The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-10-02

COMING HOME WITH a FRIEND.
his son, who is attending the Indian
school at Carlisle, Pa, and shows so
much humanity, even in the bronzed
bosom of the stoical warrior, that there
can certainly be no harm in publish
ing it:
CHEROKEE STRIP, Aug. 90.
MY DEAR SON-We got your letter
last week regarding your naturalization
fee, but | could not answer till had
went to town and found out what it
was. That took time. and besides met
number of old friends who was with
me In the lato war when as you remem-
Der, tho Pawnees seeded from the
United States. We met in town and
passed the time of day, after which we
went to the drug store and opened a
bottle of pain killer, and was late get
ting home. Your mother says that You
must not overdo this matriculation bust
ness. as times here are not very plenty.
Ii had knew that education comes
so high, and had of been told about this
matrlculation business when was east
to see the White Father, would have
touched him for aid. He was very
kindly toward me and wished to know
what he could do for my people. 1 said
that we wished to know more of the
white mans religions, and which one of
them was tho best. We have made it IL
business, us you know. to ask the differ
ent White Fathers ut Washington this
question. SO that we might know, and
their answers have been different. One
White Father. when we asked him this
question. told us to 10 to :! So we
still grope in darkness.
note what you say regarding the
band. and trust that you shall learn
to play upon it If you can have n suit
able uniform and buy an urpheclydc.
You know how anxious am to see YOU
get an education, and that shall try to
keep you in funds if possible, but it wor-
ries me at first to do it because YOU
know what poor farmer l am. The
Indian. however. suffers. but he does
not weep. He can endure anguish, but
he disdalns to cry like woman. am
an aged homlock; SO is your mother
Possibly some day when you get edu-
Gated you may redeem your people. You
may BIO the Moses of our race. In tho
future you may get position in bank,
and then times with my people will not
be SO scarce rs they are now
want you to learn all the languages
and to spell the hardest word, as did
Bruno Demi-J ohnson, who went to the
Indian school at Haskell and is writin:
this letter for me. Learn also to respect
tho laws of the land in which you live
and how to turn u jack from the bottom
Of tho pack without ostentation.
shall try to meet your demands for
means to prosecute your studies to the
bitter end. have had no advantages
myself, but nature endowed me richly
with massive brain. and no man ever
outclassed me except your mother, and
that was when had my skates on, MS
you say at college, having been out the
night before brooding over the wrongs
of my people.
want you to become familiar with
the laws of your country, so that you can
keep out of Jail and not plead guilty, as
did in Kansas City once. not knowing
then that it was customary to plead not
guilty and then let the other side find
out whether you are SO or not.
If had my life to live over again
would get classicle education and keen
store i'll Kansas, dealing in drugs, paints,
oils. dyestuffs. toys, notions and stomach
bitters for mechanical purposes.
Try to study economy along with your
other branches, as hate to beef the old
COW before cold weather, and the calf is
too small to turn into money order vet.
Learn all the languages, as say, so
that you can talk as well with foreigner
from New York as you can with an
American.
Learn astronomy. 1 am most sixty
years of age and did not know till yes
terday that the sun is 92, 200, 900 of miles
from here. These things are pathetic
when you come to think about it. There
was no one near to tell me when was
Lad that it would take train of cars
1858 years TO go to the sun, even if there
was no accidents. was giddy young
thing and thought only Of the present.
To go fishing as soon as the law was up
was my delight, and to lead an outdoor
life was the thing that my physician
thought best for me at the time.
So did not know until recently that
1t took $4,000 years for the light of
star to reach the earth, and even then