ARBOR DA Y MANUAL. 



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Rocking to and fro and moaning, 



Saw his lovely Minnehaha 



Lying dead and cold before him, 



And his bursting heart within him 



Uttered such a cry of anguish, 



That the forest moaned and shuddered, 



That the very stars in heaven 



Shook and trembled with his anguish. 

 :- * * * * 



Then they buried Minnehaha; 

 In the snow a grave the}- made her, 

 In the forest deep and darksome, 

 Underneath the moaning hemlocks; 

 Clothed her in her richest garments, 

 Wrapped her in her robes of ermine, 

 Covered her with snow, like ermine; 

 Thus they buried Minnehaha. 



WHITE MAN'S FOOT. 

 In his lodge beside a river, 

 Close beside a frozen river, 



Sat an old man, sad and lonely. 



***** 



All the coals were white with ashes, 



And the fire was slowly dying, 



As a young man, walking lightly, 



At the open doorway entered. 



Red with blood of youth his cheeks were, 



Soft his eyes, as stars in Spring-time, 



Bound his forehead was with grasses, 



Bound and plumed with scented grasses! 



On his lips a smile of beaut}-, 



Filling all the lodge with sunshine, 



In his hand a bunch of blossoms 



Filling all the lodge with sweetness. 

 * * -::- * * 



From his pouch he drew his peace-pipe, 

 Very old and strangely fashioned; 

 Made of red stone was the pipe-head, 

 And the stem a reed with feathers; 

 Filled the pipe with bark of willow, 

 Placed a burning coal upon it, 

 Gave it to his guest, the stranger, 

 And began to speak in this wise: 



" When I blow my breath about me, 

 When I breathe upon the landscape, 

 Motionless are all the rivers, 

 Hard as stone becomes the water!" 



And the young man answered, smiling 



" When I blow my breath about me, 

 When I breathe upon the landscape, 

 Flowers spring up o'er all the meadows, 

 Singing, onward rush the rivers! " 



" When I shake my hoary tresses," 

 Said the old man, darkly frowning, 

 " All the land with snow is covered; 

 All the leaves from all the branches 

 Fall and fade and die and wither, 

 For I breathe, and lo! they are not. 

 From the waters and the marshes 

 Rise the wild goose and the heron, 

 Fly away to distant regions, 

 For I speak, and lo! they are not. 

 And where'er my footsteps wander, 

 All the wild beasts of the forest 

 Hide themselves in holes and caverns, 

 And the earth becomes as flintstone! " 



' When I shake my flowing ringlets," 

 Said the young man, softly laughing, 

 " Showers of rain fall warm and welcome, 

 Plants lift up their heads rejoicing, 

 Back unto their lakes and marshes 

 Come the wild goose and the heron, 

 Homeward shoots the arrowy swallow, 

 Sing the bluebird and the robin, 

 And where'er my footsteps wander, 

 All the meadows wave with blossoms, 

 All the woodlands ring with music, 

 All the trees are dark with foliage! " 



Then the old man's tongue was speechless 

 And the air grew warm and pleasant, 

 And upon the wigwam sweetly 

 Sang the bluebird and the robin, 

 And the stream began to murmur, 

 And a scent of growing grasses 

 Through the lodge was gently wafted. 



And Segwun, the youthful stranger 

 More distinctly in the daylight 

 Saw the icy face before him; 

 It was Peboan, the Winter! 



From his eyes the tears were flowing, 

 As from melting lakes the streamlets, 

 And his body shrunk and dwindled 

 As the shouting sun ascended, 

 Till into the air it faded, 

 Till into the ground it vanished, 

 And the young man saw before him, 

 On the hearth-stone of the wigwam, 



