This little book brings again into the sunlight some few records of the
life and work of a very remarkable man. It seems fitting at this time to
present in a popular form a glance at the life and work of Dr. Rand, as
it will be fifty years on the twelfth of next November, since the work
was organized, and Silas T. Rand appointed by the Commissioners at
Halifax to his chosen field of labour among the Micmacs of the Maritime
Provinces.
Many of the victories and defeats connected with this mission in which
our fathers shared (or might have shared) have been forgotten; and, as
we now gather what there is for us of encouragement and enjoyment in the
records of that noble undertaking, we cannot but find stimulation and
satisfaction in living over again, however imperfectly, the struggles
and triumphs of one of our own heroes,—one who is certainly worthy of
our highest appreciation. Only a small part of the available material
will be used, as nobody is prepared to write a biography at present;
and, even if someone could spend months among the Rand Manuscripts in
the Libraries at Wellesley and Acadia, the occasion that calls this
forth would have passed away before the work could be ready for the
public.
This booklet does not pretend to be a biography; you may call it a
Memorial, or even a Jubilee Souvenir, if you wish; but, kindly do not
overlook the purpose for which it is issued:—In all seriousness allow
it to call your attention to the stern fact that the Micmac Mission,
while in progress was very much hindered by lack of Christian sympathy,
and, since the faithful laborer was removed to his reward, no attempt
has been made to carry on the work which was so manfully undertaken
fifty years ago. And then, with these considerations, and the parting
words of our Best Friend, fresh in your memory, ask yourself whether we
to-day are any longer justified in repeating Cain’s impertinent
question, or answering it in his own self-complacent way. Surely we know
a better way to keep the jubilee of Dr. Rand’s splendid endeavour than
either altogether to ignore the man and his work, or merely to feast our
fancy upon the beautiful mythology of the Micmacs which he has given us
as one of the incidents of his work. It is ours to build, if we will, on
the broad foundation which he has laid; shall we not take advantage of
this opportunity, and to do our share towards giving the people life.
Let us realize the fact that until Silas T. Rand aroused our people
fifty years ago, no Christian teaching had been attempted among the
Micmacs except by Roman Catholic missionaries; and it is not enough that
they had _modified the mythology_ of the Micmacs,—in no other terms
could the work be described which had been done before Dr. Rand began
his campaign based upon an open Bible for every man, and a full and free
salvation procured for us all through the atonement made by Jesus
Christ. The Roman Catholic missionaries are to be honoured for their
self-sacrificing work,—Dr. Rand and his supporters are to be highly
honoured for their splendid endeavour,—but, while we honour those who
so richly deserve this tardy tribute from us, let us remember that our
duty to our fellowmen is not done by simply making additions to our
stock of heroes and hero-worship. The hero is, after all, the
conscientious toiler; he makes mistakes like other men; he may even err
to a greater degree because he lives at higher pressure, but he is
filled with his mission, and, whether he “succeed” or not, no moment of
his life is lost.
After Dr. Rand had with great difficulty learned the Micmac language,
and reduced it to written form, he translated for the people the New
Testament, and Genesis, and the Psalms; and as he went about his work
day by day, he kept adding to his literary labours, until he had at last
completed a Grammar and a Dictionary, the latter of which is now
published by the Canadian Government. He tramped ceaselessly from
settlement to settlement, sharing to the fullest extent the wretchedness
of the degenerate descendants of that once lordly race, as he laboured
to make the Gospel Message plain to the sons of the forest. He met
discouragement in every form; he received scant sympathy from his
fellow-Christians, every step he took was most bitterly opposed by the
Roman Catholic clergy, but he lived to rejoice in the work that brought
fulness of life to a number of the people, and laid a broad foundation
for future work, before he answered the summons that called him home to
his reward.
J. S. C.
Kirklawn, P. E. I., October, 1899.
BIOGRAPHICAL
SKETCH