Missionary Work Among the Ojebway IndiansWilson, Edward Francis
History
Missionary Work Among the Ojebway Indians
Wilson, Edward Francis
Indians of North America -- Missions; Ojibwa Indians
"I know I shall lie awake at night and grieve at the loss of my boy,--we
Indians cannot bear to be parted from our children, but it is right that
he should go." Such were the words of the pagan Indian on the shores of
Lake Neepigon, when he parted from his loved son Ningwinnena, and gave
him up to return with us. I remembered those words,--and often over the
camp fire--as we journeyed home I looked across at my adopted son and
thought, I will take the very best care I can of you and I trust that
by-and-bye it may please God for you to return and do a good work among
your people. Such a nice intelligent boy he was,--such gentle eyes, and
such a trustful look,--he seemed quite to accept me as his father and
guardian, and was always ready to give a helping hand, and he learned
with marvellous rapidity. Our arrival at Sault Ste. Marie was quite a
new era in his life,--the steamboats, the shops, and people;--few of
course in comparison to places further south--but multitudes compared to
the Neepigon region, and he had never seen a horse in his life till he
reached the Sault.
It was a great pleasure to me preparing this dear boy for baptism,
there were two other pagan lads from Michipicoten and I had them in a
class together. I had good reason to hope and believe that all of them
embraced the truth and accepted the Lord Jesus as their Saviour. The
three boys were baptized by Bishop Fauquier at St. Luke's Church, Sault
Ste. Marie, on the 27th of October; the Bishop took a great fancy to
Ningwinnena, became his godfather, and gave him his own name,
Frederick. Everyone indeed loved the Neepigon boy; he was so gentle in
his ways, so quiet and polite in his manner, and made such quaint
efforts to converse in English. He seemed so pleased too at any little
attention shown him.
But, poor boy, he was soon laid on the bed of sickness. His mother had
died of consumption, and that terrible hereditary disease was secretly
sapping his life. At Christmas time he was ill with bronchitis and
inflammation of the lungs.
From this attack he never thoroughly recovered. There was a hollowness
of the cheek, and an unnatural brightness about the eye, and yet
otherwise, he had become well enough again to occupy his place in
school and pursue his studies with the other boys. Just after
recovering from this illness he wrote a short note in English to the
Bishop, composed by himself, in pencil. "Me not learn much book, all
the time sick me," and so forth.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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