The American Missionary — Volume 42, No. 08, August, 1888Various
Religion
The American Missionary — Volume 42, No. 08, August, 1888
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
To one coming in sight of the Berthold Mission, curiosity would be
aroused by the sight of blanketed forms, two or three together, not
walking side by side, but gliding along, one after another, with
rapid steps toward the mission-house.
It is the afternoon of the Women's Sewing Meeting, and, although it
does not begin until two o'clock, by one the room is generally
full--yes, crowded, so that, in passing around among them, one has
to stumble quite often over feet which have no place of retreat. We
do not pretend to offer chairs to all. The floor holds as many
without chairs as with, even tables and wood-box do not remain empty,
but perched on each are the blanketed forms, from many of which the
blankets have not fallen, at least not more than to show the face
or head. Here the women sit patiently.
After sewing about two hours, the thimbles and needles are gathered
up, the names taken, or something to designate each one, and each
one's desires discovered: tea, sugar, or coffee, for this is a strong
point where these women show their heathenism.
Some portion of God's truth and some help to a better life is then
given to them in Gros Ventres and Ree; prayer offered, and they
receive their little bag or package of tea, coffee or sugar. It has
been a busy afternoon, and we are all tired, but it pays, O, how it
pays, a thousand times over!
AN INDIAN CHURCH SOCIABLE.
Do Indians have sociables? Indians like to visit, and they do enjoy a
good supper. With these two qualifications, what else is necessary
for a sociable? Some women to do the work. The women of the Women's
Native Missionary Society, of Yankton Agency, are not lazy, nor are
they slow in devising ways and means of making money; therefore, on
the evening of Feb. 22, they had a sociable and charged 25 cents for
supper. The cooking was done at the homes of Mrs. Brazeau, Mrs.
Aungie, and Mrs. Williamson. The provisions were donated by the
members of the society. A number of the women gave chickens, others
flour, coffee, ham, potatoes, canned fruit, sugar, and some gave
money with which to buy whatever was needed. Each one that gave
something had her supper free. The moving of the printing office
furniture to Santee left a large empty room; and as this room joins
the school-room, it was a very convenient place in which to have the
supper. A barrel of water was hauled; a woman hired to scrub the
floor, and table and table-cloths were borrowed. The trader very
obligingly lent dishes out of his store. Janet, Gertie and Esther
were busy all the afternoon setting tables, and getting ready for the
evening's reception. Towards evening the provisions came. Each woman
was then to take her place--one to cut meat, one to cut pie and cake,
another to wash dishes, and others to wait on the tables. Angie
Cordier and Janet Strieker, who have been away to school, were quite
expert in waiting on tables, and some of the young gentlemen who have
been away were quite expert in calling for this and that.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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