LETTER FROM OAHE SCHOOL, DAKOTA.

BY MISS JULIA E. PRATT.

A very sad incident came into our life as a school last winter, which
has accentuated anew the ignorance and the superstitious heathenism of
these Indian people.

One of our little boys was sent to the dormitory one morning to do some
work to which he objected, and, while pretending to obey, he took one of
the other little boys with him and ran away. Their absence was not
discovered until it was too late to overtake them, and as their home was
only ten miles away, and we knew they were good walkers, as all Indians
are almost from babyhood, we had every reason to believe they would
reach home in safety. They had started before daylight, and without any
breakfast, and the little boy who was enticed away had no overcoat nor
mittens, but had gone on the impulse of the moment without taking any
extra clothing. About ten o'clock, it grew very cold, and as the little
fellow had on shoes, to which he was unaccustomed, his feet became so
cold and tired that he could not go on. Then the boy who had coaxed him
away gave him his overcoat and mittens and went on, reaching home about
noon, telling that he had run away, and that he had left Jaran about
half way. Jaran's father did not believe the story, and came back to us,
ten miles, to see if it were true. This made us very anxious, but
nothing could be done but to await the issue. It seemed as if a series
of unfortunate mistakes had combined to bring about this result; and to
make everything still more puzzling, Mr. Riggs, our superintendent, was
away. He reached home that evening, and the next morning sent the