Governor St. Clair had a wide territory to look after. There were many
unsettled questions about land and boundaries and proper laws. New
settlements were projected, but Detroit was left to adjust many
questions for itself. A school was organized where English and various
simple branches should be taught. It was opposed by Father Gilbert, who
insisted that all the French Catholics should be sent to the Recollet
house, and trained in Church lore exclusively. But the wider knowledge
was necessary since there were so many who could not read, and the laws
and courts would be English.
The school session was half a day. The better class people had a few
select schools, and sometimes several families joined and had their
children taught at the house of some parent and shared expenses.
Jeanne felt like a wild thing caught and thrust into a cage. There were
disputes and quarrels, but she soon established a standing for herself.
The boys called her Indian, and a name that had been flung at her more
than once--tiger cat.
"You will see that I can scratch," she rejoined, threateningly.
"I will learn English, Pani, and no one shall interfere. M. Loisel said
if I went to the sisters on Wednesday and Friday afternoons that Father
Rameau would be satisfied. He is nice and kindly, but I hate Father
Gilbert. And," laughingly, "I think they are all afraid of M. Bellestre.
Do you suppose he will take me home with him when he comes? I do not
want to leave Detroit."
Pani sighed. She liked the old town as well.
Jeanne flew to the woods when school was over. She did envy the Indian
girls their freedom for they were not trained in useful arts as were the
French girls. Oh, the frolics in the woods, the hunting of berries and
grapes, the loads of beautiful birch and ash bark, the wild flowers that
bloomed until frost came! and the fields turning golden with the
ripening corn, secure from Indian raids! The thrifty French farmers
watched it with delight.
Marie De Ber had been kept very busy since the spinning began. Madame
thought schooling shortsighted business except for boys who would be
traders by and by, and must learn how to reckon correctly and do a
little writing.
They went after the last gleaning of berries one afternoon, when the
autumn sunshine turned all to gold.
"O Marie," cried Jeanne, "here is a harvest! Come at once, and if you
want them don't shout to anyone."
"O Jeanne, how good you are! For you might have called Susanne, who goes
to school, and I have thought you liked her better than you do me."
"No, I do not like her now. She pinched little Jacques Moet until he
cried out and then she laid it to Pierre Dessau, who was well thrashed
for it, and I called her a coward. I am afraid girls are not brave."
"Come nearer and let us hide in this thicket. For if I do not get a big
lot of berries mother will send Rose next time, she threatened."
"You can have some of mine. Pani will not care; for she never scolds at
such a thing."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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