"The Moccasin Maker" from Pauline Johnson. Canadian writer and performer popular in the late 19th century (1861-1913).

Reproduction of the original.

"[...]an Indian; he could see George's family indignant and hurt to the core at his marriage with a white girl; he could see how impossible it would be for Lydia's people to ever understand the fierce resentment of the Indian parents that the family title could never continue under the family name. He could see how little George's people would ever understand the "white" prejudice against them. But the good man kept his own counsel, determining only that when the war did break out, he would stand shoulder to shoulder with these young lovers and be their friend and helper when even their own blood and kin should cut them off. * * * * * It was two years before this shy and taciturn man fully realized what the young chief and the English girl really were to him, for affliction had laid a heavy hand on his heart. First, his gentle and angel-natured wife said her long, last good-night to him. Then an unrelenting scourge of scarlet fever swept three of his children into graves. Then the eldest, just on the threshold of sweet young maidenhood, faded like a flower, until she, too, said good-night and slept beside her mother. Wifeless, childless, the stricken missionary hugged to his heart these two-George and Lydia-and they, who had labored weeks and months, night and day, nursing and tending these loved ones, who had helped fight and grapple with death five times within two years, only to be driven back heartsore and conquered by the enemy-these two put away the thought of marriage for the time. Joy would have been ill-fitting in that household. Youth was theirs, health was theirs, and duty also was theirs-duty to this man of God, whose house was their home, whose hand had brought them together. So the marriage did not take place at once, but the young chief began making preparations on the estate he had[...]".

Enter the world of E. Pauline Johnson's 'The Moccasin Maker', a collection of stories and an essay that explore the complexities of mixed-race relationships in 19th century Canada. While not considered great literature, Johnson's works hold historical significance as reflections of Canadian culture, racial ideologies, and popular tastes of the time. With a narrative style that may challenge modern readers, these tales delve into themes of love, family disapproval, cultural clashes, and the profound impact of colonization on indigenous traditions. Unveiling the struggles faced by interracial couples, Johnson presents a diverse range of characters, challenging stereotypes while occasionally reinforcing them.