Adventure and adventurers > Away in the wilderness, or, Life among the red Indians and fur-traders of North America

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AWAY IN THE WILDERNESS.
so the cooking never stops. When these more
severe labours are over, they employ their time in
making and ornamenting coats, leggings, and moc¬
casins—and very beautiful work they can turn
out of their hands. On the voyage, the women
use the paddle as well as the men, and, in journey¬
ing through the woods, they always carry or drag
the heaviest loads. For all this they get few
thanks, and often, when the husbands become
jealous, they get severely beaten and kicked.
It is always thus among savages ; and it would
seem that, just in proportion as men rise from the
savage to the civilized state, they treat their
women better. It is certain that when man
embraces the blessed gospel of Christ and learns
to follow the law of love, he places woman not
only on a level with himself but even above him¬
self, and seeks her comfort and happiness before
he seeks his own.
Few of the Red men of North America are yet
Christians, therefore they have no gallantry about
them—no generous and chivalrous feelings towards
the weaker sex. Most of their women are down¬
trodden and degraded.
The first night at Jasper’s House was spent in
smoking and talking. Here our friend Jasper
Derry got news of Marie. To his immense delight
he learned that she was well, and living with her
father at Fort Erie, near the plains, or prairies as