CHAPTER XXIV.
Little Bertha.
Up to this moment Bertha had remained a delighted, though half-unconscious, spectator of what was pa.s.sing. While Sprigg was unbosoming, all unwittingly, his Manitou experiences, her innocent eyes, without losing their look of dreamy, solemn wonder, had gradually brightened with unwonted intelligence, mixed with delight, as were she beholding, in their truer and more benign aspect, the marvels which had revealed themselves to him in shapes of terror and retribution. Of course, what Bertha saw and heard she only comprehended in part what had been revealed; yet was she and ever would be the wiser and the happier for the seeing and the hearing.
But now, with the young stentor"s uncouth roar of joy, shaking the infant settlement from center to circ.u.mference, snapped was the Manitou spell, broken the Manitou dream. Gliding out of the house; away, like a bird, to the woods she fluttered, there, all un.o.bserved, she fell to dancing about for very thankfulness and joy, the evening sunbeams dancing with her, as were she a sunbeam, too in human likeness.
"Oh! could I but tell him, who loves little children, how thankful, how happy I am! But I"m only a little girl, and don"t know how!"
Thus spoke innocent Bertha, dancing all the while, and dancing all the blither for not knowing how to tell it--so ready is heaven to compensate our lackings when love is in our hearts. And yet she had told it better than she knew; for, though the body was dancing, the soul was kneeling; and such a soul, so lovely and so bright, that the good Manitous--those who were crowned with the crimson flowers, and those who wore the wings and plumes of beautiful birds--came flitting to her, drawn by sweet attraction. One minute, they joined hands and wheeled their unseen ring around the human innocent, their presence filling the air with perfume delectable to breathe. Then, suddenly parting, each at a tangent to the whirling circle, away they flew to bear the good news far and wide. And the good news went to many a father and many a mother; and, though it came from unseen lips, in unheard words, it left a shining in the eyes, a burning in the heart, which told it had been spoken; and many a son and daughter of the red race, looking westward, whispered:
When thus smiles the setting sun, Lo! a Manitou race is run; All"s well ended all"s well done-- Wahkontonka wills it.
Ever thus still sets the sun, Ever thus the race is run, Ever thus all things well done-- Wahkontonka wills it.