Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 37.djvu/141

 happiness, that a few years might see rolling in every direction through nation, were we speedily joined by a sufficient No. of faithful prayerful laborers. How much grain I shall be able to get in the coming season, I do not know, but the blessing of God attending us, as we trust it has thus far, I count upon 100 acres. This will enable me to furnish a good number with seed for the coming year & keep many children at school, who are now obliged to leave frequently to go with their parents in search of food. Judging from the present, this people will probably acquire the English, before we do the Nez Perces language, though we flatter ourselves that we are making good progress. If so, by the time we are ready to reduce theirs to writing, it will not be deemed expedient. For why should years be spent in reducing their language to a written state, which when done must necessarily be increased one third, or one half, with new words, in order to embrace the scriptures. And if it is necessary for them to learn so many English words, of course the most difficult, by reason of having nothing in their language to explain them, why not learn the other half, easy to be learned, because they have corresponding words in their own language that will explain them, & then they are introduced at once into an inexhausible fountain of religious & scientific reading. This is my present opinion, but what our duty will be when we have acquired their language & are prepared to write and teach it, or to teach the English to better advantage than we are now, we wait the future leadings of providence & the better wisdom than ours, of yourself & coadjutors. Please to be particular on this subject. John Aits (a native youth) who accompanied Doct Whitman to the states, when he returned from his exploring tour & spent a short time in Rev. Mr. Parker's family, Ithica, is with us & proves to be a very good boy though not as ready to learn & as enterprizing as the youth in general. He is however making very good progress in reading writing arithmatic &c can speak the paper torn] choosing rather to throw myself upon my own resources, in all my intercourse with the people. For the last 3 weeks Mrs. S. has assembled the girls twice a week for sewing. The attemp far surpassed our most sanguine expectation. Their work is really good. What do you say to my purchasing at Vancouver, Calico for each a dress, to wear only on the sabbath.