American fiction -- 19th century; Historical fiction; Indians of North America -- Fiction
The missionary, though a visionary and an enthusiast, as respected the
children of Israel, was a zealous observer of his duties. On Sundays,
he never neglected to set up his tabernacle, even though it were in
a howling wilderness, and went regularly through the worship of God,
according to the form of the sect to which he belonged. His influence,
on the present occasion, was sufficient to cause a suspension of
all labor, though not without some remonstrances on the part of the
corporal. The latter contended that, in military affairs, there was no
Sunday known, unless it might be in peaceable times, and that he had
never heard of intrenchments “resting from their labors,” on the part
of either the besieger or the besieged. Work of that sort, he thought,
ought to go on, day and night, by means of reliefs; and, instead of
pausing to hold church, he had actually contemplated detailing fatigue
parties to labor through, not only that day, but the whole of the
succeeding night.
As for Peter, he never offered the slightest objection to any of Parson
Amen's sermons or prayers. He listened to both with unmoved gravity,
though no apparent impression was ever made on his feelings. The
Chippewa hunted on the Sabbaths as much as on any other day; and it was
in reference to this fact that the following little conversation took
place between Margery and the missionary, as the party sat beneath the
oaks, passing a tranquil eventide at midsummer.
“How happens it, Mr. Amen,” said Margery, who had insensibly adopted the
missionary's sobriquet, “that no red man keeps the Sabbath-day, if they
are all descended from the Jews? This is one of the most respected of
all the commandments, and it does not seem natural”--Margery's use of
terms was necessarily influenced by association and education-“that any
of that people should wholly forget the day of rest.”
“Perhaps you are not aware, Margery, that the Jews, even in civilized
countries, do not keep the same Sabbath as the Christians,” returned
the missionary. “They have public worship on a Saturday, as we do on
a Sunday. Now, I did think I saw some signs of Peter's privately
worshipping yesterday, while we were all so busy at our garrison. You
may have observed how thoughtful and silent the chief was in the middle
of the afternoon.”
“I DID observe it,” said the bee-hunter, “but must own I did not suspect
him of holding meeting for any purposes within himself. That was one of
the times when I like the manners and behavior of this Injin the least.”
“We do not know--we do not know--perhaps his spirit struggled with the
temptations of the Evil One. To me he appeared to be worshipping, and I
set the fact down as a proof that the red men keep the Jewish Sabbath.”
“I did not know that the Jews keep a Sabbath different from our own,
else I might have thought the same. But I never saw a Jew, to my
knowledge. Did you, Margery?”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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