| Show the old settler my dear san Jua ners in the next hogon to which we came there was not cne ne of them who could speak or comprehend common united states it seemed unbelievable believable that they should be so utterly unable to say or to understand der stand a solitary word even of in english but they simply so we gave up trying to talk to them and made bold to begin talking about them about the first thing we had seen when we came in was a deep disfiguring sear scar on the old wom ans face but we been so ruie rude as to take a second look at it and dreamed of such a thing as expressing our opinion about it till we gotway got away out of hearing but that ugly scar had nit hidden the positive element of native goodness in the old face and now that we knew they could not know what we said I 1 mads made bold to tell my wife all the same she has a good face it may sound strange to relate but it is true that remark of mine had the magic effect of endowing the old woman with a ready knowledge of english she spoke right up and began answering in plain words the questions cris we had asked and had almost forgotten not only the old lady but one of her married daughters and one of the boys could communicate to us their thoughts in easy united states as soon as they knew that to us their mothers was a 4 good face after that we made it a point not to reach conclusions too hastily but one time we found ourselves in ina a hogon with four squads squaws and some children and n no 0 one able to grasp anything we sal sald said d unless it were said in pidgin nav ajo but the women seemed very sincere in their efforts to say all they could and they us that one of their ten year old boys could talk however the boy shook his head and could understand nothing till my wife pro continued on page ten the old settler continued irom nage 1 deuced a hand full of candy and asked him if he ha spoke english I 1 yes mam alain lie e anaw answered bied and I 1 held out his hand for the candy at another place a wagon had stopped and the people in it had I 1 jumped out an and 1 game under soma trees all but a feeble old woman she was about four feet tall I 1 weighed perhaps pounds and I it seemed completely beyond her strength to get her avoirdupois I 1 in safety to the ground either j through pronounced indifference I 1 or because some old custom prevented it the indians over in the shade left the old woman to meet her problem alone and after watching her futile efforts till it got on my nerves I 1 went over and asked if I 1 might help her pronounced custom or something else Pr prevented eventA lier her f from rom answering a word but believing in the old saying silence gives gives consent I 1 helped her over the side I 1 of the box guided her reaching I 1 foot to the t top p of the brake block and then steadied her over to the shaie where she wanted to HO go when she sank panting to the e i ground she looked up with a ft fae C e full of gratitude and mouth full of profuse thanks so me people try to say that the way of the navajo mind is incomprehensible and no way cf appealing to them as to other people all the same they come pretty much under the r rule u lc a as S given in my old primer I 1 hearts like doors wl wi i ope with ease j to very very little keys i t i and let me tell you two are these thank you sir and I 1 if you please 11 ALBERT R LYMAN 1 |
