Historic Adventures: Tales from American HistoryHolland, Rupert Sargent
History
Historic Adventures: Tales from American History
Holland, Rupert Sargent
United States -- History -- Anecdotes
The colonel, however, begged her at least to try his plan, and she
finally consented. They walked back to the place where the children were
standing, and Mrs. Hartman began to sing in a trembling voice the first
words of the old hymn:
"Alone, and yet not all alone, am I
In this lone wilderness."
As she went on singing every one stopped talking and turned to look at
her. The woman's hands were clasped as if in prayer, and her eyes
were closed. The sun shone full upon her white hair and upturned face.
There was something very beautiful in the picture she made, and there
was silence in the market-place as her gentle voice went on through the
words of the hymn.
The mother had begun the second verse when one of the children gave a
cry. It was Sawquehanna, who seemed suddenly to have remembered the
voice and words. She rushed forward, and flung her arms about the
mother's neck, crying, "Mother, mother!" Then, with her arms tight about
her, the tall girl joined in singing the words that had lulled her to
sleep in their cabin home.
"Alone, and yet not all alone, am I
In this lone wilderness,
I feel my Saviour always nigh;
He comes the weary hours to bless.
I am with Him, and He with me,
E'en here alone I cannot be."
The people in the market-place moved on about their own affairs, and the
mother and daughter were left together. Now Mrs. Hartman recognized the
blue eyes of Regina, and knew her daughter in spite of her height and
dark skin. Regina began to remember the days of her childhood, and the
years she had spent among the Indians were forgotten. She was a white
girl again, and happier now than she had ever thought to be.
Next day Knoloska, now Susan Smith, and Sawquehanna, or Regina Hartman,
went back to their homes in the valley. Many a settler there had found
his son or daughter in the crowd of lost children at Carlisle.
II
THE GREAT JOURNEY OF LEWIS AND CLARK
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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