The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-12-24

going to waste her time in Sd trivial
pastime as conversation with stranger.
Some of the older girls were more voiu-
bly, inclined, but Hettis's sphlnx-l1ke
countenancs had more charm for me than
all OF the attention from the others. L
| learned that she was an orphan, WIN no
near relatives and that during the vach-
ton months, whom the school could
afford her no friendly home, she was at
t he tender mercy of anyone in the tribe
who cared to burden themselves with
her. But sho had % good, comfortable
home during the school year, as have ali
the children. 1t is almost like one com-
Portable family of Indians. Three differ
emit tribes were represented In the attend
ance Of this particular school and a
friendly harmony seemed to prevail
among them i'll place of the lively AMI
| mostly which is supposed to have always
teen an inevitable attribute of Indian
nature-that luminosity which has been
tue handspring Of all Indian treaohery
and warfare. But this harmony was, OF
course, an outgrowth of the teachings
they receive. The young Kiowas and
A paches play dolls together RS a.nica bly,
as though they were of one blood.
| 1t was evident in some cas- es that there
was a pronounced mixture of negro blood
with the Indian, but. this fact was always
a great detrimsnt to the looks CT the
child. Instead of improving the face by
| detraoting from the prominence Of the
cheek homes, it emphasized their appar-
ent height by fattening the nose and
| dulling the expression of the eyes. be-
sides imparting to the skin muddy sua-
aestion which is an infallible indication
Of mixed blood In fact, the "half-
| bTeeds' are not an improvement IN looks
on either the Indian or negro. They
seem to partake Of the poorer qualities
of each race and if they were Judged by
| their looks it would be apostolic to at
| tribute to them any OF the Spartan
bravery of their red ancestors. or the
| faithfulness of their darker forefathers.
The superintendent of the school gave me
several very interesting incidents in
proof of his theory that in no civilized
race is the love for their young greater
| than among the Indians, and tho great
est and most highly priced reward of
merit that the children can have Is per-
mission to visit their parents for day or
| two. The parents are usually camped
few miles from the school and as often
as they are allowed to do so will visit the
school and bring presents Of confec-
tionery and bright trinkets to their little
ones. In faut most OF the spare money
which they can save from the allowance
the Government makes them is spent in
| this way. Little Hettio was the only one
| in this school who had no one to remem-
| Der her in this way.
| The Indians seem to have made great
er progress in every way than in the rela-
tive positions Of the men and women of
the tribes. Women are still hello in low
esteem among them-the term "new
| woman" has never penetrated to their
native Businesses. But this may be all
| changed in time, for the refining influ-
ence of the schools is very pronounced
and the younger generations are learning
good breeding as well as arithmetic and
geography.
SNOW HOuK.