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
_Jan._ 5.--About eleven o'clock last night the poor boy's mother
came knocking for me at the window; so I went over to see him. He
seemed much worse, and was screaming with the pain; his arm was quite
black and the inflammation extending to the hand. The mother seemed in
great trouble, and being Roman Catholics, I told her I would go over to
see the priest, and perhaps he would send some one to the Sault for the
doctor. The priest came back with me, but seemed to think it no use to
send for the doctor, as, if mortification was beginning, he could do no
good, I then left the priest alone with him, while I went to prepare a
soothing draught. While walking with the priest, I took the opportunity
to say a few words to him about my visiting his people. I told him I
was often called in by has people to visit their sick ones, and
hitherto had made it rather a point of honour not to speak to them
about religion, as I thought he would not like it, and only on one
occasion had done so. I however, did not like this plan; as a clergyman
I felt that I ought to have the privilege of speaking to those whom I
was called on to visit, especially the dying; so, if he objected to my
doing so, it would be best for him to tell his people not to send for
me. The priest said he certainly should not like his people to be
talked to; still he would be sorry for me to give up visiting the sick,
and "if I wished sometimes to offer words of consolation I must do so."
At the close of my sermon to-day I mentioned this circumstance to our
people, showing them first of all the difference between our religion
and that of the Roman Catholics--the latter shut the Bible up, we give
it to all; the latter teach people to depend on the priest for
everything, we point only to God and to Jesus Christ. I said I indeed
desired to see all the people on this Reserve members of our Church;
still I felt that this would not be effected by strife and quarrelling,
but only by love. I wished, I said, to try and copy the Saviour, who
loved all men alike. For this reason, when called to help Roman
Catholics or to give them medicine, I was willing to do so, as I
thought it was right to do so. Still I had long felt dissatisfied that
my tongue should be tied when visiting these people, for fear of
offending the priest. For that reason I had now had a talk with the
priest, and told him that in future, if I visited his people, I must be
allowed to talk to them. If he did not like me to do this, he must
forbid them sending for me. A good many of our people went in after
service to see the poor sick boy. I took Archie in also to see him. The
boy seemed much pleased to see him, saying, 'Kagat minwahbumenahgooze'
(he is very pretty), and afterwards repeated the same words to his
mother when she came in.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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