The Deerslayer (Barnes & Noble Classics) - James Fenimore Cooper [116]
“This is the sacred volume, Hist,” she said, “and these words, and lines, and verses, and chapters, all came from God.”
“Why Great Spirit no send book to Injin, too?” demanded Hist with the directness of a mind that was totally unsophisticated.
“Why?” demanded Hetty, a little bewildered by a question so unexpected. “Why? Ah! You know the Indians don’t know how to read.”
If Hist was not satisfied with the explanation, she did not deem the point of sufficient importance to be pressed. Simply bending her body, in gentle admission of the truth of what she heard, she sat patiently awaiting the further arguments of the paleface enthusiast.
“You can tell these chiefs, that throughout this book, men are ordered to forgive their enemies; to treat them as they would brethren; and never to injure their fellow creatures, more especially on account of revenge, or any evil passion. Do you think you can tell them this, so that they will understand it, Hist?”
“Tell him well enough; but be no very easy to understand.”
Hist then conveyed the ideas of Hetty in the best manner she could to the attentive Indians; who heard her words with some such surprise as an American of our own times would be apt to betray at a suggestion that the great modern, but vacillating ruler of things human, public opinion, might be wrong. One or two of their number, however, having met with missionaries, said a few words in explanation, and then the group gave all its attention to the communications that were to follow. Before Hetty resumed, she inquired earnestly of Hist if the chiefs had understood her, and receiving an evasive answer, was fain to be satisfied.
“I will now read to the warriors some of the verses that it is good for them to know,” continued the girl, whose manner grew more solemn and earnest as she proceeded; “and they will remember that they are the words of the Great Spirit. First, then, ye are commanded to ‘Love thy neighbor as thyself.’ Tell them that, dear Hist.”
“Neighbor for Injin no mean paleface,” answered the Delaware girl, with more decision than she had hitherto thought it necessary to use. “Neighbor mean Iroquois for Iroquois, Mohican for Mohican, paleface for paleface. No need tell chief anything else.”
“You forget, Hist, these are the words of the Great Spirit, and the chiefs must obey them as well as others. Here is another commandment : ‘Whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.’ ”
“What that mean?” demanded Hist, with the quickness of lightning.
Hetty explained that it was an order not to resent injuries, but rather to submit to receive fresh wrongs from the offender.
“And hear this too, Hist,” she added, “ ‘Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you.’ ”
By this time Hetty had become excited. Her eye gleamed with the earnestness of her feelings, her cheeks flushed, and her voice, usually so low and modulated, became stronger and more impressive. With the Bible she had been early made familiar by her mother; and she now turned from passage to passage with surprising rapidity, taking care to cull such verses as taught the sublime lessons of Christian charity and Christian forgiveness. To translate half she said, in her pious earnestness, Wah-ta-Wah would have found it impracticable, had she made the effort; but wonder held her tongue-tied, equally with the chiefs; and the young, simpleminded enthusiast had fairly become exhausted with her own efforts, before the other opened her mouth again to utter a syllable. Then, indeed, the Delaware girl gave a brief translation of the substance of what had been both read and said, confining herself to one or two of the more striking of the verses, those that had struck