Riverbend School for Girls - Vox Fluminis Yearbook (Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada)

Page 13 text:

Page Eleven VOX F L U M I N I S lived in VVinnipeg. This gentleman, whose name was Gordon Kent, had once saved his life and a deep bond of affection existed between the two. The letter contained G1 request that he be allowed to visit his old friend, the Indian chief. It was against Dominick's principles to allow any white mlan within the b-oundary -of this Indian haven except those whose busi- ness took them thither, such as government officials, missionaries, etc., but he wanted to see Kent again before he was called Home and he was get- ting too old to attempt the journey to Winnipeg. Dominick had sat pondering for some time over the letter. Dawendine noticed it, and said, g Sire, thou hast smoked many pipes over the letter. Does something trouble thee? Can I help thee? Thou knowest, sire, that I would do anything for one who has been so good to me. I know thou wouldst, fairest Howler, but---. Tell me, little Dawendine, hast thou given thy heart to one of my braves P No, sire, slowly, I like them all, but not one has taken my heart away. Thou art the only one that hast custody of that. Dawendine, I am an old man and before I seek my Maker in the Happy Hunting Ground I would see thee safely wedded. I love my people, but Child of Dawning, thou art too good to waste thy precious years here in the tribe of an old Indian. Nay Dawendine, as she started to protest. I know better than thee wherein thy happiness lies. But sire, thou art not going yet for many summers. Do not send me away for awhile. I would rather remain with thee l I kn-ow, I kfnow, Dawendine. We shall see. but for the present do not 'trouble thy pretty head. Sing to me instead. X The old chief lay back and closed his eyes. To all it would seem that he was quietly listening to the rare beauty of her voice, but he wasnlt. There was a struggle going on in his heart. A bitter struggle. He wanted Child of Dawning to marry one of his braves and for 'the two of them together to rule his tribes, but he knew that there was better than that in life for her and it did not lie in an Indian wigwam. Her true happiness. he knew, lay in the -ou-tside world. and with a young Canadian by her side, so. after she had crept away, thinking him asleep, Dominick wrote to Gordon Kent. ' sf :nf we Pk . You can teach me so much, Dawendine. You can even tell me more about the plays I have seen than I can. and you have only read them. Gordon Kent looked despairingly at the girl while her quick hngers flew at her basket work. But that is because you only went for the pleasure. I read them to learn something. There is a great difference. t I suppose so. Still, I have yet to find something that I can tell you about of wh'ch you don't already know more.

Page 12 text:

V OX F L U M I NI S Page Ten and so saying, he stepped into his canoe and took the baby Dawendine back with him to his chieftai'n's Wigwam where she grew u-p, loving him as her father and being loved by all as if she really were the daughter of the greatest chief of the Lake of the Woods. g Dominick was learned, much travelled, a-nd wise. As a young boy he had been educated by the best tutors in Canada and later attended her greatest university. On completing his studies he had travelled f-or ma11y years. He had marvelled at the learning of Oxford, the cathedrals of F rarnce, the pyramids of Egypt, the horses of Arabia, the forests of Afnica, the sheep of Australia. and the vastness of the Amazon, only to return to Canada, to place his hand upon the ageing shoulder- of his father and sav, I have seen many countries, father, but I love our Canada the best, so I have returned to assist you in any way I am. able, to rule our peo-ple fairly, and to try and lighten the burden from your shoulders so that you may. in your last years, sit back and smoke your pipe in peace. , Now Dominick was an old man, much older than his father had been when he had sped to his Happy Hunti-ng Ground. The education and travel he had received, and the years that had begun to sit a little heavily upon his shoulders had made him wise. Though he lived with his tribe away from civilization he kept in contact with the outside world, and his methods of governing his people would put ours to shame. ' His people still lived in wigwams in the Summer and wore the piC- turesque garb of their ancestors. No car had ever travelled their trails and no rod and reel had ever caught fish from their lakes. Yet it was the twentieth century. These were the things that were passing through Dawendine's mind as she skimmed across the glassy surface of the lake. ' Dominick had taken her to the great cities of Canada, had bought -her lovely clothes, taken her to operas and thein asked her if she would like to see all the world and live like a lady, the lady she would have been had she not been left on Yaada's shores, for Dominick r-ecognized in her the in- born grace of a lady. the airs and graces that had descended to her through countless generations of beautiful women. Dawendine had not hesitated. She had slipped her hand into his and said softly. s No sire. I like it better in thy Wigwam. There is peace there. and beauty. and I prefer to see thee in thy chieftain's garments to these evening clothes. I will not go. So he had taken her back and she had never re- gretted her decision. for the bond between them grew daily stronger, as together they read the latest books in the shade of a tree or discussed the most prominent economic problems of the day. af as :af wk g Not many moons after Dawendine had been seen by the Moon Man, Dominick received a letter from a friend of his, a young Canadian. who

Page 14 text:

VOX 1iLUil1lINIS Page Twelve XV hat about the songs you sing? Ujazz? I'm a pretty poor specimen if that's all I can trim you in. Gordon lay back, his hands behind his head, to study her more in- tently. The sun was slowly descending and as it .crept lower -and lower it seemed to make a hal-o about her. She looked like an angel. The sweet expression of her beautiful face, her lovely disposition, only served to in- tensify his longing. After a long pause he asked, Dawendine, why do you and Dominick .always u-se the familiar language when you speak to one another? Neither of you uses it at any other time. Because, Gordon, he always used it with me. and I used it with him. Then as I grew older I learned the familiar language was used only when people thought a great deal of each other. I think I must always have subconsciously realized this because I never used it with anyone else. It's a mark of re-spect and love on my part. I've n-ever questioned why he does. That night when Gordon and Dominick were the only ones left about the camp Ere. Gordon asked Dominick if he intended Dawendine to marry a brave. VVhy do you ask, my son ? Because I love her, Dominick. No, Gordon. She is too good for an Indian. I don't kn-ow who she is or whence she came, but she is a lady of good birth. She has given me much happness, and much as I would like to marry her into my tribe, I owe her her own happiness. Thalt. I am sure, she will End with some man of her own race and standing. XVhat is her standing, Dominick ? Dominick looked rather qufzzically at Gordon, shook the ashes from his pipe and said, very simply and earnestly, Yours, Kent. is aa: :sf Pk The birds had migrated to the south twice before Dominick's health really failed him. Une day in early June he had been carried to a bed of balsam boughs o-n the shore so he could view the lake shores he was so loath to leave. Dawendine sat by his side and softly sang the songs he had taught her in her childhood. After she had sung them all, D-ominick asked her to go up to the wigwam to get his pipe for him.. XVhen she returned she found Gordon Kenft with Dominick. V Dominick saw her eyes light up and as she filled his pipe for him by the firelight. he saw her blood rise. then leave her pale. He read the expressions on her lovely face as he had read them from childhood, and it was with a deep sigh of peace and contentment and yet of longing that he realized she had found her true happiness. As Dawendine came forward to give Dominick his pi-pe he signalled to Kent and as the two stood beside him, wai't'ng, he said a prayer. and never.