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THE

BABES IN THE WOOD

MISS S. NEWNHAM

PRINTED BY JOHN LOVELL & SON

1895

THE PREFACE.

The following interesting pages refer incidentally to the Mission-
ary work of the Diooesc of Moosonee, which encircles the waters of the
Hudson's Bay In North America.

They give an account of a journey made during the month of
August, 1895, by Mrs. Newnham, wife of the Bishop of Moosonee ;
his sister. Miss Newnhum ; and his three daughters : Georgie aged two
years and a half, and Hazel and May, twins, aged 10 months. They
started from Shelter Island, where they had spent the summer ut the
eastern extremity of Long Island, New York, on August 14th. They
went by rail to New York 100 milo8, by rail from New York to Mon-
treal 400 miles, by rail from Montreal to Misfanabie 700 miles, where
they left the C. P. Railroad and embarked in a bark canoe for their
distant home at Moose Fort, James' Bay, Hudson Bay, a distance of
betw-een 400 and 500 miles, so that they travelled about 1600 miles, and
completed the journey on September 3rd, 181)5. The narrative gives an
account of the last section of the journey from Missanabie to Moose Fort*

W. H.
OOTOBBB 16, 1895.

\l\

f*«' -:-

■^

BABES IN THE WOOD."

{From the " C. C. Magazine").

>■*►■

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I
I .

THE BABES IN THE WOOD.

•1

■ I-

Gome and look at the babes before they go off to the woods ; three
such fair-haired morsels under a wide-spreading, old apple-tree I One
twin, Hazel, sitting up in the perambulator, her blue eyes twinkling
with fun, and taking notice of any movement round her; laughing
and bobbing her pretty head in greeting to her friends. And this is
little May lying in the pillowed hammook, the (iunlight stealing through
tbo green leaves and flickering about her dimpled hands nnd chubby
legs as she kicks and orows to herself in infinite content. Her eyes are
a deeper blue, and have a look of earnestness that brings to her mother's
thoughts the words, *' her eyes are homes of silent prayer." But this is
no time for moralizing, fur around us stirs a bustling presence (first
nestling in the Bishop's home), now in the full importance of her two
and a half years, feeling herself far removed in age from the helpless
atoms whom she styles '' the dittlo new^," and to whom she delivers
lectures on the duties of life. She is very busy setting the world to
rights, tumbling about on the soft grass, and inventing a thousand inter-
ruptions to the fast-travellii^g pen, interruptions which a mother's love
seems to accept with untiring patience. A satisfying picture, is it not ?
one we should like to leave undisturbed, wishing the little people long
enjoyment of the hot Southern sunshine relieved by fresh breezes
from the broad Atlantic waves that you can see rolling, in their crests
over there, just beyond the fields quivering with the heat of the mid-
day. But not so would say the missionary's wife, whoso husband has
already started 10 weeks ago for a difficult and dangerous journey to
visit the Indians and their noble teachets, the Archdeacon and Mrs.
Lofthouse, in the lonely North ; not so says the restless sprite Gcorgie,
but takes her mother's hand, suying wistfully, '' Come, let us go and find
Daddy I"

And very soon they go, leaving behind the many little comforts
considered so necessary to the daily life of adults, let alone the kings
and queens of Babydom ! Leaving too what is far harder, the many
loving hearts and devoted nurses in the old home, leaving them with
em^ty arms and aohine uncertainty for months together as to the wel>
fare of the nurslings who have gone northwards, lost in the silence of
the vast woods of the diocese of Hoosonee ; but leaving them we can

yet thankfully lay to the '* Rtrong consolation " whinpcrcd to them by
the Eternal Father who oomfort« "as a mother."

" Peace, perfect peace ! Willi lovetl oneH far away I '
In Josu'h keeping we are nafe, and Ihey—"

But ahull we follow those tiny travellers, you and I ? We shall soo
much that is new and Htrange, and flitting with them this way, we shall
not add to their luggage, which must be kept as small and light as may
h' if they wish to got quickly over the trials that lie between thorn and
thoir distant hotne. We will not dwell on the repented farewcllH from
viirious friends, each bringing its own pain, nor on tlie long railway
journeys with which their oxporionocs begin, but we will take a peep
lit them after a long night in the train and soo the finishing touches
put to their toilet as they draw up at Chapleau, the one and only town
in the whole diooe.«e. In a moment ihey are greeted by the Bov. A.
B.-ireham, rector of the Parish, which consists mostly of the workers
who congregate at a large railway junction. He comes with gctiial
words and kindly action, and boards the train c.-irrying a pail of new
milk which is most acceptable to all three infants. He tells of many friends
waiting on the platform, so we form a little procession and march down for
inspection and the introduction of the younger members of our party.
It is very pleasant to f^ee the high regard in which Mrs. Newnham is
held by the ladies whom she lias met on her former journeys past, an d
the Indians lately settled at Chuplcau who had received kindness from
her at Moose Fort. Bu^ the few minutes' stop for the train are soon
gone, and we must take our places again for the last stage of our la.'it
journey by steam-power for a long time to come. Two of the Indian
<vonien have taken return tickets, we find, to Missanabie, meaning
altogether a good five hours travelling, that they may secure the hours
between the trains for a talk with Mrs. Newnham ; this is pretty strong
proof of their affection, is it not ? The special bond with Hannah, the
older woman, is that her daughter was a member of Mrs. Newnharo's
Bible Class at Moose Fort, and was by her gentle influence led into
Christ's fold and a higher standard of life; the girl has died since
their removal to Chapleau, but the mother's heart can never forget
her gratitude to the one through whom the blessing came.

After traversing miles and miles of uninhabited bush for nearly three
hours, watching the endless stream of trees go by, some in leaf, many
merely bare grey stems, reduced by bush fires to skeletons, stretching
their ghastly, twisted limbs skywards, we sight at last the Missanabie
Lake, and in a few minutes have dismounted at a little waysido

RtatioD ; our most unfashioQublc-looking luggage ia dumped beside the
track, and we are taken poBMesNion of by Mr. Rosa, the IIudwn'H Bay
officer in charge of this Post. Away puffs the iron monster, and until
she goes out of sight Georgiu can hardly be persuaded to follow our
guide, but stands making low, sweeping salutations uccompaoied by
repeated cries of " (iuod-bye, toot- toot, good-bye*"

And now we huve time to look about us. Whut u Hcenc of desolation
to oull home ! It is the liei|^ht of land from which the rivers run to the
frozen seas of the North, and it is Hoaroely safe from night frosts at
any Benson ; trees are few »nd Htunted, the' ground is covcrec' rith
plants that are content with thn poorest soil, everlastings and native
weeds, interspersed with some very hungry looking wild raspberries.
We look for relief to the dwellings. There stands the railway office with
log house attached. Across the track stands Mr. Kos.s' mansion, also of
wood, for we have got beyond the region of stone und brick now. To
English eyes it in very small and very primitive, but it is beautiful by
the frank hospitality extended to us. The best of evcrythin*; the
houso contains is placed at our disposal, and the babes are soon fresh-
ened up, fed and comfortably sleeping in the upper room.

But although buildings are scarce here, there seems to be plenty
of , life today; a group of Indians are waiting to be introduced,
the crew of our canoe, who had begged to be allowed to come up early,
that they might be ready to welcome Mrs. Newnham on her arrival.
She shakes hands with them all round, and recognizes one as " Long
Tom," who acted as guide when she and her husband went down to
Moose the first time. Tom is an in)portant man to-day, for his bride-
elect is sittiiig with another woman on the rough wooden benoh outside
Mr. Roes' house, and he has secured the services of Rev. J. Sanders,
native pastor from Biscotasing, three hours run from Missanabie by
train, to tie the knot before we start. She does not suit our idea of a bride,
perhaps, but her brown stuff dress is quite new, fashioned for her by kind
Mrs. Spence, of Brunswick House, and her daughters, and instead of a
bridal veil, her head and shoulders are covered with a warm red shawl
more fitted to theolimate. Her brown face is so stolid it might be out
out in wood ; her eyes and hair, us is usual with these Indians, are black ;
there she sits with her friend, never seeming to move or .^^peak, her
natural apathy increased by shyness in the presence of white strangers.
Wo are anxious to see the ceremony, and when the appointed hour
comes, quite unconscious of doing any harm, we wend our way along
the narrow trodden path to the little knoll w^iere a tiny log cabin does

dutv as a church whenever Mr, Sanders is able to ^risittbig prt of his
flock. The interior is us unpretending as the outside, the fittings con-
sisting of a small table, a stove, planks for benches round the walls, and
a stump or two of wood for seats in the centre, which the congregation
place as they like. After some delay the bridegroom sauntered in with
his friends, and sat themselves down, some on the doorstep, and an-
nounced to the waiting clergyman that the wedding was not likely to
come oflF, — the bi'ide had changed her mind ! After a consultation Mr.
Sanders departed on an embassy to the young woman, where she
squatted with her sister on the shore of the lake; but it was of no use,
she would neither go through with her part nor give an adequate reason.
Some days afterwards it leaked out that she was scared by the sight
of so many white people ; had she only not been too shy to say so at
the time, we should willingly have removed our disturbing presence, and
Tom's little cabin might have gained its mistress in peace. As it is,
they are not likely to have a visit from a clergyman agnin until next
spring ; however, after the first slight vexation at her coyness had passed
off, Long Tom told his friends that if she were willing to fulfill her
promise when next an ordained minister came through that district, he
would then marry her.

Tom's story is rather an interesting one. His mother died when he
was quite a little boy, and he was adopted by Rev. J. Sanders, who
brought him up with his own children, so that he learned to read and
write, besides the most important lesson of all, to be an honest, trust-
worthy, Christian man. He built himself a nice little cabin across the
river from New Brunswick House, and there he made his home with a
devoted young wife ; from there he went as guide to Moose in the sum-
mer of 1892, when Rev, J. A. ITewnham took his bride to her new home.
But clouds came over this happy nest, and Tom's wife died, leaving hira
alone with their baby boy ; the poor fellow was heart-broken, his health
failed, and he was thought to be dying of consumption, a disease which
makes great havoc amongst the Indians owing to their poor feeding and
exposure to all the sudden changes of the weather of which we in
England can understand so little. Good Mrs, Spence took charge of baby
Joseph, who grew into a sturdy little trotter under her motherly care,
living with her own nice boys. In time Tom greatly recovered his
health, and although the germs of the disease are probably still there he
was able to resume his canoeing, and through the summer the open air
life will do him good ; for the coming winter Mr. Spence has engaged
him as a servant, so one hopes he may not be thrown back again. It

was so touching to. see his pleasure in his little boy during the three
hours we spent at the Post. He carried him in his arms down to the
landing stage and up to the very moment of re-embarking. This sum>
mer brought fresh sorrow to poor Tom, his father whilst uway in the
bush with aaother Indian, accidentally knocked the trigger of his loaded
gun, which discharged itself into his own body; he stumbled back to his
tent, only able to tell his wife that he was dying, and life soon fled,
without the possibility of any skilled effort being made to save him.
Tom took this loss much to heart, and is receiving his step-mother
into his own houic, so he will not be quite alone tliis winter, he will be
able also to keep little Joseph with him as long as there is a woman to
look after the child.

Throu<!h this summer Tom has been employed going to and from
the line, fetching the Company's stores, but he contrived as often as
possible to be back at the Post for Sundays, when he would get the loan
of the tiny church, and hold service for his Ogibeway friends, — the only
service they had.

But we have wandered far from the Babes, have we not? It
was planned that we should be up at five o'clock the next morning,
that we might if possible reach Brunswick Post in time to have
one more night under a roof; but the day broke dark and rainy, and
we were not astir until six o'clock. As it seemed inclined to clear, we
made everything ready on our part, dressed ourselves and the children
in strong warm " knock-about " dresses, and had everything strapped
up by the time we were summoned to the early breakfast. But it is
always most tedious work getting Indians to start fiom a Post, though
they are prompt enough when once on the march. However, by nearly
nine o'clock the chattering and running to and fro came to an end,
the twins were set up one in each end of a capacious clothes-basket and
comfortably tucked in with warm shawls, their bright little faces peep-
ing out of a pink and a blue helmet respectively, head gear after the
pattern of those made for the Deep Sea Mission, in soft wool, covering
the ears and neck from cold and, we hoped, from flies, bub later exper-
ience showed that, give them time, and those wicked black flies could
buiTOW through the stitches and bite the tiny heads, leaving great red
patches on the fair silky hair.

Naturally we did not hit on the best way of packing ourselves at the
first start, but after a day or two the men learned how to arrange things
for our comfort. We were provided with a large war-canoe some
twenty feet long, and ornamented with green and white paint at each

<??s^

end, for the rest it was just orclinary biroli-bark outride on ti thin franae-
work of wooden strips. In broadest purt at the centre one bale of bed-
ding corded in a great tarpaulin was laid down for our seat, a similar
bale being stood up to make a back to it. On either side of ns we ^
wedged in various bags and wraps that might be needed daring the
day. Close in front, allowing only a few inches for the accommodation
of our feet, stood one of the boxes, on top of which was placed the bas-
ketful of babies within easy reach for all the needful ministrations ; and
it was really marvellous how good those mites were and how very little
trouble they gave during the whole voyage ! They would sit there by
the hour together, dancing and cooing to themselves, or miiking con-
versation with the Indians after a manner well understood all the world
over.

Bight down the middle of the canoe stood the boxes and baggage of
all sorts t^at we were taking, as little as might be on account of the
many " Portages," * Bach man sat on a little canvas sack which held his
blanket and any change of clothing he might carry ; their rations of flour,
salt pork, etc., were in bags also. The canoe has no fittings whatever ;
being simply a shell with two inch wide thwarts ut intervals, your
baggage makes your furniture. In the bow sat the guide, Mungoos by
name, which means a '* little loon," a bird well known in these parts.
He was a capital fellow, with a bright, keen face full of good nature,
always on the alert, most careful of our comfort, cautious to avoid any
risks for the babies, and keeping his men well in hnnd. Behind him sat
William and Long Tom ; the latter having been a guide himself, some-
times relieved Mungoos at the bow, and proved himself even a better
shot when ducks and geese were unwary enough to cross our path.
Behind our "state-room," save the mark I were the two young fellows,
and in the stern Willie Eedbreast stood, steering with his paddle and
watching the ripples and shadows ahead which marked the dangers of
the way. Close to us was placed George Spenco, whom his parents had
willingly entrusted to the Bishop to make himself useful in any way
that should be needed in the Mission, and to get his education there.
He acted ast our interpreter on the way, for none of the men would
venture to speak English to us, although some of them evidently under-
stood us when we made ordinary remarks to them, to which they replied
only with the most inhuman grunt. Qeorge might also be called our
valet, cook, and "buttons, " minus those insignia of office, since he was

*A pathway on land where rapitlH iiitervent), along which the Ixiggage Is carried to
the next body of navigable water.— See page l(i.

,.-i

responsible for the supply of all our needs, and thoroughly well he per-
formed all his duties, even to washing the babies* bottles and such like
tasks. He chose Willie Redbreast as his colle.iguc, and Georuie soon
became a devoted admirer of these two from seeing them constantly
busy round our fires ; and indeed she refused to let any of" the other
men toucli her, and would protest, " Willie will carry uie " when there
was a difficult place to be passed.

The manner of using the paddle is entirely difiFerent from one's ideas
in the Old Country. Tlienien all face the bow and pluniro their short
paddles into the water with a scoop towards themselves, knockini; the
canoe edge at each stroke ; this gives a jerking motion, and followed by
the gurgle of the water makes a sound something like punk-whulp,
punk-whulp, which becomes monotonous after a time. It is the wooden
punk, punk, which to the quick Indian ear always gives notice of an
approaching canoe whilst it is still in the far distance.

Now you will be able to picture us as we paddled along hour after
hour, first up the length of the Missanabie Luke, later down the whole
course of the Moose river, between endless low banks clothed with
pines, poplars and birches, almost the only cliange being that the trees
became more stunted as we went farther North. So we had to depend
on our own resources for any variety in our lives. To attain this
variety the children were our best helps, Georgie especially, being at
the age wlien five minutes in one position, except in sleep, is well-nigh
unbearable. A canoe does not afford much space fur moving round,
but we presented convenient mountains to be roamed over, horses to be
ridden, and a whole Noah's ark to be trotted out. All the old nursery
rhymes and finger tricks had to be revived and used in turn, much to
the edification of our erew as well as of the Babes in the Wood.

Our first day's experience was anything but funny ; a drizzling rain
fell at intervals, the air was very chilly, and we had not yet worked out
a good way of protecting ourselves from the weather. We were very
fortunate in being able to put up a square of sacking across the boat,
between two poles, which, though not a handsome sail, yet helped us on
in fine style, and we accomplished the crossing from Fairy Point at
once, whereas canoes are often delayed there for days, waiting until the
wind abates enough to make it safe to attempt it. We only had a
pleasant little tossing such as so many of us enjoi/ in sailing-boats off'
the south coast of England I We found it would be impossible to make ^
the •' Post" * that evening, so halted about six o'clock just as a fine rain ,

* Hudson Bay Station.

oame on again ; we landed on an oozy bank, and the tent was pitched
only a fiew yards from the water. Although everything was dripping wet
aroun*! un, the men had two roarin<; firen in n few minutes, and we got
the children under shelter and safely in bed as soon as nii<;;ht be. The
mon not yet having their tents, just wrapped tliemselves in their blan-
kets, and lay down round the second fire, after stirring it into a blase,
by the lit^ht of which Long Tom read their evening prayers, which
they never under any circumstances omitted. By starting early next
morning we reached the Hudson's Bay Post about midday, and were
received by Mr. and Mrs. Spence with the greatest kindness. It was
from this Post that our Indians were hired, consequently here that
they now received their rations for the possible fourteen or sixteen days
that wo might be out. Mrs. Spence also very kindly supplemented our
Rtores with home made bread and fresh butter, which lasted us all the
Wiiy. The Indian women clustered round the door nnd inspected the
white children with the most lively interest, as being very rare curiosi-
ties in these regions. We in our turn looked curiously at their black-
eyed, bMnking little objects bound into their wooden frames, and so
ourried about on the buck or arm of mother or sister in chaise.

After iibout three hours rest und getting things into final order, with
laying in stores for possible emergencies, which takes a good deal of
thouiiht, we started again with waving handkerchiefs and many fare-
wells to the last friendly fnces, the last dwellings we should see until we
reached Moose.

Now we sfcitled down to regular camp life, only that our hours of
travel were necessarily shortened for the sake of the children. We
would paddle away through the whole afternoon, only stopping occasion-
ally for the rcjiulation ** smoke time," when the men lay back resting
their muscles and enjoying their pipes for some (en minutes or so, whilst
the canoe drifted f-lowly down the river. To our astonishment and
gratification, before the first of these spells the men asked, through
Geoi'gic, if itny of us objected to smoking. Was not that unexpected
refinement? Yet it was but a cample of the consideration they showed
for us all ihroujth. They were a fine set of men !

About 6 o'clock Mungoos would begin looking for a suitable camp-
ing ground ; if there were any special point of rapid or rock to be
passed, it might be nenrly 7 p.m. before we were moored to the bank.
The men would spring ashore and rapidly 'carry or toss everything out,
drag the canoe itself on to dry land and turn it upside down for the
night. The boxes and heavier luggage they stacked near it, covering

it up frons the rain. Mudsoos chose a suitable spot just inside the
belt of wood, and cutting down a tree if needful, to muke rocm, set up
our tent polt-s ; Willie disappenred in the bush, and we heard the ring-
ing of his axe and the crash of a falling tree, and he very quickly had
a bl«zin<? fire some three or four feet long, according to the lengths into
which he cut his tree, burning between our two tents. The lads
meanwhile fetched a quantity of small freshly cut pine branches, which
were most, scientifically laid ovcihipping each other over the area to be
occupied by the tents, lutiking a sprinjiy, fragrant floor nnd smoothiug
over the inequalities of the ground. Over this our two calico tents
were stretched and tied out to stakes. Willie uncorded the bedding in
each, and spresid the tarpaulin which had protected it all day, as a carpet,
and th<;n our work began. We laid out blankets, quilts, waterproofs,
anything we could muster to make a dry and comparatively/ soft bed
under us (you don't sleep well on unpadded tree-pnles !), leaving out
sufficient to put over us to keep out the intense cold of the small hours.
To those accustomed to Canadian pleasure camping, there is nothing
new in all this, but an English person has much to learn by experience
and inconvenience, as to the best way uf making such a bed, how to
stow away in different corners things needed at different times, the
need of wrapping up one's garments from the damp of the night, and
above all and most difficult of all, how to move round and do all this in
such a small space in wet weather without touching the sides of the
tent, for wherever it is touched the rain promptly drips in. Our tents
fortunately proved quite water-tight after the first good wetting had
swelled the threads, and we were altogether very well protected. ,

By the time the babies were i'nugly packed into their beds and had
cooed themselves to sleep, as they lay watching the leaping flaf^es, we
were very thankful to sit m the tent door and take the meal that the
two men had laid ready for us. Often at the same time we stretched
our feet towards the blaze to Warm them after sitting fur hours with
wet shoes and skirts, for we had a good deal of bad W( ather, only three
days of the whole trip (lassing without any rain at ail. This caused
additional anxiety with the children, as they all took cold, and one
threatened croup j but the coujih mercifully yielded to remedies after
three nights. The men used to carry off wet clothes and wraps, and
dry them round their own camp fire, the great fellows bringins; them
back as neatly folded as any woman could have done it. It was the
funniest sight to see them turning some tiny garment about wond' -
ingly ; and often whilst their own meals were being prepared, the uis-

engaged men would stand round us or crouch in the hushes near, to
wutch our operations with the deepest interest. On fine nights we
stretched our bedding oords from tree to tree and hung out the result
of our day's laundry, done French fashion in the river, and we laughed
to think that ours was probably the first canoe trip that could boast of
a clothes line, though pegs were conspicuous by their absence.

The quiet evening hour with the babies asleep was a beautiful time ;
the two white tents like great hen-coops face to face with the glow of
the fire between, the light flickering fitfully, now showing up the neigh-
boring tree-trunks^ now leaving them in deepest gloom. At a short
distance the crackle and glare of the men's fire showing up their two
tents, and the soft sound of their voices, for they never speak loudly,
or the low singing of their evening hymn prevent the solitude becoming
oppressive. All around us the deep hush of the woods broken only
by the night wind whispering through the branches far overhead,
the trees growing so close together that they draw one another up with
but few lower branches. Not many yards away flows the tiver silvered
by the rays of the rising moon, and as we steal out from the shadows
of the wood we see the stars shining brightly in the clear atmosphere.
Sometimes we camp at a Portage and have the roar of the waterfall for
oui" lullaby, or it may be only the swirl and dash of the' waters in the
shallows. But anyway, we need no rooking, and must hurry back to
our tents, for silence has iilready settled down upon the other camp, and
there is the early start before us. The children slept splendidly after
three days in the open air, but their elders were sometimes kept wake-
ful by the cold in the " wee sma' hours." We dared not keep the fire
alight because of the danger of burning the tents ; as it was, the flying
sparks made several holes before we could extin<;uish them.

Too soon for our inclination, about 4.45 o'clock we were awakened by
the pound of chopping of wood at our tent door, followed by the crackle
of fire and a most welcome warmth creeping over us; so we roused
ourselves up and made a hasty toilet, and by the time we threw back
the tent flaps, Willie had a steaming cup of coflfee ready, to which we
added condensed milk, and which we found most necessary in view of all
that must be gone through before breakfast. The babies had to be
dressed and fed, our belongings packed away or sorted into heaps for
use during the day or not until night, and before we were ready the
men would be wandering around, having carried dd>vn their own belong-
ings and all agog to take down our '* roof tree." If we were not watch-
ful they would swoop upon some much needed and highly-prized gar-

'^gsmmnmKi^''"'-"'^-

mcnt, nnd atuff it away in the com{>any of boots and rubbers in -xa old
hunting bag, whence we could only ruefully rescue it the following night.
So wc had all the excitement of a race to get things in order before
their '* many hands made light work " of our possessions. But with
«11 this movement and bustle we never lost a thing, — even a hair-pin
dropped in the bedding would be returned to us with ceremony ; and
with the fourteen or more Portages, nothing was left behind — but the
precious bag of potatoes for Georgie's dinners!

We were generally into the canoe and underway before 6 o'clock,
and glad we were to wrap ourselves in every available piece of fur and
wool as we paddled through the thick river mists, the sun not yet show-
ing over the tree-tops. At these times the twins wore beautifully cosy,
well down in the basket with shawls piled around them. However, the
sun very quickly gained power on the days when he elected to shine
on us at all 1 and it was often pleasantly warm by 8 o'clock when
we drew to land for breakfast. This time, as at the dinner camp, only
the larder was taken out, ours consisting of a cleverly packed hamper
containing the fortnight's supplies, except the reserve of loaves ; we had
besides a compact canteen with kettle and cups, etc. Our cooking was
of the simplest and quickest description ; but in spite of our eiforts to
hun-y matters, it always took a good hour for the landing, breakfast,
making the babes' food for the day, and the morning service which
aome of us made a point of attending. It was an inspiring sight,— those
bronzed men with their well-knit, muscular figures kneeling on the rooks,
bareheaded, under the vast blue temple roof. Never in any highly
educated congregation did I see more, I might almost say such, rever-
ent behaviour. Mungoos made the best picture as he stood hat in hand
listening to the Scripture portion ; he was unable to read, so Long Tom
acted as chaplain, standing in the centre of the group. Thosa who
owned books produced them from the little print bags in which they
were kept, and Tom would give out a hymn, leading the singing in a
good musical voice ; the tunes being generally familiar to us, we joined
in, singing the English words. So too as we knelt together we could
•follow when they joined in repeating the Lord's Prayer ; and the Creed
was easily recognized by the proper names, with only slightly altered
terminations from the English. So here in the wilderness we had some
realization of the Communion of Saints,, and it seemed to link us
afresh with fellow-worshippers at home.

But time is passing all too quickly, and we must cramp ourselves into
the canoe once more, this time, unless interrupted by a Portage, pad-

dling until about t o'clock, when we halt for dinner. Ifthebiibte»
were hnppy we did not take tlicm ashore, but they had the oanoe all t&
themselves either sleeping or sitting up, laughing and babbling in per-
fect content even when none of us were within their sight. The use of
tinted food Haved time, as it prevented the delay of cooking, but once
during the journey we had some hot duck, a bird having been given us
by a piissiog hunter, who also presented the men with some strips of
dried goo!>e-meat, receiving in exchange a panful of flour and some salt-
pork iind grease. The meeting took place on n group of rook in mid
river, the Indian reaching it from below just as we had been landed on
k from above, and were silting on our boxes waiting whilst our crew
ran the half lightened canoe down the rapid and brought it to the
lower edge to take us off again . The sight of any human being is
exciting on this lonely journey, and we watched the landing of this
fi^ily party : the man, a pale Indian, with a peculiarly gentle, child-
like expression in his dark eyes, his squnw browner and more stolid^
holding her black-eyed bantling, and away behind them came the in-
evitable (log, swlDLUting slowly up aguinst htream. 'J^his is the way the
most of them live through the summer months, the little household just
paddling up and down the rivers, living on the birds and fish that they
contrive to get, with a small reserve of flour and pork brought away
from tiie Hudson's Bay fost for times of scarcity. There is no chance
of doing more than keep up a bare existence until the returning winter
brings the fur-bearing animals to be trapped, whose .«kins have to pay
for clothes and food for the whole year. As these animals are getting
annually more rare, <)imes become hni dcr for the Indians, and the warm
clothing and supplies sent out by our Missionary Associations are more
and more valued.

Mrs. Newnhain was unable to speak the language of these people, but
she went over and shook hands with them both, giving them her good
wishes through an interpreter, for, lonely and unknown as they were,
they belonged to her husband's flock, which brouglit them a step nearer
than being merely fellow-moitals. Her opportunity for talking with
them was shortened by Georgie choosing this time for falling into a
pool and soaking her clothes, so that the bare rook became a dressing-
room, and dry stockings and other gai'mcnts had to be hunted up and
put on, the wet things being wrung out and dried on the ed^e of the
oanoe as we continued our voyage. This we found a capital way of
drying our washing, the sun and wind making the things so sweet and
white, and the wag amongst the crew even tied a tiny gown on the end.
of a pole and hoisted it for a flag I

The Tapids wo ran were nt^nibcrleps, and I soon found it wasnnneoea'
sary to hold my breath and look out forsquulls; indeed, after a few
experiences, one learned to go right on, attending to the babies or play-
ing prnnks for Georgie's edification, without looking for chances of an
upect. The only requirement was that we should sit as low as we could,
put down umbrellas and keep still. Of course they varied immensely
in risk and in the way thoy must be taken. They wore generally pre-
ceded by a short " go-as-you please," and as wo neared the rouyjh water
the men would stand up and take their long poles instead of paddles,
the elder men made a keen survey of the rapid anl consulted as to the
apparently best course to try. There is a chaiining uncertainty about
this Davigution, as tlie heavy ice every spring pushes tlie boulders into
new positions and carries down fresti rockn, so there is no regulation
channel to follow. The instant we entered the wave.«, all was excite-
mcnt and stir. The poles rattled and clashed against the rocks, the
men chattered and shouted, shoving the frai! bark this way and that
to avoid a bump ; we would be almost upon a submerged rock before
it was seen, the guide's pole would hurriedly push off from it with his
shout of " me-mc-meme" as fastjas he could t^iiy it, aud he would turn
and watch anxiously until the stern had been salVly kept off it, tlien
back to bis task with a laugh that showed his <;<>()d teeth to perfection I
Sometimes we went over a rock in the grand sweep ot water that poured
continuously down it, and that was a pleasant sensation. Not lo the
feeling a rock suddenly hunch up the canoe bottom under your feet, or
Ecrunch along beneath you. It sometimes seemed exactly as if we were
really grounded ; but somehow we always went on again, and the con-
consequent leakage was never bad, and it all came in the day's work.
If the difficulties became too great, the poles would be rammed down
amougst the rocks and the craft kept perfectly steady, whilst a consulta-
tion was held as to the next move, and that in tlie midst of roaring, swirl-
ing waves that we should consider utterly impassable, the guide's whole
body quivering with the strain and beat of the water against his pole.
Their absolute coutrol of the canoe gave me great confidence, and they
promised that they would run no risks with the children on board, for in
case of an accident they could not have lived one minute amongst those
rocks. An additional touch of excitement wasgiven by the snapping of a
pole in the midst of a rush, or b; a bow pole getting caught fast in the
rocks, and raprap-rapping the can 'c side as we dashed past, the rear men
grabbing at and recovering it if possible ; but too often we looked back
and saw it standing up out of the water shaking derisively at us. Be-

fore a bad rapid the nicn would laod and cut down iind trim a few
slim sitplint^R for a rcitcrvi; in caHu of such Ioshch.

Once only did the liidianH find a rapid tliey had undertaken too
risky to be continued, ho they pulled up short with the most bouutiful
skill, II nd laboriou!«ly |iolud um back up the Kmall falls we hud descended
with many a bump and scrape. Throuf^h this episode. there was no
laughing, only intensely alert and serious looks, and one did nnl feel it
exactly a joke. Through God's mercy we were soon landed safely, and
scramblcii throuj!;h our worst Portaire, a very slightly trodden one,
with fallen trees to bo scramble<i over and throu;:h, until we reached
quiet water and were onco more taken on board.

The Portages varied in length from a short cliff to be scrambled over
to a long ramble through the woods, or scramble through thick bush,
perhaps dripping with rain, diversified l)y a paddle through bits of
8wamp where tall rubber boots were in their glory. These scrambles
afforded at any rate a relief from the erninped position in the canoe.
If you wish to get ."-onje real idea of what that was, we should recom-
mend } ou to try sitting in a good sized wheel-barrow, with a barrow
load of babies in front of you and a small child roaming to and fro over
your cornfield. Let some one wheel you about in jerks, and lest you
should feol too much of a Sybarite, proceed to protect you from ruin by
covering you over right to the edge of the barrow with a heavy tarpau-
lin, for which your devoted head forms the chief prop. This last woe
was invented after one or two trials of the power of conoentratied
umbrella drippings to soak through one's clothes ; and aaother day's
experience taught us that the best way of all was to open two umbrvl
las in line and have the tarpaulin supported in the middle by their
points and sloping away to the water on each side, for a heavy storm
had formed lakes above us which drained right through the covering
into the babies' basket aniongstother places. What wonder that coughs,
colds and loss of voice roused our anxieties and convinced us that
canoeing with children was not all '* cakes," etc. I

But in spite of the discomforts of wet and heat, it was rather funny
when the three infmts rebelled and all three howled at once in this very
limited space ;— a men.tgerie at feeding time would be nothing to it ! As
a further improvement, we ran a rapid at that very time, and found that
it seemed very much more dangerous when ope could see nothing, and
it sounded as if the men were just racing about on a deck ; but this
awful time was soon over and we were released from durance vile.

A tedious class vt incidents occurred when feeling the way down the

shaHowfl, which on one occasion tock "b forty minatcH to do over
one short reach of river. A sharp out-look iraa ^kept for the deepest
ehannels, and wc mtide the oddest zi^zag courao, now };oiug off iit ri^ht
angles, now doubling back, orcepinj^ cIobc to the shore, then out uguin,
and doitoi ibin;: three purts of a circle ; often the men would roll up their
trousers and wade in the ice cold water, easing the canoe over the rocks
and even shunting smaller ones out of our way, with many a shudder and
laugh. Never once through the whole trip did we see a trace of ill
tempur. however trying things mi^ht be. If the horaping and irrinding
against our oratt became too bad, wc had to pole backwards and seek
another course altogether, or when the river spread itself to u great
width we were forced to land and portage. The best craft for tliese
places would be the famous American boat built to "go across country
on a dewy morning."

The chief oddity of the Portages was the amount of luggage that
one man would carry, and that over rough tracks across fallen trees and
other obstructions. First, along double leather would be looped round
a fair sized box, which was hoisted on to the porter's back, the broad
part of the strap resting across his forehead, on to this box another
trunk and a sack or two would be piled as high us they could be bal-
anced, and he would carry small bags in his hand.

The usual order was to take over all the luggage first, and stack it
at the lower end of the Portage, and go back for the canoe, which pre-
sented an unearthly appearance, arriving out of the bush bottom up,
seemingly moving along on three pairs of legs of its own, for the porters'
heads were inside it. We thus had double time in which to do our
own scramble, and it was sweet to sec Georgie on a fine day dancing
through the woods, her hat hanging on her back, her fair hair blown in
wildest confusion.

A most important bit of luggage was a roll of thick birch bark which
came into requisition at night when the stranded canoe was thoroughly
overhauled, strained seams gummed over, and patches of fresh biirk
gummed on where we had torn off strips in the adventures of the day.
I must not omit to mention the two Sundays spent out, which were
kept by not starting until about 9 o'clock; after we had had breakfast
and the Ojibeway morning Service with several hymns, by going easily
• all day and camping earlier in the evening to allow time for their second
Service. Finding that the crew liked our music, we sang many dear
old hymns through the day, keeping time with the paddles. I was
struck by the absence of excitement about ducks and geese sighted on

Saoday, and wuHtold t'.iat the lodiuns nerer uic their guns on that day
unleie driven by hun^ur. Their religion seems more real und praotical
than it is too ofl4>n, alani with us. Part of the Misaion work is to
supply them with Almanacs in Cree, with tho Sundays marked, before
Ihey go off for the winter.

On Monday and Tuesday, Sept. 2nd and 3rd, Mungoos asked if we
would forego the breakfast halt, taking our meal before the 6 a.m.
start, to Buvo time, lo which of course we agreed ; but he was very
reticent as to the time he expected to reaoh Moose Fort. However,
by 11 o'clock Mrs. Ncwnham's sunpioions were aroused by a familiar
look of the sliore. Morv over, the men were running us round the baok
of Moose Inland without the usual landing to don " shore-going"
clothes. We couki only make a frantic dive for clean bibs and white
hatH, and freshen up the children, when we were «een from the land.
Away soampored thu little brown heels to carry \vord of our approach,
und out swarmed the Indians all along the high b<->ik, including Sam,
the Mission factotum. They do not seem ready with words at such
times, but looked very pleased as Mrs. Newnham shook hands and
spoke to them by name. We had hardly scrambled up the mud bank,
for it wan low tid^, to the open stretch of grass where the tents are
pitched, beforo a met the Rev. I. J. Taylor, Missionary in charge
durin<: the Bishop's absence, running for ail he was worth, followed by
June, tho domestic factotum, a splendid specimen of what can be done
by careful training, for she had the whole how as clean and tidy ^
if her niictress's eye had been on it all the time. After the first > }•
come Mr. Taylor possessed himself of one handle of the babies' baakec,
and they were carrie '. in triumph into their nen home, a funny little
wooden dwelling sonH'timob known as Bidhop's Court! But J don't
think my story need en 4 h?sre.

The whole island b hnstt, ex pt just the inhabited strip along the
south-eastern shore it is surround o by islands all covered with
willows or pines, and ^opax'^d from tiie civilized world by hundreds
of miles of woods and swamp, so more than ever are they now the
Babes in the Wood, and I fancy that in spite of all that has been written
about Moose by Bishop Horden, Mrs. Batty and other able pons, you
will still like to hear how things strike a new comer !

Moose is a puzzling rWace ', you doubtless think of us as always
wrapped in furs :ui(l shivering with cold, yet the first thing we did on
landing was to t^ct out cooler dresses, for it was oppressively hot, and'
jttosquitoes and black .flics laid wait for us at every turn. The Bishop'b

1 '

before the

disiiiay to

complete

\ ^lu .ble in

houw Btandn facing the coninjon, with a small rotable >rden beside
ii at 1 3iot tinier flower garden in Irnnt, uU mo«t arefull guarded by
' ^ le vhite fenoeH from the mischievous dogs, wm a touch of wolf in
t'<hcwu ihat swurm round the tent!). These fences nave of course boea
renewed since the heavy ice brought down by the floo'l eras! d them
nnd destroyed the gardens. The flowers wero a wolcon sight, though
i)f course very backward, — nasturtiums, pinks, pansiei^, ttc , ihe sweet
peas are not yet in bloom, so have no chance of flowering no
fVost cuts them down : the kitchen gai'den too was rather
the house-keeping mind, for the onions and cabbages wen
failure, besides oth''* things which would have been most
the long wintor. However, wo are thankful that the polatoo^ ire turn-
iog out well (the LofthouEes cannot even grow those at C urohill),
and there are some nice peas and spinuoh, most of these thin h being
grown frotn the ueed 8enl gratis every year to many Mission tations
by Mr. Sutton of Reading, — a most kindly and uoceptablc ^ift.

At the back stands the little Mission house, now occupied 1 v Mr,
Taylor, the kitchen of which is used as a carpenter's shop h Sam,
and the large entry room has to receive the over-flow children fi-i in the
eohool in winter ; we have visions of Kindergarten system aul suci airy
schemes, but it iH best not to i<ay much of pluns that may coniu to
naught. The School itself is within ear-shot, so small that it would
be condemned at home &h a class-room for more than about twenty
children, y^'t through the sawmer they have to pack into it between
80 and 90 Indians, sciiting them on the floor or anywhere they can
make room.

Further along the shore stands the wooden church, for of course all
the bniWinirs here are of wood, and beyond that again you ?ee the fac-
tory, dwelli\n<<8. shop, store-houses shut in by high palisading, relic of
the olden days when the Indians were wont to niuke raids upon the
Forxs and ill the servants' houses and fiirni-buildings. This, my
friends, is the oathcdlral oily of Moose Fort ; I beg you will speak of
it with duo respect ! The city is connected from end to end by a track
more or less trodden, for road-making is not one of the Moose indus-
tries, and we shall not be likely to adopt the fashionable wheel
here I

The common outside the Mission windows is dotted all over with the
wigwams of the Indian families and the smaller calico tents of the young
men, and very picturesque is the scene, the smoky poles bristling out
at the top. and covered below with odd pieces of canvas in all the vary-

ing shades of brown and grey, with liereand there a sheet of bircli-bark.
Bound iind about them play the grotesque figures of the children, the
f," U, like the women, always woaring ii shawl over tlic head and
shoulders, even to church, only on Sundays the bright now plaid
shawls give a smarter look to them. The boys affect longish coiits and
great black felt hats, the brims turned down round the faces ; the men
wear most a sort of dark blanket coat with a hood. As the autumn
brings the small birds round, tlie boys are to be seen nil day long creep-
ing about with cross-bows, running behind the banks, bent almost
double like monkeys, or going actually on all fours in the hope of taking
the birds unawares, v/hich is doubtless a good training for the hunting
by which they will have to make their living.

We get many a peep from ourwindows of the daily life of the Indians^
for owing tn the smallness of the wigwams and the large families to be
accommodated, a great many of their operations must perforce be carried
on outside. Blankets and clothing are hung out for airing, snow-shoes
are living on a pole near, moss for packing a papoose into its cradle i®
being prepared and d ied on a line, a casette containing the family belong-
ings here and there stands outside for want of space within. A casette
you must know is the only correct luggage to be used in Hudson's
Bay territory, a small, very solid, painted wooden box, warranted to
stand all weathers and any amount of tumbles on Portages and else-
where. To own such a box anywhere in Canada would stamp you
at once as from Hudson's Bay.

At night the wigwams look like a great encampment of lanterns,
glowing with the fires that are burning within, the smoke curling out
through the poles in the centre. Could you get a view of the interior
you would then find the whole family sleeping with their feet towards
the fire, their heads near the canvas. It is already becoming too cold
for this open ground, and the canoes are being hauled up, gummed and
patched in preparation for the winter's migration, and this part of the
Moose population, will be scattered far and wide through the woods,
setting and visiting their traps to get furs for next September's cargo
for England, and living in what shelter from the bitter cold the trees
aflbrd. The few old and sick ones who remain will gather together,
crowding into a few log cabins for warmth.

But they do not "like the Arab, silently steal away"; the ship has
just been here, and the ox-cart has brought up many bales and b/^es to
the Bishop's house, and the people cannot think of leaving without saying
good bye to Mrs. Nownham ; should hot you and I feel just the same?

Of course tliere are uiany amongst them who have the most genuine love
for and trust iu those who ha\e come so fiir to bring them the comfort
they so sorely need, the news of tlie Great Father's love for them,
many whom Mrs. Newnham met again with pleasure as personal friends,
but some who have been called home during her absence were not there.

Anyway, the Mission premises arc the centre of interest just now, and
the Missionary Bishop's wife gets no leisure ; the friends of the sick ones
are at the door by 7.30 a.m., and she must skim the milk and give all
she can spare for their needs, and from that time until night again, you
can never go out without meeting men, women or children sheltering be-
hind the wood-pile, standing at the door, squatting on the steps, and as
often as not sitting on their heels in the kitchen ; nor is that all — ^you
may be sitting upstairs and look round to find a group at your door
who have wandered up in searcli of " Bissip's " wife. The univer-
sally worn moccasin makes no sound, and. their hunting habits have
trained them to such stealthy movements that you do not hear them
come, and they never speak until you do, but stand waiting patiently.

So pressing personal claims arc put aside and tlie work of unpack-
ing is begun ; with joyful hearts we fill up the store-room shelves witii
sorted piles of lovely warm, strong garments made by loving, clever
fingers at home. When there is enough to begin upoi», Mrs. Newnham
sends for the poor widows, and gives each a long, warm petticoat and
big chemise, — they do like their things ample I Then she lets them squat
round the door, and Jane brings them out a cup of tea and a thick slice
of dry bread each, the bread being a great luxury, as they cannot make
it themselves.

Next, she arranges that one morning all the school boys shall come,
each bearing a written ticket from Mr. Taylor stating their general
conduct. Round they tlirong, grabbing off their caps at sight of her,
and eagerly receiving the warm shirts, bright knitted mufflers, cuffs,
etc, which she gives out according to merit. Then off they rush,
helter skelter, round the corner of the house, alreaily wrapping the
scarfs round their necks, but pull up short at the sight of the white
children enjoying the sunshine in front ; but after surveying the enemy,
they screw up courage to go past at a run, and go tumbling away to the
tents to exhibit their treasur

The next day the same performance is gone through with the school
girls, but with a more demure behavior and promptintis to each other
as to the English form of " thank you." Frocks and petticoats are the
favorite gifts this day, and stores of beautiful ones had been sent out,

of simple pattern and good strong material suitable to the rough life in
which they will be worn. Gores are not appeoiatod in this part of the
world, the fashion being good bunchy pleats round the waist for solid
warmth I

Besides these regular distributions, Mrs. Newnham was being called
on morning, noon, and night, to go to the outer store-room and look out
-shirts for the men, skirts and cross-overs fi)r the women, and so forth,
go that she was never free from interruption. It was often a lengthy
busineHu, for tales of illness and trouble had to be listened to, in broken
English or through an interpreter, and advice given, including gener-
ally a strong recommendation to go o£P hunting for the winter and not
stay iibout the Fort for what could be picked up, and falling into idle
ways. In several cases the record was not good, and a gift was refused,
a serious talking to being given in its place ; for there ure black sheep
ill Moose as in every flock, and one very necessary and painful duty of
the Bi>hop and his helpmeet is to keep up a wholesome discipline in
order to restrain the evil.

We were so delighted that, by the kindness of Dr. Bell, a Govern-
ment surveyor, who passed through, we were able to send a parcel to
Mrs. Spence for the poor people round Brunswick Post, who scarcely
ever get a bale, being so far from this and not on the mail route ; this
parcel contained flannel shirts for the elder men of our crew and muf-
flers for the lads, and richly they deserved them.

So a fortnight, passed, and Mrs. Newnham had only once left the
premises except to attend the church services, and she was getting
pretty well worn out. As the shelves grew lighter, fresh bales had been
opened, many gifts being put aside for Christmas trees and festivals,
and at last all the Mission things liad boon unpacked, and between
whiles we had refreshed ourselves with dives into the private boxes from
home. Little Georgie silently noted the novel incidents, storing them
up for future use ; for instance, when told to give some message, she
remarked " I don't speak English."

The next pressing duty was the ' ' Packet." * Every moment through
the day that could be snatched from household or family calls was devoted
to quill-driving, and the evening, until quite late. All the associations
and friends at home who had worked so well for the Mission, and many
of whom has shown such kindly thought for the personal comfort of the
Bishop and Ids family, must bo written to separately before the Packet
would be tuade up about the 20th, for after that there would be no

# Tlio Mail.

3 i

chance of writlog again until February 7th. Picture us, with hearts
overflowing with gratitude and with so much to say, and so little time to
say it ! and back in our minds the continual thouglit, " when can we get
at our own folks' letters?" In spit« of the magnificent packing and
invoicing of the Missionary Leaves Association, it was impossible
always to avoid confusing the different donors, and you will not marvel
if, in writing, things have been acknowledged to the wrong people ; but
you may be quite sure that us each label was read in the store-room,
the mental thanks went quite straight ! As the pressure increased,
other calls had to be set aside ; everything is to be done " after the
Packet," and it may be as well that our minds should then be filled by
urgent work, or we should be " verra flat " waiting for these same
Indians to take our letters up by the longest route and bring back our
longed for home mail, letters that were written to us in England in
August ! It is this pressure of writing that must be my excuse for
the present efibrt, poor enough from a literary point of view I know,
scribbled in the midst of numberless interruptions, but received, I trust,
as a hand-clasp from the "Great Silent Land," by you who are
strengthening our hands by your earnest prayers to the " All Father,"
for the Indians and those who are working for their good , and by the
activity of your needles. Let me only beg you," Be not weary in
well-doing," and let your work be indeed for the Master's sake and not
for any individual missionary ; so that whether He sends or removes
special workers, stlil His kingdom may continually be advanced ; and
one day you will share in his joy when ** he that abideth with tlie stuff "
at his Lord's command will be equally rewarded with him that was
sent out to battle.

It is with great regret that I close without being able to give you
any recent news of the Bishop himself. He left his family, as you pro-
bably know, the last day of May, and was by God's good hand upon
him able to report his safe arrival, in spite of a dangerous passage at
York Fort, July 5, having held services and baptisms at Norway House,
Oxford House, as well as by the way once or twice when he came upon
wandering Indians. From this he was to go by sea to Churchill to
cheer and help Archdeacon Lofthouse, confirming and strengthening
the Indians and Esquimaux under his care, and leaving with him Mr.
Buckland, who had journeyed up with the Bishop on purpose to be with
the Archdeacon as a lay worker this winter, and if possible facilitate
his getting a well deserved and imperatively needed holiday next
year.

None can realize the anxiety weighing on the wife's heart through

those months of suspense, whilst the Bishop is making his way south-

wards again to York, from thence to Severn, always a trying, often n

dangerous and very prolonged voyage, and so on to Albiny, which in

favorable weather is only 3 or 4 days journey from Moose. Archdeacon

Vincent started out with his men about a fortnight ago, hoping to meet

the Bishop somewhere on the river and bring him on. Surely. we may

say ** He who has ke; t will keep," and confidently look for his speedy

and safe return to his flock at Moose, his waiting wife and his Babes in

the Wood.

Wntten by the Babies' Aimt, Sophia Newnham,

For the benefit of the Diocese of Moosonee.

Sept. 22. — Joyful post-script, and, being a woman's, most important 1
An Indian rushed in last night to say " Bissip's come !" It did not
tuko long to reach the river-bank, stumbling in the dark through grass
and mud, and there, sure enough, his little canoe came to land. He is
in splendid health, and tells of God's over-ruling goodness at every step,
and help out of every diflBiculty. So the thanksgivings in Church tiiis
morning were indeed heartfelt. So many things have turned out far
better than our hopes, may it be that " the abundant grace might
through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of God."
You will of course hear from the Bishop's own pen of the " good hand of
his God " upon him.

Contributions for work among the Indians in the Diocese of Mooso-
nee, or for the Bishop's new house, will be thankfully received by the
Bishop's Commissary.

Rev. canon HENDERSON,

896 Dorchester Street,

Montreal.