Mr. Cross entered heartily into the preparations for the festivity.  We made about five gallons of coffee and the same quantity of stew, consisting of meat, onions, turnips, beans, rice and crackers, with the gravy well thickened—­a very savory mess it was, too.  We had crackers to pass around.  Not a very elaborate menu, but one which appealed strongly to the Dakota taste.

By noon the women began to gather, and soon the school-room was well filled, a good many sitting on the floor.  There were about fifty present, not counting little babies.  There were only two painted faces, though in our visiting there was scarcely a house in which there were not two or more of the women painted; the most of them had washed their faces and put on clean dresses.

I had told them all to bring their own dishes, and the variety was amusing.  There was everything in size from an ordinary cup to a milk-pan and one much battered long-handled dipper.  Coffee and crackers were passed first, then the stew.  “Oh, it smells of onions!” was the exclamation as I dished it out.  All seemed very happy, and laughed and joked as they ate.  I told them I had been ten years among the Dakotas and had never before made a feast; that I had planned for a long time to visit them and had not been able, and perhaps it would be a long time before I should see them again, so I thought I would make them happy in this way.  The old women replied, “We have often heard of you, and now we see you; we will always remember you and speak of you as ’the woman who made the feast.’” After they had finished, I talked to them a little of the “meat which perisheth not,” and of the “Bread and the Water of Life,” closing with prayer.  It was a very enjoyable experience.  I also met the women one afternoon at a special prayer meeting.  It was not very well attended on account of the storm, which was almost a blizzard on that day.  There are only two Christian women in that community besides Louis’ wife.  We spent two Sundays with the intervening days at this station, gaining a new insight into the needs of the out-station work, and new inspiration for carrying it on.

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One thing that interested me very much was seeing a little girl who was a member of our Oahe School two years ago.  She is the daughter of a prominent man in the village near Park Street Church Station.  She was in native dress when she came to us; when I saw her over there, although her mother was away at the Agency and she was staying with relatives, she looked very neat and clean.  She wore a pretty dress made after the style worn in our school and in every respect looked as well as though she had just come out of school.  I think she would have returned with us had her parents been at home.

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