4. "When the Great Spirit had made the three men, he called them together and showed them three boxes. The first was filled with books, and maps, and papers; the second with bows and arrows, knives and tomahawks; the third with spades, axes, hoes, and hammers. These, my sons,' said he, 'are the means by which you are to live; choose among them according to your fancy.'

6

5. "The white man, being the favorite, had the first choice. He passed by the box of working-tools without notice; but when he came to the weapons for war and hunting, he stopped and looked hard at them. The red man trembled, for he had set his heart upon that box. The white man, however, after looking upon it for a moment, passed on, and chose the box of books and papers. The red man's turn came next; and you may be sure he seized with joy upon the bows and arrows, and tomahawks. As to the black man, he had no choice left, but to put up with the box of tools.

6. "From this it is clear that the Great Spirit intended the white man should learn to read and write; to understand all about the moon and stars; and to make every thing, even rum and whisky. That the red man should be a first-rate hunter, and a mighty warrior; but he was not to learn any thing from books, as the Great Spirit had not given him any; nor was he to make rum and whisky, lest he should kill himself with drinking. As to the black man, as he had nothing but working-tools, it was clear he was to work for the white and red man, which he has continued to do.

7. "We must go according to the wishes of the Great Spirit, or we shall get into trouble. To know how to read and write, is very good for white men, but very bad for red men. It makes white men better, but red men worse. Some of the Creeks and Cherokees learned to read and write, and they are the greatest rascals among all the Indians.

8. "They went on to Washington, and said they were going to see their Great Father, to talk about the good of the nation. And when they got there, they all wrote upon a little

piece of paper, without the nation at home knowing any thing about it. And the first thing the nation at home knew of the matter, they were called together by the Indian agent, who showed them a little piece of paper, which he told them was a treaty, which their brethren had made in their name, with their Great Father at Washington.

9. And as they knew not what a treaty was, he held up the little piece of paper, and they looked under it, and lo! it covered a great extent of country, and they found that their brethren, by knowing how to read and write, had sold their houses, and their lands, and the graves of their fathers; and that the white man, by knowing how to read and write, had gained them. Tell our Great Father at Washington, therefore, that we are very sorry we can not receive teachers among us; for reading and writing, though very good for white men, is very bad for Indians."

EXERCISE CLIV.

THE OTTAWA MAID.

GEORGE COLTON.

1. What though a daughter of the Sun,
And rather of the twilight born
Than of the flushed and rosy morn,
That maid with dusk complexion shone;
Yet was its hue as purely clear

As heaven, when first the stars appear;
And all her form had Nature's art
So molded light that every part
From Naiad* foot to chiseled face,
Seemed conscious of a perfect grace;
While her untaught, untainted soul
Informed, inspired, illumed the whole,

NA-LAD, (na-yad) a water-nymph.

And flowed through eyes as darkly bright
As e'er were lit with heavenly light

At Beauty's triumph, Love's fond hour,
In court or cottage, hall or bower.

2. And well her simple Indian dress
Became that airy loveliness;

The fawn-skin frock, so softly dressed,
Close folded, o'er her swelling breast,
And gently bound her waist about,
By belt with purple wampum wrought,
Thence falling short, in graceful ease,
Like Highland kirtle to her knees;
And well the rounded limb that graced
Her crimson-broidered leggins, laced
The beaded moccasins to meet
Upon those fairy-fashioned feet,—
These soothly of a youth had told,
Of delicate and maiden mold,

But that the smooth and raven tresses,
Descending low in soft caresses,
And rising breast, howe'er concealed,
That form a maiden true revealed.
As on her arm. there hung a bow
Of polished length and ebon glow,
She might have seemed, that forest child,
An Indian Dian, chaste and wild!

3. As stood she there, a chieftain's plume
Advanced amid the forest's bloom.
Unseen by her, in fixed delight
The warrior viewed that fairer sight,
Than e'er he deemed could greet his eyes,
Save in the Indian's Paradise.

At last she saw, and, half afraid,

Prepared for flight. "Fly not," he said:

4.

5.

"The flowers the maiden's fingers twine
Less lovely than the maiden shine.
Say, doth the dark-eyed Ottawa
Braid them to deck her bridal day ?"
Upon her cheek the deeper glow
Drank up its smiles:-" Nò, chiéftain, nò!
But when, among the Ottawa homes
The wise, the brave,-Tecumseh comes,
Whom all the red men love to hear,-
And runners say that he is near,-

Shrank backward,-then, with maiden grace,
Approached, but looked not in his face:
"Why, then a maid of Pontiac's race
Presents these Daughters of the Spring
To cheer him, faint with journeying;"
She said, and with a gentle breath,
Much like a sigh, the flowery wreath
Was laid upon Tecumseh's arm.

"By this clear stream, in sunlight warm,"
She added with a blush and smile,
"They have been growing all the while,
That they might greet, with lovely eyes,
The Eagle of the Southern skies."

"Nor doth the maiden," he replied,

"By day the lingering moments number,

Till sits a lover by her side?

Sees she no warrior in her slumber ?"
"Omeena's thoughts," she lisped, with tone
Like running brooks, “are all her own:
In dreams Omeena is alone."

"These flowers," said he, their fragrance smelling,

"Are sweet, but sweeter, maiden, be

6.

7.

Flowers, where the Shawnee hath his dwelling!
Say, will the Ottawa go and see?"

"These grow around her father's home:
Do such not have a fairer bloom?

And flowers upon her mother's grave-
Can any else so sweetly wave ?"
“ "But," cried the chief, confusedly,
As rose to his her speaking eye,—
"Tecumseh is the greatest brave,
His hands are red with foeman's slaughter!"
"Omeena is great Pontiac's daughter!"
Was her reply. ""Tis Pontiac's name
Leads me to conflict, glory, fame,-
That star shall be Tecumseh's guide!
Will Pontiac's daughter be his bride ?"

"Chieftain !" exclaimed she, pointing high,
"See yonder cloud climb up the sky.
And hark! the song-birds will not sing:
They cower in fear each shivering wing.
But lo! yon eagle's rising form!
He hastes alone to meet the storm.
He cares not for his aerie past,
So he may ride the rolling blast.

8. Go, warrior; when the sky is clear,

The Ottawa maid will meet him here.
Go-when the pale face dwells no more
By Wabash tide or Huron's shore,
Then to her mother's grave she 'll bring
Young flowers, her last, sweet offering,
And in the Eagle's aerie sing!"
And ending thus, his hand she took,
Softly, and with a soul-lit look,

Though timid love her virgin bosom shook.