Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1904-02-18

| MltCuIoShS anu WiChSu llltlS pldCh
eyes. does not divine this. Perhaps
the child may,
Good morning, Isn't this little girl
coming TO SCHOOL," begins the young
Ilady. helping out the foreign speech
with the universal language of signs
and smiles.
The grandmother shakes her head
vehemently, and proceeds TO indicate
by expressive gestures that the larder
is empty. Coffee. sugar, not any"
she calculates in her seanty but
.serviceable English.
The tine,worn appeal is pleasantly
ignored. Where is the child
father?"
"Papa-nepo," and she rests her
cheek on her palm and closes her eyes
in effective pantomime.
And her mother?' More gesticula
ton, and a torrent of Dakota
The school is not far away-you
can see it"-pointing in the direction
of a new, glaringly new frame build
ing with small bell atop She will
come home every night-you can see
her whenever you wish" The words
are unmistakable. spoken in those ac
cents of persuasion, and the lady, who
has been standing near the door
ventures a step forward, as if to take
the little girl by the hand in the very
face and eyes of her rightful guardian
She is met by an ugly scowl and a
flood of insulting language, which is,
unfortunately, all Greek to her The
tone and look, however, are enough.
She looks kindly, pityingly, upon
the crouching figure and homely, un,
childlike face of little yellow Star
and the child looks steadfastly up into
her own. She stops moment to pat
Shekas head-he has stopped barking
at last in sheer amazement at her III
difference-and then she goes out:
and all three of them furtively watch
her out of sight.
When yellow Stars mother comes
back, the event is discussed by tho
two women with voluble displeasure
1t is not though of for a moment by
either of them that the tiny drudge
should really go to school. Why
should she? They are fond of her in
their way, but she is useful to them
as she is, and they are not in the
least inclined to make any conces
sions to the whims of the white peo
pie.
Suddenly an uncanny small figure
rises up and stands solemnly before
them A small face looks into their
large angry ones with unblinkine
courage and gravity A small voice
announces deliberately and decidedly
Il am going to school,"
II is shock, certainly; but the
rights of the individual, although the
merest child are sacred to the Indian
She has made up her mind to go. and
she goes
Children, even Indian children. are
not all alike. They are interesting
and troublesome in various ways
Some of Miss Helen's 40 little
aborigines are mischievous and bright
and some are good, but stupid Some
are timid and others are defiant
Many are noisy and full of ANNA,
spirits, while few are silent ano
easily moved to tears. Little yellow
Star is unique.
Like the other children, she is given
a Christian name. She learns to write
it in clear little cramped hama
W nfb aF
scribbling us" and ms" She is
dressed, with the rest, in a clean
calico frock, stockings and shoes. all
of which are still clean and whole
when Katie and Amy have become
on her hard wooden chair and eats
her bread and milk neatly, without
spilling a drop while Miss Helen is a,
her wits end to preserve table de
corlm among Agnes's contemporaries
In three months she has learned al
that the infant class are taught, anc
Is promoted to class of big girls, tC
read out of book. and work problems
on the blackboard. Whereupon hel
tiny face becomes a study of mingled
emotions-pride, joy. emulation. feal
all subdued by her wonderful, un
childish self-control.
During the summer months, wher
Miss Helen is away Agnes's schoo
trock wears out, and her mothe,
dresses her once more in the Indian
fashion. School opens again in Sep
tember-but Agnes does not appear
When Miss Helen goes in search 70,
her favorite. she sees a shrinking
little ragged figure in a corner of the
untidy cabin, and out OF the semi
darkness look pair of great sad eyes
expressive of the most poignan,
shame. OF course a new frock il
promptly forthcoming, and IL is sufh
Gent proof of the ehilds gratitude
tnat she does not again miss a day al
school until-but | anticipate.
Miss Helen makes much of Christ
mas JOY among these neglected little
ones to whom 1t Is a wholly new ex
perience. There is a Christmas tree
Of course, and carols are sung, ano