The Story of Louis Riel: The Rebel Chief | Page 9

strong as the love to
talk. Therefore, when the morning's meal is ended, the pretty mother
laces the boots around her shapely little ankles, puts her blanket about
her, and sallies out to one of her friend's houses for the morning's
gossip. In speaking of her dress, I neglected to state that although the
Metis woman had for gown the costliest fabric ever woven in Cashmere,
she would not be content, on the hottest summer day, in walking twenty
paces to her neighbour's door, unless she had this blanket upon her. The
hateful looking garment is the chief relic of her barbaric origin, and
despite the desire which she always manifests to exhibit her personal
charms at their best, she has no qualms in converting herself into a
hideous, repulsive squaw, with this covering. If she be of a shy nature,
she will cover her head with this garment when a stranger enters her
abode; and many a curious visitor who has heard of the bright eyes and
olive cheeks of the half-breed woman is sorely disappointed when
drawing near to her on the prairie path, or in the village street, to see
her pull the hideous blanket over her face while he passes her by. Not
always will she do this, for the wild women of the plains, and the half
breed beauties, find a strong charm in strange faces; and after she has
received some little attentions, and a few trinkets or trifles, she will be
ready enough to appoint a tryst upon the flowery prairie, under the
mellow moon.
We might forgive her for all this, if she could but restrain her tongue.
From morn to noon, from noon to dewy eve, this unruly member goes

on prattling about every conceivable thing, especially the affairs of her
neighbours. We have seen that she goes out after she has eaten her
breakfast; and she returns not till her appetite begins to be oppressive.
She will then kiss her dusky little offspring, who, during her absence,
has likely enough tried to stuff himself with coals, and then played with
the pigs. In the evening one is pretty certain to find at some house a
fiddler and a dancing party, which ends with a bountiful supper; though
frequently, if the refreshments include whiskey, the party terminates
with a regulation "Irish row." At nearly every such dance there is a
white lad or two, and they are certain to monopolize the attention and
the kisses of the prettiest girls. As the Indian had to sit by and see the
white man come and take away the most beautiful of the wild girls, so
too must the half-breed bear with meekness the preference of the Metis
belle for the Caucasian stranger.
The morals of the women are not over good, nor can they be said to be
very bad. Amongst each other their virtue reaches a standard as high as
that which prevails in our Canadian community. It is when the women
are brought into contact with the white men that this standard lowers.
Then comes the temptation, the sin, the domestic heartburnings, and the
hatred towards those who tempted to the fall.
The half-breed young men are fatally fond of show. The highest aim of
their social existence seems to be to possess a dashing horse or two,
and to drive a cariole. It is stated, on excellent authority, that a young
man who wishes to figure as a beau, and to get the smiles of the pretty
girls, will sometimes sell all his useful possessions to purchase a horse
and cariole.
But it must not be supposed that this sort of spirit pervades the entire
community. A large portion of the people are thrifty and frugal, and
maintain themselves by continuous, well-directed toil.
The French half breeds profess the Roman Catholic religion, and they
have a number of churches. At the head of the Roman communion is
Archbishop Tache, of St. Boniface. This is the gentleman who provided
the munificence for Louis Riel's education. He is the same bishop
whose name so many hundreds of thousands of our people cannot recall

without bitterness and indignation.

CHAPTER III.
Such, then, was the condition of Red River before the person who is the
subject of this book appeared upon the scenes. But perhaps it is as well
that I should relate one occurrence which fanned into bright flame the
smouldering embers of discord between the half-breeds and their white
neighbours. An officer of the Hudson Bay Company, living at an
isolated post, had two daughters. As they began to arrive toward
young-womanhood he was anxious that they should have an education,
in order that they might, in proper season, be able to take their position
in society. There were good schools at Red