Ethel Morton at Chautauqua Part 32

"I come across people every day who are just like that, dear Gran.

Chautauqua is the greatest place in the world, I believe, for co-operation and helpfulness."

"Helpfulness and kindliness and loyalty make up the 'Chautauqua spirit.'

You've probably discovered that that is a very real thing."

"It's what makes everybody go about speaking to people they'd just stare at at home."

"And finding out that they're interesting after all."

Over her sewing for several afternoons to come Helen thought many times of her conversation with her grandmother and she was keenly delighted when Mrs. Emerson and Mrs. Morton went to the School of Mothercraft and found themselves as pleased with its purposes and its way of carrying them out as Helen herself had been.

"We think we are making a new occupation for women out of her oldest occupation," smiled the head of the school. "We are organizing women's natural abilities and the duties that have been hers time out of mind in a modern way that will fit her to be a good mother and housekeeper in her own household or some other woman's, or to teach homecraft to students just as we are doing here. We've already had more applications than we have been able to fill for Mothercraft teachers to go to the West."

Meanwhile, as Roger had predicted, every part of the grounds was "infested," as he described it, with groups of people rehearsing for the pageant. In the hall of the School of Physical Education the minuet was being practiced whenever the gymnastic cla.s.ses left the floor free for an hour; the reader with the Water Sprites and Flower Sprites and the bold representatives of the Wind and the Sun foregathered in the largest room of the School of Expression; Indian men and boys stamped and grunted in the Boys' Club, while the Girls' Club was the scene of the squaws' Dance of Grief. La Salle and Brule and Celoron spent an anxious life warily dodging the people who wanted to capture them for rehearsals, and only submitted to having their measurements taken on condition that they should not be asked to try on their costumes until the day of the performance. It was Helen and Margaret and their cla.s.smates who were making them but they were so absorbed in doing all these extra matters in addition to their regular club tasks and pleasures that they felt it would only add one more thrill if at this last-minute trying-on all the costumes should be proved misfits and have to be made over in one day!

Nothing of the sort happened, however, though there were dress rehearsals at seven o'clock in the morning of the appointed day, when early risers saw braves in full war paint flocking to the lake front, with a tread not as stealthy as it would be at night when boots should be exchanged for moccasins.

The scenes were staged on a large raft anch.o.r.ed in the lake before the hotel and girt with low bushes so that it looked like an island. The observers a.s.sembled on the lawn that sloped from the hotel to the water, and spread along the pebbly beach. Those in front brought camp chairs or sat cross-legged on the ground and those behind looked over their heads. Strong lights were thrown on the improvised island from electric lights with reflectors. Mr. and Mrs. Emerson and Mrs. Morton were so fortunate as to secure comfortable and convenient positions.

The three scenes of the First Part represented myths of the Indians who long ago used to live about Chautauqua Lake. The Spirit of the Lake appeared in a canoe drawn by invisible power. As she landed upon the island the Flower Sprites greeted her with singing.

"Can you make out Ethel Blue?" asked Mr. Emerson, peering through his gla.s.ses.

"It seems to me she is the next to the end in the front row," replied Mrs. Morton. "That certainly is Dorothy on the end."

Very charming they looked with their flowing white robes and their garlands, and very manly were the lovers, Wind and Sun, who wooed the Lake Spirit to remain on the island. Their wooing was vain, however, for the Spirit made them understand that she was to give her love only to a new spirit yet to come, Mankind.

The next scene ill.u.s.trated one of the meanings of the word "Chautauqua"--"The place of easy death." An Indian princess, stooping to drink from the lake, was drawn down into its depths.

The origin in the lake of the fish called the muscallonge whose size and spirit make its capture a triumph for fishermen was the subject of the third scene, in which Indian braves fis.h.i.+ng near the island were the central figures.

The presentation of actual historical facts began with the Second Part.

"I rather suspect," said Mr. Emerson amusedly, "that our young people are going to learn more history from this performance than I should have been able to tell them."

"Helen has been reading about the explorers in the library in the College. I imagine she has her eye on another history prize next winter."

"Here is what the program says is going to happen. Let me read it to you before the scene begins and then we won't have to bother our heads about the story and we can try to pick out our children."

"PART II.--1610-1615. SCENES OF EARLY ERIE OCCUPATION

"Three Erie scouts are seen exploring the country with a view of settlement. After satisfying themselves that the Island is safe and advantageous they depart, soon returning with their whole tribe. Then follows an historical reproduction of an Indian village. Tents are set up, fires lighted, fis.h.i.+ng and swimming indulged in. The children weave baskets and play games. All is peaceful, until an Iroquois scouting party, pa.s.sing near, shoots the chief of the Eries. Instant confusion reigns. The braves seize their tomahawks and pursue the enemy in canoes.

The medicine man attends the wounded chief, the squaws moan in grief, and upon the return of the successful Eries with their dead and prisoners, the young braves of the tribe indulge in a war dance. As the tribe work themselves up into a frenzy and bloodshed and torture seem imminent, the outburst is quelled and the attention of the Indians is diverted by the coming of etienne Brule.

"Brule was a young Frenchman who, in 1615, carried a message of peace from Samuel Champlain, in Canada, to the Andastes Indians in Pennsylvania."

All the young Mortons except Ethel Blue took part in this scene. Roger was one of the three scouts, and so was conspicuous enough to be easily picked out by his relatives on sh.o.r.e. It was not so easy to discover Helen and Margaret Hanc.o.c.k in the group of sorrowing squaws.

"They would be apt to be together; I believe they're both at the right,"

guessed Mrs. Emerson.

There were so many Indian children rolling around on the ground and playing with the flowers and the dogs that d.i.c.ky was indistinguishable until the war dance with its shuffle and stamp and m.u.f.fled shout excited him. James and Roger were especially ferocious in appearance and in behavior and d.i.c.ky found himself so entranced with his brother's spirited acting that he himself added a touch that caused a roar of laughter from the spectators on the sh.o.r.e.

"Do look at that _darling_ child!" cried one after another, and the mother of the darling child tried, to look unconscious while she was as amused as any one.

"Do you see?" exclaimed a voice directly behind Mr. Emerson. "He's following one of the braves about. He's imitating every motion he makes.

Did you ever see such miniature ferocity!"

"He's a pocket edition."

"He's the most delightful creature I've seen in many moons," said another, and d.i.c.ky, as unconscious as a little animal, stamped and shuffled and shouted and enjoyed himself to the utmost. It was evident that to him the coming of etienne Brule was a sore disappointment.

Brule's approach was heralded by the arrival of a single canoe paddled by Indians who told that a white man was on his way. Then came three canoes bearing Brule and his Huron companions. The young man's calm air soothed the Indians on the island and they invited him to land and to smoke the pipe of peace. He told his errand, gave them presents, ate with them, and went on his way.

A period of 55 years was supposed to pa.s.s between this scene and the next.

"That will be long enough for Helen and Margaret to change their dresses," smiled Mrs. Emerson.

Again the island represented an Erie camp, and again the coming of a white man was reported, but unlike his predecessor La Salle arrived in state. He was in a large canoe which bore the banner of France and he was escorted by six canoes filled with ladies and gentlemen of France.

Landing on the island the "Little Father" claimed the land "with all the countries, lake and streams adjacent thereto" in the name of the "Most High, Mighty and Redoubtable Monarch, Louis the Fifteenth, most Christian King of France and Navarre."

After an exchange of gifts the French ladies and gentlemen entertained the Indians by dancing the minuet. This innovation in the wilderness was received with approval by the red men.

The Hanc.o.c.ks and Helen and Roger were easily distinguishable in the dance, and Ethel Blue, who had found her way to her aunt's side, together with Dorothy, who was not able to find her mother in the crowd, were delighted over their elegance and grace.

"Ethel and I have almost learned it watching them practice," she whispered, "so if we really did do it in the Club next winter we'd only have to train two boys."

Even longer than between scenes one and two was the lapse of time between scenes two and three. It was 79 years after La Salle's expedition that Bienville de Celoron, escorted by Roger and James, who had changed again into Indian costume, and a large retinue of other Indians and of Frenchmen arrived at the island.

"They were six days, history says, in making the portage from Lake Erie which we make on the trolley in a little over an hour," explained Mr.

Emerson.

"They had to cut the forest as they travelled, I suppose," said his wife.

"And carry 23 canoes and food and travelling equipment for 270 people."

"It's no wonder they are languid," laughed Mrs. Morton as a disembarking youth moved so slowly as nearly to overset his craft.

"Celoron has the French banner like La Salle," cried Ethel Blue.

"He, too, is taking possession of the country for the king. See, the priest is taking the lat.i.tude and longitude of the new land."

"What are they doing now? Roger is digging a hole."

"Celoron buried lead plates in various places along his route. The purpose of his expedition was inscribed on them. Probably Roger is preparing to bury one of them here."

This proved to be the case. When the hole was ready the plate was placed in it with due ceremony and then Celoron made a formal announcement of the claim of the King of France, and this section of the pageant was ended.