The Pocahontas-John Smith StoryEdmunds, Pocahontas Wight
History
The Pocahontas-John Smith Story
Edmunds, Pocahontas Wight
Pocahontas, -1617; Smith, John, 1580-1631
She rushed from the room, and it took her hours to compose herself. When
she would have flung her arms about his neck, his cool English eyes had
reproved her, calling her rebellious heart to a halt. For her there
should be retreat from the Captain, who always had everything under
control, including his own heart. Hers was bleeding unstaunched, for a
red woman, when she has given her heart does not take it back. What they
call Indian-giving was not the heart of Pocahontas, for its pulse
measured out time, that of a country and its founder, if not of herself.
She was not aged, pious and resigned like Moses looking into
unobtainable Canaan. She was a young, wild thing, untamed and hopeful
yet.
When she came back she had washed away her hot tears, powdered and
painted her face, trying to match her stiff London clothes. She was like
a bird with its gay feathers taut and drawn, winging away no more ...
unless some merciful human opened a window. She reproached him, looking
as sad as if death was in the house, as it was in her heart.
"They did always tell us that you were dead, and I did not know that you
were not until after I came to England. Only Powhatan did not believe
that you were, and ordered Tacomoco to seek you out because he said your
people always lie so much."
He smiled, silent for once, and she went on hurting him who had hurt her
so much. "You promised Powhatan that what was yours should be his, and
he promised the same to you. You called him yours when you were a
stranger in his country, and now that I am here in yours, I will call
you 'Father'."
Again he thrust her shameless heart back behind her London lady's mask.
"You mustn't do that. You are a king's daughter, and I am a poor man
looking for a boat."
She reproached him yet again. "You were not afraid to go into my
father's country and put fear into all his people but myself." Perfect
love, she knew casteth out fear--with the simple wisdom of a child of a
childish people. "But now you are afraid to let me call you father. I
tell you that I will, and that you shall ever call me your child, and
remember that you and I are of one people, and that we are fellow
countrymen."
"I cannot, Lady Rebecca Rolfe." He, master of every situation put her in
her place in this.
Ah, if one of her could walk demurely down the dull road to "Heacham
Hall," clinging to John Rolfe's arm, and keep on with him to "Varina"
near Powhatan, bearing other descendants for the pride of Rolfe and
Powhatan, but if the other could wing away with Smith going far places!
Tragabigzanda had tried to keep him in chains for herself; Pocahontas
had saved him only to lose him. He was a man belonging to the world, but
to no woman.
She had to be the staid English housewife, not the princess of the wild
woods. As she had her wild dreams of a different way out, she looked
into his sea-faring blue eyes, and found there no response, only respect
for Anglo-Saxon domestic respectability.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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