Activate Javascript or update your browser for the full Digital Library experience.
Next Page
OCR
THE (
\THOLIC HERALD,
Vol. XV.——-N.
1E CATHOLIC HERALD
18 PUBLISHED EVERY THURSDAY BY
M. FITHIAN,
No. 82 South Third Street, Philadelphia.
HENRY MAJOR, Epiror.
Terms.—T wo Dollars and Fifty Cents, if paid
inadvance, or Three Dollars,payable hal fyearly.
No paper discontinued until all arrearages are
settled.
All Communications, except from Agents or
Subscribers enclosing remittances, must be post
paid, and addressed ** To the Editor of the Ca-| peac
holie Herald, Philadelphia, Pa.’”
The following touching lines, from the pen of
America’s favored poetess, (Mrs. i. H. Sigour
ney), were suggested by the fact, that a. poor
Irish girl ia New York, who, having saved $30
to send to her friends in Ireland, learned that her
father, mother, sister and brother, were dead.
ERIN’S DAUGIITER.
BY MRS, L. “H, SIGOURNEY.
Poor Erin’s daughter crossed the main,
Io youth’s unfolding prime,
A lot of servitade to bear
Io this our Western clime.
And when the drear heart-sickness came
Beneath a stranger sky,
‘Tears on her nightly pillow lay, .
Yet mornivg saw them dry—
For still with cheerful hope she strove
Her distant home to cheer,
Acd from her pareats lift the weight
Of poverty severe.
To them with liberal haod she sent
Iler all—her hard-earu’d store—
A rapture thrilliog through her soul,
She ne’er bad felt befure.
Eveo mid her quiet slumbers gleamed
A cabio's lighted pane,
A board with simple plenty crown'd,
A loved and loviog traia.
And so her life of earnest toil
With secret joy was blest,
For the sweet warmth of filia! love
Made sunshine ia her breast.
But bitter tidings o'er the wave
With fearful echo speed;
Gaunt famine o’er her home had strode,
And all were with the dead!
<All gone!—her brothers in their glee,
Her sisiors young and fair—
Aad Erin’s daughter bowed her dewo
Ia desolate despair.
From the St. Lonis News-Letter.
OREGON MISSIONS.
FATHER DE SMET’S LETTERS,
A.M. D. G.
NUMBER XIX.
St. Louis University,
Jan. 1st, 1847,
Rev. and Dear Fatuer Provinciat:
You are already acquainted with our determi-
nation to accompany the Black-Feet in re-
turning (o their country, In the sequel of
this letter you will learn, with pleasure, how
far Almighty God has blessed our humble
efforis in carrying this resolution into effect.
After the battle, described in my leer from
the Yellow Stone camp, the Crows, it appears
fled 10 the Wind River mountains, determin-
ed, however, to.avenge themselves on the
Black Feet, whom they now designed 10
follow inte their own country.
prodably through fear of this assoult, resolved
to remain with the Flat-flead camp, until. 1
reached the head waters of the Nuscla holl
river, In leaving the Yellow Stone, our
direction lay towards. the north, throngh »
broken and undulating, dry and woudless
country, destitute of any water fit to drink—
stagnant pools of brackish water; being the
only kind found here to satiate the thirst,
Only a few straggling bulls. were seen or | is
Nilled; scarcely sufficient, indeed, 10 supply
the wants of our numerous camp... ‘The grea
variety of matter incidental to this journey
with the united Indian camp, will appear,
Philadelph
perhaps, more satisfactory if given in the
same order in which it was entered in’ my
diary ; I therefore present you with an extract
from it:
8th Sept., 1846. The elements of discord
existing between the Nez-Perces and Black-
Feet, there is every appearance of an open
rupture. ‘The Nez-Perces being evidently in
the wrong, the Flat-Heads, following our ex-
ample, endeavor to convince them ol the im-
propriety of their conduet, but to nv purpose;
the principal men among them, refusing, for
the second time, to smoke the calumet of
eace,
9th. Towards night a touching incident
occurred in our lodge... A Nez-Perces chief,
who declares himself our friend, entered, ac-
companied by three Black-Feet,. a warrior.
an interpreter, and a young man about twenty
years of age. ‘This youth, when aboot one
year old, lost both his parents; his’ mother,
a caplive-among the Black-Feet, died the first
days of her captivity; his’ father, whose
country is far distant: from the Black-Feet, is
altogether lost to him. | The poor orphan be-
caine the adopted child of a Black-Feet wo-
man, who brought him np as. she would ber
own offspring. ‘The adopted sun’ grew up,
imbibing all the notions and costumes of his
new friends, knowing no other relaiions than
those around him. ‘To day, the woman whom
he believed to be his real mother, declared to
him that she was not; and that his father,
whom he had not seen since he was one
year old, was now sitting beside him. «Who
is. my father?’? he . anxiously enquired.
“There,” said the woman, pointing to the
Nez-Perce chief, who entered the lodge with
him. The doubis of the father were soon
removed, as he hastily stripped the youth's
garments from his bark, and there discovered
the mark of a burn received in the parental
lodge while yet an infant. The sudden burst
of feeling elicited from these children of na-
ture at this unexpected meeting, ean be better
imagined than described. ‘The chief has no
grown children, he is therefore the more elo-
quent in endeavoring to persuade his son to
return to his native country, presenting him,
atthe same time, with one of the best and
most beautiful of his steeds... [joined to the
entreaties of the father, the strongest motives
[could urge. ‘The, son, whose heart is divi-
ded between nature and grace, begged to be
allowed to bid farewell to the companions
and friends of his youth, who were now ab-
sent—he could not, he declared, thus abruptly
leave her who, with motherly care and
anxiety, had watched over him so many years,
and whom be always tenderly loved, and
looked upon as his mother. * Now thatthe
Black-gowns are with us,’ he said, ** | de-
sire to be of the happy number of those who
are abuut to introduce them to my friends,
and to listen to the words of the Great Spirit,
whoin they have come to announce. After
that, but not before, shall I follow my father.”
10th. ‘The Nez Perces avnounce their de-
termination of leaving the united camp. The
Fiat-Lleads, who dread more the presence o!
atriend capable. of injuring their souls, than
that of an enemy who can only hurt the body,
are excessively rejviced at this announcement,
The Black-Feet also are highly pleased to see
them go. The separation took place about
eight o'clock ; but they had gone only a short
distance from the camp, when fearing an. at-
tack from the Crows, they rejoined the main
body, determined to remain as long as the
great huntsball last. ‘To avoid the outbreak.
evidently threatened by the ill-will of the
Nez Perces, the Black Feet. have resolved to
leave the camp on the morrow, This day I
baptized a Nez-Perces, who had been sbot in
the late battle with the Crows—he cannot
survive much longer.
11th. Farewellto the Flat Heads. All came
to shake hands with us, the grief of their
hearts was depicted in. their countenanves ;
we all perceived how deeply they felt the
separation, A great number of their cava-
liers, aceompany vs for a considerable dis-
tance; six, go as far as our encampment, not
Jess than twenty-five miles.
Our course lay through an extensi-e level
plain, atthe very base of the Muscle shell
mountains, , These, rise; abruptly frou the
plain around, resembling broken, elevated
ands in the midst, of the ocean, and their
tops tufted with a heavy growth of cedar and
pine, While admiring the singular appear
ance of the rcenery, my attention is called to
a very distressing accident. An oli) Indian
» Thursday, April 15, 1847.
is seen falling from his horse, receiving in
the fall a severe wound between his eyes; he
remains senseless, all efforts to revive him
are fruitless. It was the old Black-Foot
chief, Nicholas, whom I baptized. five years
ago; be acted ever since, the part of a most
effective missionary, 'in preparing the way for
the introduction of the Gospel among his
tribe. To-day he entered. what he called his
own country, chanting hymns of praise and
thanksgiving in the happy anticipation of soon
presenting us to his brethren.» He dies! not
even a sigh escapes him. Oh, bow profound
are the designs of God. | Happily he leaves a
son worthy of so excellenta sire. His attach-
ment to religion. equals that of his father,
Ileving resided several years among the Flat-
Heads, he has acquired a perfect knowledge
of their language—acting in the capacity of
Interpreter, he has already rendered me con-
siderable assistance. ~ Notwithstanding his
great grief, he performs the last sad offices near
the tomb of his father with the composure
and firmness of a Christian. iis customary
among the Black-Feet to express their grief
by wailings and macerations of the body,
calculated only to afflict those around, though
intended by them as a mark of respect to-
wards the lamented dead. The son of Nicho-
Jas, himself achief and a great brave, know-
ing the christian practice, passes the night in
prayer, with his wife and children, near the
funeral couch of his father. . His friends and
brother, Pegans, (Pagan in name and in fact)
would now and then gather around him, and
kneeling beside the mourner, pour forth, chris-
tian like, wany » pious ejaculation on behall
of their deceased chieftain. ‘The remains of
the venerable clef were placed in the grave
by. the hands of his own son, and over: his
tomb the emblem of salvation was raised—
the Cross of the Saviour, whose words were
now for the first time announced to the lonely
\ibes of this long benighted wilderness. At
the very moment the last prayers of the fune-
ral service were uttered, ** May he rest in
peace,” a busy stir breaks the deatti-like si-
lence of the surrounding crowd of Indians.
A Flat-Head approached in full gallop, an-
nouncing the pleasing tmitelligence, that two
Black-Feet had reached their ¢: and 1n-
formed them that the tribe of Nicholas, was
within two days march of us.
12th. ‘The very evening of the day on which
Nicholas was interred, immense herds 0}
buffalo are seen in the neighborhood of the
camp. All are preparing for the chase—hunt-
ers throwing their lasso over their buffalo
horses, wlready prancing and. capering for a
race—all ready to start; but before they sepa~
rate, they halt fora moment, and, ia imitation
of the Flat-[Ivads, all are seen on their knees
to beg of Almighty God their daily bread;
when again mounted, off they bound at full
speed, each for one, two, or three fat cows,
according to the strength of his favorite steed.
‘The supper was abundant in every lodge,
regiments of steaks were paraded belure all
the fires. My fire wasencircled with tongues,
or other daimy dishes reserved for the Black-
gown; and all who visited our lodge were of
course invited to partake of the superabundant
supply. Among my visitors, one in particu:
lar distinguished bimself by his originality
and good sense—his words were accompanied
with very expressive signs, which rendered
his conversation very agreeable; he related
to me what he observed while in the Flat-
Head eamp:— When we first arrived,” said
he, ** we had abundance of: provisions with
us, while the Flat-Heads and Nez-Perces
were fasting; we were visited, and all par
took of what we had. ‘The Flat-Head differ-
ed from the Nez-Perces; the focmer prayed
before he ale, the latier did- not. » On the
Lord's day, the Flat-Heads remained quiet in
the lodges, they frequently prayed, and spoke
to us words of the: Great Spirit to make us
good; butihe Nez Perces, painted, and proud
of their jeathers, were seen going here and
there more for evil than good, without re-
serve, before our young people. But then
came the battle with the Crows, and the Nez-
perces, though the: least brave of:us all, and
the least exposed, have had to weep over the
loss of one of their,men, and another is dying
of bis wounds. ‘This made me believe the
words I had heard the Flat-Lead say, * tat
the Great Spirit is good to the good, bat that
He can find the wicked at pleasure to punish
them as they may deserve. : .
‘The wonderful success of the Flat-heads in
the didyrent wars which they have been com-
Whole Number 744.
pelled to wage, has confirmed their enemies
in the persuasion entertained for some years,
that the medicine of the Black-gowns is
stronger than their own. ~ ‘I'wo Indians of
the Pegan camp have just arrived, apprising
us of their approach, .
13th. Sunday.—We are obliged to move
camp j;—every dry stick has been burned
where we passed the night, and. the rain has
rendered the only other substitute for fuel,
buffalo dung, unfit for use ;—the rain. which
was falling as we travelled, changed into
sleet and hail. After a long day’s march
we encamped for the night, in a beautiful cot-
on. grove, on the margin of the Judith
river.
The bad weather prevented the re-union of
the two camps; it will be so much the more
remarkable, as to-morrow will be the feast of
the Exaliation of the Cross. ‘The chief en-
quires. if it would please us to see the Black-
Feet manifest their joy in their own way,
that is, by painting, singing and dancing; the
answer was: * Do the besi you can to show
your friends that, you are pleased.” We
arn by an express just arrived, that the Big
ake, the greatchief of the Pegans, harangued
his people, exhorting them to behave-orderly
and to listen with. attention to all. that the
Fathers would say to them.: He is accom-
panied. by the great ‘l'ail-Bearer, akind of
orator, or aid-de-camp to the Chief, His tail,
composed of buffalo and horse hair, is about
seven or eight feet long, and instead of wear-
ing it behind, according to the usual fashion,
itis fastened above his forehead, and there
formed into a spiral cuil, resembling a rhino~
ceros’ horn. Such a tail among the Black-
feet is a mark of great distinction and bravery
—in all probability, the longer the tail, the
braver the person,
14th. An agreeable disappointment. ‘The
Flai-Llead camp, from which we separated
four days ago, ts only about ten miles from as,
‘They sent an invitation to the Big-Lake, de-
siring, al the same time, to trade with him on
(riendly terms. Opinions are divsded amon
the people of the Big-Lake.
postponing the trade until the meeting with
the Black-gowns takes place; the ‘T'ail-Bearer
gives the preference to trade. The chief's
voice prevailx. An Indian from the camp
arrives about ten o'clock, to herald their ap~
proach : all the -horses are immediately sad~
dled, and the two Black-gowns, at the head of
a numerous band of cavaliers, forming one
extensive line, in single file, proceed through
a beautiful open plain, the air resounding with
songs of triumptial joy. We are soon insight
of each other—a loud discharge from all the
guns was the signal to dismount, when the
Big-Lake and ‘Tail Bearer, followed by the
whole wibe, walked up to give vs @ warm
and affectionate shake of the band, Smoking
came vext; and after the friendly pipe had
passed from month to mouth, and bad made
several rounds, they communicate to each
other the news since parting. 1 made tu
them my preparatory address to dispose their
minds and hearts to listen with attention to the
word of God. ‘Tu this appeal they respond=
ed with a loud and cheerful expression of the
satisfaction they felt in listening to the Black~
gown. We had scarcely introduced our new
irends into the camp, before the Flat-heads
and Nez-Perces were seen approaching.
Theic meeting was still more joyful and
cordial than the one we had just witnessed
among the people of the Big-Lake. This is
not astonishing, when you know them; the
savage is naturally reserved towards men he
does not know. The candid, open ways of
acting which distinguish our Neophytes soon
communicate themselves io the Black-Feet,
and before the suu, went. dewn, Black-Feet,
Flat heads, young and old, all show equal
pleasure to find us, on such sa occasion, in
the mist of them. Los
After evening prayers were said in the
Biack-foot and Flat-head languages, | addrese-
ed to them a short discourse on the happy
re-union and peaceful disposition that now
existed between the two-nations, What a@
pleasing sight!, What a consoling triumph’
for religion, to behold those warriors, whose
deep scarred faces told of the many bloody
batiles they had fougnt tgether—who could
never meet before but with feelings of deadly
enmity, thirsting for each other's blood=-now
in prayer, as with one heart, and listening
with delight to the words of the peaceful Re=
mong
The chief is for .
bending the knee before their common Father '
deemer. ~The chiefs and the, principal mea +
cee
1
So erg
re energy
“lee ia
pee as a
Fe Es RT