New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1901-12-22
TALES OF NEW-ROCHELLE.
LEGENDS OF THE FRENCH HUGUENOT
SETTLERS-INDIAN RAIDS AND
REVOLUTIONARY FROMCS.

nan and women who figure In them were not
narrow minded English, or stolid, easygoing
r,,,tch but kind hearted. polite, liberal French.
More than that. they were Huguenots who loved
,bef- country well, but religion more than coun-
- and when they could no longer practice the
80 they left the other. With many signs and
longing looks behind them, they sailed to the
,,ae+ in the year 1850. and fair winds brought
.bern 10 a fairer land, which they called New
pocbeIle in remembrance of La Rochelle the
.ovn which had sheltered the few faithful who
ESCAPED from the massacre OF St. Bartholomew
Day,
Sailing Up the Sound. they came TO Beaufort
Print which is the extreme eastern end Of
nayenpo-t's Neck. the rocky shores of which
--oiect IN one place TO form a natural
rharf On this rock they landed and their
t.-r1n o. thanksgiving and praise sounded from
shore 10 shore. They built low houses near the
bo-e and marked out little farms. which they
fenced realty later on. They were free. and
s,,a others freedom TO worship as best pleased
them.
They were not altogether happy, though, and
they never overcame a, dreary longing for their
br,the and merry homeland Tradition tells OF
ara moor Frenchman who went every morning
inst after sunrise to the rock on which they had
landed and with his arms stretched forth in
.hA direction in which he thought lay his be-
France. sang the verses or q t1CgOSNol
bvmn Of sorrow Then he would return 10 his
farm and take up his daily tasks with cheer
fuIness which comes to those who suffer ac-
count OF their religion. He kept up his morning
devotional until he died q very old man. Until
6 few years ago this landing place. almost as
,nportant as the famous New-England rock
where landed the Pilgrim Fathers was I'M
marked Now there is a suitable monument
and the place OF landing is part Of a public
park
IN Rochelle one may still find several of
the houses built in the early days, their pc
runar French architecture standing out in vivid
contrast with the modern houses which SUR
-ouud them. Several direct descendants Of the
original Huguenot pioneers are scattered about
the town and they have preserved with more
or less detail the legends Of their fathers. One
Of the oldest Of these is q tragedy Of the love
of an Indian brave for q beautiful Huguenot
maiden. II can best De Tetold perhaps as chron-
.cled years ago by Thomas Towndrow, who
served The Tribune for more than half
century.
Thirty years or more had passed since the
landing Of the refugees, and a beautiful village
had been built about the neck It was Sunday.
and most Of the villagers had departed before
sunrise on their long tramp 20 Manhattan. where
they attended the French church. LEglise du
St Esprit, which stood in what is to-day known
as Pine-st. There were few people moving about
and tall Indian standing silent and alone on
the stone bridge at one edge Of the settlement
attracted no attention. He was SerTingo, a
friendly chief and he had been seen IN New
Rochelle before.
After time the door Of a house a little up the
road opened. and girl OF eighteen stepped out.
She came toward the Indian with her eyes cast
down, like one endeavoring TO collect her scat
tered thoughts for an emergency she was COM
PEELED 1eet--she gown of red cloth.
with q long waist and open at the neck Her
complexion was pure olive, her hair as black as
any one saw. and her eyes matched the
color. even to the long dark lashes. The Indian
was handsome, for Indian, youthful and
strong.
ut is good. You have come" said the man Of
The wilderness. advancing 10 meet her
Yes Serringo, 1 am come" said the maiden
.n French but 10 what purpose? Three times
has the full moon mirrored itself in yon waters
since I told thee that sorrow to US both would
result from thy visits TO the wigwams Of the
Christian
Marie, your words are true as the arrow OF
Tamago. that goes straight to the mark; but
they are as sharp as the Ratchet Of the Michigan
when he rushes or the sleeping foe at midnight.
Three moons have thought upon your words
til nv heart became parched and dry, and then
the shade OF my father came to my tent in the
darkness, when the stars were hidden by thick
clouds, and said: 'Serringo. seek the pale face
once more A"
Before replying Marie looked at the Indian
before her and she sighed as she said: I have
6 father, too, an old man. whose heart is bound
up in his daughter. If you have obeyed your
father shall not also obey miner
The Indian quickly caught at her words
Does the daughter Of the pale face obey only
her father when she bids me seek woman OF
ny own tribe?'
The rich. red blood nantled both her neck and
forehead. You dwell in the wilderness, Ser
ringo." she said Your ways are not like our
WAYS. and the God Of my fathers has never au-
thorized the rites which your religion pre-
scribes See you not the inequality of our state
and Why the union never be?"
You stand upon the ground, and see no fur
ther than yonder oak which looks down from
the hill upou your fathers roof; but the Great
Spirit IS higher tnan the sun, and he sees the
hunting ground of the redskin as We'll as the
little speck which the pale faces have taken Tor
their own He sees Serringo when ne kneels
upon the banks Of the Hicktawane as plainly
as the white man praying from his books he
reads the heart OF Serringo and mas seen ms
love FOR Marie. and says that II Is good he
can read in the heart Of the daughter OF the
pale face, too
Full minutes passed before the girl answered
his pleading Then she sighed. which should
have told the Indian that his hope OF arousing
her love was not entirely in vain. and SAID:
Whatever may be the truth, Serrlngo. ciTcuIn-
Stances are against US Every morning ny
parents look toward the dark and boundIess sea
which separates them from their loved home.
1helr feet upon these rocks, but their hearts
are in the vineyards Of France. Ne only-their
oaughter-can they look upon with pleasure. I
an all that is left TO them of their former es-
tate, and were to wed contrary 10 their wishes
the sun would darker before their aged eyes
=. The arrows of Serringo are sharp replied
fEr IL