Miss Fletcher, always a lover of music, became greatly interested in the music of the Indians. She found, however, that it was very difficult to study. An Indian does not sing just to be heard, but to express some feeling. His singing is a kind of prayer. It was only stray bits of such music that she was able to overhear and write down. Then Miss Fletcher had a severe illness which turned out to be a blessing, in one respect. When her Indian friends discovered that she really wanted to hear their music, they gathered about her bed and sang for her. To please her, they even were willing to sing into a phonograph, which was to them a strange machine. Thus their songs were preserved for all time. Miss Fletcher has written a book entitled _Indian Story and Song from North America_. This book has already suggested themes for a number of American musical compositions. Presently a chance to prove that she was really a friend of the Indians came to Alice Fletcher. Some greedy white men were trying to get the good land away from the Red Men, giving them poorer land in return. Sometimes the Indians were so enraged with their treatment that they would rise in revolt. The situation kept growing worse and worse. Miss Fletcher realized that it would be no better unless each Indian secured from the government the right to hold a portion of the tribal land for himself. She set out for Washington to try to persuade Congress that the Indians must hold their land just as the white man holds his. A book which had just appeared, written by Helen Hunt Jackson, called _A Century of Dishonor_, helped a little to make people realize the wrongs done to the Indians. However, the congressmen were much more interested in the affairs of their own people than in the Indians. Miss Fletcher, therefore, had to plead their cause continually until the Indian Land Act was finally passed. The President asked Miss Fletcher to undertake the difficult task of allotting the tracts of land to the Omaha Indians. He knew that they trusted her and would be content with her judgment. Later she did the same work for other tribes of Indians to the satisfaction of everybody. The Girl and Boy Scouts and the Campfire Girls have interested Miss Fletcher very much, because she believes that the outdoors can bring health and happiness to girls and boys. She has made a collection of Indian games for these organizations. Also, Miss Fletcher has written books and articles about the Indians. Her writings are a great help to those who are making a special study of the different people of the world. Alice Cunningham Fletcher gave up luxury and even comfort to learn about the Indians. The work of her mind has been of great value to learned people in their study of races; and the work of her heart will never be forgotten by the simple folk whose wrongs she helped to right. [Illustration] Louise Homer—