THE ORIGIN OF A CUSTOM.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXVIII, Issue 3648, 17 May 1906, Page 4

THE ORIGIN OF A CUSTOM.

Bow the First Ann-rl van Girl t's.m.l t* Mh.< ry ft i'or.’A t.; r. The mighty chief Powhatan rut- on M* tanbark throne and waited for the prowssion to appear. It was to boa long t-m----cession, for its leading frattm. von Cap- ; tain John Smith of Kugland, and i'me- | hat an proposed in his noble, aboriginal ; mind to make the time of his- passing i! given point. ext-rem.-Ty ind.-finite, not tv say permanent. In tho wonl; of a lan-: I historian, “Powhatan wo- lain for Join; . with a club.” Trth‘, He was m-t in con- «<•«■) mrht, ready to spring upon tho unsns- • peering captain and sandbag him, so to i speak, for the captain more ilain suspected that lie was persona non grata to the mighty chief and watt aware that at the hour appointed ho was to bo brought bo--1 fore Powhatan, and then and there, at a I given signal, to lay his head upon a stump lln order"to facilitate the chief’s purpose in getting rid of him with promptness and dispatch. Presently the enlivening notes of tho Janies River Falls bras-i band w-ro heard ’ in the distance, and (lie ohl chief's fa.-c. I before frowning at the uncalled for delay, broke info a ie sm-lr 1 , ami he toyed with his e!r.') merrily. “What air plays the hand?” inquired the c.hi-.-f of Ids pel . . “i hebeve. rive, il i.i 'Go**. John.' ” “Wow mirth better,” si-'.bed Pow ■•-< ••••.ban Ltebr-i- <• nr" G’ • ' v - or tun.': - , the hand ‘.va- a>-;UMt>imsi - ‘ •• fore we sculped the ie :>V.-r!” Powhatan emi-e-.l yrn-Uv, vai.- fleer-,:”!" ■, uw- ■> Waking, and :i.c p fore the tanka rk. Gu.-ac. P-.whalr’J stood up in rl! 1 '-• ' ’ featbeis, R’-d ha toot-..' 1 ■ uiud cordiality of the , ; . '■. i' i: first, time,” smiled .. a truce 1o such airy fairy Mod, “Take your place. ’’ ' ■ ■•!■({ to the .otl I-Vw- !•; . wirlliig ■oh. <e ; u-asaut as . ’Oii along. “ L,. i in' captain aa ul ■ in several .... comfortable one, - sue of the pillow 1 Lad in the ■ ian oo.uin'c up hero.” “ir’i soft enough for tiiy purpose,” ■ •*.• --'eil Pinvlui'an, for tho first time ■ ■ : -■ : y to get bis work in. ■J himself, sighted along i 1.0 proper distance, the oidio Laurie."and lie drew ’••m wwq.-oli. , -'..-oUeu only by tho mournful of the bend, foil upon the scene, but f -r e.n instant only, then a wild cry , -. te.-onq, anted by a n s. and a fair girl stood sy -:i the captain and tho club, j "Oii, popper,’’ cried Pocahontas, for it •-.v- -die, the chief’s beautiful daughter. j “Oh, popper, what are you going to do?” “Rack, girl,” lie shouted; “back I say, i or you’ll get it in tho neck, sure.” ’ ■ “ Nay,nay, popper, ” she pleaded in sweet, [ cajoling tones, “I shall not back. You know not what you are about to do.” i “ Stand from under tor a minute, and I you will see if I don’t,” the chief answered ! sullenly as he lot his club fall by his side. “Rut I tell you,” she insisted, “that you . don’t,” “Why don’t If” ‘ 1 Because you don’t. ” “Because mo no bceauscs, girl,” thundered Powhatan, reaching for his club. “ Have you no other reason than a woman’s reason?” 1 “ Being a woman, ” she replied haughtily, "I don’t have to have.” “Now, Pokie,” said Powhatan caressingly, “you got out of this aud give your pa] a a chance.” j “No, popper,” she responded as eho throw her plump and tawny arm around ! the neck of the captive captain, “I came I here to give Captain Smith a chance and to give every American girl, for all time to conic, a chance,” she added in almost tragic tones, i “ Como off," he growled, j “No, popper," she persisted, “Mr. Smith i must conic off—off of that stump. Will it be necessary for mo to give you a map and a diagram before you will understand that Captain Smith is a foreigner, that I am an : American girl of marriageable ago and j that tho entente curdialo bet ween the two must and shall be preserved? Don’t you j know that you owe something to posterity ; and tho future social conditions of this ’ great and glorious republic? Pepper, pop- , per,” she pleaded, “can’t you see that your Pocahontas is endeavoring to establish a precedent that will stand for all lime?” -Powhatan hesitated. A light as of a new day was breaking in upon his aboriginal perception. “Old man,” exclaimed Captain Smith, taking the stump with his feeinstead of his head, “Pocahontas has called you, and vou've got to show down.” Powhatan dropped his gory club in supremo disgust. “Tell that confounded band to play T immy Atkins,’ ” ho commanded hia pm cite secretary. “i gu I'll tako you, "said Pocahontas ; to the captain as lie came down off the stump. “Please guess again,” said John. Jiut despite this ungallant and ungenerous rebuff history records the fact that Pocahontas was the first American girl to marry a foreigner,—W. J. Lampion in Life. ' __ , Nu Help For It. Visa Summit (lurching with Castleton) —1 really don’t fuel as if I could eat a rbi,...-; Mr :’i-t!eton. C««t let-on >n"u-dly to waiter) —Bring ■•■ ii o f Cara.—New York Heriju ‘Ofcltl , wapi ■ Thwwit agate hwkimih