LEGENDS OF VANCOUVER

“But Yaada’s mother sat apart and thought
and dreamed, as mothers will. She said to
herself, ‘The great medicine man has power,
has vast riches, and wonderful magic, why
not give her to him? But Ulka has the boy's
heart, the boy’s beauty, he is very brave, very
strong; why not give her to him?’

“But the laws of the great Haida tribe pre-
vailed. Its wise men said, ‘Give the girl to
the greatest man, give her to the most power-
ful, the richest. The man of magic must have
his choice.’

“But at this the mother's heart grew as
wax in the summer sunshine—it is a strange
quality that mothers’ hearts are made of !
‘Give her to the best man—the man her heart
holds highest,’ said this Haida mother.

“Then Yaada spoke: ‘I am the daughter
of my tribe; I would judge of men by their
excellence. He who proves most worthy I
shall marry; it is not riches that make a good
husband; it is not beauty that makes a good
father for one’s children. Let me and my tribe
see some proof of the excellence of these two
men—then, only, shall I choose who is to be
the father of my children. Let us have a u'ial
of their skill; let them show me how evil or
how beautiful is the inside of their hearts.
Let each of them throw a stone with some