"God only can cure the ailments of the body, as He does those of the
soul, my boy. I may prove, I trust, a humble instrument in His hands;
but I will exert all the skill I possess, and pray to Him for a blessing
on it."
We remained several days at the hut; and the good missionary ministered
not only, as he had promised, to the physical ailments of the sufferer,
but to his spiritual necessities likewise, pointing out to him the great
truth that though the all-pure God hates the sin He loves the sinner,
and would have all men, though by nature His enemies, reconciled to Him,
according to His own appointed way, through simple faith in the
all-perfect, all-sufficient atonement for sin which His dear Son Jesus
Christ offered up on Calvary.
That truth, which I suspect had hitherto been rejected by Captain Grey,
came home with force to his heart, and I heard him say as he took Mr
Crisp's hand, "I believe! I believe! and I pray that He will help my
unbelief."
In a week from the time of our arrival Captain Grey was sufficiently
recovered to accompany us on our return to Fort Ross, where he was
hospitably received by Mr Meredith, and carefully tended by Mrs Crisp,
Rose, and Letty.
Robin won the affections of all our friends.
Reinforcements having arrived, a strong party was formed which, under
Alick's command, was to rebuild and garrison Fort Black on the return of
spring. Before the snow had disappeared and sleigh-travelling had
become impracticable, I was ordered to proceed to Fort Garry, when I was
accompanied by my young friend Robin and his father, who was now
perfectly restored to health.
The governor, who was then residing at the fort, made Captain Grey an
offer to join the company; which he gladly accepted, provided time was
allowed him to return to his wife and family and bring them up. This
request was willingly granted; and before I left Fort Garry, where I was
engaged for some weeks, he returned, accompanied by his long-suffering
wife and their three children. I found that Robin had not overpraised
his sweet sister Ella or his little brother Oliver, who, however, by
this time had grown into a fine handsome boy.
Robin had told his mother of our kindness to him, and she expressed her
gratitude in a way which could not fail to give me very sincere
satisfaction. "And oh, how I long," she added, "to thank that good
missionary, Mr Crisp, for the change he has been the means of working
in my husband!"
We all went back in the spring to Fort Ross, but Mr and Mrs Crisp had
by that time returned to their distant station. Martin, however,
remained, having been appointed to a clerkship. In a few years
afterwards, when Alick married his sister, I became the husband of Letty
Meredith. He proposed and was accepted by Ella Grey. Before white
hairs sprinkled our brows we were all able to retire from the service,
and to settle on adjacent farms in Canada, where we enjoyed the benefit
of having Mr Crisp as minister of the district. We formed, I believe,
as happy and prosperous a community as any in that truly magnificent
colony of Great Britain, to the sovereign of which we have ever remained
devotedly attached. We have never forgotten the trials and dangers we
went through, or ceased, I trust, to be grateful to that merciful Being
whose loving hand guided us safely through them; while we have ever
striven to impress upon our children the importance of a loving
obedience to our heavenly Father, a confidence in the justice of His
laws, and a perfect trust in Him.