On the Indian Trail Part 6

"O Tapa-yechekayan Kiss-awa-totawenan!" (Oh Lord, have mercy upon me!)

I knelt beside him and pointed him to the dear Saviour--the sinners Friend. I quoted the sweet promises of the blessed Book, and a.s.sured him they were for him. He wept, and was deeply anxious for the a.s.surance that even, he had a personal interest in the crucified One.

Earnest prayers were offered for him and others, who, like him, were seeking the Pearl of great price. We talked to him of the love of G.o.d as revealed in Jesus. We tried to explain to him the way of faith--the simple plan of salvation. That best of all Teachers, that infallible Guide, the Holy Spirit, applied the truth to his heart; and our dear Sandy saw the way, and believed unreservedly in the Lord Jesus. He was a sweet singer, and had often joined with us in our songs of devotion at our family altar; but now as never before he sang in his own musical language the translation of the verse "My G.o.d is reconciled," etcetera.

"Ma' to noo-too-ta-min Ne-pa-tan a-e-sit, Ak-wa a-wa-ko-mit Na-ma-ne-say-ke-sin, Wa-na-tuk-ne-pa-hi-to-tan Abba No-ta a-e-tae-yan."

Need we add that our Indian boy, so strangely thrown on our care, was doubly dear and precious to as from that hour! We had had our long months of trouble and anxiety about him, and friends, both white and Indian, had thought, and had told us, that what we were doing for him was, "love's labour lost." How thankful we were at this glad hour of his clear and beautiful conversion, that we had persevered? We never could help feeling that his coming to us was from G.o.d, and in spite of all the discouragements, we had not dared to give up our charge. We had accepted it as a trust although it became a trial of patience; yet when the clouds cleaved away, we had our exceeding great reward.

From that day, his presence in our humble mission home was a benediction. He became a very devout and reverent student of the Word of G.o.d; and as its blessed truths opened up before him, he had many questions to ask, so that we had many loving talks about the holy Book.

Often his heart overflowed with grat.i.tude and thanksgiving to G.o.d, and he would exclaim--

"O missionary, these words are very sweet to my heart!"

To spend hours on his knees with his open Bible before him, was no uncommon thing for Sandy. And when he came down from his upper room with his face radiant, he would sometimes exclaim:

"Oh, how blind and stupid I was! I used to think that the white man's religion was just like the Indian's, only performed in another way, but now I know--yes I know it is different: oh so different! For do I not feel it in my heart, that G.o.d is my Father, and His Son is my Saviour, my Elder Brother! Oh yes, I know! I know!"

Then he would burst into song, asking us to join with him, which we often did gladly; and heaven seemed nearer while we sang.

Thus, he lived with us as a son in our home. He studied hard, and grew physically and spiritually. His faith never wavered, and his simple trust never gave way to doubt. He was a benediction in the schoolroom, and the transformation of a number of wild Indian lads into loving, docile pupils, was the result of his kindly influence over them.

The long cold winter came and pa.s.sed away. During it I travelled some thousands of miles on my dog-sleds, or tramped through, the deep snow, day after day, on my snow shoes. Among other places, I visited Nelson River, and had the great pleasure of taking down some little gifts from Sandy to his relatives.

The following summer, I again visited his people and had the joy of telling them, that he was well and was making rapid progress in his studies. Great was their rejoicings at this good news.

On these trips we had our usual amount of hards.h.i.+ps and dangers, and met with some peculiar adventures. One that very much interested us all, and for a time much excited me, was our discovery of a bear fis.h.i.+ng, and our capture of his supplies. He was a fine large black fellow, and had seated himself on a rock near the sh.o.r.e. Between this rock and the sh.o.r.e rushed a little portion of the great river, in which quite a shoal of white fish seemed to have been sp.a.w.ning. The sharp eyes of the bear having detected them, he had resolved to capture a number of them for his supper. His hand-like paw was all the fis.h.i.+ng tackle he needed. He very skilfully thrust it low down into the water under the pa.s.sing fish, and with a sudden movement sent the finny beauty flying through the air, and out upon the not very distant sh.o.r.e. When our canoe appeared around a bend in the river, his fine sense of hearing detected our approach.

At first, he seemed to show fight, and acted as though he would defend his fish; but a bullet caused him to change his mind about fighting, and he fled into the forest leaving us to enjoy his splendid fish. Good fish indeed they were, and quite sufficient for our evening and morning meals, in spite of the good appet.i.tes which such a glorious out-of-door life had given us.

SANDY, A BENEDICTION.

The next summer after Sandy's conversion, my good wife and I noticed, that for several days he was restless and excited, and, to use an Indian phrase, there was something on his mind. We kindly questioned him as to the cause of his unrest and mental disquietude, and drew from him, that it was solely on account of a visit that was soon to be paid him by quite a number of the trip men of his own Nelson River people. His anxiety was, that at this the first meeting with his own people since he had become a Christian, the talk which he was going to give them on the subject of the good Book and his acceptance of Christianity, might be made a great blessing to them.

So many and so valuable were the furs obtained in those days in the Nelson River district, that often two brigades of boats were necessary to bring up the catch of the previous winter. If the missionaries have been preaching the Gospel at the different posts where these brigades are made up, in all probability, part of the people have accepted Christianity, while others still walk in their own ways. On their trips, the Christians naturally travel together, while the pagans, selecting one of their own party as their leader, form a separate brigade.

It was known, that the first brigade coming consisted princ.i.p.ally of those who had as yet refused to renounce their pagan ways. Among them were some of Sandy's own relatives, and he was intensely anxious, that they should no longer continue in their opposition to Christianity, and when appealed to on the subject, shrug their shoulders and say:

"As our fathers lived and died, so will we."

So we found out that the cause of Sandy's restlessness was his great anxiety to help these, his friends, to know the Christ.

With glad hearts we cheerfully promised to aid him all we could. Still he lingered, and it was evident that something else was on his mind, although he had very warmly expressed his grat.i.tude for our promise of a.s.sistance. We encouraged him to tell us what was still on his heart, so that if possible we might help him. Cheered by our words he said:

"Oh! I know you will help me to tell them of Jesus and His love; but you know that most of these boatmen are not yet Christians, and they are so blind and stupid. They are just like I was in my ignorance of this religion--of the Bible; and my trouble and fear is that when I begin to talk to them of this blessed way, they will get up and leave before I have had time to say all that there is in my heart. I am afraid we cannot keep them together unless--unless--"

"Unless what?" I said as he stopped.

The dear fellow looked up in our faces, and, seeing nothing but encouragement there, mustered up courage to say this that was in his heart:

"Unless we give them something to eat."

We had been long enough among the Indians to know that the boy was right; for often, to win the poor ignorant creatures and bring them within sound of the Gospel, had we given them even the food from our own table, until we ourselves knew what genuine hunger was. Then we could better understand, how difficult it was for poor hungry listeners to give undivided attention to spiritual exhortations on an empty stomach.

"Of course you shall have a dinner for them, Sandy," said my brave wife, "and we will do the best we can afford for you and your people."

His cup of happiness seemed full, as he heard this answer, and as we saw the clouds flitting away, I said:

"Is this what has been troubling you for days?"

"Yes," he replied, "what right have I to ask such a favour from you who have been so kind to me? You let me come into your house when I was wounded, and dark, and wicked; clothed me, and have even treated me as though I had been your son; and best of all, you have led me up into this great joy of knowing that I am a child of G.o.d."

Here his eyes filled and he was overcome by deep emotion. Much moved, we waited silently until he had controlled himself, when he continued:

"You know how every day we have together prayed for my people; and when alone before G.o.d I pray for them; they are always in my heart and prayers; and now that I am to have the chance of speaking to them, I do want it to succeed. You know, that the poor pagan Indian seems better able, or more willing, somehow, to listen after he has had something to eat."

So it was settled to Sandy's great delight, that when his friends arrived from Nelson River they were to be invited to the mission house for dinner.

It was a beautiful day when they came. A long table had been made and put up on the gra.s.sy lawn in front of the house, and a good substantial meal had been prepared. Fortunately, our supply boat had arrived from Red River, and some Indian hunters had brought in abundance of game, so that we had enough and to spare, even for a crowd of Indians.

Sandy was full of bliss. To watch him, and to observe how interested his people were in him, gave us great delight.

He seated his Indian friends to suit his own mind, for his thoughts were more on the after service than on the substantial meal before them.

When all were in their a.s.signed places, he said:

"Now, wait a minute. From the Great Spirit we receive all our blessings; so shut your eyes while I thank Him and ask His blessing upon us."

They obeyed readily: for was he not the son of a chief, and taught of the missionary? They did not know what "Amen" meant, so, after Sandy had said it, still kept their eyes shut, and had to be told to open them and begin at their dinners.

They had a good time together. There was nothing rude or awkward in any of their actions, and a stranger looking on, would never have imagined that the majority of these polite, courteous, yet picturesquely garbed bronzed stalwart men, had never before sat at a table or eaten with forks. These latter are considered superfluous in the Indian country.

Give an Indian a good knife and a horn or wooden spoon--and what cares he for a fork? His only concern is in reference to the supply of food.

But on this occasion we had placed forks at each place, and after those who had never seen them before had observed how one familiar with them used his, they all quickly imitated him and did exceedingly well.

What appet.i.tes they had! It was a pleasure to see how they enjoyed their dinner--especially as we knew that we had enough for all.

SANDY, A MISSIONARY.

When dinner was ended, and they were about to rise from the table, a few words from Sandy caused them all to remain quietly seated. Now we perceived, why he had arranged them at the table as he did. Every one was so seated that he could easily see, as well as hear. It was evident that they were all very much interested, and full of curiosity to hear the message he had for them.

They were doubtless well aware, that such a feast as had been prepared for them meant a talk at the close; but none of them ever dreamed that Sandy--"their Sandy"--was to be the princ.i.p.al speaker. When at the close he so naturally and ably took control, they were at first amazed, and then delighted, that one of their own people--and a young man at that--was not only able to do such a thing, but was encouraged in the undertaking by the missionary and his wife.

Fearing that our presence might embarra.s.s Sandy, my wife and I moved our chairs back a little behind him, but still near enough to hear all that was said. We were intensely interested in the proceedings, and lifted up our hearts to G.o.d that divine help and guidance might be given to the one whom we now loved to call "our Sandy."

A little nervousness that was at first noticeable, disappeared after a few sentences, and then, with a fluency and eloquence that simply amazed us, the loving burning words flowed from his lips. With few words of explanation he took up his beloved Bible and hymn-book, and began the service.

Of the actual words of that address, I can now recall very few; but the memory of it will live forever. He told them the story of his life from the time when, having found my way to their distant land, I met him in his wigwam home as he lay wounded upon the ground, talked kindly to him, and gave him his first lesson. He spoke of his long, long journey in the canoe, and of his arrival at our home. He described how kindly he had been received, how stupidly and ungratefully he had acted when the novelty of the new way of living had worn off, and how he had been so foolish as to long for his old life in the wigwam. He denounced in very emphatic language, his own ingrat.i.tude toward us for all the kindness we had shown him and the patience with which we had borne with his stupidity.

Then he told the story of his conversion: would that I could tell it as he did! He contrasted their old foolish religion of the conjurers-- which had only kept them in fear and terror all their days, bringing no peace or rest to their souls--with that which was taught in the blessed Book; which had come as a great joy into his life, filling him with peace in the a.s.surance that even he was a child of G.o.d. He had his date in his spiritual life--his well remembered birthday; and to it he referred. He told of that afternoon in the church, when, in response to the invitation: "Who will give his heart to G.o.d to-day?" he had answered, "I will!" and bowing down before G.o.d in prayer, had sought for the forgiveness of his sins and the a.s.surance of the divine favour.

Very clearly, and with much emotion he a.s.sured them that, while trusting and believing that Jesus Christ, the Son of G.o.d, was able and willing to receive him, He had indeed received him.

Thus in earnest tones, in his beautiful Indian tongue, he went on and on; now, urging and exhorting them to accept of this great salvation from the Great Spirit who was the loving Father of all, and who desired the salvation of every one of His children whether they were white or Indian; and then, again referring to his own conversion and the joy that had come to him, as one reason why he wished them all to be Christians.