Honoré Willsie

“ Then without preamble, he asked, "Did you talk to Levine, Lydia?"
"Yes," she said. "He—he just doesn't see it any way but his, Charlie!"
The young Indian's face fell. "I certainly thought you could influence him, Lydia. Did you really try?"
"Of course I tried," she exclaimed, indignantly. "He insists that the only way to save you Indians is to make you work for a living."
"He's doing it all for our good, huh?" sneered Charlie.
"He doesn't pretend. He says he wants the land. He's paying for it though." ”

“ Well, then the sentimentalists among the whites devised the reservation system and the allowance system. And the Indians have gone to the devil, just as whites would under like circumstances. Any human being has to earn what he eats or he degenerates. You can put that down as generally true, can't you, Amos?"
"You certainly can," agreed Amos.
"Now, the only way to save those Indians up there is to kick them out. The strong ones will live and be assimilated into our civilization. The weak ones will die, just like weak whites do."
"But how about Charlie's pines?" insisted Lydia. ”

“ And Kent and Charlie are the best cooks, ever."
"Great accomplishment for men," muttered Billy. "Are you going to try to sell fudge, this winter, Lyd?"
"I don't know," Lydia's tone was mournful, "Daddy hates to have me. Now I'm growing up he seems to be getting sensitive about my earning money."
"He's right too," said Billy, with a note in his voice that irritated Lydia.
"Much you know about it! You just try to make your clothes and buy your school books on nothing. Dad's just afraid people'll know how little he earns, that's all. Men are selfish pigs." ”

“ Lydia laughed. "It was nip and tuck between you and Adam, Lizzie. Let's get in away from the mosquitoes—I'm so glad I had this talk with you, Mr. Levine."
"Lydia should have been a boy," said Amos; "she likes politics."
"I'd rather be a girl than anything in the world," protested Lydia, and the two men laughed. If there was still a doubt in the back of Lydia's mind regarding the reservation, for a time, at least, she succeeded in quieting it. She dreaded meeting Charlie and was relieved to hear that Dr. Fulton had taken him East with him for a couple of weeks to attend a health convention. ”

“ If I put up a fight, they'll shoot me. My father wanted me to learn white ways so I could protect the tribe. And the more I learn of white ways the more I realize I'm helpless. Lydia, won't you help us? ”

“ There were several episodes Lydia did not describe; that of the half breed council in the wood, for example, nor the "spooning" with Kent.
It was ten o'clock when Amos rose with a sigh. "Well, you had a good time, little girl, and I'm glad. But I swan, I don't want you ever to go off again without me and Liz and Adam. Adam howled himself to sleep every night and I'd 'a' liked to. I'm going out to see if the chickens are all right."
"I got everything that belongs to you mended up, Lydia," said Lizzie, following into the kitchen bedroom. ”

“ Well, they founded the University, named the streets, planted the elms and built the Capitol. Since then they've been snowed under by the Germans and the Norwegians, a lot of beer drinkers and fish eaters. Nobody calls a spade a spade, these days. They rant and spout socialism. ”