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Chapter 10
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· 171 · CHAPTER 10 On her funeral day, no relatives in sable robes appeared, no hearse, with ostrich feathers crowned, bore her form away. But native hunters of the wild, who oft had shared the bounties of her home, they dug her grave at early morn; then came with fragrant woodland flowers, and on her casket laid them. They came with blankets of pure white about their shoulders thrown, and with moccasins of deer-hide upon their feet, while, with uncovered heads and muffled tread, slowly they bore her from the door away. A Christian teacher and I next to them came, while in our rear, truehearted neighbors followed on. Zowan started as a mourner, too, but some one, unconscious of his grieving heart, jerked him about and drove him home.Tenderly they carried her along the winding trail, under lofty archways of giant trees, until they reached her last resting-place, which she in life had chosen. And there, among the evergreen trees, upon a beautiful headland, near the shore of our forest lake, in sight of the waters that covered our dear Hazeleye, we gathered, and there sadly consigned her to the grave, dropping therein modest forest flowers which she in life oft wore and much admired; and, as we listened in silent prayer, to the solemn words: “Earth to earth and dust to dust,” a little dusky maiden · 172 · Simon Pokagon of our band, who lately had been taught the Saviour’s love, and knew Lonidaw well, all unbidden sang,— Asleep in Jesus, blessed sleep From which none ever wake to weep; A calm and undisturbed repose, Unbroken by the last of foes. The closing words were scarcely sung, when from the shore across the lake, in childlike tenderness, the song again was sung, and again and again was repeated from shore to shore, weaker and weaker, until it died away the merest whisper in our ears. In tears of gratitude, and with a heart of prayer, I blessed the little maiden there. One by one the friends forsook the spot, leaving me there alone to commune with the spirit of my departed Lonidaw.Kneeling beside her grave, I breathed a silent prayer to the Great Spirits, that she might be received into the arms of Hazeleye in his kingdom beyond. Then I arose, and sorrowfully started homeward, saying in my heart, “All this trouble now weighing down my soul, has fallen upon me by reason of that curse, dealt out to our race by the hands of white men.” And as I reflected upon it, the despot rose up before me like a thing of beauty, as if to tempt even me in “nin kashkendamowin” (my sorrow), and I cried out in the anguish of my soul: “O, thou wretch! Pull aside that gold-gilt veil, which now conceals thy wicked face, and speak no more to me with faltering lips and lying tongue, that all may see thee as thou art, and shun thee as a viper.” I reached my lonely home. No crape was hung upon the latch-string of the door. No friends had gathered there to cheer the mourning heart on its return. Zowan gave one plaintive howl, then rushing forward, met me on the trail, impressing many kisses on my cheek. I could not have the heart to ward him off, for well I knew he told his love and sympathy by honest acts, and not by flattering words. How different with our petted cat. She, all unmoved, lay by the door quietly purring her time away, as if Lonidaw had not died. The dog, ashamed of her unfeeling heart, drove her quickly from the door. I went to the wigwam, expecting to enter in, but passed by it, for shrinking feeling of dread to enter came over me. With faithful Zowan at my side, I walked slowly back to Lonidaw’s grave, and sat down upon an old, mossy log close beside it. Let only those who have lost dear Queen of the Woods· 173 · friends attempt to tell,or realize what then I felt.My sad heart,whispering, said: “How unfeeling, strange, and droll it seems, that she who I have so much loved for many years, and watched so tenderly so long, should now be abandoned and consigned to the cold earth.” Zowan tried to soothe my broken heart by wiping away the tears I shed.Poor fellow! He had a double sorrow. Mourning to see me weep, and...