There was a great length of time between the invention of coaches, street cars and steam cars; then came improvements on steam engines, and finally the use of electricity was discovered. Make clear the advantages of our present means of transportation.

3. Indian Life: The Story of Hiawatha. (a) INTRODUCTION. Hiawatha, a little Indian boy, lived with his grandmother, Nokomis, in a wigwam by the shining Big Sea Water. In front of the wigwam were the waters Gitche Gumee, and behind rose the dark and gloomy forest of pine and fir trees.

Nokomis was old, and she took care of little Hiawatha. His cradle was made from a linden tree. It was bedded with soft moss and rushes and was very soft and comfortable. Sometimes while Hiawatha was in his cradle in the wigwam he was very fretful, and Nokomis would say to him, "Hush, the Bear will hear thee." She then called him a little owlet and stilled his wail by singing "Ewa-yea! my little owlet." (See Indian Lullaby, page 380.)

Nokomis taught Hiawatha about the stars and northern lights, the water, the forest, the birds and other animals. As Hiawatha and his grandmother sat at the door of their wigwam in the evening, they often thought of the shining lights in the heavens and of the sounds of the trees, which seemed to say, "Minnewawa!"

One day as Hiawatha stood at the door of the wigwam, he noticed many beautiful colors in the sky, and Nokomis then told him the story of the rainbow. The flowers of the forest and shore are very beautiful, because they are of many colors. While they fade on earth, they do not perish. They blossom in the rainbow, which is the heaven of the flowers.

Hiawatha loved the birds, and he soon learned their language. He called them his little chickens. He soon learned the language of the beavers and how they built their lodges; where the squirrels hid the acorns; how the reindeer ran so swiftly, and why the rabbit was so timid.

Iagoo, who had been a great traveler, often visited Hiawatha. He taught him many things, among them how to

use the bow and arrow. Hiawatha went hunting one day and killed a deer. Later they had a feast, and a coat was made for Hiawatha of the skin.

(b) THE INDIAN'S DRESS. The way the Indians dress depends on where they live, and also upon the civilization. Near the Colorado River in Arizona, the women in some of the tribes made skirts of the inner bark of the cottonwood trees, and the lower ends of the strips of bark, reaching below the knees, were often split to resemble fringe.

One of the first changes in the costumes of Indians made after coming in contact with civilization was the lengthening of the women's skirts. A great many of the Indians still wrap their highly colored blankets around them. Some of these blankets are called Navajo blankets. We use them on our cots.

Their shoes are called moccasins, and some of them are made from the fibers of the Yucca, while others are of skin covered with beads. Some wear sandals, which are fastened to their feet by thongs. The Mexican Indians wear cotton and other fibers. Mantles and other forms of apparel also appear to have been in use, while feather robes were not uncommon. These, however, were ceremonial, and indicative of rank.

The Indians are very fond of jewelry, such as necklaces, beads, earrings, etc. Painting is common to all Indians. As a general rule, they applied red coloring matter to the line exposed by parting the hair, and the women and girls frequently colored their cheeks red to enhance their beauty.

(c) THE HOUSES. Most of the Indians lived in tents, which they called wigwams. The outside was usually decorated with paintings. As the Indians of North America were and are living in several different stages of culture, their architecture would naturally present a wide range of house structure. Indian house structure may be divided according to the material of which the houses are made, into four groups; first, temporary or bark shelters, and skin tents; second, wooden structures, third, earth huts with a frame

work of timber, and snow huts; fourth, the permanent

stone structures.

They really have no furniture, as they always sit on the ground. Their beds are on the ground. The cooking is done out of doors over a fire. Three sticks are put in the ground a certain distance apart, forming a triangular space at the bottom. These come together at the top and are fastened securely. The kettle is hung from this, and a fire is built under it. The Indians have an easy life, working very little.

(d) THE INDIAN BABY. The Indian baby, called a pappoose, is very interesting. It is put in a cradle most beautifully made by its mother. It takes a great deal of time and work to weave the grasses and other materials, to put on the beads and make it look pretty for the pappoose. The Indian baby is laid upon a board and fastened to it on his back. This board is hung in a tree and the baby is very happy. The Indian mother is as fond of her baby as the white mother is of hers. The board that the baby is fastened to is covered with soft skins.

In our nursery rhymes we read of a certain "Baby Bunting, whose father went a-hunting, to fetch a rabbit skin to wrap the Baby Bunting in." This is what the Indian does. He finds deer skins or matting, or soft bark from trees when he cannot get skins, and the mother stuffs the little cradle with soft grass or moss. The Indian baby is very comfortable, and he will cry to go back to his cradle. (e) WORK. The Indian women work and the men fish, fight, hunt, etc. The boy is spoiled, doing just as he pleases. He has no toys except a ball and a kite. His instincts are destructive, killing birds or snaring them, and robbing their nests; yet with all this want of education, the boy finds much of his experience very useful.

The Indian girl helps her mother in many ways. She embroiders, sews skins of animals, and decorates many articles with beads. The girls play house with their dolls. They imitate the ways of their elders.