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Cornelia. There have been vast improvements made in all the district where Elliot is situated. It was ascertained, two or three years ago, that there had been raised by the Choctaws, within sixty miles of that station, no less than one hundred and twenty four thousand pounds of cotton in one year. A considerable quantity of cloth is made in the Indian families-most of whom raise enough cotton for their own use. They likewise raise plenty of corn, potatoes, peas, beans, and a variety of other vegetables. Cattle and horses are so numerous, that scarcely a little boy or girl can be found, who does not own one or more of these animals.

Katharine. It seems their willingness to labor increases in proportion to their improvement in knowledge.

Cornelia. Nearly so, I believe. It is not uncommon of late to find Choctaw men whom you can hire, that will work well. Some of the more enterprising will go to Kentucky and Mississippi, and work for the planters there, after they have secured their own crops.

Delia. What wages do the planters allow the Choctaws?

Cornelia. They pay the cotton-pickers one

dollar for every hundred pounds, besides boarding them. Quite recently, eight or ten hundred Choctaws have sought employment in this way. Miranda. Do they not have riotous doings at these cotton-pickings?

Cornelid. They used to be scenes of shocking outrage and barbarity, but it was entirely owing to whiskey; for the Choctaws, when free from the influence of ardent spirits, are among the most gentle, peaceable, cheerful, and obliging people in the world; but when infuriated by whiskey, you can hardly conceive of the diabolical spirit they exhibit. But such a reformation has been effected, that for nearly two years it is far more common to see men in New England intoxicated, than it is in those parts of the Choctaw nation, removed from the neighborhood of white settlers, near the borders of the tribe.

Jerome. Can this favorable change be entirely owing to missionary influence?

Cornelia. No; though doubtless they have had the greatest share in producing a better state of things. The present rulers are men of enlarged minds and liberal views, who are anxious to see their nation elevated to the rank she ought to hold among the nations of the earth.

They have adopted such regulations as seem best calculated to promote religion and good morals. Within the last eight months, the mission churches have been greatly enlarged, and many of the most enlightened, well informed men have become members, who have hitherto walked worthy of their high vocation.

Miranda. Will you please to give us an account of the revival of religion with which the nation has recently been favored?

Cornelia. I must defer that relation till our next meeting. I have selected a hymn for the children to sing alone this afternoon, which I will now read, and then close.

"God over all, forever blest!

Grant me thy grace within;
That I may keep the Sabbath's rest,
A rest indeed from sin.

A rest from all my usual play,
A holy rest in Thee;

Then will thy blessed Sabbath day

Be a sweet rest to me.

O, teach me how to pray aright,
And what to ask of thee;
That when I'm kneeling in thy sight
I may not thoughtless be.

But give me faith to look above
And see my Jesus there;

To feel a dying Saviour's love
In answer to my prayer."

CHAPTER VII.

AT the next meeting, Cornelia fulfilled her promise, and gave the children an account of the wonderful revival of religion with which the Choctaw people were favored in almost every part of the country. She began by saying, The Methodist brethren held a large meeting in October, 1828, at which a great number of persons became deeply concerned about the salvation of their souls. Hundreds suddenly manifested a strong desire to be instructed in the doctrines and duties of the Christian religionsome of whom had not long before been bitter opposers to religion. The missionaries, with unspeakable joy, found many of their old scholars among the number, who had for years heard them preach and pray with hearts as hard as a

stone.

A number of the anxious were old men, whom even the missionaries had not faith to expect would ever be really converted. All of them, with one single exception, were captains. When

the people saw their warriors weeping over sin, some of them laughed. Several chieftains said, "It is not the hand of man that has made us weep; it is our Maker that has caused it. You never saw us weep for what man could do to us; but we cannot withstand God. If your Maker should deal with you as he has with us, you would weep too." You would all have been astonished and melted into tears, if you could have heard the chiefs of the nation exhort their people to take heed, for the hand of the Almighty was visible in all they felt and feared. Meetings were appointed and thronged with anxious sinners, inquiring how they could escape the wrath to come.'

Miranda. What was it that first aroused their attention.

Cornelia. A simple narration of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Miranda. Where was the revival most power

ful?

Cornelia. It would be difficult to determine where, for wherever the gospel was preached, there sinners were concerned and hopefully converted. There was a large meeting at Elliot, where the serious chiefs exhorted all the people

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