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
One more sad event has to be recorded. Tuesday was a clear cold
morning, and the stars were still shining brightly, undimmed as yet by
the streaks of dawn in the East, as I wended my way to the church. I
was going to toll the bell, for our little daughter Laurie was dead.
The soft morning star beamed down upon me as in pity; all was quiet,
all looked calm, serene, and peaceful,--the silence only broken by the
deep tolling of the bell. The little coffin had to be made in haste,
and was only just ready in time, for the steamship _Cumberland_
arrived at 10 a.m. My wife was carried on a mattress down to the
steamer. The boat could only stay a short time. The servants and the
other children were already on board. I gently lifted my child into her
last narrow bed, then Cryer and I carried it on board with our hats
off. Frost remained behind to take charge of the Mission temporarily.
The Indian children who had come from a distance were left with him and
the Matron until we could decide what to do. The captain and officers
were very kind. When we got to Bruce Mines, I went up to a store to buy
a great coat and other necessaries. My wife was still in her dressing
gown, being too ill to dress. We had special prayer on board for fine
weather, the captain and others joining with us. On reaching
Collingwood, we were most kindly received by Dr. and Mrs. Lett. They
were greatly distressed to hear of our sad misfortune, and my wife was
carried up with the greatest care to their house. They gave up their
own bedroom to her on account of its being warm and comfortable, and
would not hear of our going elsewhere. Late in the evening a vehicle
was engaged, and Dr. Lett, my two little boys, and myself went together
to the cemetery which is some distance off--taking the little coffin
with us. It was too late to read from the Service-book, but Dr. Lett
repeated some portions of the service from memory, and our little
girl's body was committed to the ground--"earth to earth, ashes to
ashes, dust to dust,--in sure and certain hope of the glorious
resurrection."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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