living, and nothing
else seemed right for me to wear. My
heart within me was like Il lump of
lead, but | said nothing. Only, as
climbed the hill with the rest, said to
myself ''Ahl if they only came here.
following me in my coffin, with my
hands crossed upon my heart and that
heart at rest, beating no more, aching
no more--brolien, not breaking, at
lastr' And ever in my ears l heard the
words: ''Ralph is deadl Your Ralph
is deadr'
And could | be the same woman who
climbed the hill with my hand in his,
and my bride dress over my arm, and
the white rose in my bosom? So hap
py! So happy! Oh, so happy Could
it be Ia thing with lump OF lead for
while she lived? And Annie went on
before us on her bridegroom's arm,
just as | went on that past day, and
we followed her into the church. The
minister's daughters were mostly
grown, but there they were. There
was their mother, not as much altered
as they. There was the good parson
himself, with the great scar across his
check that he had worn since the day
he married me- Outside were the
graves of the men murdered on my
wedding day, and of one woman also
whom they found dead in her dead hus-
bands arms.
1t was only what thought of every
Sunday, after all, and the parson be-
gan his service, and the words were
said that made those twain one, and
we had gathered about the bride, when
suddenly the shadow of an Indian in
his blanket fell upon the wall behind
The low pulpit, and every head turned
An Indian stood there, his blanket
drawn across his face, but about him
he wore the tokens of peace and
friendly intention, and he made kind
ly gesture with his hand and knelt as
though in prayer, covering his face yet
more with his blanket.
But redskins are treacherous. The
men ran to the door, bat saw nothing
to alarm them. The brides color had
all gone AS for me, expected every
moment to hear the hideous war
whoop.
The men, each with his gun in his
hand, encircled the knceling Indian.
He arose then, and his eyes looked into
theirs.
II am alone" he said. mo one
comes with me; and come in love, not
in hate"
you do not speak like an Indian"
said my father.
II have lived with white men; have
learned their speech" replied the In
dian. Have no fear | swear there
is no treachery."
He speaks the truth" said my
father.
He held out his hand The Indian
grasped it.
Yet he was an Indian, and we had no
reason to do aught but hate his kind.
And now we were on our homeward
way, and fingered a little to shed
tear, and suddenly saw the Indian at
my side. His eyes only were visible
under his blanket.
You wear black clothes, squaw," he
said. "Whv do you not wear white and
blue and pink like the others?"
Because seven years ago the Indians
killed my husband, and am widow"
/ said.
But you are pretty" the man said
''Some other man should have made
you his wife"
''These are things not to be talked
Of" | said. ''Ah, how do | know but
you are one of his murderersw
He shook his head.
did you see the Indian who killed
him?" he asked.
answered him rudely and fercely.
''No-but you are all alike. They
bore him away to torture by fire and
poisoned arrows. Oh, my Ralphl my
Ralph! Kill me, also, if you like, but
do not talk to me! | loathe you alll''