ARCHIE, who had been much interested in his sister's account of an Indian boy, did not forget to remind her of her promise to tell him more about wigwams and their inhabitants.
As usual he was ready with a question. "If an Indian boy gets sick, would his father have to go a very long way to fetch the doctor.”
“Yes, Archie, the journey might be a very long one. Perhaps he would have to cross dark forests or ford deep streams before he reached the hut or wigwam of the medicine man.”
“Is the medicine man an Indian doctor, Elsie?”
“The only doctor the Red Indians ever think of consulting. All his medicines are made from the juices of plants or the roots of trees, and, as he is sometimes really a clever man, and knows a great deal about the way in which different flowers and herbs can be used in making nice cooling drinks for sick people, his patients sometimes get better.
“The Red Indians pay great respect to the medicine man, and when he tells them it is the will of the Great Spirit that the brother or son should die, the poor people, who know nothing of the sweet promises and blessed hope of the gospel, listen to his words and try to be contented.
“But I think you would like to hear something about the dress of the medicine man. His headdress is a very curious one, as it is made of feathers, some of them being very bright in color. He also wears a necklace of shell or pieces of bone. His face is painted black, red, and yellow. He only wears his robes on feast days. His robe is made of deer or buffalo skin, worked almost all over with figures, and ornamented with porcupines' quills. Sometimes a deep fringe hangs down from the front of the robe.
“We read in the Bible that 'The dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.' And that fringe, of which the Red Indian is often very proud, tells its own sad tale of bloodshed; for it is made of human hair, and was taken from victims who have been killed and scalped by the warrior who displays it. His stockings are not unlike the leggings boys often wear: as they are made of skin and cloth sewn on to his legs. Instead of shoes, a piece of soft leather, called a mocassin, is wrapped round each foot.
“When the medicine man enters the wigwam of a sick person, we should be quite surprised if we could look in and see how strangely he acts. Dancing, shouting, and howling at the top of his voice, we should feel like saying, ‘Please do not make such a noise, it is enough to give any one the headache.'
“But the Indians who stand or sit upon the floor of the tent, and seem much pleased with all that is being done, would tell us, ‘The noise was intended to drive away an evil spirit who, by tormenting the sick person, had caused his illness.'
“Among those who some years ago listened to the faithful preaching of a missionary to the Red Indians, was a man who was known by many titles as a great medicine man. When he heard of a great and good God by whom all things were created, he listened with great attention and said, ‘It is very wonderful.' But when he visited the missionary again, he, heard, ‘For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.' (John 3:1616For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16).) His heart was won, and he said with deep feeling, ‘The Son of God has found the poor Red man, and now Red man will serve Him—follow Him.'
“After an absence of a few days he again visited the mission station and begged to be allowed to confess his faith in Christ by receiving baptism as a Christian.
“Placing quite a large parcel in the hands of his teacher, he told him it contained all the charms, &c., he had been in the habit of using, and explained he wished them to be burnt, as he had made up his mind never again to use them, as he had done during more than twenty years to deceive his poor countrymen, among whom he longed to make known the way of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ.
“It must have been an affecting sight when, in the presence of a number of Indians, the converted medicine man with his own hands threw his packet of charms, &c., into the flames.”
“Oh, Elsie, your account of the burning of charms reminds me of something that happened at one of the places where Paul preached. I read about it not very long ago in the Acts of the Apostles, but I do not remember exactly where it was.”
“You are thinking, Archie, of a scene of deep interest that took place at or near Ephesus, a city of Asia, more than eighteen hundred years since. An account of it is given in Acts 19:18, 1918And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. 19Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men: and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. (Acts 19:18‑19). Shall I read them to you?
“‘And many that believed came, and confessed, and showed their deeds. Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and burned them before all men; and they counted the price of them, and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver.'
“Do you remember when we were staying at Dover last year, how much we admired some very tall flowering grass we noticed in the Castle Park?”
“Yes, Elsie, and I think you told me the seed came from South America and it was called Pampas grass. I wonder it grows so well in England.”
“It requires great care, I believe, and in winter the roots are covered up to protect them from the frost. But travelers who have crossed the prairies tell us that at times large tracts of land are covered with pampas grass; its silvery tops waving in the breeze have a very singular appearance, and, when a little way off, it is quite easy to mistake the prairie for the sea.
“A fire in the prairie is very terrible. During the dry season, every leaf and blade of grass seems to be almost burnt up. Sometimes a man riding on horseback will let fall a spark when lighting his pipe, or a party of Indians will kindle a fire to cook the fish or game they have caught in hunting, and when they have finished their meal, lie down to sleep, or go away without taking any great care to see that no red-hot ashes are left to smolder on the ground.
“If the wind is blowing toward the prairie, a few sparks are often enough to set many miles on fire. The flames rush on, destroying everything before them, while numbers of wild animals rush madly about for a time and then perish in the fire.
“Many years ago, a party of Red Indians had a very narrow escape from one of these prairie fires.
They were moving with their tents and other property to a fresh hunting-ground, when they heard a rustling sound, and, looking behind them, saw, by the red glow in the sky, that the prairie was on fire.
“Swiftly and surely the flames were gaining upon them, and their only hope of escape, they knew, lay in being able to keep in advance of the great sheet of fire that came sweeping on. Throwing down everything that would hinder them in running, they made as much haste as possible. But swift runners as the Red men were, they found the path so overgrown with brushwood, climbing plants, &c. that they could not get on very quickly. The heat became greater every moment, and they were almost blinded by clouds of smoke.
“At last the chief man of the party, weary and footsore, threw himself upon the heated ground. In a few moments he springs to his feet, crying to his friends, Come, for there is a place of rest on the other side.' His ear had caught the sound of running water at no great distance, and following where it led, they gained the banks of a river, and, after swimming across, soon stood in perfect safety, where the flames could not follow, ‘on the other side.'
“I once heard this story told by a preacher of the gospel, and he begged those who listened to his words to remember that every unsaved soul, every one who has not accepted salvation through the precious blood of Christ, was in a place of terrible danger, in a world on which the judgment of God will one day be poured out. But those who see their danger and trust only in the Lord Jesus Christ, are put in a new place before God, accepted in the Beloved. (Eph. 1:66To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. (Ephesians 1:6).) They are safe -quite safe-and resting in simple faith on what God has said in His word about the finished work of His dear Son, are able to sing with thankful hearts, "Death and judgment are behind us, Grace and glory are before.”