The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-03-10

Outstanding the heather would seem
from his own account to have been the
moving impulse to his soul. for he re-
f1ected upon the question whether it was
not his solemn duty TO marry and convert
this heather creature Pocahontas."
Married to ROIfe.
As the historian relates What most
touched and decided him was her desire
to be taught and instructed in the knowl-
edge of God her capabilities of under.
standing, her aptness and willingness 10
receive any good impression, and also "the
spiritual beside her own indictments stir
ring me up thereto" and so. according
TO the true poetic justice of romance, az
the age of IS the lovely Indian maiden
was married to John Rolfe in the old
chureh at jamestown, and she was given
the Christian name of Rebecca
Three. years later. Rolfe carried his bride
to London, where she was treated as the
daughter of King and where her arrival
created a great sensation. In her native
forests she had dressed in doeskin, lined
with down from the wood pigeons breast;
anklets and bracelets of coral were her
adornments, with a white plume, the
badge of royalty floating over her hair.
Now she shone in all the splendors of
court apparel
She was the first lady of the new world
to appear in the home country. She was
presented at court by Lady Delaware and
most gracously used" by the King ard
queen The Bishop of London delighted
at her conversion to Christianity. gave a
great entertainment in her honor and for
tlne Pocahontas was all the fashion in
the orlinant revels of the great metropolis
She died suddenly at Gravesend in
March 1917, at the age of %. when about
to return 20 Virginia, making, as we are
told' a godly end and being buried in
the parish church, where her name was
carelessly registered as Rebecca Wrothe
The church was afterward burned and
IN its ashes disappeared the earthly relics
of Foeahontas
Descendants of the Princess.
From her marriage with John Rolfe
was born one son, Thomas RoIfe who
was brought up in London, but he came
to Virginia, and was known as Lieut.
Rolfe, commanding Fort James. on the
Chickahominy. He married a young lady
in England, whom he brought to the New
World, and there he became a gentleman
of note and fortune
Inc only daughter of Lieut.. Rolfe was
married to Col. Robert Boiling, of a fam
lily widely connected and much respected
in Virginia. AS Smith says in his history.
This remnant Of the imperial family of
Virginia, which long ran in a single per-
SShAs 10 hOW INCREASED ana DfanCle0 out
into a very numerous progeny"
Among the descendants of Pocahontas
was that rare genius, John Randolph of
Roanoke, once a representative in Con-
gresS senator in this body and the min
ister of the United States at the court of
Russia. l note Mr.. President, that a
morning journal, In the notice of the pre-
sentation of this picture, accords to me
descent from the Indian princess but no
such honor is mine.
The character and the worthy services
of Pocahontas are fully attested. and
were appreciated and cherished by the
colonists They were much touched bv
the love of Pocahontas," who ever once
In four or five days brought food which
saved many of their lives that else for all
this had starved of hunger" and they
called her the dear and blessed Poca-
hontas." Capt John Smith said of her:
LAS for features, countenance and ex-
preston, she much exceeded any of the
rest" and in his letter presenting and
commencing her TO Queen Anne he declar-
ed that
During the time of two or three years
she, next under God was still the instru-.
ment to preserve this colony from death.
famine and utter confusion. which IF in
those days had once been dissolved, Vir
ginia might have been as 1t was at our
first arrival to this day."
A Guardian Spirit.
Upon slender threads often hang the
momentous events of history. John Fiske.
the historian, in his book Virginia and
Her Neighbors," speaks of Pocahontas as
zone of the noblest and loveliest char
acters In American history" and asserts
that "the rescue of Smith by her was
an event of real historic importance.
Without it the subsequent relations of
the Indians and the English colonsts be-
came incomprehensible." And he adds
the significant words that but for her
friendly service on more than one occa-
sion the tiny settlement would probably
have perished."
The charm of romance win ever hang
over the story of Pocahontas, and that
flower of the wilderness will ever shed its
brightness and fragrance over the rude,
somber and cruel scenes of our peoples
earliest struggles to get foothold I'm the
land whose inhabitants are now as the
stars of heaven, the leaves of the trees
and the sands of the sea. But far beyond
this, it should not be forgotten that she
was indeed the guardian spirit of the
great frontier captain, John Smith, and
his feeble company; and who knows but
for her what had been the New Worlds
destiny?
1t is meet that her portrait should hang
acter and her pious deeds. and the myr-
lads that gaze upon it, wondering whence
came the gentle spirit that dwelt In the
savage breast, Will be minded also that
all men are brethren, and that even in
dark shadows Of the forest primeval there
may shine a light from heaven, and be
found, or find at least
A spark of that immortal fire
BY angels shared, by Allah given,
To lift from earth our low desire.
1 present this portrait to the Senate, Mr..
President, in the name of Mr.. Henry S.
Welcome, American citizen residing
near London.
Mrs. McCumber, wife of the senator
elect from South Dakota, was formerly
resident of Fargo, where she was en-
ployed as assistant manager of the West
ern Union Telegraph office. While still
no