With the new Church now almost ready the pastor settled down to regular
work. His parish proper was his kingdom. He regarded every parishioner
as worthy of his attention and most anxious thought. Years after it was
a well-known sight to behold the faithful pastor, staff in hand, a gray
checked plaid thrown over one shoulder, and with light moccasined feet
tripping along the banks of Red River on his errand of mercy. On account
of the settlement of Red River, being like that of the French Canadians
along the St. Lawrence, his parish was an example of length without
breadth. The Kildonan houses were in two rows, facing each other from
each side of the river, and made a continuous village along each bank.
The writer has heard the announcement from Kildonan pulpit that the
pastor, during the coming week, would visit from the house of Mr. Donald
Matheson to that of Mr. Samuel Matheson. On another occasion from Mr.
Harper's to Mr. Gunn's, and the like. These visits were very thorough.
All the children expected the minister; all the housewives had their
houses swept and garnished; even the men, on the day of the expected
visit, laid aside their working garb, and the godly pastor emulated, in
many ways, Goldsmith's "village preacher." As everyone knows, every
preacher has not the faculty of successful visitation of the sick. This
was, however, an especially strong feature of the Kildonan pastor. His
sympathy, deep feeling, and wise regard for the condition of the
invalid, are spoken of to this day. In cases of severe illness his
visits were daily and unremitting.
"In his duty prompt at every call
He watched, wept, prayed, and felt for all."
THE PARISH SCHOOL.
To a man brought up in the parish schools of his native land, and so
impressed with the value of education, the parish school of Scotland was
the model. The conditions in Red River settlement were favorable for it.
John Knox's ideal of the parish church and manse and parish school were
easily realizable; and so church and school went up side by side. Even
before the church was built we find the following entry (1852) in a
letter by the pioneer: "The York Factory boats have just come and
brought the annual supply of goods. They have brought in the box of
school books which we had ordered all safe. We have, among other things,
ten large wall maps. Our school will now be the best furnished in the
settlement."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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