Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-02-11

her personality. Her youth strikes most
people who see her for the first time.
Following the prevailing fashion among
the Cabinet women. Mrs. Smith wears
her light brownlsh hair brushed plainly
from her forehead. which Is very white
and high and broad. Her eyes are set
well apart, and have peculiar and fetch
INK twinkle once and awhile, for Mrs.
Smith is possessed OF a sense OF the droli,
although she Is an exceedingly earnest
young woman. Both Of these traits help
ed make the trip roundly interesting
THE SQUAWS CALL ON MRS. SMITH.
"Did | see any OF the Indian womenT
she said. repeating my question. Indeed,
l couldn't have helped II IL / had wanted
TO. for they made II their business TO see
us. But / should have been disappointed
n ] couldn't have cJme in contact with
them. for was desirous OF studying their
lives.
IL was accompanied by my mother and
two young nieces and every day while
Mr.. Smith went Off with the Indians we
women held a party at our car. The
squaws came riding over the prairies to 1t
in large parties. Sometimes they walked,
but most frequently rode. l remember
one quite young squaw that came along
side of the car. riding man-fashion. with
a DttIt DtDN slfdIItu btl ntl bcNhs VI
her lap was a second child a little older.
A third, trine bigger, clung to the
horses neck. and behind her, hanging on
for dear life, were pair.
"The squaws came out to inspect the
car which we made the trip In. They
were most amusing guests. Day arter
day we threw the car open and showed
them all its secrets. They tried every
thing around the car, and their expert
ments with some OF the modern con-
veniences were ingenious.
"They look the greatest interest, think,
in the sleeping arrangements. They al
ways insisted on seeing how the beds were
manipulated. and think the fame of those
beds must have travelled from one reser-
walton to another faster than we did. |
used TO have the porter let a bed down
and take the bed-clothes from their hiding
places. and the astonishment OF those
squaWs was something TO remember. III
those beds were made up at least hun
dred times besides at the regular hour
then IL wasn't the fault of the women.
They all agreed on a verdict that IL was
heap good tepee. and we heard that eX-
preston so often that we soon inclined TO
stop calling II car ourselves, and re-
christened 1t a Heap good tepee.
Serve refreshments? Indeed, we didn't l.
But we used 10 save all the candy and
cake and fruit and give IL TO the children
that besieged us.
Those women would sometimes ride
nine and ten miles to investigate the heap
good tepee. and it was as big an event as
the circus in a country town.
INTERRUPTS \ CARD-PARTY.
"Of course the people always knew be-
forehand that the party was coming. and
had arranged for our reception. This gave
them a chance TO prepare their tents. and
although we visited the families In their
own tepees continually, we didn't feel as
If we had seen them quite as they were
all the time.
"The secretary made up his mind to try
to see some Of them unannounced, and one
day while we were at Custer reservation,
think IL was. he saw a tepee alone out
on the prairie. No one seemed TO be
moving around 1t. He got out the car
riage when we were within a mile Of it,
and telling the rest OF the party to re-
main where they were he took me with
him, and we started for the tepee. We
were rather excited over Il. as 1t was our
first chance to make such move.
when we reached the tepee there was
still no sound Mr. Smith quietly lifted
the flap of the tent The sight that met oui
eyes would have enraptured an artist.
The floor was pounded earth. There were
dried strips OF meat and herbs hanging
from the poles, a few tin pans. ana an
iron kettle, and in one corner the usual
batch OF cats and kittens, without which
no Indian tepee seemed fully furnished.
But the. occupants Of the tepee sat un-
mindful while we took II in. II would
have taken an earthquake or something
louder than our footsteps on the grass
TO have moved them Four old squaws
sat cross-lesged on the floor with tneir
long hair streaming around their
shoulders. The quartette were absorbed in
a game of cards, poker We concluded, anu
In the centre was another woman whose
head was wrapped up In handkerchief.
We stood there for several minutes, but
not one OF the old squaws saw US.
CARDS DISAPPEAR.
"Mr. Smith finally said, Playing cards.
The old woman looked up, and, Indeed,
Wa almost believed Mr. Smith had told
lie, for the four made a motion quicker
than any prestldlgitateur could snap his
fingers. and there wasn't card In sight
The four old women swore by all that
was good and worth swearing. by that
they had not been playing cards that
they hadn't any cards, and that they had
never even. believe, seen card. And
we couldn't discover trace Of those
Cares, although we were In the tepee some
little while. I still wonder sometimes
where those women managed to put those
cards In that ohain-lIghtning manner.
I'VE found out THAI the wouAan with
the handkerchief bound around her head
was Just widowed and hadn't combed her
hair In consequeuco for ~ week The
four squsws were playing cayds b con-
| sole and anuee ner, and dtg$Spoe ~