222 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



the lady's chain until I pointed out its impropriety.. 

 Then she perceived it, and laughing, said, " Dirty foot, 

 not nice." 



The good-natured squaw took no offence with me 

 for my disapproval of her primitive way of working.. 

 Gentle, patient, accustomed to be ruled from childhood, 

 the Indian woman bears, suffers and submits without, 

 complaint. 



Many a gentle Christian character have I known 

 among the Indian women of the Rice Lake and Mud 

 Lake villages, not unworthy of the name of the Master 

 whose teachings they so meekly followed. 



The men die out, leaving widows and helpless children 

 to be maintained. No one seems to care for the wants, 

 of the poor Indians beyond the officials whose part it is 

 to carry out the regulations from the Indian Department 

 of the Government in their behalf. But there seems to 

 be a lack of sympathy shown to these poor people. 

 They endure sickness and hunger, and suffer many trials, 

 in silence, never appealing for charity at any of the 

 public institutions or private societies so long as they 

 can work. The Indian will trade for bread, but rarely 

 ever asks for it ; he has a pride of his own, peculiar to 

 his race. 



He is not ungenerous by nature — indeed, an Indian 

 loves to give little marks of his gratitude when kindly 

 treated. 



" Present for you," the squaw will say, laying beside 



