River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1891-12-24
THE ONEIDA COUNTESS.
True Story of a Frenchnian's Life
with the Indians.

y
1892, young man of good birth, fine
education and good address, who was
! glad to escape from Paris with his life
came to this country. lie was tail and
handsome, with the manners of an
aristocrat. Finding nothing to do for
| the physical labor of the docks was so
| much better done by the negroes that
| he could not stand the competition) he
/ finally gave up in despair; and while
| he had money for the few implements
needed, started for the Oneida county,
where he cut few sapiings and built
! himself a shelter from the weather
lie endeavored to support himself by
fishing, shooting and trapping but had
made little progress, when he was
stricken down with fever. His end
seemed coming. He was alone and
/ helpless, and, commenting himself to
the care of Heaven, he lay down to die
On the other side of the wood near
which he had built his hut, but hidden
entirely from his view, there lay an
Indian village. One afternoon, an In
dian girl. named Nanita, out berrying,
espied the hut of the stranger and
naturally peered into it. Hearing no
noise, and seeing no one, she finally
entered and found a handsome man
| lying prone, very pale and apparently
| dead Her woman's heart was touched
with pity. She saw, too, that, though
insensible, the man was still alive.
The young girl paused not to think
of his color Her fleet feet took her
back to her wigwam, whence she re-
/ turned with milk, rum and blanket
| With the latter she covered him, and,
| pouring a little rum down his throat,
she pillowed his head upon her lap
and sat still and watched him. Pres
emily he opened his fine eyes and gave
| her a dim, wandering, wondering look.
| But he was faint He saw, however,
! in the large. lustrous, black, deep-set
eyes of the squaw legibly written:
'Thou shalt not die forsaken, stranger. p"
! She signified to him as well as she
could that he mast sleep now, and that
| she would return after awhile and see
him.
In a couple of hours the Indian girl
returned to her patient with food and
medicines for the night She found
| him still very feeble, but much better;
| she made him eat and gave him TO
understand by eye and pantomime
that he must sleep, and she would see
/ him as early as possible the next morn
/ ing.
In the morning the Indian girl told
her mother about the stranger. At
first the squaw was suspicious, but she
went with her daughter to see the
stranger, when her heart warmed to
the young paleface; and, with true
womanly feeling, she busted herself
about the sick man. The women re-
moved him TO their own wigwam for
better nursing
Three weeks good nursing brought
him round, and he was a man again in
all but strength The patient endur.
ance of the count, with his quiet,
graceful manners, won the little com
munity, and all found pang ia their
h .arts at the mention of his depar-
ture
The old warrior, one morning. said:
stranger, the time has come when
you should no longer be stranger.
/ You have a name in your own country.
What is it?'
Arthur DE Lille. they call me in my
own country"
"Then. Arthur De Lille" said the
chief, stay with our people another
moon Hunt with us, fish with us, go
to our council fires. smoke with us, then
go back to your own country. OR, If
YOU like the red mans life and win
! east Your lot with US, we will adopt you
into sur tribe. You shall be my son:
YOU shall be a hunter and warrior.
Adopt our custom and our costumes,
and we will give you wife from our
tribe.
Nanita explained what he did not un-
derstand to DE Lille, who turning to
the chief, said
1T is well said 1t shall be so. !" and
offered his hand.
They smoked a pipe together, and
the understanding was complete.
Arthur DE Lille rapidly grew from
convalescence to robust health. lie
walked. wrestled and ran with the
young braves, his great height being
of much advantage to him. His educa-
ton in the school of the athletes and
n fencing and shooting in Paris now
/ became Of great service to him. With
returning health he developed great
| physical power; the Indians we're
proud of him, he was their equal i'm
most sports, their superior in many
things
! As the time approached for his de
cision, DE Lille went To the old war
/ r or and said
"De Lille wants to go into retreat
/ for three days to consider his decision.
! lie wants to be alone, to consider the
future, to consult the Great Spirit"
de Lille speaks wisely. 1t shall be
so. No one shall speak To thee, to ask
anything of thee for three days.
Ii was so ordered lie took his gun
and went To the top of a mountain.
and there considered his situation. lie
reviewed the civilized savages of
| France, destroying everything that was
good. Then he turned to the peaceful
civilization of the savages going on
around him and thought of what he
should lose, nay. had lost, in France;
then of the life of toll and labor before
/ him: then of its freedom-the Joyous,
wild life of the Indian.
He thought how he had been snatched
| from death at home; how he had suf-
| fered in New York and since; how now
by this Indian woman he had been
| brought from death TO life. and he
| looked up to the Great Spirit and
PRAYED: Direct me in all my doings
with Thy most gracious favor and fur
ther me with Thy continual help. ;"
| Then he laid down to rest and think.
| For three DAYS he continued the medi-
tations that were to fix life, and at
length rose from the ground rejoicing
in psalm of praise: II am an Indian, :"
| he said IL thank, Thee, Father, for
this revelation of Thy will.
The mind thus made up is fixed for
ever. and il was so with De Lille. He
now sought the accomplishment of his
/ purpose with avidity. on his way
home be spoke to every one he met
and meeting the old warrior he said:
IL am an Indian; embrace me-"
"Welcome, my son.
And the chief embraced him.
De Lille said that he was ready for
whatever ceremonies were necessary.
-'l'll settle il at the council of the
braves tonight" was the reply.
"You promised me wife" said De
Lille. Give me Nanita? One moon
from my adoption into the tribe I'll
take her"
MY son WE ,nust see what She saws