erwise than accept the situation, and do the best we
could.

We had talked the matter over, and had asked Divine guidance; and so
now, when summoned to give our decision, we quickly but kindly said to
the woman with five children, "You are to stay with your husband;" and
to the other woman, who had four children, we said, "You are not to
return to the wigwam, but must be from this hour as an entire stranger
to it."

The first woman sprang up, her eyes flashing with joy, and gathering her
children and property around her she uttered her hasty words of
farewell, and was gone. For a few moments the other woman, who had
drawn her blanket over her head, remained perfectly still, with the
exception of a suppressed sob, which seemed to make the whole body
quiver. Soon, with that wonderful will-power which these Indian women,
as well as the men, possess, she appeared to have obtained the mastery
over herself again, and, uncovering her head, she began to make
preparations for leaving. As she turned her large black eyes dimmed
with tears towards us, while there was no malice in them, there was a
despairing sorrow that pierced us like a knife. She seemed to see the
lonely, neglected, contemned, suffering life before her; but she had
counted the cost, and had taken the step for conscience' sake, and she
would not flinch now. We entered into conversation with her, and it
seemed almost cruel that we, who had given a decision that had shut up
against her the only home she had, should begin to talk to her about
where she would go and what she would do.

She told us she did not know where to go or what to do. Her husband had
bought her from her father, but he was dead; and as her girlhood home
was far away, and she had not been there since her husband took her
away, she knew nothing about any of her relatives. But even if she did,
and could find some of them, it was very likely they would treat her
with contempt, and perhaps persecute her. So she had not the slightest
idea as to the future.

Need I write that our hearts were full of sorrow, and we saw that this
was a case which must have help, no matter how straitened might be our
financial circumstances!

We had but lately read the story of the little oil in the cruse, and the
handful of meal in the barrel; and so this woman and her children must
be helped. While Mrs Young fed them and talked kindly to them, I went
out and got some of my Christian Indians together, and w