The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1900-08-08
DAY OF JUDGMENT.
A Cherokee Passion Play. Separating
the Injun Sheep from the Goats.
CooKsoN, Ind. Ter,

July 81, 1900.
Editor Of Watchnlan and Journal Since
of the Cherokee treaty was
blocked by that wise old man from Colora-
do, Senator Stewart, politics have been
to the background in this country,
and green corn festivals, stamp dances,
camp meetings and fish-poisonings have
come to the front.
The Indians, particularly the full'bloods,
enter into these amusements with the zest
OF school boys, and the onlooker is highly
entertained. Dignity is cast to the winds
OF heaven by the participstors and ones
eastern ideas OF etiquette and decorum are
likely to receive shock; but then this is
the Indian country and there are no cast
iron rules of etiquette.
A few weeks since attended q full.blood
csmp-meeting. The preachers and almost
the entire congregation were full-bloods
and the services were conducted in Chero-
kee. The Indians are great on types and
ceremonials, and one OF the main features
of the meeting was spectacular represent
tstion of the Day of Judgment. We have
all heard much of the Passion Play as rem
dered by the Bavarian peasants of the ham
let Of Oberammergau, but / doubt If, for
realism, it surpssses the Day OF Judgment
O. given by Indian actors. The intense
earnestness manifested by the participants,
and the swed attention Of the congregation
relieved the drama even of the suspicion of
sacrilege, The play was given at night and
was weird and wondrously beautiful.
Heaven was represented by fairy bower
~ hra fbiolx1x, h.
vines, and through the interstices lights
twinkled and one caught glimpses of fairy
forms CARRIED as angels fitting to and fro.
Strains of sweetest music fioated out from
the bower and cast spell upon the listen
or, for a Cherokee string band and choir
were there concealed. just outside the
portal were three rustic chairs, decked in
flowers, and these were occupied by the
Almighty, his Son and the Virgin Mary.
Through a wicket above the gateway the
| benign features of st. Peter were discerni-
| BILE.
The place for the wicked was about fifty
yards distant at the head of ravne, and il
Heaven represented all that could be de-
sired of beauty, peace, rest and happiness,
the reverse was the case here. The walls
were thorn bushes, and dim fire was
family discernible, while dense clouds of
smoke hung heavy, like pail, above it.
Occasionally glimpses could be caught of
sgonized faces through the thick black
smoke, and wailings Of despair and shrieks,
as from agony unendurable, smote upon thu
ear. 1t was Dante's Inferno with bar
barrie setting. 1t was Millions hell, dark,
gloomy, sombre, unrelieved byl.a.ray
hope or glimmer of light. The imps who
acted as ushers to the Internal regions were
grotesquely CARRIED, and by some leger-
domain able to spit fire at will.
And now the judgment began. An Indi-
an approached the heavenly portal and
asked admittance. The Lord turned to St.
Peter and asked as to his earth record.
Several books, in appearance resembling
merchants ledgers, were produced. The
good saint opened one marked "Charity"
and read aloud: HE was generous to his
fellowmen." An approving smile crossed
the features Of the Judge. Another book
was opened. The applicants morals were
found to be good and his honesty unim-
peachable. Then st. Peter with a smile
and a captivating bow threw wide the por-
tai and he passed in to be welcomed by
the choir with burst Of joyous music. The
next applicant was big Injun, cattle
man. He approached the gate with an air
of supreme confidence. gave his name and
demanded admittance to the joys of Hea-
ven. st. Peter turned to his ledgers. His
record seemed to be A l.. He had been the
soul of generosity, he had contributed liber-
ally to the support of the church, his fam
ity record was without blemish and it SEEM
ed to the spectators that he was certainly
entitled to cushioned seat and ieweled
harp, but the gate keeper seemed undecd-
ed. He scratched his head for moment
then called to an attendant to bring the
stock book. Upon hearing this demand the
applicant lost his easy, confident air. With
out waiting for the reading OF his cattle
lifting record, or even for an escort, he sadly
turned to the other place, and the music
walled and sobbed a lament within the
walls of Heaven, while peals of fiendish
| laughter welcomed the advent OF another
lost soul into the darkness of the Inferno.
And so 1t went on, applicant succeeding
applicant, some passing the portal but the
majority being relegated to the kingdom of
| us CdtaDlC MAJESTY On INC iouRor Oue III
dian was charged with hog stealing After
consulting, the Judge decided to pass him
in, declaring, "Iniun get hungry. Injun
squaw hungry, too. Psppoose also very
much hungry. Iniun steal hog, kill him,
eat him-not much sin. White man go to
steal hog He take whole Drove No eat
him. He sell him. Heap much sin. He
burn heap much"
The trials continued during almost the
entire night. They grew monotonous to us
white folks after while, but to the Indian
they never lost interest. AS Cherokee Ia
not my forte, was forced to rely upon an
interpreter and fear have fallen far short
| Of the original.
attended fish-poisoning recently and
must describe it for you. But, as Rudyard
Kipling would say, THAT is another story"
ELLA LILLARD.