True Stories from History and Biography

th the earnest request which Laurence had made, at the close of the last chapter.

NDIAN

ut to learn a language, utterly unlike all other tongues,-a language which hitherto had never been learned, except by the Indians themselves, from their mothers' lips,-a language never written, and the strange words of which seemed inexpressible by letters;-if the tas

l of whom history has been able to tell us nothing, for thousands of years. He hoped that God had sent the English across the ocean, Gentiles as they were, to enlighten this benighted portion of his once chosen race. And when he should be

s cloisters of a university, and were supposed to possess all the erudition which mankind has hoarded up from age to age. Greek and Latin were as familiar to them as the babble of

ld! the gray-headed men stammered over the long, strange words, like a little child in his first attempts to read. [pg 051] Then would

are some brethren of mine, who would fa

as if the forest leaves were singing in the ears of his auditors, and as if the roar of distant streams were poured through the young

the open air, which his free nature loved. The apostle was kind to children, and even shared in their sport

en, in their transactions with the Indians. Occasionally, perhaps, the governor and some of the counsellors came to visit Mr. Eliot. Perchance they were seeking some method to circumvent the forest people. They inquired, it [p

d the governor and counsellors. Laying his hand upon his sword hilt, he would declare, that the onl

he craft of the politician, and

athers were of that chosen race, whom God delivered from Egyptian bondage. Perchance he has destined us to deliver the childr

elf suffice to civilize and refine the savage tribes. Let the Bible be diffused among them, and all earthly good would follow. But how [pg 053] slight a consideration was this, when he reflected that the eternal welfare of a whole race of men depended upon his a

ogs sent up its blaze and smoke, through the broad stone chimney, into the wintry air. Before the earliest bird sang, in the morning, the apostle's lamp was kindled; and, a

the ten tribes of Israel would now learn the history of their forefathers. That gr

sts, who had drawn their inspiration from the immediate presence of the Saviour. They first had [pg 054] preached truth and salvation to the world. And Eliot, separated from them by many centuries, yet full o

tless, he would not have regretted his toil, if it were the means of saving but a single soul. But it is a grievous thing to me, that he should ha

then remember how the apostle Eliot toiled. And if you should feel your own self-interest pressing upon your heart too close

liot had not toiled in vain. Little Alice put up her arms to Grandfath

ered she, "I want to

e the kiss of so sweet a child as little Alice, an

ruse. He then spoke of King Philip's war, which began in 1675, and terminated with the death of King Philip, in the fo

praying Indians joined the followers of King Philip. A greater number fought on the side of the English. In the course of the war, the little community of red people whom Mr. Eliot had begun to civilize, was sca

rley, "you would tell us all about

ara. "Who wants to hear about

ust be content with knowing that it was the bloodiest war that the Indians had ever waged ag

ain of the Englis

Charley, that neither Captain Church, nor any of the officers and soldiers who fought in King Philip's war,

," said Charley to himself,

g