THE COMPLAINT OF A FORSAKEN INDIAN WOMAN

THE COMPLAINT OF A FORSAKEN INDIAN WOMAN

[_When a Northern Indian, from sickness, is unable to continue hisjourney with his companions; he is left behind, covered over withDeer-skins, and is supplied with water, food, and fuel if the situationof the place will afford it. He is informed of the track which hiscompanions intend to pursue, and if he is unable to follow, or overtakethem, he perishes alone in the Desart; unless he should have the goodfortune to fall in with some other Tribes of Indians. It is unnecessaryto add that the females are equally, or still more, exposed to the samefate. See that very interesting work, _Hearnes Journey from HudsonsBay to the Northern Ocean_. When the Northern Lights, as the same writerinforms us, vary their position in the air, they make a rustling and acrackling noise. This circumstance is alluded to in the ?rst stanza ofthe following poem._]

Before I see another day,

Oh let my body die away!

In sleep I heard the northern gleams;

The stars they were among my dreams;

In sleep did I behold the skies,

I saw the crackling ?ashes drive;

And yet they are upon my eyes,

And yet I am alive.

Before I see another day,

Oh let my body die away!

My ?re is dead: it knew no pain;

Yet is it dead, and I remain.

All stiff with ice the ashes lie;

And they are dead, and I will die.

When I was well, I wished to live,

For clothes, for warmth, for food, and ?re;

But they to me no joy can give,

No pleasure now, and no desire.

Then here contented will I lie;

Alone I cannot fear to die.

Alas! you might have dragged me on

Another day, a single one!

Too soon despair oer me prevailed;

Too soon my heartless spirit failed;

When you were gone my limbs were stronger,

And Oh how grievously I rue,

That, afterwards, a little longer,

My friends, I did not follow you!

For strong and without pain I lay,

My friends, when you were gone away.

My child! they gave thee to another,

A woman who was not thy mother.

When from my arms my babe they took,

On me how strangely did he look!

Through his whole body something ran,

A most strange something did I see;

--As if he strove to be a man,

That he might pull the sledge for me.

And then he stretched his arms, how wild!

Oh mercy! like a little child.

My little joy! my little pride!

In two days more I must have died.

Then do not weep and grieve for me;

I feel I must have died with thee.

Oh wind that oer my head art ?ying,

The way my friends their course did bend,

I should not feel the pain of dying,

Could I with thee a message send.

Too soon, my friends, you went away;

For I had many things to say.

Ill follow you across the snow,

You travel heavily and slow:

In spite of all my weary pain,

Ill look upon your tents again.

My ?re is dead, and snowy white

The water which beside it stood;

The wolf has come to me to-night,

And he has stolen away my food.

For ever left alone am I,

Then wherefore should I fear to die?

My journey will be shortly run,

I shall not see another sun,

I cannot lift my limbs to know

If they have any life or no.

My poor forsaken child! if I

For once could have thee close to me,

With happy heart I then would die,

And my last thoughts would happy be,

I feel my body die away,

I shall not see another day.