THE SNOW BABY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 191, 16 September 1909, Page 4

THE SNOW BABY.

LITTLE AHNIGHITO I'EAIiY.

The story of Commander Peary's little girl, who was born away up in .North Urecnland during his expedition of 18989a, is told by .Mrs. Peary iu a book called "The Snow Baby," which is most cnarmmgly written, and full of delightful pictures. Fascinating is her description of the wonderful land where "in .s'uminer the sun never sets, but shines all the time', day and night; the snow melts off the ground; blue and white and yellow Howers spring up, and soft-eyed, browncoated reindeer wander about, cropping the short grass; the ice breaks up, blue waves dance and sparkle in the sun, and everywhere singing .brooks rush down tile mountains, or fall in silvery cascades over the dill's, where millions of noisy sea-birds conic to lay their eggs; black walrus, larger than oxen; glossy mottled seals; schools of narwhal, with their lung, white ivory horns', longer than a man is tall, Hashing like spears in and out of the water, and occasional liereo white bears are to be scon. When winter conies, with its night four months long, it is a Joncly hind, only a few hungry bears and poor decrs that have to dig with their hoofs for a few niouthfuls of grass and muss-are let with the Eskimos and their dogs. "Her,., iu this wonderful land," in a little black house, under a great bruwj mountain, was found, ou c bright September day, a little snow-white baby girl, with big, blue eyes." ft was a oiestorey house, with walls a foot thick, and inside the house the baby's room was lined with soft-warm blankets, its bed was covered with soft reindeer skins. The Eskimos were intensely excited when they heard of the birth 'of a white baby, and they came—men, women ,and children—hundreds of miles to see her, ami they were delighted if she happened to smile at them. They called her "Ahpoo mik-a mii-ny" (the Snow Baby), and brought her presents of fur mittens, little s'ealskin boots, baby bears, and sealskins and walrus tusk's. When the Snow Baby was six weeks old the sun set fur four months, and, for that time, the baby lived shut up in the little room, whore a lamp was kept burning day and night, When, she ■bathed her, her mother had to close every door in the room, and even put an oil stove inside the Iml curtains, drawn close, and there sponge iivr. The first gleam of sunshine delighted th 0 child—"she reached for the golden bar of sunlight as other children reach for a beautiful toy," says her father. After that, every day she had a sun bath, and she used to be taken for an outing in an Eskimo baby suit, made of fur, a little hooded coat and a pair of little trousers) and boots in one, and round the wrists and face opening foxtails were sewn to keep her warm. The Snow Baby was just like a little human bulb that had been kept in the dark, and was brought out into the sunlight. She grew like a tulip, and was soon too heavy for her .mother to carry, they got some dogs, and a ' little Eskimo sledge, and every dav she bad si sleigh-ride, the aogs' teeming always to understand that they must not bolt witii the baby, as they did with the Eskimos.

A great many jwople cum,, to sec her, mill she uiiiilc friends vvitli tlioir little brown bullies. When Ah-ni-ghito began to talk-, she »pok c Eskimo, nnd woub say "Tii koo" (loiik), ami "11111110" (more). She had ]iltl<- Eskimo playmates, and a. little Eskimo nursemaid, twelve years old, called "Miss Hill." All the summer through, the Snow lluliv slaved there, playing about out of door's with bright pebbles, and llowers and puppies, nail when, at last, she was nearly a. year old, th,. big ship railed for them again, and Hie Snow Baby, with her mother and -Miss Hill, went kick to America. "She was then," rtivs her father gravely, "inentallv and pii'vsieally at least a vear in advance of her actual age," a .-'talemcnt which .proves that nil fathers are alike. In ISill, when the Snow Baby was nearly four vears old. Peary went back to Hie Arctic regions to search for the lingest known meteorite, which he took back with him to America. Ah-ni-ghi-to and her nilother 'accompanied Win, .greatly ilo the delight of the Kskimos. They'were all anxious to sty the Snow Baby, who had grown much bigger than an' ordinary Eskimo child., and, once more, they brought Tier beautiful presents. Whereever s3ie went, the child made a sort: of royal progress, being treated like a little queen by all the Kskimos thev met.

On their way back from this expedition, -Uini-glii-lo liail a birthday on board I he. ship, and even-one gave her lovely things. "The engineer blew four loud blasts with the whistle to let all tlho seals and \nih-us, ami even the iKilin; bears (if tlieie were any within iiearing distance) know that file Snow liily was four years old that day."