The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1918-03-09

VI III W ulHThdblt hIlht LbI LltIk
N1hT paucity and their SIM
XIII sH plicity When the burden
of domestic duties grew
sie'ous, and the fireside mood ex-
""ru 70 constant protest against
20 oieak loneliness, the Adventures
hoh' me Southland. in lieu Of better,
pdio the stipulated prices and took
Uni" themselves native wives. It was
a 'oretaste of paradise to the women,
ior II must be confessed that the white
h"N'rS gave far better care and treat
hheat to them than did their Indian
eo-Partners. OF course. the white
men themselves were satisfied with
such deals, as were also the Indian
men Tor that matter. Having sold
tnelr daughters and sisters for cotton
blankets and obsolete rifles, and trad
ed their warm furs for tlimsy calico
ana bad whisky. the sons Of the soil
promptly and cheerfuIly succumbed
10 quick consumption and other swift
diseases correlated with the blessings
Or superior civilization.
1t was in these days of ArcadiAn
simplicity that Cal Galbraith journey
ed through the land and fell sick on
the Lower river. 1t was Il refresh
ing advent in the lives of the good
Sisters of the Holy Cross, who gave
him shelter and medicine. Cal Gal
hr"iih became troubled with strange
thoughts, which ClamOrcd for atten-
- ~,
girl. Madeline. Yet he gave no sign,
hiding his time patiently. He
strengthened with the coming spring,
and when the sun rode the heavens
in golden circle, and the Joy and
throh of life were in all the land, he
gathered his still weak body together
and departed.
Now Madeline, the mission girl, was
an orphan. Her white father had
failed to give q bald-facpd grizzly the
trail one day, and had died quickly.
Then her Indian mother, having no
man to fill the winter cache, had tried
the hazardous experiment of waiting
Gill the salmon run on fifty pounds of
-four and half as many Of bacon. At
Ter that the baby, ChoOk-ra, went to
live with the good sisters, and to be
1henceforth known by another name.
But Madeline still had kinsfolk, the
nearest being q dissOlute uncle who
outraged his vitals with inOrdinate
quantities Of the white mans whisky.
He strove daily to walk with the gods,
and incidentally his feet sought short
cr trails to the grave. When sober he
suffered exquisite torture. He had
80 conscience. To this ancient vaga-
bond Cal Galbraith duly presented
himself, and they consumed many
words and much tobacco in the CONVEX
sation that followed. Promises were
also made; and in the end the old
heather took a few pounds of dried
> almon and his birch-bark canoe, and
-ldled away to the Mission of the
I hoy Cross.
is not given the world to know
,sor, promises he made and what lies
s.d-the sisters never gossip; but
returned, upon his swarthy
Jhere was brass crucifix, and
aascanoe his niece Madeline. That
Z sfhpre was grand wedding and
loch: so that for two days to fol-
he ehere was no fishing done by the
o., But in the morning Madeline
the dust Of the Lower river
- her moccaSins, and with her
Susbond. in a polling boat, went to
live on the Upper river in place
i,nown as the Lower Country. And
- the wears which followed she was
Good wife. sharing her husbands
hordsbips and cooking his food. And
Uba kent him in straight trails, till he
learned TO save his dust and to work
,,;<-btiIv In the end he struck it
Itch and built cabin in Circle City !;
md his happiness was such that men
.,,o came TO visit him in his home
,;rc,e became restless at the sight Of
a. and envied him greatly.
put the Northland began to mature,
"a social amenities to make their
annearance. Hitherto, the Southland
nod sent forth its sons; but it now
sn,cbed forth new exodus. this time
- ;ts daughters. They did not fail
ut new ideas in the heads of the
.nsn and to elevate the tone Of things
- ways peculiarly their own. No
..ora did the squaws gather at the
.onces. go roaring down the center
- the good, old Virginia reels, or
LIS merry with jolly Dan Tucker"
mhoy fell back on their native stoi-
aism and uncomplainingly watched
~ rule of their white sisters from
the cabins
zion another exodus came over the
,,,tains from the prolific Southland.
n',,;s time it was of women that be-
,ns mighty in the land. They frown-
,on the Indian wives, while the
- women became mild and walk
~ humb!y. There were towards who
:" ashamed Of their ancient COW
o with the daughters of the
e ~, who looked with new distaste
son, their dark-skinned children; but
up were also others-men-who re-
od true and proud of their abor-
I''a' NM, VOWS. When it became the fash
lsi''. divorce the native wives, Cal
lo, o,tb retained his manhood, and