“Janee has just come into the room, and insists on my telling you that she can spell her name very prettily, ‘Schoolcraft and all.’  She seems anxious to gain your approbation for her acquirements, and I encourage the feeling in order to excite attention to her lessons, as she is so full of life and spirits that it is hard to get her to keep still long enough to recite them properly.  Johnston has improved more than you can imagine, and has such endearing ways that one cannot help loving the dear child.  Oh, that they would both grow up wise unto salvation, and I should be happy.”

Youthful Blood.—­James —–­ was a young man of promise—­bright mentally and physically, lively and witty, and of a figure and manners pleasing to all.  In a moment of passion he dirked a man at a French ball.  The victim of this scene of revelry lingered a few months and recovered.  This recovery is announced in a letter of Mrs. Schoolcraft’s (Feb. 16th), in which she says:—­

“Dr. James sent a certificate of the young man’s returning health by the last express, and an Indian was also sent to accompany James back to this place; but how great was our astonishment at the arrival of the Indian alone, on the 3d ultimo, and bringing news of James’ escape from Mackinack.  We felt a good deal alarmed for his safety on the way, and an Indian was sent down the river in quest of him; but we were relieved of our fears by the arrival of James himself on the following day, very much exhausted.  I immediately sent to Dechaume to ask how he did, and learnt that his fatigue, &c., had not in the least abated his natural vivacity and gayety.

“Three days after his arrival (being Sunday) I was at dinner at my mother’s, when he came in, and could not refrain from tears.  He seemed much affected at what I said, and I felt encouraged to hope some little change in his conduct.  The next day, on mature reflection, I thought no time was to be lost in striving by all human means to reclaim him, and my promise to co-operate with you all I could for that desirable object, induced me to write a note inviting him to come and spend a quiet social evening with sister Anna Maria and myself, and I sent the sleigh to bring him down, so that he could have no excuse to decline coming, and I was pleased that he came without hesitation.

“I conversed a long time with him, pointing out, in the most gentle and affectionate manner I could, where he had erred, and in what way he might have become not only respected and esteemed, but independent, whereas his excesses had brought him to embarrassment and disgrace; and conjured him, as he valued his temporal and spiritual welfare, to abandon some, at least (to begin with) of his evil courses, and to strive with all his might to avert the wrath of that Holy Being whom he had hitherto so despised, and whose just laws he had, in more than one instance, violated, and a great deal more that I cannot now mention.  I got him at last to promise to strive to become better.