ent necessity for so doing. In 1636, and the
following year, there was the most dreadful war that had yet occurred
between the Indians and the English. The Connecticut settlers, assisted by
a celebrated Indian chief, named Uncas, bore the brunt of this war, with
but little aid from Massachusetts. Many hundreds of the hostile Indians
were slain, or burnt in their wigwams. Sassacus, their sachem, fled to
another tribe, after his own people were defeated; but he was murdered by
them, and his head was sent to his English enemies.

From that period, down to the time of King Philip's war, which will be
mentioned hereafter, there was not much trouble with the Indians. But the
colonists were always on their guard, and kept their weapons ready for the
conflict.

"I have sometimes doubted," said Grandfather, when he had told these
things to the children, "I have sometimes doubted whether there was more
than a single man, among our forefathers, who realized that an Indian
possesses a mind and a heart, and an immortal soul. That single man was
John Eliot. All the rest of the early settlers seemed to think that the
Indians were an inferior race of beings, whom the Creator had merely
allowed to keep possession of this beautiful country, till the white men
should be in want of it.

"Did the pious men of those days never try to make Christians of them?"
asked Laurence.

"Sometimes, it is true," answered Grandfather, "the magistrates and
ministers would talk about civilizing and converting the red people. But,
at the bottom of their hearts, they would have had almost as much
expectation of civilizing a wild bear of the woods, and making him fit for
paradise. They felt no faith in the success of any such attempts, because
they had no love for the poor Indians. Now Eliot was full of love for
them, and therefore so full of faith and hope, that he spent the labor of
a lifetime in their behalf."

"I would have conquered them first, and then converted them," said
Charley.

"Ah, Charley, there spoke the very spirit of our forefathers!" replied
Grandfather. "But Mr. Eliot had a better spirit. He looked upon them as
his brethren. He persuaded as many of them as he could, to leave off their
idle and wandering habits, and to build houses, and cultivate the earth,
as the English did. He established schools among them, and taught many of
the Indians how to read. He taught them, likewise, how to pray. Hence they
were called 'praying Indians.'