ng, one of the
so-called "Brides of Oregon." Her husband had come to the Territory with
Dr. Whitman and his bride. The long missionary journey was the bridal tour
of Mrs. Whitman and Mrs. Spaulding. They were the first white women who
crossed the Rocky Mountains. It was related of Mrs. Spaulding, who had a
beautiful voice, and was a member of a church quartet or choir in a
country town in New York, as a leading singer, that, just before leaving
the place for her long horseback journey of more than two thousand miles,
she sang in the church the hymn beginning--

"Yes, my native land, I love thee,"

in such an affecting manner as to silence the rest of the choir, and melt
the congregation to tears:

"Home, thy joys are passing lovely,
Joys no stranger's heart can tell;
Happy scenes and happy country,
Can I bid you all farewell?
Can I leave thee,
Far in heathen lands to dwell?"

This lady addressed the school, and spoke feelingly of the condition of
the Indian race, and of the field for the teacher in the valleys of the
Columbia.

Gretchen listened to the address with open heart. There are moments of
revelation when a knowledge of one's true calling in life comes to the
soul. Faith as a blind but true guide vanishes, and the eye sees. Such was
the hour to Gretchen. She had often felt, when playing on the violin, that
the inspiration that gave such influence to her music should be used in
teaching the tribes that were so susceptible to its influence. This
feeling had grown in the playing and singing of a school-song, the words
of which were written by Mrs. Hunter, an English lady, and the wife of the
famous Dr. Hunter, which showed the heroism and fortitude of the Indian
character:

"The sun sets at night and the stars shun the day,
But glory remains when the light fades away;
Begin, ye tormentors, your threats are in vain,
For the son of Alknoomook will never complain."

The tune or melody was admirably adapted to the violin. Benjamin loved to
hear it sung, and Gretchen was pleased to sing and to play it.

Mr. Mann asked Gretchen to play for Mrs. Spaulding, and she chose this
simple but expressive melody. He then asked the school to sing, and he
selected the words of

"Yes, my native land, I love thee,"

to the music of Rousseau's Dream. Mrs. Spaulding could hardly keep from
joining in the tune and hymn, then well known to all the missionary
pion