l have you all together," said Mrs. Campbell.
"Yes, ma'am, so you will, and then I'll be always with the boy to look
after him, and you'll always know where we are, and not be frightened."
"Very true, Malachi," said Mr. Campbell; "I consider it a very good
arrangement. We must build you a better lodge than the one that you are
in."
"No, sir, not a better one, for if you have all you want, you can't want
more; it's big enough, but perhaps not quite near enough. I'm thinking
that when the sheep-fold is finished, it might be as well to raise our
lodge inside of the palisades, and then we shall be a sort of guard to
the creatures."
"A very excellent idea, Malachi; well then, as far as I am concerned,
Martin has my full consent to marry as soon as he pleases."
"And mine, if it is at all necessary," observed Mrs. Campbell.
"But who is to marry them?" said Emma; "they have no chaplain at the
fort; he went away last year."
"Why, miss, they don't want no chaplain; she is an Indian girl, and he
will marry her Indian-fashion."
"But what fashion is that, Malachi?" said Mary.
"Why, miss, he'll come to the lodge, and fetch her away to his own
house."
Alfred burst out into laughter. "That's making short work of it," said
he.
"Yes, rather too short for my approval," said Mrs. Campbell. "Malachi,
it's very true that the Strawberry is an Indian girl, but we are not
Indians, and Martin is not an Indian, neither are you who stand as her
father; indeed, I can not consent to give my sanction to such a
marriage."
"Well, ma'am, as you please, but it appears to me to be all right. If
you go into a country and wish to marry a girl of that country, you
marry her according to the rules of that country. Now, Martin seeks an
Indian squaw, and why not therefore marry her after Indian fashion?"
"You may be right, Malachi, in your argument," said Mrs. Campbell; "but
still you must make allowances for our prejudices. We never should think
that she was a married woman, if no further ceremony was to take place
than what you propose."
"Well, ma'am, just as you please; but still, suppose you marry them
after your fashion, the girl won't understand a word that is said, so
what good will it do?"
"None to her at present, Malachi; but recollect, if she is not a
Christian at present, she may be hereafter; I have often thought upon
that subject, and although I feel it useless to speak to her just now,
yet as soon as she understa
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