The Black range. (Robinson, Socorro County, N.M.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-23
LiIIIE INOiAN 1IaLS.
How They Psss Their Leisure Hours
While Attending school

Whne Attending school
One Of the teachers in an Indian
school sends TO the Word Garner an ac-
count Of the everyday life of her Indian
pupils which the boys and girls will be
glad to read:
Their yard is good one to play in.
1t is . very large one, and has two
groups Of trees that make nice shade,
two or three swings, teetep-board and
a little bridge over gully worn out by
the water. In the spring the ground is
covered with flowers. There are violets
and dandelions, the purple buffalo-bean,
blue vetch, pink oxalis and others, and
the children gather and give away many
pretty little bouquet without ever
leaving the yard. In one corner they
have made cemetery for various little
animals that have died-a kitten, a
chicken, a sparrow and two or three
more. Behind the wood-pile they have
built of old boards two little houses,
each large enough to hold several chill
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.
"The 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 l discovered that those before US
we're nowhere to be seen. What has
become OF those children?' l asked.
But few steps forward explained the
matter. They had thrown themselves
flat upon the ground in some burrows
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.
Wherever they go, they seem to find
some plant that has part they can eat,
and they greatly enjoy the berries or
roots that they gather. Some of the
fruits are really very nice. There are
gooseberries, blackberries, grapes and
plums in their season. But the children
find something to browse upon at any
time in the year. Just now the chief
delicacy is the 'tipsinna,' or Indian tur-
nip-a little white root, rather sweet
and spicy-and the children sometimes
go out expressly for the purpose of dig
ging these. They also eat the bulb of
the oxalis, rose-hips and sumac-berries,
and these last stay on all winter, so that
even in January and February they find
something they like. One little girl
even dug up a tulip-bulb and ate it. 1t
is not because they are hungry, either,
but they have always been used to eat
ing these things and they like them.
'They play with dolls in the house,
and among the possessions Of the twenty
four girls there are dolls of all materials,
from wax to rags. Some of the girls
have made quite large and good-looking
rag dolls; nearly all are capable of max
ing and dressing little ones. They
make more than they need for their own
use, for they sometimes give their
teachers little rag dolls as tokens Of
/ OllOAA AONO' AhOJ Ouu 0Ad LAdhO OhCAL
dolls clothes verr -'"ll and '"""n thom.
as they themselves uress, III Jrue Amer
lean fashion.
"But sometimes the loving remem-
brance Of their homes will show itself in
their play. One day met half a dozen
or more little girls with the ir dolls upon
their backs supported by shawl, just
as the Indian mothers carry their babies;
and on another day saw little girl
carrying in the same way the great
good-natured black cat that belongs at
the Birds Nest. Ditto, the cat, seemed
perfectly contented. He had one paw
on each shoulder, just as child carried
in that way would be likely to place its
hands, think, however, that Ditto is
cat Of unusual patience, for have
seen him sleeping fat on his back in a
dolls cradle with coverlets tucked down
tightly over him."