The sun. (Jacksonville, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1906-01-27

This Story Won til
HE calm and eventful day. the last in '"rhe
PIN Moon of Bright Nights" April, was rapid
II ly drawing to close.
IL A few lingering sunbeams played at hide
- and seek among the shapcly sweetgums and
danced merrily over the sleepy waters OF
Amaskohegan lake. The air was redoent with per-
fume flung from the pure white chaices of magnolia
blooms, while soft sea breezes tOyed with the long
gray moss which hung gracefully from the aromatic
pines, under which stood Tecumah stalwart young
Indian, and Minnehaha, beautiful maiden with soft
brown eyes and dark shining tresses.
Earnest and over-lke were his accents, as in Long
fellows beautiful legend
Looking at fair Laughing Water,
Sang he softly, sang in this wise:
Thou the wild flower of the forest!
Thou the wild bird of the prairie!
Thou with eyes soft and fawn-ikc!
If thou only loOkest at me
am happy, | am happy
AS the lilies of the prairie.
Does not all the blood within me
Lean to meet thee, leap to meet thee,
AS the spring to meet the sunshine
In the moon when nights are brightest?
When thou smilest, my beloved,
Then my troubled heart is Frightened
AS in sunshine CLEAN the ripples
That the cold wind makes in rivers"
Yet his pleadings awakened no responsive chord in
the heart Of the fair Minnehaha, for
"She was thinking of hunter
From another tribe and country;
Young and tall and very handsome
Who, one morning in the springtmc,
Come to buy her fathers arrows;
Sat and rested in the wigwam,
fingered long about the doorway,
Looking backward as he departed"
Only few short weeks ago had young George
BrownslOe, the of British officer, to the
little Indian village where Tall Chief Amaskohegan
lived with his only daughter Mnnehaha
In few of her rambles had the maiden met him,
returning to the wigwam alone fearing lest her father,
in fit of rage would threaten the life of the young
hero who had fought so bravey against him in the
Seminole War. And this is the reason why the ar
dent young Tecumah begged in vain for the hand Of
her who had long since been promised to him by her
naughty father, the weathiest Indian in all the coun
try
Not only was Tecumah surprised and disappointed
at her cold refusal of his offer, but he angered as
well, and although he had never perhaps, read the
old adage-
"Faint heart never won fair lady,"
yet he purposed in his heart to persist in his devo-
tons, and win her at any cost.
Nature had lavshed her gifts upon Lake Amasko-
hogan (meaning moonbeams). Smiles fingered in
each silver rpplet and kissed ts pebby shore. Upon
its banks grew wild oranges in great pr0fusiOn, and
here and there amid great of fragrant spider
or umbrella lilies rested an Indian canoe. Upon its
smooth beach the lazy alligator basked in the Florida
sunshine Myriads of fishes sported in and out among
the water lilies in search of prey
But the point de resistance in all this scenery
high bluff on the east shore of the lake, upon which
grew magnificent water oak, leaning far out over
the precipice and mrrowing itself in the CLASSY waters
below. Here the tourist would always pause and the
artist gaze with admiring eyes.
Here in the long days of summer and the sunshiny
days of winter, Minnehaha loved to go, and it was
here few days after our story begins that she
aroused from fairy dreamand by the approach Of the
young man to whom she had surrendered the custody
of her heart lie was fair with a sodierly appear
ance, blue eyes, noble forehead and firm chin, with
a mouth which betokened great earnestness of pur-
pose. Quite contrast made he to the maiden at
whose feet he sat- describing his home in "The Green
Mountain State" to which he would soon return