Each mission-station is a little world in itself; it has its own joys
and sorrows, and complete cycle of events in the human lives lived
here for a time by the will of God, who has His purposes of love in
each and all. I have touched many of these joys and sorrows during my
brief stay here.
In the godly family of this Hopedale mission-house, it is a time when
the clouds return after the rain. Little Hildegard Kaestner has been
lying for some days between life and death, but at last we can rejoice
with her parents in a degree of hope. The child has even shown a faint
interest in her toys. (I am grieved to hear on my return that the
little one passed away while her father was absent with me on duty.)
Our English missionary sister has also been passing through woman's
time of trial and honour, and we are now able to rejoice with her and
her husband in the gift of a little girl, their firstborn. God bless
and keep mother and child!
My visits with Mr. Dam, the pastor, and his wife, to some of the
Eskimoes' houses have been singularly sad. Titus' wife, Katharina,
formerly a good and able woman, has fallen into a pitiable state of
insanity, which is not only a sore sorrow to the good man, but also a
great hindrance to his earning a livelihood. Then we were suddenly
summoned to the next house, where we found Hermine dying. In the
morning she went out fishing with her husband, Wilhadus. Both were
taken very ill with one of those colds which are so fatal to the
Eskimoes, and he feared he should not be able to bring her home alive.
She was nearly gone, and he very ill, when they did arrive. We found
her on the floor, surrounded by sympathizing and helpful neighbours.
But there was little to be done; life was fast ebbing. Mr. Dam knelt
and prayed beside her, then blessed her, and she feebly responded to
his words. The women laid her down comfortably, and as they sang
hymns, amid tears and sobs, she passed away to be with the Lord, on
whom she believed. God be praised that there is such hope and comfort
in this event.
Hermine died on Thursday, and the funeral was on Saturday afternoon,
when a little child was also buried. The first part of the service was
in the church. Then the congregation reassembled just outside, the men
by themselves and the women apart. The larger coffin was borne on the
shoulders of six men, the little one was carried by two. The whole
congregation appeared to be the mourners, nor was poor Wilhadus well
enough to follow his wife's remains to their last resting-place. After
singing a verse in front of the church, the procession moved slowly
onward to the burial ground, where Mr. Kaestner read the litany, and
the responses and singing were beautifully reverent. At his signal the
coffins were lowered into the graves, and he spoke the concluding
blessing at each.
I was present at a marriage service last Sunday. The young bridegroom
and bride sat together on two stools in the middle of the church. They
were simply and plainly dressed in clean white "sillapaks," _i.e._,
light calico tunics edged with broad braid, mostly red. The woman's
was rather more ornamental than the man's, and had a longer tail
hanging over her skirts. She had a ring on one finger, but that played
no part in the ceremony. In his opening address the minister named the
pair. William Tuktusna comes from the South, and possesses both
Christian name and surname, which is unusual for an Eskimo. The woman
is called Amalie. Both replied with a clear "Ahaila" (yes) to the
usual questions of the marriage service. They then gave the hand to
one another, and, kneeling down, a prayer and the Old Testament
blessing confirmed the solemn contract, into which they had entered
before God. As usual the congregation sang the response, "Jêsum
akkâne, Amen." (In the name of Jesus, Amen).
Amalie cried a little during the ceremony, and more as she followed
her husband out of the church, but the heathen custom of feigning
sorrow on such an occasion is dying out. At first she refused
William's offer, made through their missionary, but afterwards she
thought better of it. May the Lord give them a happy and holy union of
heart and life!