INDIAN SCHOOL PACIFIC NORTHWEST 75
by her rough and tumble friends, that even tho she did not care to hunt for wasp's nests (that she might enjoy the Indian delicacy, toasted wasp larvae) or the "gum" from the ever- green trees, they still sought her company and would even almost fight to secure her as partner in their games. Her delight in sewing for her beloved doll knew no bounds, and she treasured all of the scraps of cloth her teacher could fur- nish her. But this child had been rescued from the filth and neglect of the Indian camp too late, as a deadly disease had already griped her. The Christian love which ministered to her needs in her new home and cared for her during her last sickness stands in sharp contrast to the earlier neglect of the Indian encampment.
Another condition under which the mission was laboring in- troduced a feature of education which was perhaps more im- portant than the organized instruction of the school room. This was the necessity of producing most of the provisions used for the support of the large mission family. The work of the mission farm was very exacting upon the men who had ex- pected to devote most of their attention to religious teaching and ministry. It was necessary for all of the older boys to help with the farm work even as the girls gave their aid in the work of the household, and in both cases they were more benefited than by an equal amount of time spent in the class room. In the report of the government explorer, William A. Slacum, on the conditions he found in the Oregon country, pre- sented on December 18, 1837, he gives a brief, but highly favor- able, account of the mission as he found it. In regard to this feature of the work of the mission school, he says : "The larger boys work on the farm in fine weather. They can plow, reap, and do the ordinary farm work well. Several of them evince good mechanical genius. Mr. Lee assures me that most of the boys have earned their board, clothing and tuition, esti- mating their labor at the lowest rate of wages allowed by the Hudson Bay Company. Their school and family could be much increased, but they do not wish to add to their number until they receive further assistance, thinking it the wisest plan
