CONSTANT PROGRESS--WOMAN'S SAD CONDITION IN PAGANISM--ILLUSTRATIONS--
WONDROUS CHANGES PRODUCED BY CHRISTIANITY--ILLUSTRATIONS--NEW YEAR'S DAY
CHRISTIAN FESTIVAL--THE AGED AND FEEBLE ONES FIRST REMEMBERED--CLOSING
THANKSGIVING SERVICES.
We found ourselves in a Christian village surrounded by paganism. The
contrast between the two classes was very evident.
Our Christians, as fast as they were able to build, were living in
comfortable houses, and earnestly endeavouring to lift themselves up in
the social circle. Their personal appearance was better, and
cleanliness was accepted as next to godliness. On the Sabbaths they
were well dressed, and presented such a respectable and devout
appearance in the sanctuary as to win the admiration of all who visited
us. The great majority of those who made a profession of faith lived
honest, sober, and consistent lives, and thus showed the genuineness of
the change wrought in them by the glorious Gospel of the Son of God.
One of the most delightful and tangible evidences of the thoroughness
and genuineness of the change was seen in the improvement in the family
life. Such a thing as genuine home life, with mutual love and sympathy
existing among the different members of the family, was unknown in their
pagan state. The men, and even boys, considered it a sign of courage
and manliness to despise and shamefully treat their mothers, wives, or
sisters. Christianity changed all this; and we were constant witnesses
of the genuineness of the change wrought in the hearts and lives of this
people by the preaching of the Gospel, by seeing how woman was uplifted
from her degraded position to her true place in the household.
My heart was often pained at what I saw among some of the wild savage
bands around us. When, by canoe in summer, or dog-train in winter, I
have visited these wild men, I have seen the proud, lazy hunter come
stalking into the camp with his gun on his shoulder, and in loud,
imperative tones shout out to his poor wife, who was busily engaged in
cutting wood, "Get up there, you dog, my squaw, and go back on my tracks
in the woods, and bring in the deer I have shot; and hurry, for I want
my food!" To quicken her steps, although she was hurrying as rapidly as
possible, a stick was thrown at her, which fortunately she was able to
dodge.
Seizing the long carrying strap, which is a piece of leather several
feet in length, and wide at the middle, where it rests against the
forehead when in use, she rapidly glides away on the trail made by her
husband's snow-shoes, it may be for miles, to the spot where lies the
deer he has shot. Fastening one end of the strap to the haunches of the
deer, and the other around its neck, after a good deal of effort and
ingenuity, she succeeds at length in getting the animal, which may weigh
from a hundred and fifty to two hundred pounds, upon her back, supported
by the strap across her forehead. Panting with fatigue, she comes in
with her heavy burden, and as she throws it down she is met with a sharp
stern command from the lips of the despot called her husband, who has
thought it beneath his dignity to carry in the deer himself, but who
imagines it to be a sign of his being a great brave thus to treat his
wife. The gun was enough for him to carry. Without giving the poor
tired creature a moment's rest, he shouts out again for her to hurry up
and be quick; he is hungry, and wants his dinner.
The poor woman, although almost exhausted, knows full well, by the
bitter experiences of the past, that to delay an instant would bring
upon herself severe punishment, and so she quickly seizes the scalping
knife and deftly skins the animal, and fills a pot with the savoury
venison, which is soon boiled and placed before his highness. While he,
and the men and boys whom he may choose to invite to eat with him, are
rapidly devouring the venison, the poor woman has her first moments of
rest. She goes and seats herself down where women and girls and dogs
are congregated, and there women and dogs struggle for the half-picked
bones which the men, with derisive laughter, throw among them!
This was one of the sad aspects of paganism which I often had to witness
as I travelled among those bands that had not, up to that time, accepted
the Gospel. When these poor women get old and feeble, very sad and
deplorable is their condition. When able to toil and slave, they are
tolerated as necessary evils. When aged and weak, they are shamefully
neglected, and, often, put out of existence.
One of the missionaries, on visiting a pagan band, preached from those
blessed words of the Saviour: "Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest." In his sermon he spoke about
life's toils and burdens, and how all men had to work and labour. The
men of the congregation were very angry at him; and at an indignation
meeting which they held, they said, "Let him go to the squaws with that
kind of talk. They have to carry all the heavy burdens, and do the hard
work. Such stuff as that is not for us men, but for the women." So
they were offended at him.
At a small Indian settlement on the north-eastern shores of Lake
Winnipeg lived a chief by the name of Moo-koo-woo-soo, who deliberately
strangled his mother, and then burnt her body to ashes. When questioned
about the horrid deed, he coolly and heartlessly said that as she had
become too old to snare rabbits or catch fish, he was not going to be
bothered with keeping her, and so he deliberately put her to death.
Such instances could be multiplied many times. Truly "the tender
mercies of the wicked are cruel."
In delightful contrast to these sad sights among the degraded savages
around us, were the kindly ways and happy homes of our converted
Indians. Among them a woman occupied her true position, and was well
and lovingly treated. The aged and infirm, who but for the Gospel would
have been dealt with as Moo-koo-woo-soo dealt with his mother, had the
warmest place in the little home and the daintiest morsel on the table.
I have seen the sexton of the church throw wide open the door of the
sanctuary, that two stalwart young men might easily enter, carrying in
their arms their invalid mother, who had expressed a desire to come to
the house of God. Tenderly they supported her until the service ended,
and then they lovingly carried her home again. But for the Gospel's
blessed influences on their haughty natures they would have died ere
doing such a thing for a woman, even though she were their own mother.
Life for the women was not now all slavery. They had their happy hours,
and knew well how to enjoy them. Nothing, however, seemed so to delight
them as to be gliding about in the glorious summer time in their light
canoes. And sometimes, combining pleasure with profit, many a duck was
shot by these young Indian maidens.
This changed feeling towards the aged and afflicted ones we have seen
manifested in a very expressive and blessed way at the great annual New
Year's Feast. It was customary for the Indians, long before they became
Christians, to have a great feast at the beginning of the New Year. In
the old times, the principal article of food at these horrid feasts was
dogs, the eating of which was accompanied by many revolting ceremonies.
The missionaries, instead of abolishing the feast, turned it into a
religious festival. I carried out the methods of my worthy predecessors
at Norway House, and so we had a feast every New Year's Day.
The Crees call this day "Ooche-me-gou Kesigow," which literally means
"the kissing day," as on this day the men claim the right to kiss every
woman they meet; and, strange to say, every woman expects to be kissed.
It used to amuse me very much to see thirty or forty Indians, dressed up
in their finest apparel, come quietly marching into the Mission House,
and gravely kiss Mrs Young on her cheek. When I used to rally her over
this strange phase of unexpected missionary experience, she would
laughingly retort, "O, you need not laugh at me. See that crowd of
women out there in the yard, expecting you to go out and kiss them!" It
was surprising how much work that day kept me shut in my study; or if
that expedient would not avail, I used to select a dear old sweet-faced,
white-haired grandma, the mother of the chief, and say, "Now I am going
to kiss grandma; and as I kiss her you must all consider yourselves
kissed." This institution is more ancient among them than shaking
hands, about which they knew nothing until it was introduced by the
whites.
For weeks before New Year's Day great preparations were made for the
feast. A council would be called, and the men would have recorded what
they were willing to give towards it. Some, who were good deer-hunters,
promised venison. Others promised so many beavers. Perhaps there were
those who knew where bears had made their winter dens, and they agreed
to go and kill them for the feast. Others, who were good fur-hunters,
stated their willingness to exchange some of the furs they would catch
for flour and tea and sugar at the trading post.
Thus the business went on, until enough was promised, with the liberal
supplies given by the Hudson's Bay Company's officials and the
missionary, to make the affair a great success. An outbuilding of the
Mission, called "the fish house," was the place where all these various
things, as they were obtained, were stored. Months were sometimes
consumed in collecting the meat. But Jack Frost is a good preservative,
and so nothing spoiled. A few days before the feast, Mrs Young would
select several of the Indian women, and under her superintendency the
various supplies would be cooked. Very clever were these willing
helpers; and in a short time a quantity of food would be piled up,
sufficient for all, although it is well known that Indians have good
appetites.
When the great day arrived, the men quickly removed the seats out of the
church, and there put up long tables. Great boilers of tea were made
ready, and every preparation was completed for a good time. But, before
a mouthful was eaten by any of the eight hundred or thousand persons
present, the chief used to ask me for a pencil and a piece of writing
paper; and then, standing up on a box or bench, he would shout out, "How
many of our people are aged, or sick, or afflicted, and cannot be with
us to-day!" As one name after another was mentioned, he rapidly wrote
them down. Then he read over the list, and said, "Let us not forget any
one." Somebody shouted out, "There is an old woman ten miles up the
river towards the old Fort." Somebody else said, "Have you the name of
that boy who was accidentally shot in the leg?" Their names were both
put down. Then somebody says, "There are two or three left behind in
the tent of the pagans, while the rest have come to the feast." "Let us
feed those who have come, and send something with our kind greetings to
the others," is the unanimous response.
When it was certain that none had been overlooked, request was made to
me for all the old newspapers and packing paper I could give them, and
soon loving hands were busily engaged in cutting off large pieces of
different kinds of meat and arranging them with the large flat cakes in
generous bundles. To these were added little packages of tea and sugar.
In this way as many large bundles--each containing an assortment of
everything at the feast--would be made up as there were names on the
paper. Then the chief would call in, from where the young men were
busily engaged in playing football, as many of the fleet runners as
there were bundles, and giving each his load, would indicate the person
to whom he was to give it, and also would add, "Give them our New Year's
greetings and sympathy, and tell them we are sorry they cannot be with
us to-day."
Very delightful were these sights to us. Such things paid us a
thousandfold for our hardships and sufferings. Here, before a mouthful
was eaten by the healthy and vigorous ones, large generous bundles, that
would last for days, were sent off to the aged and infirm or wounded
ones, who in all probability, but for the blessed influences of the
Gospel, if not quickly and cruelly put out of existence, would have been
allowed to linger on in neglect and wretchedness.
Even the young runners seemed to consider that it was an honour to be
permitted to carry these bundles, with the loving messages, to the
distant homes or wigwams where the afflicted ones were. It was quite
amusing to watch them tighten up their belts and dash off like deers.
Some of them had several miles to go; but what cared they on this glad
day?
According to seniority the tables were filled, and the feast began as
soon as the "Grace before Meat" had been sung. Mrs Young had her own
long table, and to it she invited not only the Hudson's Bay Company's
people, but as many of the aged and worthy from among the poor Indians
as we wished specially to honour. Sometimes we filled one table with
wild pagans who had come in from some distant forest home, attracted by
the reports of the coming great feast. Through their stomachs we
sometimes reached their hearts, and won them to Christ.
Thus for hours the feast continued, until all had been supplied. None
were neglected, and everybody was happy. Then with a glad heart they
sang:
"Praise God, from Whom all blessings flow."
When all the guests were satisfied, what was left was carried off by the
needy ones, among whom it was generously divided; the tables were
quickly taken down by the men, and the church was speedily swept clean
by some active women. The seats and pews were replaced, and every
arrangement was made for the great annual New Year's Meeting. The
church was lit up; and when the audience had gathered, a chairman was
appointed, and, after singing and prayer, speeches were made by several
of the Indians.
Many pleasant and many sensible things were said. Some of the sober-
minded ones reviewed the year just gone, with all its blessings and
mercies, and expressed the hope that the one on which they had entered
would be crowned with blessings. Some of the speeches referred to
Treaty matters with the Government, and others were in reference to
their huntings and fisheries. Some were bright and witty, and were
received with laughter and applause. Others were of a serious,
religious character, and were equally welcome, and touched responsive
hearts. With pleasure I noticed that in them all the most frequent word
was "Na-nas-koomoo-win-ah," which means "Thanksgiving," and for this my
heart rejoiced. Thus ended, with the Doxology and Benediction, these
happy days, in which we saw so many evidences that the preaching of the
Gospel had not been in vain.