Then along a white path
of moonlight, in their Indian costumes, the five girls led by Polly,
swaying her pipes of peace slowly above her head, came dancing with a
queer, rhythmical movement of their bodies, arms and feet.
A strange spectacle for these modern days, and yet many such an Indian
dance had taken place in these same New England hills hundreds of years
before!
As they drew near enough to be plainly seen by the little party waiting
in their "earth lodge," Betty got up from her place, lifting on high a
fluttering white handkerchief tied to a birch pole.
In the old days there were always two parties to this ancient Indian
ceremony of peace: those bringing the calumets were called "the fathers"
and those receiving them "the children". So it was necessary that Betty
should now indicate that "the children" were willing to receive the
blessing the other party desired to bring.
The five visiting girls stood facing those seated on the ground; Polly
standing before their guardian and still waving her blue and green
perforated sticks made her carefully memorized speech with the dramatic
intensity dear to her theatrical soul.
"These pipes of peace once symbolized heaven and earth to the Indians
and the mysterious power that permeates all nature.
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