Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/118

 110 T. W. DAVENPORT. If demoralization of these wards had been designed by the Government, it is doubtful if the scheme to accomplish it would not have given better satisfaction to them than the past treatment by political Indian agents. One episode was quite unexpected and rather amusing. Susan, a Walla Walla woman, wife of a half-breed, Alex McKay, sister-in-law of the interpreter, Antoine Placide, ex- pressed dissatisfaction in earnest words to the interpreter, who jollied her for being a grumbler. At that time I knew nothing of her social relations in her tribe, but during my absence in Portland an acquaintance had been formed with my wife, who esteemed her highly. In every community there is always some one, and generally a woman, whose innate tendency impels her to assist those who are by nature or mis- fortune incompetent to care for themselves. This busy-body seems to act as though divinely commissioned to explore the recesses of society in search of misery and of those in want- widows and orphans, the lame, the halt, the blind and bring their destitution to the eyes and ears of those who ought to help. Such a person was my wife in the community where she lived; such, too, was Susan McKay among the lowly red people of the reservation. Indeed, could humanity survive among any people wherein the divine spark of love is extinct ? After receiving her goods, Susan called to see my wife, who expressed much surprise at the smallness of her allotment, and said, * ' Why, Susan ! You have given away more than that since I came, and you have a half dozen little waifs on your hands at present. Come and let us see what there is among the Indian goods any how. ' ' Presently my wife came through the room and after looking among the cloths took a bolt of calico and one of linsey and strode out. Silence reigned, as no one seemed to know what that meant. At length, Antoine broke it with a loud laugh, and an ejaculation of, "Mr. Davenport, those two women will break you up." "All right, Antoine, if that breaks us, we will buy of the sutler." That evening the two women were busy; the sewing machine was humming, and the orphans were soon clothed.