God's Answers: A Record of Miss Annie Macpherson's Work at the Home of Industry, Spitalfields, London, and in Canada — John Shaqi
God's Answers: A Record of Miss Annie Macpherson's Work at the Home of Industry, Spitalfields, London, and in CanadaLowe, Clara M. S.
Religion
God's Answers: A Record of Miss Annie Macpherson's Work at the Home of Industry, Spitalfields, London, and in Canada
Lowe, Clara M. S.
Canada -- Emigration and immigration; Church work with children; Home missions; Macpherson, Annie
"In my memory are associated two scenes connected with the pretty
park in which the Distributing Home is situated, scenes that can
never be forgotten; first, the long procession of the tired and weary
little travellers, wending their way up the carriage-drive, the
clear, starlit sky overhead, and the quiet, bright full moon shining
down on their upturned faces, as they stood in front of their new
home, and sang so earnestly--
'Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise Him, all creatures here below;'
and secondly, on awaking the next morning and looking out, the sight
of the whole party scampering about the park, just like so many
little wild animals let loose from a cage, rushing about under every
tree, as if trying whether their freedom was real. I had to call my
sister to look at them; and in mind we carried them back to London at
six o'clock in the morning, and felt it was indeed good for them to
be thus in Canada. How longingly we wished we could fill the
Distributing Home with just such a number every month of the year,
for certain it is we could find places and homes for them all."
A little later Miss Macpherson wrote:--
"Yesterday afternoon Miss Bilbrough drove us out into the cleared
backwoods to visit some of our children. The country was charming;
woods and green valleys, with every now and then rich orchards laden
with rosy apples; the long Concession roads, forming at times
magnificent avenues, in which here and there a maple, which had
caught a cold blast, prematurely showed the lovely autumnal tints so
peculiar in richness to this country.
"Everywhere we called the warmest hospitality was shown us, very
like the 'furthy auld kintra folk' of Scotia in days lang syne.
"Our first recognition was a boy named Ambrose, of the second
detachment; he was busy in the farmyard, but soon, with a bright
face, came to the side of our vehicle, telling us he was so happy and
well; indeed, it required no words to assure us of this. Our next
call was to one of the first settlers of fifty-eight years ago, still
living in the house he had at first erected. His dear wife, on
hearing of the arrival of the little English orphan children, could
not sleep all night, but had her horses put into the team, and drove
in to Belleville, and for the Lord's sake, who had been so good to
her and hers, took away two, one for herself and one for her married
daughter, whose home had never rung with the voice of a little
prattler. It was great joy to see that they loved and cared for these
little waifs as though they were their very own; my heart alone
knowing whence they had been taken, and their little memories still
keen as to the awful contrast of former want and this present
abundance of food, fruit, and kindness.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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