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[Missionary in Labrador] Since the Bowdoin College Labrador Expedition
much interest has been taken by charitable women in the missionaries
who are laboring in that bleak country. As often as possible barrels
of clothing and other useful articles have been sent to them. In
return the missionaries have sent interesting letters describing their
work and acknowledging the gifts. One of these, written to Mrs. James
P. Baxter, of Portland, gives a description that will be of general
interest:
HOPEDALE, LABRADOR,
October 3, 1893.
Dear Madam:
For your very kind letter and for the very useful articles for our
people, accept my best and kindest thanks. We have already made some
of the people glad with cloth, and we will but be so glad for them in
the winter time.
Happily the codfishery has been much better this year than last, thus
we can more confidently look forward to the coming winter time than we
could last year; because our people were so poor and we finished the
many kind gifts long before the spring came on, when they were able to
earn their own bread.
We have had a very cold and dreary summer, the few warm days could
easily be counted, and now the winter is at the door.
On last Christmas day we had a nice Christmas celebration with our
school children in the chapel. For this purpose we had placed two nice
Christmas trees and two illuminated transparents in the chapel. My
dear husband translated some lovely Christmas songs into Eskimo, and I
taught the children to sing them. Between the hymns they recited songs
and texts from the Bible. Sometimes one by one and then again
altogether. The children made it very nicely. The choir, which sang
some nice pieces, helped to make the whole to sound better. Finally
every child got a large biscuit and a cup of tea, which seemed to make
greater impression than the whole celebration. The congregation were
also invited and they were very much interested in it.
In the midst of February I accompanied my dear husband on his journey
around to the settlers belonging to our congregation, which live
scattered far away from here towards the South.
We left Hopedale one morning, having 30 degrees Cen. of cold, of
course by "kamatik" (dog sledge). I was well wrapped up so that I did
not freeze so very much, but the worst is always on such a trip that
we cannot eat anything. Before we started I made some meat balls for
the purpose to use them during the nine hours driving, but it was
impossible to make use of them because they were like stones without
fearing to loosen our teeth. Happily I had some biscuits and to become
more strengthened I used a little chocolate. We were nearly three
weeks away from home and in that time we were nearly every day on the
kamatik. Never less than five hours at a time, but generally from
seven to nine hours, and twice from eleven to twelve hours. It was
indeed sometimes very exhausting especially one time when we came to
very poor people where we had for two days nothing to eat and the next
day we had to travel for about eleven hours having nothing but dry
biscuits. I did not feel so very well that time.
Many of these settlers have only the opportunity once a year to hear
the gospel of God preached to them, that is when the missionary is
visiting them. Many are too far away from Hopedale to come and visit
us, and some are too poor; or at least the dogs' food is too
expensive. My dear husband made this journey last winter for the fifth
time, that is only towards the south. To the north he has also been
different times. In such a journey the Sacraments are spent, marriage
performed, and meetings are kept as many as possible. The poor
children who grow up without having any school are examined as to how
much they have improved since the last year. We felt this year very
much again the need of having a station among them. There are children
among them from 16 to 17 years of age who cannot read at all. We have
now asked our society in London and Berthelsdorf, if possible, to
build a station for them that they may have their own minister and
teacher. We hope it may be done, then we would not have to travel any
longer only in cases of need. Every one who has to travel ruins his
health if he has to do it for a long time. The settlers could then
easily reach the Mission Station or the missionary could in one day
get to the place where he is wanted.
[Hungry children] May I, dear madam, give you some instances? First
about a family having ten children of ages ranging from two to
eighteen years. We came to that place in the afternoon about 5 o'clock
accompanied by four other persons belonging to their relationship who
joined when we left their homes. As soon as we opened the door of the
house we were in the dwelling room. At the first sight we saw that
great poverty governed here, even the children looked consumed and
clothed in rags. The house was so bad that the wind made its way
through the many gaps. After I had wrapped myself in a large shawl and
placed myself beside the big stove I was still freezing. Some windows
were broken, the opening filled with rags. My dear husband asked why
they had not nailed a board on the place instead of rags; they
answered, "We have got none." But my husband said "You could easily
have made a nail of wood," which they promised to do. We could only
get a very little bread, because they had only one small piece. I gave
the tea. My dear husband spent the Sacrament, communion and baptism
in the evening in the hope we would be able to go further the next
day, for we could not stay any longer here if we would not starve. We
had a poor resting place. It was not possible to undress ourselves.
The whole time we felt the snow on our faces and the wind through the
many gaps. We froze very much although the fire was kept on during the
night. Not very far from us Mr. and Mrs. Tacque were resting, and we
heard how the one said to the other, "I hope Mr. and Mrs. Hansen can
go further to-morrow, for we have nothing to eat." That was indeed a
very sad prospect, for we heard too well the snow storm was howling
outside and there was no hope for us to go on. And so it was. The next
day I gave from our provisions as much as I could, but we had not very
much, and I could not give everything away because we might afterwards
be caught out in a snowstorm, which often happens, where we then have
to live in a snow house until the storm is over. I gave now coffee for
19 persons, bread we had none, for it always freezes so hard that it
is useless. The poor woman collected all the bread she had and we took
as little as possible. During the day time my dear husband kept
different meetings, talked and prayed with them. For dinner I asked
for a large pot and put it on the stove. I had happily taken some
preserved soups and cooked now for all the people in the house, put
all our meat balls and broken biscuits into the same pot, and gave now
from this dish a plateful to every person in the house. I had also put
some "Liebig" in my box, before I left my home, and was now able to
make the best use of it. It was something touching to see the many
hungry children, how they devoured their portion. Anything like that
they have perhaps never tasted before, and would gladly have taken
some more, but it was already gone. In the afternoon my dear husband
kept school for the children, told nice stories and instructed them
about different things, and the children would have gone on for a long
time. The smell in the house was not so very pleasant, 19 persons in
one room, beside this the men smoked their pipes nearly the whole
time. The children were crying and would not obey their parents and
the parents are so very weak in this way.
In the evening I gave once more what I possibly could spare, and for
the next morning too. But we really did hunger.
The Lord heard our prayers that we were able to go on the next morning
to the next place, but because of the deep snow we could only move on
very slowly. First after 11 hour's travelling we came in the evening
to our next station. We did hunger more in these three days than we
have done in our whole lives. The next place was a nice clean house,
where we restored ourselves again.
In one place we visited an Eskimo. When we entered the room, what did
we see? A seal living in the midst of their room. The people had heard
of our coming and thus put the monster in the room to thaw it up to
feed our dogs with. The animal was soon taken away. The house was
clean, but small. In this place we had to sleep on the floor, and we
used our blankets to make a couch as well as we could. A sailcloth was
used as a curtain, so that we had something like a separated place for
us. Our two drivers were also in the same room, and they cared for
music during the night, for they snored like a saw mill, and when they
woke up they smoked their pipes and gave the air in the room such an
odor, which I shall not try to describe. Nevertheless, for all that,
we were happy together, and I did not repent one minute to have
accompanied my dear good husband, in order to be a faithful partner to
him. We remembered also it was not a pleasant, but a mission trip we
made, where we may expect many things like that. What is that little
we can do for our Lord and Saviour? It is like a drop of water in the
bottomless sea of his love. If our journey has but been a blessing to
some, and if here and there one corn of gospel's seed may grow up we
are more than paid for.
[Easter] We had four nice places where the good people did all they
could to make it comfortable for us. Everywhere they were very
thankful for my coming, and expressed their gratitude in many ways.
At Easter time we had more visitors than usual and they seemed to be
more happy than else.
Will you kindly excuse this short description, dear madam; it would
take me too long to describe the whole journey. I used some of your
kind gifts for the people whom we visited, and I hope you will, dear
madam, and the kind ladies who contributed to your large and rich
sending accept our and the people's warmest and best thanks.
With kindest regards from my dear husband and me, I am, dear madam,
believe me,
Your affectionately,
ANNIE HANSEN.