The record-union., 1899-10-29

1t is easy to demonstrate that man.
in his lowliest and humblest form, is
often found filled with a high sense
OF righteousness and with the instincts
OF goodness and virtue But recently
several marked instances came under
my personal notice emphasizing this
fact.
1t was midsummer, and I was resting
under the shade of a tree far up near
the lakes, pie entity an old Indian passed
along, and, prompted by curiosity, [ en-
gagged him in conversation. In his
broken English, he told a sad tale of
suffering and misery: how his old wife
was nearly blind and how both of them
had had very little to eat for several
days.
Why don't you find work and earn
some money, so you can buy something
to eat?" 1 asked
"Injun try hard: no can find work, -
he answered.
Ny sympathies We're aroused. and
felt strongly tempted to give him a
dole, but as an advocate of the doc
trlne that the highest form of charity is
to give work wherever possible, in order
to save the self-respect of the recipient
and to discourage beggary and pauper-
ism, L cudgeled my brain to think of
some sort of work to give him, whereby
ne could earn an honest dollar Pres
emily happy thought suggested itself,
and turning to the old man l asked:
Can you make bows and arrows?"
''Oh, yes" he answered; "Injun make
good bows and arrows"
Very WELL" / said You make me a
bow and arrow and I'll give you a
dollar
"Oh," he answered; "Injun make two
bows and arrows for dollar
'All right. You bring two bows and
arrows this afternoon, and you shall
have the dollar"
No can bring this afternoon" he
said. ''Injun must go woods, get
willow. Bring him tomorrow"
Tomorrow, thought I, the poor devia
and his wife, if they are as hungry as
he claims, may be dead from starya-
ton. The idea suggested itself that
here was chance to test the integrity
Of the untutored and unlettered Indian
Hold on" I said, as he started off,
'Tll pay you the dollar now. so that
you can buy bread, and tomorrow you
can bring me the bows and arrows"
You pay me half-dollar now," he
said, "and tomorrow Injun bring bow
and arrow; you pay other half-d dollar. -
Determined to make the test as COM
plete as possible, insisted upon his
taking the dollar, which he finally did,
and left saying:
Tomorrow, the sun where just now,
Injun bring bows and arrows
You'll never see that old codger
again." said a friend who had come
upon the scene and overheard the con-
versation. He looks upon you as a
good thing. and he's gone off to hunt
up some of his comrades, and before
sundown he will have lost your dollar
at poker
Imagine my friends surprise and my
increased faith in human nature when,
on the next day, almost to the very
minute, the old fellow came trudging
along with two excellent bows and ar
rows, which he handed over in the most
matter of fact way, little dreaming
how, in him, the integrity of the savage
was being put to the test, and how the
test was being watched by many stop
ping at the summer resort, who had
heard of the circumstance and were
looking forward for the outcome With
interest.
This old savage had no punishment to
fear had he done what my friend an
ticipated he would do, nor had he any
further hope of reward by keeping
faith. He was prompted evidently by
his innate sense of right and fairness,
and yet he was 50 untutored and un-
lettered that he could not tell his age
nor the age of his wife.
Yet another instance Of the innate
love implanted in the human heart by
the Maker: A squaw appeared on the
scene with her papoose strapped to her
back; soon she was surrounded by nu
merous guests from the summer hotel,
who asked her all sorts of questions,
and who, with curiosity, inspected the
babe. Presently one of the gentlemen,
for the edification of the others pres
ent, began to joke the old woman about
the papoose.
How much for the papoose?" he
asked
mo sell EN-" answered the squaw
rather Indignantly.
III give you all this silver for it."
he added, as he shook a handful of coin
under her nose.
mo sell 'em, she repeated; this tins
with some little temper.
I'm give you all this gold.''
He persisted, taking out a lot IF
glittering coins and rafting them be-
fore her.
You see him big tree she said.
pointing to one that reached far above
the tall hotel building. You pile 'em
gold higher than him big tree, no sell
'em papoose."
And yet. this poor child of nature
was likewise so untutored that she
could not give the age of her little one.
Still another instance was called TO
my attention the other day, illustrating
that love and virtue and a sense of
right are implanted in the heart of man
by Jehovah and that when man does
his duty only from fear of punishment.
it is because his heart has been pervert-
ed and is no longer in its natural con-
dition.
A human wreck had sunk so low in
the scale of society, that he kept him
self alive by feeding on the scraps
found in ash barrels. One day,
while searching for food, he found a
lady's purse containing sixteen dollars.
He promptly advertised his discovery
in one Of the daily papers and cheerful
ly returned the purse to the rightful
owner
What had this poor creature to fear
from keeping his discovery? What had
he tn bOna for ~