historic girls-第31章

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Minus　hat　and　wig；　too；　the　poor　envoy　dashed　up　the　Maelar

highway；　while　Christina；　laughing　loudly；　galloped　after　him　in

a　mad　race；　followed　by　all　her　hunting…party。



The　catastrophe　was　not　far　away。　The　black　horse；　like　the

ill…tempered　〃bronchos〃　of　our　western　plains；　〃bucked〃　suddenly；

and　over　his　head　like　a　flash　went　the　discomfited　Dutchman。　In

an　instant；　Greek　learning　and　Dutch　diplomacy　lay　sprawling　in　a

Swedish　roadway；　from　which　Jous；　the　groom；　speedily　lifted　the

groaning　would…be　horseman。



Even　in　her　zeal　for　study；　really　remarkable　in　so　young　a　girl；

Christina　could　not　forego　her　misguided　love　of　power　and　her

tendency　to　practical　joking；　and　one　day　she　even　made　two　grave

philosophers；　who　were　holding　a　profound　discussion　in　her

presence　over　some　deep　philosophic　subject；　suddenly　cease　their

arguments　to　play　with　her　at　battledore　and　shuttlecock。



A　girlhood　of　uncontrolled　power；　such　as　hers；　could　lead　but　to

one　result。　Self…gratification　is　the　worst　form　of　selfishness；

and　never　can　work　good　to　any　one。　Although　she　was　a　girl　of

wonderful　capabilities；　of　the　blood　of　famous　kings　and

conquerors；　giving　such　promises　of　greatness　that　scholars　and

statesmen　alike　prophesied　for　her　a　splendid　future；　Christina；

Queen　of　Sweden；　made　only　a　failure　of　her　life。



At　eighteen　she　had　herself　formally　crowned　as　KING　of　Sweden。

But　at　twenty…five　she　declared　herself　sick　and　tired　of　her

duties　as　queen；　and　at　twenty…eight；　at　the　height　of　her　power

and　fame；　she　actually　did　resign　her　throne　in　favor　of　her

cousin；　Prince　Karl；publicly　abdicated；　and　at　once　left　her

native　land　to　lead　the　life　of　a　disappointed　wanderer。



The　story　of　this　remarkable　woman　is　one　that　holds　a　lesson　for

all。　Eccentric；　careless；　and　fearless；　handsome；　witty；　and

learned；　ambitious；　shrewd；　and　visionary；she　was　one　of　the

strangest　compounds　of　〃unlikes〃　to　be　met　with　in　history。



She　deliberately　threw　away　a　crown；　wasted　a　life　that　might

have　been　helpful　to　her　subjects；　regarded　only　her　own　selfish

and　personal　desires；　and　died　a　prematurely　old　woman　at

sixty…five；　unloved　and　unhonored。



Her　story；　if　it　teaches　any　thing；　assures　us　that　it　is　always

best　to　have　in　youth；　whether　as　girl　or　boy；　the　guidance　and

direction　of　some　will　that　is　acknowledged　and　respected。

Natures　unformed　or　over…indulged；　with　none　to　counsel　or

command；　generally　go　wrong。　A　mother's　love；　a　father's　care；

thesethough　young　people　may　not　always　read　them　arightare

needed　for　the　moulding　of　character；　while　to　every　bright　young

girl；　historic　or　unhistoric；　princess　or　peasant；　Swedish　queen

or　modern　American　maiden；　will　it　at　last　be　apparent　that　the

right　way　is　always　the　way　of　modesty　and　gentleness；　of　high

ambitions；　perhaps；　but；　always　and　everywhere；　of　thoughtfulness

for　others　and　kindliness　to　all。







MA…TA…OKA　OF　POW…HA…TAN：



THE　GIRL　OF　THE　VIRGINIA　FORESTS。



＇Generally　known　as　〃The　Princess　Pocahontas。〃＇　A。D。　1607。



Throughout　that　portion　of　the；　easterly　United　States　where　the

noble　bay　called　the　Chesapeake　cuts　Virginia　in　two；　and　where

the　James；　broadest　of　all　the　rivers　of　the　〃Old　Dominion；〃

rolls　its　glittering　waters　toward　the　sea；　there　lived；　years

ago；　a　notable　race　of　men。



For　generations　they　had　held　the　land；　and；　though　their

clothing　was　scanty　and　their　customs　odd；　they　possessed　many　of

the　elements　of　character　that　are　esteemed　noble；　and；　had　they

been　left　to　themselves；　they　might　have　progressedso　people

who　have　studied　into　their　character　now　believeinto　a　fairly

advanced　stage　of　what　is　known　as　barbaric　civilization。



They　lived　in　long；　low　houses　of　bark　and　boughs；　each　house

large　enough　to　accommodate；　perhaps；　from　eighty　to　a　hundred

personstwenty　families　to　a　house。　These　〃long　houses〃　were；

therefore；　much　the　same　in　purpose　as　are　the　tenement…houses　of

to…day；　save　that　the　tenements　of　that　far…off　time　were　all　on

the　same　floor　and　were　open　closets　or　stalls；　about　eight　feet

wide；　furnished　with　bunks　built　against　the　wall　and　spread　with

deer…skin　robes　for　comfort　and　covering。　These　〃flats〃　or　stalls

were　arranged　on　either　side　of　a　broad；　central　passage…way；　and

in　this　passage…way；　at　equal　distances　apart；　fire　pits　were

constructed；　the　heat　from　which　would　warm　the　bodies　and　cook

the　dinners　of　the　occupants　of　the　〃long　house；〃　each　fire

serving　the　purpose　of　four　tenements　or　families。



In　their　mode　of　life　these　peopletall；　well…made；　attractive；

and　coppery…colored　folkwere　what　is　now　termed　communists；

that　is；　they　lived　from　common　stores　and　had　all　an　equal　share

in　the　land　and　its　yieldthe　products　of　their　vegetable

gardens；　their　hunting　and　fishing　expeditions；　their　home

labors；　and　their　household　goods。



Their　method　of　government　was　entirely　democratic。　No　one；　in

any　household；　was　better　off　or　of　higher　rank　than　his　brothers

or　sisters。　Their　chiefs　were　simply　men　（and　sometimes　women）

who　had　been　raised　to　leadership　by　the　desire　and　vote　of　their

associates；　but　who　possessed　no　special　authority　or　power；

except　such　as　was　allowed　them　by　the　general　consent　of　their

comrades；　in　view　of　their　wisdom；　bravery；　or　ability。　They

lived；　in　fact；　as　one　great　family　bound　in　close　association　by

their　habits　of　life　and　their　family　relationships；　and　they

knew　no　such　unnatural　distinction　as　king　or　subject；　lord　or

vassal。



Around　their　long　bark　tenements；　stretched　carefully　cultivated

fields　of　corn　and　pumpkins；　the　trailing　bean；　the　full…bunched

grapevine；　the　juicy　melon；　and　the　big…leafed　tabah；　or　tobacco。



The　field　work　was　performed　by　the　women；　not　from　any　necessity

of　a　slavish　condition　or　an　enforced　obedience；　but　because；

where　the　men　and　boys　must　be　warriors　and　hunters；　the　women

and　girls　felt　that　it　was　their　place　and　their　duty　to　perform

such　menial　labor　as；　to　their　unenlightened　nature；　seemed

hardly　suitable　to　those　who　were　to　become　chiefs　and　heroes。



These　sturdy　forest…folk　of　old　Virginia；　who　had　reached　that

state　of　human　advance；　midway　between　savagery　and　civilization；

that　is　known　as　barbarism；　were　but　a　small　portion　of　that

red…skinned；　vigorous；　and　most　interesting　race　familiar　to　us

under　their　general　but　wrongly…used　name　of　〃Indians。〃　They

belonged　to　one　of　the　largest　divisions　of　this　barbaric　race；

known　the　Algonquin　familya　division　created　solely　by　a

similarity　of　language　and　of　blood…relationshipsand　were；

therefore；　of　the　kindred　of　the　Indians　of　Canada；　of　New

England；　and　of　Pennsylvania；　of　the　valley　of　the　Ohio；　the

island　of　Manhattan；　and　of　some　of　the　far…away　lands　beyond　the

Mississippi。



So；　for　generations；　they　lived；　with　their　simple　home　customs

and　their　family　affections；　with　their　games　and　sports；　their

legends　and　their　songs；　their　dances；　fasts；　and　feasts；　their

hunting　and　their　fishing；　their　tribal　feuds　and　wars。　They　had

but　little　religious　belief；　save　that　founded　upon　the

superstition　that　lies　at　the　foundation　of　all　uncivilized

intelligence；　and　though　their　customs　show　a　certain　strain　of

cruelty　in　their　nature；　this　was　not　a　savage　and　vindictive

cruelty；　but　was；　rather；　the　result　of　what　was；　from　their　way

of　looking　at　things；　an　entirely　justifiable　understanding　of

order　and　of　law。



At　the　time　of　our　story；　certain　of　these　Algonquin　tribes　of

Virginia　were　joined　together　in　a　sort　of　Indian　republic；

composed　of　thirty　tribes　scattered　through　Central　and　Eastern

Virginia；　and　known　to　their　neighbors　as　the　Confederacy　of　the

Pow…ha…tans。　This　name　was　taken　from　the　tribe　that　was　at　once

the　strongest　and　the　most　energetic　one　in　this　tribal　union；

and　that　had　its　fields　and　villages　along　the