Year: 1872

DEATH OF WHITE STAR.


As soon as lunch was over the family
and their friends assembled to hear the
completion Of GATHERINGS story. TAX
ing the seat she had occupied in the
morning, she commenced her narra-
tive.


'FOr six months after the death of
Fleetfoot we lived on with but little
change i'm any one excepting my idol
lied husband, on whom alone / had
centered all my love, for was he not all
had in a strange land in that louisiana
forest, with nothing but savages around I
me? But he seemed to be pining away
-pining for his lost child. He grew
weaker and weaker each day, and his
flashing eye had lost its brightness and
his fine athletic form its grace. One
day, returning from the hunt, where he
had been persuaded to go, he hung his
rifle and pouch up, saying, 4 shull hunt
no more till / get to the happy hunting
ground I prepared his pallet, then
bathed his head and gave him wine to
drink. Soon, feeling a little refreshed,
he exclaimed:


"'Oh that my beautiful White Star
might gladden. the heart of her father
once more; that Lenard might give her
his parting blessing, and sinking upon
his bed, he seemed as if his breath was
leaving him.


"Just then a rustling at the tent door
caused me to turn, when / beheld my
child, my lost child! With one bound
she sprang into the wigwam and fell at
her fathers feet. ! raised her, and clasp
ing her to my bosom, imprinted kiss af-
ter kiss upon her cold brow In my
transient JOY at again beholding my
child, had almost for 4 moment for
gotten my husband, when, turning to
him, he seemed to be gasping for breath.
"Ienard, Lenardp I screamed. 'Oh,
Lenard, live, breathe on, do not die
Live for the sake Of your peerless White
Star, who kneels before you, For the
sake Of your Catherine, who has no one
to love her but your and sinking beside
him, l tried to breathe new life into his
fast fleeing soul.


3" My child back? White Star here ?
Thank the Good Spirit at last My
wifel May the Good Spirit bless you
bothr was all he uttered, and his soul
had gone TO the land Of the blessed.


My father, oh, my father! He
cursed me not and throwing herself
across the body of her father, Whit,
Star Law i'm a deathlike swOOn.


"How White Star recovered l know
not, for I was like one bereft of reason
Seating myself beside my once idolize,
Lenard, fixed my gaze upon him witt
a deathlike stare. How long / wOul
have remained so, or what the conse
quence might have been, 1 cannot say
had not my daughter, on recovering
compelled me to lay down, when utte
grief soon sank me into heavy slum
Der, from which l awoke greatly re
freshed and more composed and ration
al. That same day prepared him 70
the tomb, when he was buried with In
dian pomp beside his forefathers, an
where hope TO rest when ] shall be n
more.


''Ihe day after the funeral ceremonie
White Star and L sat alone togethe
mourning over our loss, when. puttin
her arms affectionately around nv necb
she said:


Mother, listen and forgive Whit
Star, for she is soon going where be
father is waiting to welcome her, an
nesting her head upon my bosom. sb
told me all that had passed during IN
eight months that she had been pon.
for, as We suspected, she had fled wit
the stranger whom she so ardentl
loved.


"The stranger had taken her to an ol
scure village a few leagues from Bate
Rouge, where, under the form of moo
marriage, he had made her his vii
He fitted her out with a wardrobe b
coming his wife and presented her wi