The independent., 1903-06-11
SHE AND |
a Heart to Heart Talk with Old Readers,
Especially Those In Nebraska

bleeding heart to reply to those who
have sent their sympathy in this
hour of supreme trial Only those
who came to these plains when they
were uninhabited and built homes
upon the prairies can understand how
hearts can be bound up in home
which they have made with their
own hands, or the feelings of an old
man when he realizes that he no
longer has a home. A home is not
the land, the houses or the trees, how
ever beautiful and conveniently ar
ranged. 1t is the association OF loving
hearts of those who abide therein.
From Mrs. Tibbles' diary of July s.
1882, l quote the following:
.I have been married nearly year.
1t does not seem possible. was mar
ried to Mr.. Tibbles o4l the 23d OF Jniy
last. Mr.. Tibbles, his two daughters
and l have been living here in a tent
on our claim of one hundred and six
ty acres. There is not tree or shrub
on the place, nothing but arrow grass
everywhere. No roads, no paths,
nothing but earth and sky. Towards
the north is the prairie clear to the
horizon with not house or sign OF
cultivation. Towards the south are
settlements along the Logan valley.
We thought then that our wander
ings had ceased and that here W.
should quietly remain and build
home But the fight for the protec-
ton of the law for the Indian tribes
was not ended. and earnest requests
made for us to go east again were
complied with. Some years were spent
upon the lecture platform, but ever,
year we came back for at least a few
months and did what we could to
make home. When all the cases
concerning the Indians had reached
the supreme court and congress had
passed the "severalty BILL we came
back again to live in our "home.
Corn was only ten cents bushei
The farmers were in great distress.
She often talked of the hardships and
amending toll of the poor farmers
wives. She said that their lot was
harder than that of the Indian womea
had ever been and she longed to help
them. One day she visited farmers
wife who had a SICK little girl. When
she came home she said that those
three children had not single toy,
and spoae of the effort that two little
ones had made to amuse themselves
with a few buttons and to keep very
still because their sister was SICK. a
letter east brought some toys and
bool ) for little children. They were
sent by Mr.. Flower, the editor OF the
Arena.
AS the times grew harder and tn,
farmers suffered more and more,
Bright Eyes began to attack the great
and perplexing questions of civiliza-
t1on. She studied political economy.
in a speech delivered in DeKalb, Ind
il 1894, she told an audience of 5000
;eople how she became interested in
the hardships of the toll masses. A
large part of that speech was printel
in the local paper in Dekalb. she
was as willing to give her life for the
suffering whites, as she had ever been
for the people of her own race. Only
those who know how she loved
'home" and the unspeakable dreal
with which she was always seize1
whenever she was about to appear on
any platform even after she had ad-
dressed hundreds of audiences s
large as ever were addressed by any
american speaker. often running up
far into the thousands. can under
stand the sacrifice she made or how
deeply she sympathized with tho
farmers wives who rose at daylight,
COO ed, washed, sewed, mended and
scrubbed until late at night each day
aid the only return was home with
bare floors, scanty food and poor
clothing, while there were no pie
lures on the walls and no books on
the shelves. ae
At first she was opposed to us TAX
ing an active part in the great con-
test then coming on. She wanted her
home-to see the corn grow and hear
the bird; sing. At last she said: 1--WE
ought IT, do what we can" In 1893
We left lome and went to Washington
as cCrrei ondents of the press. For
three years on the platform and with
her pen she spoke and wrote for the
toiling masses. The strain was to)
great Her health failed and made
necessary absolute retirement. Still
she longed for "home." The house
was repaired and improved and a
year ago she came bacl'. During that
WOO, har hoo1tb inproypd ond ncpo-