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The best known
of the children the Whitmans took into their home were the seven
orphaned Sager children. Much has been written about the Sagers.
The surviving Sager girls wrote their reminiscences in their later
years about their lives with the Whitmans. Much of the following
text has been taken from Catherine Sager Pringle's memories. Catherine
was 12 years old when she left Whitman Mission.
School usually
opened in late October or early November and lasted five or six
months. The children were in school from Monday morning until Saturday
noon. Saturday afternoon was a half-day holiday and, if the weather
was good, after preparing for the sabbath Mrs. Whitman would take
the children out to ramble over the hills, or they would be provided
"amusement" in the house. The Whitmans believed in children getting
plenty of exercise.
The Sabbath
was strictly observed. Preparations were made the day before and
perfect stillness pervaded the house on Sabbath morning. In the
winter, a Bible class was held on Saturday night. A subject was
given to the children to prove from the Bible. Chapters were read
from the Bible, each child reading a verse and giving his thoughts
on it. The class closed by singing hymns.
On Sabbath morning
each child was reminded that it was Sabbath and they kept still.
Each one sat down with his or her books until breakfast. Those who
could not read were provided with pictures. After breakfast they
were dressed for Sunday school at 11:00 a.m.. Lessons consisted
of eleven verses a week. The older ones were given notes and expositions
to read on the lesson Sabbath morning. The time until 3:00 p.m.
was spent in reading. At 3:00 p.m. they assembled to worship. Dr.
Whitman read a sermon and the children were expected to remember
the text. Sometimes they would be asked to tell or recite parts
of it. The evening was spent in reading. Dr. Whitman used this time
to teach the commandments. A prayer meeting was held on Thursday
night.
Marcus Whitman
always hired someone to do the housework in the winter so as to
give the children all the time to devote to their studies. In the
summer, Mrs. Whitman and the girls did it. The forenoon was devoted
to housework. Girls would go to the river all summer long for bathing
every day before dinner. They frequently slept outside in the summer.
The boys slept outside all summer.
Mrs. Whitman
and the girls spent a lot of time rambling over the country in quest
of flowers. Mrs. Whitman was interested in botany and she taught
them the love of flowers. They each had a flower garden which they
had to weed and care for. In the spring, they all spent their time
in the garden planting. This done, they had the time to themselves
to spend as they pleased. Sometimes the boys would bring the horses
up for riding. At other times they would accompany the doctor in
his visits to see the sick in the Indian lodges. Occasionally, they
would pack a lunch and go on a picnic in the hills. Mrs. Whitman
amused the girls with anecdotes and at the same time distributed
pieces of calico to show them how to make rag dolls. Rag dolls were
pieces of cloth rolled up with eyes, nose and mouth marked on it
with a pen. Helen Mar Meek and Mary Ann Bridger would take pieces
of board or a stick and carry it around on their backs for a baby,
so Narcissa taught them to make rag dolls.
Elizabeth Sager
had an Indian papoose doll given her by an Indian woman, bound up
and dressed in deerskin on a papoose board. The hair was wool from
a black sheep and the eyes were trade beads. Mrs. Whitman also gave
each of them a string of beads to wear, with the understanding that
the one who misbehaved had to return the beads to her. The doctor
and his wife were strict disciplinarians. Mrs. Whitman was an excellent
singer and she immediately began teaching the children to use their
voices.
Their manner
of living was very simple. Their meat in the winter was beef, and
in the summer mutton and fish. Pork was seldom served. Unbolted
flour, instead of fine flour, was used along with cornmeal. Tea
and coffee were rare. The country abounded in wild fruits and a
good garden supplied them with vegetables. Cakes and pastry were
made only on holidays. There was, however, plenty of milk, butter
and cheese.
Then came wash
day at Whitman Mission. As early as 4:00 a.m. the help were led
into the kitchen by Mrs. Whitman. Tubs and barrels were produced,
with all the washing apparatus used on such occasions. The men and
boys, with long aprons tied around them, brought water while the
women washed and rubbed. Merry jokes passed freely and all went
off in good humor. By school time, which was 9:00 a.m., the clothes
were on the line. Wash day was fun for everyone.
The site at
the Mission was rather unhealthy because of the evaporation of the
alkaline ponds that lay around the place in the spring, and also
by the close proximity of the Millpond. The children tended to be
more or less afflicted with fever and sickness during the warm season.
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