Waterbury evening Democrat., 1904-12-08

I HIS l01ClIuIn0SS WaS a EOEks
 For some reason, and think it was 1 the reach of Pastor Storrs, men in other places began to seek me. The vital currents of life indeed sped through us on the Hartford and l Springfield stage road. It happened that Skenedonk and I were making my annual Journey to St. Regis when l the first steamboat accomplished its 1 trip on the Hudson river. About the 1 time that the Wisconsin country was included in Illinois territory decided to write letter to Mime. Tank at Green Bay and insist on knowing my story as she believed she knew it. Yet hesitated and finally did not do 1t. found afterward that there was no post office at Green Bay. A carrier, sent by the officers of the fort and l villagers, brought mail from Chicago. He had 200 miles of wilderness to traverse and his blankets and prov visions as we'll as the mail to carry, and he did this at the risk of his life among wild men and beasts.
 The form of religion was always a trivial matter to me. never ceased i to love the sacrifice of the mass, which was an abomination and an idoIatrous practice to Pastor Storrs. The pageantry of the Roman church that first mothered and nurtured me touches me to this day. I love the Protestant prayers of the English church, and love the stern and knot ty argument, the sermon with heads and sequences, of the New England l Congregat For this catholici- ty Catholics have upbraided me. churchmen rebuked me and dissenterS denied that had any religion at all. When the Episcopal bishop of New York showed me kindness and Pastor Storrs warned me against being prose 1 lyted I could not tell him the charm in the form of worship practiced by i the woman loved. There was not conscious minute when forgot her. Yet nobody in Longmeadow knew of her existence. Tn my most remorseful days, comparing myself with Pastor Storrs, I was never sorry I had clung . to her and begged her not to let me 60 alone, for some of our sims are so hon. estly the expression of nature that justification breaks through them.
 On the western border there was ], trouble with dissatisfied Indians, and l on the sea there was trouble with the British, so that people began to talk of l war long before it was declared and to blame President Madison for his over, caution in affairs. A battle was fought at Tippecanoe in the Indiana territory 1 which siIenced the Indians for awhile. But every one knew that the English stood behind them. Militia was mus ] tered, the army recruited and embargo laid upon shipping in the ports, and all things were put forward in April of that year before war was declared in June.
 had influence with our tribes. The government offered me a we'll paid commission to act as its secret agent. Pastor StOrrs and the WiIliamses, who had been nurturing 8 missionary, were smitten with grief to see hirn rise and leap into camps and fields, eager for the open world, the wilderness smell the council, where tue red mans mind, a trembling balance, could be turned by vivid language -eager, in fact, to live where history was being made The pastor had clothed me in his mind with ministerial gown and band, and the martial blood that quickened he counted an IroQuois strain. Yet so inconsistent is human nature, SO given to forms which 1t calls creeds, that when afterward put on the sur plice and read prayers to my adopted people he counted 1t as great defec- ton as taking to saddle and spur. We cannot leave the expression of our lives to those better qualified than we are, however dear they may be I had to pack my saddlebags and be gone, loving L,ongmeadow none the less be- cause grieved it, knowing that it would not approve of me more if I stayed and failed to do my natural part.
 The snuffbox and the miBsaI which had belonged to my family in France always carried with me. And very lit- tie could be transported on the road we took.
 John Williams, who came to Long, meadow in deerskins and paraded his furnished red poll among the halted Williamses, abetted me in turning from the missionary field to the arena of war, and never left me. It was Skene- donk who served the United States I WILL OIdWH dIlu W1l1AS \ such policy and color into my ha- rangues as could command. We shared our meals, our camps, our beds of leaves, together. The life at Long meadow had knit me to good use. I could fast or feast. ride or march, take the buckskins or the soldiers uniform
 Great latitude was permitted us in our, orders. We spent a year in the north. My skin darkened and tough ened under exposure until said to Skenedonk, ''I am turning an Indian,'' and be, jealous of my French blood, denied it.
 In July we had to thread trails he knew by the lake toward Sandusky. There was no horse path wide enough for us to ride abreast. Brush swished along our legs, and green walla shut our view on each side. The land dipped toward it's basin. Buckeye and gigan- l fic chestnut trees nnanla and oak