The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1903-09-09

my desertion, yet unspeakably craving
blessing. The old people variously
commented on the measure, their wise
eyes seeing the change in one who
had been a child rather than O young
man among them.
If the wrench from the village was
hard. the induction into the manor
was harder. Skcnedonk took me In his
boat, slsirting the long strip Of noun
famous shore which separated us from
De Chaumont.
He told me De Chaumont would per
nit my father to pay no more than
my exact reckoning.
DO you know who sends the mon
ey?' I inquired.
The Oneida did not know. It came
through an agent in New York.
"You are ten years older than I am.
You must remember very we'll when
was born"
How can that be-" answered Skene-
donk. Nobody in the tribe knows
when You we're born
'Are children not like the young Of
other creatures? Where did come
from?''
You came to the tribe with man,
and Chief Williams adopted you"
Did you see the man?"
"No. was on the other side Of the
ocean, in France
"Who saw him?"
'sNone Of our people. But it is very
we'll known. If you had noticed any
thing you would have heard the story
long ago"
What Skenedonk said was true.
asked him, bewildered, "Why did
never notice anything?"
The Oneida tapped his bald head.
T began to wonder who svas going to
teach me books, and heard with sur
prise that it was DR.. Chantry.
Evidently DR.. Chantry liked me from
the moment showed fight. His Anglo
Saxon blood was stirred. He received
me from Ssenedonk, who shook my
hand and wished me well before pad
ding away.
De Chauruont's house was full as q
hive around the three sides Of its flow
cred court. A ball was in preparation,
and all the guests had arrived. Avoid
ing these gentry, we mounted stairs
toward the roof and came into a burst
Of splendor.
Tie room which weaned me from
aboriginal life was at the top Of the
central building. DR.. Chantry shuf-
fed over the clean oak floor and intro
duced me to my appointments. He
opened a closet door in the wall and
showed a spiral staircase going down
to a tunnel which led 10 the lake, for
when De Chaumont first came into the
wilderness and built the central house
without it's wings he thought it we'll
to have a secret way out, as his cha
teau in the old country had.
"The tunnel is damp" said DR.. Chan
try. sI never venture into it, though
all the corner rooms besow give upon
this stairway, and mine is just under
yours"
It was like returning me the lake to
use in my own accustomed way. For
the remainder Of my furniture I had q
study table, a cupboard for clothes,
some armchairs, 8. case Of books and q
massive fireplace, with chimney seats
at the end Of the room opposite the
bed
I asked DR.. Chantry, ''Was all this
made ready for me before I was sure
of coming here?"
sWhen the count decides that a
thing will be done 1t is usually done"
said my schoolmaster. "And Nine. de
Ferrier was very active in forwarding
the preparations.
The joy Of youth in the unknown
was before me. Ny old camp life re-
ceded behind me.
Nine. de Terriers missal book lay
on the tabla, and when stopped De-
fore It tongue tied DR.. Chantry said |
was to keep it.
"She gives it to you. 1t was treas
ured in her family on account OF per-
sonal attachment to the giver. She IS
not a Catholic. She was brought up
as good a Protestant as any English
gentlewoman."
II told her it was my mothers. 1t
seemed to be my mothers. But I don't
know. I can't remember
Ny master looked at the missal and
said it was fine specimen Of 1llumlna-
ton. His manner toward ne was so
changed that found 1t hard to refer
to the lancet. This, however, very nat
urally followed his examination OF my
head. He said T had healthy blood and
the wound was closing by the first in
tertion. The pink cone at the tip Of lis
nose worked in whimsical grin as he
heard my apology.
1T is not often you will make the
medicine man take his own remedy, my
lad"
We thus began our relation with the
best feeling.
Nv master asked me when wanted
to begin my studies, and said, "SoW."
We sat down at the table, and learned
(T'T,HT7 111T,T,1a77. I)