UC-NRLF 
 
 1 
 
 i 
 
 txcenence 
 
 Evangelical Work in Canada. 
 
 Among the 
 
/ft E K K. E t F Y 
 
 j LIBRARY 
 
 I UNIVERSITY OF 
 ^CALIFORNIA 
 
LIFE OF KEV. AMAJSTD PAEENT. 
 
REV. AMAND PAREXT. 
 
THE i 
 
 REV. AMANI) PARENT 
 
 MK 1 ; 
 
 FORTY-SEVEN YEAR 
 
 KLICAL WORK I 
 
 THIRTY- ONK YEARS IN CONN 'HE 
 
 <iCE, AND 
 
 EIGHT YEARS AMONG THE OKA 
 
 WILLIAM B KING STREET E^ 
 
 MONTREAL; HALIFAX. S. ) 
 
THE LIFE 
 
 OF 
 
 REV. AMAND PARENT 
 
 THE FIRST FRENCH-CANADIAN ORDAINED BY THE 
 METHODIST CHURCH. 
 
 FORTY-SEVEN YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN THE 
 EVANGELICAL WORK IN CANADA. 
 
 THIRTY- ONE YEARS IN CONNECTION WITH THE 
 CONFERENCE, AND 
 
 EIGHT YEARS AMONG THE OKA INDIANS. 
 
 TORONTO: 
 WILLIAM BRIGGS, 78 & 80 KING STREET EAST. 
 
 MONTREAL: C. W. COATES. HALIFAX : S. F. HUESTIS. 
 
ENTERED, according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one thousand 
 eight hundred and eighty-seven, by WILLIAM BRIGGS, Book Steward of the 
 Methodist Book and Publishing House, Toronto, at the Department of 
 Agriculture. 
 
TO 
 
 MY FAITHFUL AND LOVING HELPMEET 
 
 FOR TWENTY-SEVEN YEARS, 
 I DEDICATE THIS BOOK!. 
 
 592 
 
LIFE OF EEY. AMAND PABENT. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 who have been brought together for 
 ti rae a ^ a certain point in the jour- 
 ney in life, and intend proceeding together 
 in the same direction, will find it agreeable 
 to know something of each other The desire to obtain 
 this knowledge is quite natural. I will therefore 
 begin by giving the reader a brief sketch of my early 
 life. 
 
 I was born in Quebec, the ancient capital of Canada, 
 in the year 1818. My father was a French-Canadian, 
 a ship-builder by trade. Both my father and mother 
 were Roman Catholics, and had a fairly good edu- 
 cation, considering the limited educational advantages 
 of those days as comp.ared with the present. They 
 were by far the greater number who could neither 
 read nor write. Persons receiving letters often had to 
 travel a considerable distance to find some one who 
 could read them, and the same may be said of writing, 
 some one had to be sought after who had learned 
 something of the art, before a letter could be written. 
 My parents, like the most of the French Roman 
 Catholics, were strongly attached to the Church of 
 their fathers. 
 
10 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 An incident that occurred when I was quite young 
 will serve to illustrate, to some extent, the views 
 my father entertained of Protestants. One of my 
 brothers brought home a small dog one day, and, as a 
 matter of course, the naming of the dog became a topic 
 of family consultation. My father had read the 
 history of the Reformation by a Catholic author, and 
 he said : " We will name him Calvin ; that name will 
 do for a dog." 
 
 When I was four years old our family moved west- 
 ward, to within forty-five miles of Montreal The 
 place at that time was an unbroken wilderness, but 
 at the present writing the whole aspect of the country 
 has changed. When I had attained the age of ten 
 years I was sent to school. This pleased me very 
 much, as I greatly desired to be able to read and 
 write, and when I had reached this point I was a 
 delighted boy. 
 
 Father died when I was fifteen years of age, and 
 mother was left with six children. The death of my 
 father made it necessary for me at once to turn my 
 attention to some line of business at which I could 
 obtain a livelihood, so I left home to learn a trade ; 
 at which, for my work, I was to receive one dollar a 
 month. 
 
 I had been applying myself earnestly to my trade 
 for three years, when the rebellion of 1837 broke out. 
 Not having any spare love for the English at that 
 time, it did not require great pressure to induce me to 
 go with others to give them a good drubbing. They, 
 however survived the conflict, and it is no doubt better 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 11 
 
 for the French -Canadians that they were not success- 
 ful in their attempt to demolish the English. My 
 first and last engagement was at St. Charles," P.Q., 
 where I was exposed to fire for two hours, when I was 
 only too glad to get away and give my place to some 
 one who might value it more than I. Those who had 
 taken up arms against the Government were subjected 
 to great privation. I had been without food for two 
 days and a night, and enforced fasting was not agree- 
 able to me. I was then sixteen miles from my employ- 
 er's home, and it was four o'clock in the afternoon. 
 The want of food and the excitement had well-nigh 
 exhausted me. When I turned my back upon the 
 foe, and started for some safer place, the balls were 
 whizzing about my head, to my great discomfort. I 
 felt, such was the danger, that at any moment I might 
 fall never to rise again. What was most natural for 
 a man to do under the circumstances, was just what I 
 did I ran " for all I was worth " for about a mile, 
 without losing much time to "look behind," until I 
 reached a place which I supposed would afford ine 
 some security. There I sat down under a large tree 
 to rest. But even here I was unsafe, for I had no 
 more than touched the tree, when a cannon-ball went 
 smashing through the tree-top, cutting off several 
 branches, which was not at all reassuring. The 
 reader can easily imagine I lost confidence in the place 
 as one of safety. My rest was of short continuance ; 
 I started through the woods, widening the distance 
 between the enemy's lines and myself just as rapidly 
 as it was possible for me to do. I made good time in 
 
12 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 running. I found some families here and there in the 
 woods, who had sought safety there on account of the 
 battle that was being fought not far from their homes. 
 
 I finally reached my master's house at eleven o'clock 
 at night, nearly exhausted. The next day my mother 
 sent a man to St. Charles to ascertain whether or not I 
 had been killed in the battle. A few days after I had 
 the pleasure of meeting my mother. She was greatly 
 delighted to see her son again, not knowing but that 
 he had been slain. She nevertheless said some very 
 severe things to me relative to the part I had taken 
 in the rebellion. 
 
 One of these unwelcome truths was this " that I 
 did very wrong to take up arms against England; 
 that the government of England was the best in the 
 world." She said, "The French once ruled over 
 Canada, and it was tyrannical, but it has not been so 
 with the English." 
 
 In the days of my boyhood I waited on the priest 
 at the altar, and would sing for him. If it was mass 
 for the dead, at which I assisted, he would give me 
 fifteen coppers (cents) for my share. It was part of 
 my duty to pour wine into the cup for the priest to 
 drink when he was celebrating mass. The priests 
 alone drink the wine at communion; the people simply 
 get the bread or wafer. Young as I was, I have often 
 been struck with the fact that the priest generally 
 allowed me to pour on until the cup was full, which 
 gave him quite a quantity of wine for one religious 
 service. I have often thought, boy-like, that the 
 priests were greatly favored, as they could drink all 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 13 
 
 the wine they desired at the communion, and no per- 
 son questioned the propriety of the act. The object 
 of this institution is to commemorate the death of the 
 blessed Saviour "Do this in remembrance of Me." 
 Many times I have thought the large potions of wine 
 taken by the priest did not affect his memory favor- 
 ably. 
 
 Before my mother's faith in the Roman Catholic 
 Church had been in the least degree shaken, or her 
 affection diminished, she said to me in conversation : 
 " While still in Quebec, attending the celebration of 
 mass, I noticed that the priest officiating had been 
 drinking pretty freely of something more stimulating 
 than either tea or coffee, and the man who was leading 
 the singing was in the same pitiable plight. During 
 the singing of the Litany, the priest interjected these 
 words, ' Saint Jean est sous,' to which the latter 
 chanted in response, ' Maison base etou.'" The witty, 
 though slightly irreverent, introduction of this rhyme 
 into the solemn service of the Litany, instead of shock- 
 ing the congregation, really " brought down the house," 
 if one may be pardoned the somewhat disrespectful 
 application of the phrase. The people laughed heartily, 
 but it is doubtful if this profanity of worship left a 
 beneficial impression upon their minds. 
 
 The readers of this who think that Roman Catholics 
 are improving, are mistaken. There is no change for 
 the better. No one would be more delighted to wit- 
 ness an upward tendency or a more liberal policy in 
 that Church than myself. The more recent events give 
 no indication of advance on right lines. The Imma- 
 
14 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 culate Conception was only discovered and promulgated 
 a few years ago. The changes are not for the better. 
 I most devoutly wi.sh they were. 
 
 The winter following the rebellion I spent many 
 anxious hours, fearing I should be taken prisoner and 
 punished for the part I had taken in that sad affair. 
 When out at work, the imaginary tramp of soldiers or 
 policemen in search of just such persons as myself 
 was a source of no little uneasiness. The incident I 
 am about to relate will show the unrest many felt re- 
 garding the danger of being made prisoners Jby the 
 Queen's troops. One day, while four of us who were 
 equally guilty or equally innocent, were taking dinner 
 in the woods at the edge of a brook, seated on the 
 ground and making most of the situation, all at once 
 the ice gave way; the water having fallen from under 
 it, there was nothing to support it and it went down 
 with a tremendous crash. We were on our feet in a 
 moment, supposing the great noise was caused by 
 troops approaching to hie us away to some " black 
 hole," it 1 not something worse. We were bound, how- 
 ever, if good running would secure safety, we would 
 do our best, each one for himself, to escape from the 
 pursuers, whoever they might be. We ran ; we were 
 safe. How true the words of the Good Book, " The 
 wicked fleeth when no man pursueth." Wrong-doing 
 makes cowards of men. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND - PARENT. 15 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 I DECIDED to leave Lower Canada and go to the 
 United States, having become thoroughly disgusted 
 with such an unsatisfactory way of living. Being a 
 good Catholic, as the word goes, I would not think of 
 leaving home without making my confession to the 
 priest. If I did not do this I should not secure the 
 priest's blessing, and I might become an apostate 
 among Protestants. So I made my way to a priest and 
 asked him if he would hear my confession. He con- 
 sented, so I made a general confession of all the sins I 
 had committed during my previous life, so far as I 
 could remember, and of course received the desired 
 absolution. Not being quite certain that I had yet 
 received sufficient strength to serve among the 
 Protestants, with whom I was sure to come in contact 
 in the United States, whither I was going, I paid him 
 a certain sum of money to say mass for me when away 
 from my own people. Having fully made up my 
 mind to leave Canada, I did so on the tenth day of 
 May, 1838. 
 
 It was not a light thing for a young man to do 
 to leave mother, and home, and all the religious asso- 
 ciations of childhoo 1, and go among strangers, and 
 what seemed worse still, to live where I should be 
 deprived in a great degree of the ordinances of the 
 Church. It was thus I looked upon the situation; 
 for at this time I was a most ardent and devout 
 Roman Catholic. The people whom I should meet 
 
16 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 would be strangers, and their language unknown to 
 me; I should be unable to converse on any subject, or 
 even to make my wants known. But I had decided 
 fco go and make the most of my circumstances, fully 
 determined to acquire a knowledge of the English 
 language as rapidly as possible. 
 
 The day of my departure from home was to me a 
 day full of sadness and gloomy forebodings. I found 
 it very trying to leave my dear mother and home, with 
 all I loved, especially surrounded as I was with so 
 many attendant circumstances which were unfavor- 
 able. My only experience away from home was 
 limited to the short period I was absent during the 
 rebellion, and the time spent in learning my trade. 
 During the latter period I was only nine miles away, 
 and therefore could visit home at short intervals. On 
 the day above named, my brother and I left our home 
 for the United States. We went to St. John's, P.Q., 
 which was forty miles west of our home. 
 
 I was struck with the beauty of the Richelieu river, 
 on which the town of St. John's is built. At this time 
 travelling was mostly performed either by private 
 conveyance, stage-coaches, or boats. Railroads were 
 few and far between. There was no G. T. R. or 
 C. P. R., nor many other R's. I think it is since that 
 time that the now celebrated triple " R " panacea has 
 been introduced, so that R's have been multiplied in 
 several respects. Now we can ride on the one, and 
 carry the other on our person. 
 
 We took boat at St. John's for Whitehall. There were 
 many things along the route to attract attention and 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 17 
 
 elicit admiration. One thing particularly impressed 
 me when we reached the United States, and that was 
 the superiority of the buildings as compared with 
 those I had seen in Canada. Of course, I knew but 
 little of my own country. I made the remark to a 
 fellow-passenger, that everything had a better appear- 
 ance, a livelier air, than in the land we had just left, 
 to which he readily agreed. To me Whitehall seemed 
 a marvellous place, as I had no recollection of having 
 seen a city till my eyes beheld this one. Here we 
 boarded a canal-boat for Troy, N.Y. There was no 
 abatement to my astonishment when we reached the 
 latter place, as it was still larger than the former. 
 From Troy we proceeded to Albany, the capital of the 
 State. I could but exclaim, " What a wonderful 
 country is this ! " Here we had a new and incon- 
 venient experience ; our funds were exhausted, and my 
 brother and I realized that our situation was indeed 
 critical. 
 
 It was Saturday night, and here we were in a 
 strange city, among a strange people, who spoke a 
 strange language, and without money, without credit, 
 and friendless ; what could we do ? While walking 
 through the city about nine o'clock, undecided as to 
 what we should do, we met a French-Canadian, to 
 whom I made known our condition, at the same time 
 telling him we were from St. Hyacinthe, whereupon 
 he asked me if I knew a Mr. Lapoint. " Yes, I have 
 seen him," was my reply. He then informed us that 
 Mr. Lipoint was keeping a boarding-house in the city, 
 and it was altogether likely we should find quarters 
 
18 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 there. From the directions received, we found the 
 house without much difficulty. 
 
 We were met at the door by an elderly person, who 
 proved to be the man to whom we had been directed. 
 I asked him if he would take two boarders. His 
 very agreeable reply was " Yes, sir." " But we have 
 no money." " That makes no difference at all," he 
 said without any hesitation. Although we expected 
 in the near future to pay for any accommodation we 
 might receive, it was nevertheless a great favor to 
 find a shelter and obtain food on that memorable 
 Saturday night. The last meal we had had was 
 breakfast that morning, so that we were quite pre- 
 pared to do justice to the repast which was soon pre- 
 pared. I am not certain but the old gentleman, whom 
 I had seen a few times in St. Hyacinthe, was appre- 
 hensive we should be expensive boarders. 
 
 The next day being Sunday, I went to mass. I 
 noticed some difference in the mode of performing the 
 mass here from that which I had been accustomed to 
 in Canada, and the pronunciation of the Latin by the 
 Irish priest varied somewhat from the pronunciation by 
 our French priest. We obtained work in Albany, and 
 remained there a few weeks, then left for Massachu- 
 setts. Travelling afforded us an excellent opportunity 
 to note the contrast between this country and the one 
 we had but recently left. 
 
 There is no concealing the fact that Protestant 
 towns and cities, on the whole, are in advance of those 
 where the citizens are Roman Catholics. Notwith- 
 standing the striking difference, I was at that time 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAtfD PARENT. 19 
 
 ignorant of the cause producing it. The kindness of 
 the people was remarkable. 
 
 One day my brother went into a house to obtain 
 something to satisfy our hunger. He was ignorant of 
 English, and could only make himself understood by 
 signs. These, however, proved sufficiently intelligible 
 to secure the desired object, and I soon saw him 
 emerge from the house carrying a pan filled with 
 doughnuts. The lady who had so generously supplied 
 our wants refused any compensation. 
 
 We continued our journey to a town called Insdale. 
 Here I engaged with a farmer. The farmer and his 
 wife proved to be pious and God-fearing persons. I 
 had not been long on the farm when one Sunday, 
 as one of the farmer's sons and I were out strolling 
 about the fields, we discovered pigeons in great num- 
 bers. I said to the young man, "If you get a gun, 
 we can shoot some of those birds." His reply was 
 altogether unexpected, and was not the answer I 
 would have received in my own country : " My father 
 will not allow anyone about our house to use- a gun on 
 Sunday." 
 
 Though favorably impressed with this respect for 
 the Sabbath, I thought it strange, as in that part of 
 Canada from which I came we could hunt and do 
 many other equally objectionable things, under the eye 
 of the priest, and not be reprimanded. On the contrary, 
 the priest himself, after mass, would take part in the 
 games we played, or race horses on a course. There 
 is absolutely no Sabbath with the French Roman 
 Catholic after he has attended mass. Even to-day 
 
20 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 the same things are being done on the Lord's Day in 
 the Province of Quebec. A Saint's day commands 
 more respect than the Christian Sabbath, I am sorry 
 to say. The clergy could prevent the wholesale dese- 
 cration of the day if they were so disposed. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE following fall I hired with a blacksmith, who 
 was a local preacher in the M. E. Church. God was 
 leading me on in a way I knew not, and now I can see 
 that what then appeared to me as a matter of course 
 were links in the chain of Providence, leading me on 
 to a religious life. 
 
 Morning and evening this man conducted family 
 worship, at which I was present. At this time I was 
 making progress in the English language, so that I 
 could understand the greater part of what I heard. 
 
 I now conceived it would advance my worldly 
 interests to attend worship on Sunday. People would 
 think more of me for doing this than to be sauntering 
 about during service. I did not sit long under the 
 word before I began to suspect myself, and what I 
 called my religion as well. 
 
 About this time a brother of mine came from Can- 
 ada to visit me in Massachusetts ; on his return jour- 
 ney I accompanied him as far as Albany, N.Y. While 
 there in a public house, taking dinner, a young man 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 21 
 
 came in and volunteered the information that he " had 
 just met a man selling bad books" (Bibles). I asked 
 him if he had read the books. To which he replied, 
 " I would not dare read any of those books, for they 
 are bad." 
 
 " You dare not read any of those books because they 
 are bad," I said ; " but you dare tell us they are bad, 
 and yet you do not know what they contain. You 
 claim to have common sense and a good education, 
 having just completed your college course, and you 
 condemn a book as bad which you have never read. 
 How then can you know the book is bad ?" 
 
 " I heard so." 
 
 " Would it be right for me to say your brother was 
 taken prisoner some time since for shooting a man, if 
 I had obtained my information from a life-long enemy 
 of your family ? " said I ; and I added the following 
 piece of advice : " My dear young friend, you will find 
 it safe to abstain from condemning either books or 
 men on the information of others. Have some reason 
 of your own before you rashly pass judgment." 
 
 At this time the light was beginning to dawn upon 
 my mind, and doubts were taking possession of me 
 as to the truthfulness of the teachings of Roman- 
 ism. I told the young man that the priest who pre- 
 vented him from taking that " Book " and reading it, 
 knew that if he read it he would discover things the 
 Church did not want him to know. For instance, the 
 priest tells us that a child dying without baptism goes 
 to a place called " limbo," and not to heaven, although 
 the Lord Jesus Christ says, " Of such is the kingdom 
 
22 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 of heaven." Children are not saved by an ordinance 
 or ceremony, but through the atonement of Christ. It 
 would be a sad state of things if children were con- 
 signed to the " limbo " of Romanism for no fault of 
 their own, but because of the caprice or carelessness of 
 others. God has not committed the salvation of infants 
 to the convenience of either parents or priests. Once 
 concede that water baptism is requisite to salvation, 
 and that to render the act efficacious it must be per- 
 formed by a priest, and you put a tremendous power 
 in the hands of the priesthood, which cannot but re- 
 sult in evil. 
 
 Even now, in this Province, the people feel the 
 crushing effect of some of the dogmas of Rome. A 
 priest professes to have power through the mass to 
 release a soul from purgatory, and yet he will allow 
 a poor soul to suffer if his friends cannot give money 
 for prayers to be offered for his liberty. Money 
 makes marvellous changes in some priests; it increases 
 their love for souls, and gives efficacy to their prayers, 
 thus greatly enhancing the potency of the "mass." 
 Money has a purchasing power outstretching the 
 narrow limits of time. I can only hope and pray 
 that God in His infinite goodness will remove the 
 dark pall from my dear people, and save them with 
 the power of an endless life. 
 
 ' ' To the dying health restore, 
 And eye-sight to the blind. " 
 
 While still with Mr. Lyman the name of the person 
 for whom I was working one evening, when it was 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 23 
 
 quite late, I heard the voice of some one, as if talk- 
 ing aloud in the barn. I walked towards the place 
 whence the sound carne, to ascertain, if possible, the 
 cause, when to my very great surprise the voice proved 
 to be Mr. Lyman's, who was engaged in earnest prayer 
 to God for the salvation of the young French-Canadian 
 who was working for him. It is simply impossible for 
 me to describe the feelings which took possession of my 
 soul when I heard that good man pleading with God, at 
 midnight, in this out-of-the-way place, for a stranger. 
 
 Mr. Lyman was utterly ignorant of my presence in 
 the vicinity of his Bethel. I do not think he knew 
 where I had gone that evening. "At midnight Paul 
 and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the 
 prisoners heard them," and gracious results followed. 
 It was so in my own case. All night I was haunted by 
 that prayer. I would think of the man, the prayer, 
 and the object. The night was one of unrest and 
 sleeplessness. 
 
 The next morning I listened to the reading of God's 
 Word and prayer with a burdened and an anxious 
 heart. I was afraid of myself. I had not at any time 
 in my previous life such feelings of alarm. I would 
 gladly have cot away from myself, if that had- been 
 possible. But it was not possible, so I had to carry my 
 load with me, not knowing what the end might be. 
 
 A terrible dread seized me that I might turn Pro- 
 testant. Like a horrible nightmare this idea possessed 
 me when alone. But I resisted it with all the force I 
 possessed, often saying to myself, " I will not change 
 my religion ; I can not, I will not be a Protestant." I 
 
24 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 was so wrought upon that I wished myself dead, and 
 even wondered why I had not been killed in the rebel- 
 lion in Canada. I prayed in my own way, as I had 
 been taught in the Church of my fathers; still my 
 poor heart was ready to break. It seemed as if God 
 did not hear me. 
 
 Although I partially understood the English lan- 
 guage, I could not read the English Bible, which I was 
 anxious to do. I therefore concluded to have one I 
 could read, so I sent to New York for a French Bible. 
 When it came I hesitated somewhat about the pro- 
 priety of reading it, having been taught that it was 
 not for the common people. But I overcame the 
 struggle which had been going on in my mind, and 
 began reading my new book. 
 
 I began at the first chapter of Genesis, and read with 
 a great deal of interest and wonder until I had pro- 
 gressed as far as the twentieth chapter of Exodus, 
 which contains the ten commandments, as given to 
 Moses on Mount Sinai. When I read that command- 
 ment " Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 
 image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven 
 above," etc., I concluded my Bible was not correct, 
 and that I was the subject of imposition by some un- 
 principled publisher. This commandment was quite 
 in opposition to what our priests taught. I had not 
 met with this prohibition in any of our books, and 
 therefore concluded this Bible was false. The best 
 thing I could do in this dilemma was to send to 
 Canada and obtain a Bible approved by the Church of 
 Rome, then I should have the truth on this subject. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 25 
 
 In course of time I received my Bible from Canada, 
 and as quickly as possible began a comparison, when 
 to my great astonishment I found them to be much 
 alike, except some few words, such as "you" instead of 
 "thou," and "penance" instead of "repentance," etc. 
 
 My embarrassment, instead of diminishing, increased. 
 I was in greater trouble than ever, and most heartily 
 regretted sending for the last Bible. Perplexed, and 
 driven nearly to despair, I knew not what to do. 
 Being greatly depressed in spirit, I felt a sort of self- 
 abhorrence. Nothing seemed to please or satisfy me. 
 I felt I could not long survive unless some change for 
 the better took place. 
 
 What the end would be I dared not predict; I 
 feared to think of the future. The very foundation 
 of my hope and help appeared to be giving away. I 
 conversed but little, having no desire at times to 
 make known my true state to others. In this frame 
 of mind I attended a prayer-meeting, which, before 
 the close, took the form of a fellowship-meeting. 
 During its progress a man related his religious experi- 
 ence, and then gave a brief exhortation, which I can 
 now see was appropriate and profitable, but which at 
 the time gave me very great offence, so that I resolved 
 not to attend any more such meetings. I could 
 not rid myself of the thought that all he said was 
 directed to me, and to me only. Such was the effect 
 produced on rny mind by this address, that the morn- 
 ing following I told Mr. Lyman I was greatly grieved 
 and offended at what I had heard the evening previous 
 from Mr. Patridge. I said he had no business to 
 3 
 
26 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 speak about me as he had done. Mr. Ly man's kind 
 reply was that he was sure Mr. Patridge had no refer- 
 ence to me more than he had to himself. No doubt 
 the Holy Spirit was showing me my guilt and danger, 
 and the consciousness of my own sinf illness caused me 
 to believe the remarks of the good man were simply 
 an exposure of my wickedness. 
 
 When .1 could get an opportunity to pray alone in 
 the shop, I was not slow to improve it. I implored 
 God to have mercy upon me. I seized every spare 
 moment to read the Word of God. Although my bed- 
 room was cold, that did not prevent me from reading 
 the Scriptures. I became more and more interested 
 in the wonderful things revealed. 
 
 At night I would get myself wrapped up in the 
 bedclothes as snugly as possible, and with a tallow 
 candle on a stand near my bed, would proceed with 
 my reading and continue it until I became overpow- 
 ered with drowsiness, and had to resign myself to 
 " nature's sweet restorer, balmy sleep." 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 NEARLY every morning through the winter of 1840 
 I awoke to find my Bible on my breast. Latterly I 
 had been reading in the New Testament, because it 
 taught me that Christ died for my sins and rose again 
 for my justification. I did love to read of Him as my 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 27 
 
 Saviour as well as the Saviour of all men, " especially 
 of them that believe." If the reader will turn to the 
 first epistle of Paul to Timothy, the fourth chapter, and 
 read from the first to the fourth verse, he will be in 
 possession of a passage of Scripture which gave me 
 such a shock as I had not before felt. The truth at 
 once flashed upon me that the Church to which I was 
 so ardently attached must, through her clergy, be im- 
 plicated in what is there stated ; still I did not wish 
 to believe it. 
 
 As meetings were held regularly in the neighbor- 
 hood, I resolved to go to the next one, and when the 
 evening came I was there. It was one of those occa- 
 sions when everyone seems happy. The "Hallelujahs" 
 and "Amens" could be heard from every part of the 
 house. I verily thought the people were crazy. These 
 exultant manifestations bewildered and frightened 
 me, and I wished myself at home, whither I should 
 have gone at once but for the respect I entertained for 
 Mr. Lyman. I remained, accordingly, until the close 
 of the service. 
 
 On the way home, Mr. Lyman asked me " how I 
 liked the meeting ?." I regretted the question had 
 been put to me, as I feared a statement of the facts, 
 as they impressed me, might wound his feelings and 
 alienate his good-will. However, he had asked the 
 question, and I could not say I liked it, when in 
 reality I was more like a frightened child than 
 anything else. Then I ventured to say, " Mr. Lyman, 
 did you like it ?" " Oh ! yes ; the Lord was present 
 in great power." I desired to know how he could tell 
 
28 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 the Lord was present, and asked the question. To 
 which he immediately replied, " I felt his presence 
 and power in my heart." " Then, if the Lord was so 
 near you," I said, " why did you shout so loud ? The 
 Lord is not deaf ; He can hear you without making 
 such a noise." " Do you not," said Mr. Lyman, " feel 
 like shouting when you are happy ? " Well, unfor- 
 tunately for me, I had no personal experience in that 
 direction. If I could meet the dear, good man now, I 
 could answer the question he then asked me with a 
 hearty " Yes. :> 
 
 I had heard too many things about the Methodists? 
 from those who had no love for them, to have my 
 mind dispossessed of prejudice all at once. I had heard 
 them spoken of as crazy people, who went into the 
 woods to hold meetings ; that they remained there for 
 days together, climbing trees and turning summer- 
 saults, and indulging in other grotesque performances. 
 
 I have reason to know that the priests have more 
 real dread of the Methodists than of any of the other 
 Protestant Churches. They will invent all sorts of 
 preposterous statements regarding them. It is not 
 uncommon for those gentlemen to say, that as soon as 
 a French-Canadian gets into the United States, these 
 rattle-headed Methodists meet him and ask him if he 
 can read the Bible ; then invite him to attend the 
 Methodist Church, saying how glad the minister will 
 be to see him there. If the Frenchman accepts the 
 invitation, the supposition is that by and by he be- 
 comes bewitched, ;nd then he is gone forever. It is 
 said that even the Pope himself, with all his assumed 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 29 
 
 power, cannot restore one to the fold of the Church 
 who has been brought under the influence of this 
 dangerous people. 
 
 Later on I was permitted to be present at a " love- 
 feast," held on the occasion of a Quarterly Meeting. 
 The love-feast in some respects was a counterpart of 
 the one at which I received such a fright. The people 
 were just as demonstrative, probably more so. How- 
 ever, as I had survived the former meeting, and had 
 received no perceptible injury, I concluded I could not 
 fare worse at this ; nor did I. As it was the regular 
 Quarterly Meeting, wine had been provided for the 
 sacrament of the Lord's Supper. When I saw the 
 bottle, and heard the shoutings of " Glory !" and like 
 expressions, together with the loud " Amens," from a 
 score of persons at the same time, I was not quite 
 certain but some of these so full of animation might 
 have partaken too freely of the wine. But then I 
 had read of the day of Pentecost, and how some of 
 the people, amidst the marvels which transpired on 
 that day, said, " These men are full of new wine." 
 The thought of this passage of Scripture led me to 
 think I too might surmise falsely of these Methodists. 
 And now, after a long, intimate and happy union 
 with this people, I know that wine-drinking is not 
 one of their sins. 
 
 Thinking of the apostles, and the Pentecost, and 
 looking upon the men and women before me, only 
 added to my trouble of mind, and increased my wretch- 
 edness. I now resolved to watch Mr. Lyman's actions 
 more closely than ever, to see if I could not find some 
 fault in him. 
 
30 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 I determined to scrutinize every word and act of 
 his, thinking I should doubtless soon find out his 
 wrong-doing; but I could not, after close observation, 
 take exception to his life, unless it was that he spent 
 too much time in attending religious meetings. So 
 that, like the accusers of Daniel, I could not find any 
 occasion against this Lyrnan, " except I find it against 
 him concerning the law of his God." 
 
 The exemplary conduct of this Christian man did 
 much to obliterate the narrow prejudices which pos- 
 sessed my mind, consequent upon my early religious 
 training. His life was altogether different from what 
 I had been accustomed to see among my own people. 
 And as a natural result, I respected the man, and began 
 to respect his religion also. 
 
 Now, there was a prayer-meeting at Mr. L.'s house 
 at which I was present, for, notwithstanding my feel- 
 ings of dread and distrust at first, I usually put in my 
 appearance at the meetings when the time arrived. I 
 had fully made up my mind to take part in this ser- 
 vice by praying in French, but when the opportunity 
 came I could not. I thought the people would laugh 
 at me, so I let the meeting close without praying 
 aloud. My feelings were not, as may be imagined, of 
 a pleasant character just at this time. 
 
 As there was to be another prayer-meeting the fol- 
 lowing week, I resolved again that I would take part 
 in this meeting, and would pray in English. This 
 resolve somewhat composed my mind, while I anxiously 
 looked forward to the time for the assembling of the 
 praying people. The evening arrived, the usual num- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 31 
 
 ber of Christian people were present, when who should 
 come in but my brother ! Then the enemy suggested 
 that my brother would deride me, and I had not the 
 courage to carry out my good intention. 
 
 The company separated, and I was more miserable 
 than ever. I was afraid to make any more promises, 
 lest I should not have power to keep and perform 
 them. " Better not to vow, than to vow and not per- 
 form." It seemed as if I could not long endure life if 
 this state of things were to continue. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 MR. LYMAN had a brother living three miles distant, 
 at whose house a prayer-meeting was soon to be held. 
 I made my way to the place. But as I went I was 
 enabled to say, " By the grace of God, I will either 
 pray or speak for the Lord at this meeting." The 
 service had only begun when violent trembling and 
 agitation seized upon me. When an opportunity was 
 afforded for speaking, I rose with difficulty and said : 
 " God so loved the world, that He gave His only be- 
 gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should 
 not perish, but have everlasting life." These words 
 came readily to my mind, and as I could not master 
 many words of English, I thought the Blessed Spirit 
 put these words into my mind and mouth. Never at 
 any time before in my life was I so happy. I had 
 
32 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 begun a new existence I had a new life. " A new 
 creature." What did all this mean? I could shout as 
 loud as any of my Methodist friends now. I seemed 
 in a new world. Had men and things around me 
 changed, or was the change in me ? It must be in 
 myself, although it did seem to me that all these 
 people had undergone a transformation since the meet- 
 ing began. I loved them now ; before I respected 
 some of them, now I loved them all as brethren. I 
 thought I could do anything to serve them. The days 
 of darkness had fled. My burden was removed, and 
 I rejoiced with exceeding joy in G^d my Saviour. 
 
 " O what shall I do my Saviour to praise ? 
 So faithful and true, so plenteous in grace ! 
 So strong to deliver, so good to redeem, 
 The weakest believer that hangs upon Him ! " 
 
 I went home with dear brother Lyrnan, who was 
 greatly delighted at the conversion of the young 
 Frenchman. To this man I owe an everlasting debt 
 of gratitude. His consistent, upright, godly life, to- 
 gether with his prayers, and the interest he manifested 
 in my general welfare, had a wonderful influence upon 
 me. I passed most of the night in singing hymns I 
 had learned from the Christians with whom I had 
 been associating. 
 
 When I first saw my brother Abel after my con- 
 version, I told him of the power of God to save, and 
 at the same time presented to him the necessity of 
 personal salvation. I emphasized the fact that Christ 
 only could save us from sin. He too became thought- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 33 
 
 ful and serious, yes, anxious, about his soul. He 
 sought God, imploring mercy, and mercy was obtained. 
 He rejoiced in the knowledge of sins forgiven. Praise 
 the Lord ! The fire of Divine love burned in my soul, 
 and I was eager to have others made partakers of like 
 precious blessings. 
 
 I had a friend, a shoemaker, to whom I told what 
 God had done for me. I also read the Word of God to 
 him, and invited him to attend the religious services 
 with me. He did so, with results of the most encour- 
 aging character. The Spirit applied the truth to his 
 conscience, and he became greatly alarmed about him- 
 self. Such was his state of mind that sleep forsook 
 him, and in his anxiety he said, " Pray for me. Won't 
 you pray for me ? " 
 
 About this time he said to me one day, " I am going 
 to meeting to-night, and I want to speak, but what 
 shall I say ?" I asked him if he wished to save his 
 soul, to have peace with God, and become a Christian 
 man ? He promptly replied that was what he wanted. 
 " Well, then, when the minister invites the people to 
 speak, you rise at once and ask those present to pray 
 for you." He was at the service according to promise, 
 and as "soon as an opportunity offered he rose and 
 spoke with ^considerable feeling, making a request for 
 prayer. His request was promptly responded to, and 
 many were soon engaged in prayer on his behelf. 
 Our prayers were heard, for at that meeting he was 
 brought into the liberty of the children of God, and 
 was enabled to rejoice in the pardoning mercy of God. 
 In subsequent conversations regarding his conversion, 
 I have heard him say that he saw two suns. 
 
34 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 Mr. Lyman had taken a great interest in me from 
 the time we became acquainted. Now he said to 
 me, " You ought to preach Christ." Acting on the 
 advice of this good man, a time of meeting was named, 
 and all the French-Canadians of the place came to hear 
 the word from their fellow-countryman. I did the 
 best T could, God helping me. My brother Abel ako 
 gave his experience. Then Mr. Blondin, the con- 
 verted shoemaker, spoke. Up to this time the French 
 people present had been quietly attentive, but one of 
 them now rose to his feet and said, " Now, Mr. 
 Blondin, we can hear the Parents speak, but we do 
 not want to hear you, because you do not tell the 
 truth : you said to some persons the other day that 
 when you were converted you saw two suns at once ; 
 now, sir, we do not believe any such nonsense." 
 
 I did my best to explain the effect of the Spirit's 
 operations on the human mind, the great change 
 effected in the heart when the natural darkness is 
 removed and our minds become radiant with Divine 
 illumination. Everything seems new, and we appear 
 as if in a world of light. It is difficult to make the 
 carnal mind understand this. The explanation was 
 well taken, and the meeting closed harmoniously. 
 
 Evident tokens of the blessings of God on my efforts 
 to do good gave me great encouragement to labor on. 
 Every Canadian I could approach I spoke to of Christ^ 
 of the necessity of personal salvation, and I have reason 
 to believe, with good effect. 
 
 Mr. Lyman was a local preacher. What a boon 
 these men have been to Methodism ! I trust our 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 35 
 
 Church will encourage the local preachers, and I pray 
 that their future may be as bright and useful as the 
 past has been. Well, Mr. Lyman would invite me to 
 go with him to his appointments, and as I now took 
 great pleasure in his work the blessed work of invit- 
 ing men to the Saviour I often accompanied him. 
 Sometimes, after he had spoken, he would ask me 
 to speak. At this time I had acquired such a know- 
 ledge of the English language as to make myself 
 pretty well understood, and that without any schol- 
 astic training. Thus opportunity was afforded me 
 from time to time of speaking in public. I had a 
 strong conviction that I was called of God to preach 
 the Gospel of His grace to men. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 AFTER my conversion to God, in March, 1840, I had a 
 great desire to see my mother now sixty years of age 
 and my brothers and sisters. I wrote my mother, 
 and informed her that I had become a Protestant. I 
 thought it better to let her know before I went home 
 that I had abjured the Roman Catholic Church. This 
 would be a preparation for our meeting. It was my 
 intention to leave for home in September, but 0! how 
 slowly the months seemed to pass. I was anxious to 
 see my own family again, and tell them of the won- 
 drous work God had wrought in me. I prayed for 
 
36 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 direction that my way might be made easy, that help 
 would be given me to do my duty in the fear of God, 
 and that I might be fitted to defend His truth before 
 priests or bishops. I greatly desired that I might be 
 made a blessing to my dear mother and the rest of the 
 family. 
 
 I was delighted when the first of September, 1840 
 came, as that was the day upon which I had resolved 
 to return home. And accordingly on that day I turned 
 my face once more towards Canada. But what a 
 change had been wrought in me by the Holy Spirit 
 since I left home two years ago ! " None but they who 
 feel it know." 
 
 What am I that I should be the subject of such 
 amazing mercy; that I should be in possession of such 
 peace and joy ? I took stage at Insdale. Mass., to 
 Albany, N.Y., one hundred and sixty miles, thence 
 by boat to Whitehall and steamer to St. John's, Que. 
 While on the boat between Whitehall and St. John's, a 
 good opportunity was offered me of conversing with 
 the Roman Catholics on board, of whom there were a 
 goodly number. I inquired of them about the United 
 States, it' they did not find it a good place to live in 
 if they had not found the people very kind, obliging, 
 and attentive to strangers ? To my questions their 
 reply was, that they desired no better people to work 
 for. " Would you," I said, " like to know the true 
 cause of their kindness to every person ? " Yes, they 
 would like to know. " Of course," I said, " there must 
 be some good and sufficient reason for the goodness of 
 heart which they manifest, and for the great prosper- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 37 
 
 ity, the evidences of which are everywhere apparent. 
 In the first place they have the Bible, the Book given 
 to us by God Himself, to teach us how to live that we 
 may glorify Him on earth, and dwell with Him eter- 
 nally after the present life is ended. It is, in a word, a 
 revelation from God to men, that they may know and 
 do His will." I spoke to them of Jesus, the Saviour of 
 sinners, and continued to converse about the Blessed 
 One until we reached Canada. 
 
 There was a young man on the boat who had been 
 converted a few months after my conversion. He had 
 been listening attentively to all that had been said, 
 and when the opportunity occurred he came and asked 
 me, "if I was not afraid to talk to those Catholics, 
 knowing as I did their hatred of Protestantism, and 
 distrust of even the slightest tendency in that direc- 
 tion. Are you not afraid they will conspire together 
 against you, and throw you overboard ?" 
 
 " No ; I am not afraid. I am only doing rny duty, 
 and the God whom I serve will take care of me." 
 
 " I would not dare do it," he said. " They will have 
 your life if you are not careful." 
 
 I, however, continued during the trip to pray and 
 speak about the one thing needful until we reached 
 St. John's, and I was happy in having this opportunity 
 of sowing the seed. The result will only be known in 
 eternity. 
 
 I was forty-five miles from home when I left the 
 boat at St. John's. We were four days making the 
 trip between Insdale and that place. During the 
 remaining distance homeward I had a great struggle 
 
38 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 with the foe of humanity, Satan. Numerous were 
 the suggestions now as to my returning. Such as 
 " It would have been better for you to have remained 
 away ; your return is going to give your mother great 
 pain and trouble, and without doubt you will find no 
 shelter, even where you expect it: your friends will 
 turn you out of doors. What are you now but a 
 detested heretic, not fit company for the holy Roman 
 Catholic?" I felt no little concern about my own 
 people, as I wanted to do them good, and only good. 
 Would my way be closed ? Would I have no chance 
 to tell them of the wonderful love of Christ ? I 
 prayed earnestly to God to send me help to qualify 
 me for whatever work He had for me to do, and to 
 make me a blessing to all whom I might meet. 
 
 It was a delightful evening as I drew near home ; 
 the sun was just setting in great beauty. The 
 western horizon appeared like burnished gold. I 
 could more easily describe the scenes around me than 
 what was going on within. When I left home I was 
 full of fears of another kind. Whatever misgivings I 
 now had were of a different character, for my thoughts 
 and hopes were all turned from the old channel. 
 
 My feelings at the sight of mother and home were 
 altogether indescribable. Those only who have had 
 such a mother, and whose circumstances correspond 
 in some degree with mine, can form a conception of 
 how I felt. When we met, my dear mother was 
 weeping. I said, " Now, mother, I am back to you 
 again, but not in the same spirit I left you. I am 
 a changed, a better boy/' But she could not speak, 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 39 
 
 and it was evident that she was greatly troubled. Her 
 emotion was not that of joy, but of bewilderment. 
 We spent the most of the night in conversation, and 
 it was not until early morning that we retired. 
 
 During the day I visited several of my former 
 acquaintances, some of whom plainly indicated that 
 they were afraid of me. Others as clearly showed 
 their pleasure at meeting me, and invited me to visit 
 them again. Nearly everywhere I went, the conver- 
 sation would turn upon what some called the " new 
 religion." The whole village was excited over it. 
 Some persons said, " young Amand Parent was a good 
 boy." Others, however, pronounced me decidedly the 
 reverse. But it affords me great pleasure to bear this 
 testimony that a large majority spoke in favor of the 
 <( new religion," as they were pleased to call it. 
 
 My mother manifested the utmost concern. I was 
 her son, and she felt an interest in me others could not. 
 Her mind was so wrought upon that, during sleep, my 
 name was frequently upon her lips. Once, as my 
 sister and I were sitting together, and mother asleep, 
 as we believed, we heard her say quite distinctly, 
 " Poor Amand is lost." 
 
 The next day I asked her if she would go with me 
 to see the priest ? She said she would be glad to do 
 so. So we went together to his house and were kindly 
 received. My mother soon remarked that she had 
 come with her son to talk with him (the priest) about 
 religion. The priest asked mother if I was a good 
 Catholic. To which she answered, " No, he is a Pro- 
 testant." " Well, well," he said, " it is only a passing 
 
40 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 fancy ; he is too intelligent to become a Protestant ; it 
 will soon be out of his head, and he will be all right." 
 To this I replied : " Sir, it is not only in my head, but 
 in my heart also." " Don't you believe, then, that we 
 priests have power to forgive sins ? " "I do not, sir ; 
 none but God can forgive sin." ' Then I will show 
 you from the Bible that we have the power." " If you 
 show me your authority from the Word of God, I will 
 at once confess my sins to you," said I. 
 
 He went into another room to search for his proof 
 on this point. He remained a long time absent, and 
 I remarked to mother, " He cannot find the passage he 
 is searching for, but I know where it is to be found." 
 " Then you had better tell him where it is," she said. 
 I called out, " If you look in the 20th chapter of the 
 Gospel of St. John, and the 23rd verse, you will find 
 what I think you are looking for." He turned to the 
 passage and read, " Whose soever sins ye remit, they 
 are remitted unto them ; and whose soever sins ye 
 retain, they are retained." " Now," he said with a 
 triumphant air, " is not this plain enough to show that 
 we have power to forgive sins? ; ' "Well, sir," I said, 
 " you will admit that the apostles were informed as to 
 their mission ; if they had understood that in the sense 
 in which you do, they would have had those to whom 
 they ministered confessing their sins. But what is the 
 fact ? We do not find during the life of any one of 
 the apostles, that they ever said, either in public or 
 private, ' Come to us and confess your sins, and we 
 will forgive them and grant you absolution, and then 
 you can say a few prayers and it will be all right.' 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 41 
 
 No, they never so understood it. When Paul and 
 Silas were in prison, with their feet fast in stocks, 
 praying and singing praises at midnight, and the 
 earthquake so shook the foundation of the prison that 
 the doors were thrown open and the prisoners set at 
 liberty, the jailer cried, ' Sirs, what must I do to be 
 saved?' What was the reply of the Divinely in- 
 structed Paul ? ' Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and thou shalt be saved.' He was a faithful minister 
 of Christ, and knew whereof he affirmed. Yes, and 
 thousands since have received the pardon by simply 
 believing in the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 Then the priest, addressing my mother, said : 
 " Madam Parent, your children are very clever ; they 
 can make white appear black, or black appear white." 
 To which mother said, she " did not think her children 
 were any smarter than the children of other people." 
 
 He soon saw that his flattery did not take with us, 
 and before leaving he said to mother : " Your son is a 
 lunatic, and the sooner you send him away from home, 
 the better it will be both for you and your family." 
 " Sir," said my mother, " I am a Catholic, and I have 
 eleven children besides this one, and I wish from my 
 heart they were all like him." " I am afraid," said 
 the priest, " that he has already done you harm." 
 " No, he has not ; but there is one thing I intend doing 
 I will study his Bible, for he says there is no pur- 
 gatory in it." " No, there is none mentioned in it," 
 said the priest. " Then why are you telling the people 
 every Sunday that the souls of the dead are detained 
 there, suffering as though they were in hell ? And, 
 4 
 
42 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 when ray husband died, you took money from me to say 
 mass and offer prayers for his deliverance ?" "Well, 
 Madam Parent, the Church teaches that there is such 
 a place, although God does not call it purgatory. But 
 we are in God's stead, therefore you are to hear us, 
 and receive our teaching as from Him." 
 
 I should have said, that just before this conversation 
 took place, he had invited me to take a place out- 
 side of his house, and, of course, I accepted the invita- 
 tion, and consequently was in the street. The con- 
 versation between mother and the priest she related to 
 me on our way home. Mother's mind was more at 
 ease about me after this encounter with the priest. 
 She did not believe me so much out of the way as she 
 at first had apprehended. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE Sabbath following I went to mass. I did not, 
 however, make the sign of the cross, as I had formerly 
 done, but knelt, as I would have done in my own 
 church. The next day all manner of things were 
 being said about me, and my conduct in church was 
 condemned probably because I had not employed 
 my fingers as dexterously as formerly in making 
 signs. 
 
 Notwithstanding the absence of outward forms, 
 I could say with Paul, " God forbid that I should 
 
LIFE OF REV. A HAND PARENT. 43 
 
 glory save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." 
 The next Sunday I came in for a large share of 
 notoriety. The priest said, during the service, " There 
 is a dangerous young man in the village ; he has 
 changed his religion, although he has been care- 
 fully and religiously brought up, and now the poor 
 deluded victim's feet are on the verge of hell." He 
 warned the people not to speak to him ; to have no 
 business transactions with him ; to give him no 
 money, nor take any from him. 
 
 Well, I survived the priestly boycotting, and 
 actually grew stronger. This priest was about to 
 leave the place and go to another parish, and, as 
 a matter of course, wanted the money due him by 
 his parishioners. One elderly lady was behind in 
 dues, and had not the money to pay the father. 
 She asked me to lend her the amount. I said, "Yes, 
 I will lend you the money on condition you tell 
 the priest it came from young Parent." To this she 
 agreed, and gave the money to the rev. father, telling 
 him from whom it was borrowed. He took it, not- 
 withstanding what he had said on the previous Sun- 
 day. While the priest was denouncing me in the 
 church, an accident occurred which might have re- 
 sulted in the loss of life ; but, as it was, few were at 
 all injured. One of the sills of the floor broke, and 
 precipitated about one hundred and fifty people seven 
 feet into the space below. Those who knew me, and 
 had heard the denunciation of the priest, thought the 
 accident a visitation from heaven for his proscription 
 of me. My own idea of the cause was a defective 
 sill. 
 
44 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 A brother of mine, who lived in the same parish 
 came to see me one Lord's Day, and being a man of the 
 world, his conversation was of a character in which I 
 could not join. He attributed my reticence to some 
 other cause, and was displeased. As I was desirous to 
 change the conversation to something profitable, and in 
 harmony with the sanctity of the day, I remarked : 
 " Leandre, you gave me a book when I left home for 
 the United States, with the observation that it was a 
 good book. I have thought so too. Now, brother, let 
 us look at some passages in that book." I opened at the 
 20th chapter of the book of Exodus, where the ten 
 commandments are recorded. The Church of Rome 
 has omitted several verses from this chapter ; one 
 commandment is missing altogether. "Where," I asked, 
 " is the rest of this chapter ? " He was slow in reply- 
 ing, and bewildered at the announcement, so I con- 
 tinued, " I know, if you do not ; " and I read from my 
 Bible the 3rd verse : " Thou shalt have no other gods 
 before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven 
 image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven 
 above, or that is in the earth beneath," etc. When I 
 had finished reading, my brother seemed perplexed at 
 what he had heard. " Your Bible is not at all like Mr. 
 Auger's," he said. This Mr. Auger had been in 
 possession of a Bible for many years, which he was in 
 the habit of reading. Although nominally a Roman 
 Catholic, with all his family, he had not been inside of a 
 church for years, except on some special occasion. He 
 had a married son who was living in the house with 
 his father, with whom my brother was on terms of 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 45 
 
 intimacy. My brother proposed that he should visit 
 me on the following Sunday, and requested him to 
 bring his Bible. When Sunday came, my brother and 
 Mr. Auger, jun., appeared at my mother's house, and 
 we proceeded to compare Bibles. To their surprise and 
 disappointment, they found Mr. Auger's Bible agreed 
 perfectly with mine ; but they were determined not to 
 let me off with the agreement of the two Bibles. Hence 
 they inquired if I would go with them to see the 
 priest ; to which I gladly consented. 
 
 On entering the house, we were requested to be 
 seated. The conversation between the priest and 
 the visitors was of a general character for a while, 
 when my brother remarked that I had come with 
 them to converse with him on religious subjects. To 
 this he paid little or no attention for a time, and> 
 turning to me, asked how I liked the States, and 
 what salary I received ? I surmised that he was not 
 anxious for the conversation. 
 
 " I came here for a short talk upon another subject," 
 I said ; " I would like to have your judgment upon this 
 Bible. Is it a good book ? " 
 
 This, however, did not elicit any opinion from him 
 as he busied himself just then in concluding a bargain 
 with a man for making a statue, six feet high, to re- 
 present Joseph, the husband of the Virgin Mary. 
 
 In the meantime I had turned to a passage about 
 images and began to read ; this took his attention as 
 my conversation did not, and we at once made the 
 discovery that he was not utterly indifferent. He be- 
 came excited and angry, and finally ordered me to 
 
46 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 leave the house. I could not do otherwise than obey, 
 and was somewhat apprehensive that he wished to 
 assist me in my exit. When I had left the house he 
 called after me 
 
 "Young man, when you want good advice come to 
 me, and you will find me ready to give you all the 
 good counsel you may require." 
 
 " Sir, when I feel like being turned out of a house, 
 you may expect a visit from me, but not until then," 
 I said. *' A good shepherd careth for his sheep, and if 
 one be lost, will seek diligently after it until he finds 
 it ; but a poor shepherd is likely to do just what you 
 have done to-day turn them out, to stray whitherso- 
 ever they will." 
 
 Both my brother and Mr. Auger left the house quite 
 dispirited, as they saw clearly enough that the priest 
 was unable to defend his own cause against the truth. 
 
 Mr. Auger, at this time, was one of the principal 
 officers in the Catholic church. From this occurrence 
 these men began the diligent study of the Scriptures. 
 At first they found opposition in the prosecution of this 
 work from their wives. After the lapse of a few 
 weeks, my brother's wife, in his absence, would take 
 his Bible and read it, always leaving it just where she 
 found it. One day, on his return, he at once saw that 
 the book had been removed; he, however, remained 
 silent. But not long after she took up the Bible in his 
 presence, and began to read it with evident delight. 
 The pleasure she expressed to her husband regarding 
 the contents of the book was not begotten in the few 
 minutes spent at that time in its perusal. Ultimately 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 47 
 
 the Bible became the daily reading of my brother and 
 his wife. On one occasion a man said to me in the 
 presence of my mother : 
 
 "The Protestant religion has no power to work 
 miracles." 
 
 " Have the Roman Catholic priests any power to 
 perform miracles ? " I asked. 
 
 "O, yes!" 
 
 " Well, where and when has a miracle been wrought 
 by them ? " 
 
 " In the next parish," he said ; " the other day a 
 woman who had been sick many years was cured, and 
 it was done on this wise : The priest had a procession 
 formed, and they went along carrying God to the 
 house of the sick woman, and she was cured ; now she 
 is perfectly recovered." 
 
 " Do you know this t& be true ?" 
 
 " 0, yes ! quite true," he said, " the priest mentioned 
 it last Sunday." 
 
 During the week I went with my mother to market 
 in the same parish in which the miracle was said to 
 have occurred, and desiring to learn something further 
 of the truth or falsity of the story, I inquired of a 
 number of persons, and even of her next door neigh- 
 bor. The reply I received from all those acquainted 
 with her was, " She is dying." I then said to mother, 
 "You see the kind of miracles the priests work." 
 
 There existed the most incredible superstitions among 
 the people, who were ready to believe almost any pre- 
 posterous falsehood. In those days the following popu- 
 lar story was current among the people of Quebec : 
 
48 LIFE OF KEY. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 If a person neglected partaking of the Sacrament for 
 seven years, he would turn into a lougaroux, a shape- 
 less animal without head or limbs (its mode of locomo- 
 tion is not described). In order to regain his estate of 
 humanity, it was necessary that the blood of the mon- 
 ster should be shed ; this kindly office being usualty 
 performed by a friend, a complete restoration resulted.. 
 
 After my return home, my mother did everything in 
 her power to win me back to the faith of her Church. 
 Among other things, she went on a pilgrimage to St. 
 Anns, below Quebec city, where miracles were per- 
 formed. She fondly imagined, poor mother, that these 
 efforts would have some influence upon her wayward 
 son. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that " the 
 end sanctifies the means." My mother, at the time of 
 which I write, believed all that the Church taught ; 
 women, as a rule, are more devoted papists than men. 
 Afterward, my mother told me she had not seen any 
 miracles performed herself, but the priests had said 
 they were really accomplished at St. Anns. 
 
 It was considered a much more serious crime in 
 those days, to curse the wafer than to curse God Him- 
 self. The people would perform work on Sunday 
 which they would not touch on a fete day. If a fete 
 dav should fall on Monday, and there was work which 
 must be done on either Sunday or Monday, it would 
 invariably be performed on Sunday. The Sabbath is 
 of little account with Roman Catholics in the Province 
 of Quebec after mass. 
 
 Men will take horses to a course to practise for a 
 coming race, and if the priest has a fast horse, he may 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 49 
 
 sometimes be seen with the members of his flock on 
 the track ; this is of frequent occurrence, while ball- 
 playing, card-playing, skating, croquet, etc., are some 
 of the games practised on the Sabbath. Political 
 speeches at the church door, and the proclamation of 
 sales, when the service is over, are quite common. 
 These sins are all chargeable to the priests. The 
 people generally do as the priest commands, and the 
 Church authorities could at once wipe out this foul 
 stain from the Church and the country if they so 
 desired. They will have a fearful account to render 
 at the Judgment for permitting their people to indulge 
 in such wholesale desecration. Will the newly- 
 appointed Cardinal set his face against this fearful 
 profanation of the Lord's Day ? I pray he may, and 
 that the morals of the people in this regard may 
 improve. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A MAN accosted me one day, saying, " So you have 
 turned your coat?" I thought of the proverb, "Answer 
 a fool according to his folly." And I answered, " Yes, 
 sir, I have, and for a sufficient reason : my coat was 
 put on when it was very dark, and as long as the dark 
 continued I wore it as at first ; but as soon as the sun 
 rose in the east and cast his bright rays upon my 
 poor coat, begrimed with the dust of years, I saw it 
 was wrong side out, and I turned it right side out, so 
 
50 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 that now I have a clean new coat." " You Protestants," 
 he said, " are not easily caught or puzzled ; you have 
 an answer always ready." 
 
 This same person made the following statement to 
 me : "A young man who came here a few weeks after 
 your return, whom the people called a Protestant, was 
 brought in contact with the priest. The latter con- 
 versed with him, and no doubt convinced him of the 
 error of his ways, for in a short time he came back to 
 the Church of Rome." That statement, however, did 
 not pass at par value with me. I know too much of 
 Rome, and feel too strongly the power of truth, to 
 believe it. I have not known a single instance of a 
 French-Canadian leaving the Church of Rome, con- 
 sequent upon having read the Word of God, who ever 
 returned to his former allegiance. I have known a 
 few who called themselves Protestants, but were not ; 
 they may have had some few rays of light, felt slight 
 uneasiness as the light dimly revealed their moral 
 condition, but the truth had not been received in its 
 power and fulness. There is a great difference be- 
 tween the dusky twilight of the morning and the blaze 
 of the sun at noon-day. Men who have once walked 
 in the sunlight are not so soon led away from it into 
 former darkness. 
 
 My mother was fearful to have me pray in the 
 family, lest it should in some way reach the ears of 
 the priest and incur his displeasure, although the 
 family at this time were not doing their duty as good 
 Catholics. They were not attending their church, 
 and those of mv brothers and sisters who were still at 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 51 
 
 home with mother were reading the Word of God ; so 
 that they had virtually abandoned their former faith. 
 
 I felt I could not remain in Canada, and the time 
 was drawing near when I proposed leaving to return 
 to the United States. But when the day came for me 
 to leave, I was undecided about going. I wished to 
 remain in Canada, and do what I could to save my 
 own people, by showing them the good and the right 
 way. But for other reasons it seemed better that I 
 should return to the States. 
 
 I placed my trust in my Heavenly Father, knowing 
 that if it should be for the best for me to come back 
 to my home at some future time, He would so order 
 my steps, and open the way for my return, and the 
 door, also, for me to preach. My mother and several 
 of the family, as above intimated, were already Prot- 
 estants at heart. 
 
 Having heard that there were two Protestant mis- 
 sionaries engaged in Christian work, a few miles from 
 St. John's (I was ignorant of their denominational 
 leanings, but they were said to be Protestants), I ad- 
 vised mother, before leaving home, to send for these 
 men. 
 
 An intelligent Protestant, Francois Xavier Cloutier, 
 with whom I had conversed on the subject of my 
 change of faith, was advised by mother to go and 
 secure a visit, if nothing more, from one of these men. 
 He went and was successful, for not long after, in the 
 month of May, 1841, one of the missionaries came 
 to St. Pie. After the missionary left, many of the 
 people vented their anger upon my mother in abusive 
 epithets. 
 
52 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 In the month of December I sent my mother a 
 small book entitled, "The Journey of Life," which 
 clearly pointed out the significance of life, the necessity 
 of a godly walk and conversation, with the relation 
 the present bears to the future. A few weeks later I 
 received a letter from her, expressing her great delight 
 with the book. In the same letter she said: "How 
 glad I should be to have you at home now to pray 
 with us ; I would not care now what the priest might 
 say about it." A change had been wrought in her 
 heart by the power of the Holy Spirit. She was 
 " created anew in Christ Jesus." One of her neighbors 
 said to her, " Mrs. Parent, your conduct will turn all 
 your friends against you ; already nearly everyone in 
 the village is opposed to you, and they will starve you, 
 or burn your house over your head when you are 
 asleep." " My trust is in the living God ; I am not 
 afraid," was my dear mother's reply. We had sent 
 her eighty dollars from the States, and she had the 
 bills changed into silver. 
 
 That amount of silver seemed riches in that humble 
 community. It was a bewildering sight to one of the 
 women of the place, who probably had never seen so 
 much money at once before. My mother said to her, 
 " You see how good the Lord is to me, if the priest is 
 against me." No doubt it was from this woman that 
 the report originated that mother had sold herself to 
 the devil, and had obtained a large amount of money 
 from the transaction. One said, " I have seen the 
 money ; surely that must be proof ; where else could 
 so much money come from ?" That person took a 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 53 
 
 sensible view of it who said in reply, " You are a fool! 
 The devil has no money to give ; all he has to give is 
 promises, and Mrs. Parent is a better woman than you 
 think." 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 IN September, 1841, while living in the United States, 
 I sent to Canada urging my mother to come to 
 me with the remainder of her family two of my 
 brothers being already with me. Circumstances pre- 
 vented them from joining me at that time, but as my 
 mother with eight of her children had become con- 
 verted to God, we were a happy family, not withstanding 
 our continued separation. All this time, one thought, 
 one ambition, was paramount, and I was earnestly 
 seeking some avenue for its fulfilment. I trusted that 
 at no distant date I might be enabled to return to 
 Canada, and bear the glad tidings of the Gospel to my 
 French fellow-countrymen. The missionary to whom 
 I have already referred, heard of me while visiting at 
 St. Pie, and through this means I received letters from 
 the Grand Ligne Mission, urging me to go to Canada 
 to engage in evangelistic work among the Roman 
 Catholic French-Canadians in the Province of Quebec, 
 then known as Lower Canada. 
 
 Nowhere, not even in the oldest centres of Catholi- 
 cism, is there so much ignorant, intolerant bigotry as 
 then existed, and to a large extent still exists, in the 
 
54 LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 Province of Quebec, and I was anxious to do ray part 
 in the great work of reformation. I learned, however, 
 that this was a Presbyterian mission, maintained and 
 controlled by a committee of that denomination in 
 New York, with Dr. Kirk as presiding officer. Having 
 no sympathy with Calvinism, I for a time hesitated, 
 debating whether to remain in the States or return to 
 Canada and work in connection with this mission. 
 
 In the year 1842, the late Dr. Cote, one of the 
 ministers connected with the Grand Ligne Mission, 
 came to see me in Massachusetts. He strongly ur<ied 
 me to dispose of my small property, and remove to 
 Canada to join the mission in the great work of 
 saving our poor deluded countrymen from Romanism. 
 While fully realizing the importance and urgency 
 of the work, and while it was a manifest open- 
 ing to the labor in which I trusted my life and 
 abilities might be spent, I still hesitated. I was a 
 Methodist, and in my narrowness of vision I could 
 not with ease bring myself to work under a mission 
 dominated by a sect with whom I was not in harmony, 
 and who had, to my knowledge, vilified Methodists 
 because of their claim to a knowledge of individual 
 salvation. The son of a Presbyterian clergyman once 
 said to me, "I am glad you are one of the elect;" to 
 which I replied, " How do you know this, since you 
 say it is impossible for it to be known ; if I do not 
 know what takes place within me, I think you know 
 less." Not long afterwards I read " Fletcher's Checks," 
 which gave me new light on the question of sectional 
 differences, broadening my views and making me more 
 tolerant. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 00 
 
 My religious education was then very limited; at 
 eighteen years of age I had never seen a Bible, and at 
 this time had not read the whole of the Scriptures. I 
 decided against accepting the proposal from the mis- 
 sion, although assured by those in charge that the 
 fact of my being a Methodist would not make the 
 slightest difference. So for the present I pursued the 
 even tenor of my way, living a Christian life, rejoicing 
 in my salvation, often feeling with the poet 
 
 " Oh, for a heart to praise my God, 
 
 A heart from sin set free ! 
 A heart that always feels Thy blood 
 So freely spilt for me ! " 
 
 A person said to me, "Mr. Parent, you have changed 
 your religion." "I have not changed," said I; "it was 
 impossible for me to change, as formerly I was without 
 religion of any kind. If," said I, "I asked you to ex- 
 change watches with me, and I had none, could we 
 exchange? Impossible, for I should have none to give 
 in return for yours ; but if you gave me your watch, 
 it would not be an exchange, but a gift. Thus was it 
 with me I had no religion. I have learned that the 
 entire law of God consists in loving our Maker with 
 our whole heart, and our neighbor as ourselves." 
 
 Continuing, this person said : "That sort of a religion 
 is very easy. You do not have to confess your sins to 
 a priest, and do penance, and say long prayers." "My 
 friend," said I. " We confess our sins to God. It is 
 against Him we have sinned, and it is He alone who 
 can forgive us ; for He tells us that if we confess our 
 
56 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 sins, He is faithful and just to forgive them, and to 
 cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Read your Bible, 
 and you will learn all these great and glorious truths." 
 
 Not long before my removal from Massachusetts, 
 a railroad was in process of construction near my 
 home, and a large number of men mostly Irish Roman 
 Catholics were employed about the work. At inter- 
 vals of about two months, a priest made visits to 
 these works, usually coming on a Saturday to receive 
 the confessions of the men, about two hundred of 
 whom usually availed themselves of that privilege. 
 
 On the following Sundays the men would in the 
 morning partake of the Sacrament, in the afternoon 
 indulge in a free fight, while on Monday a physician 
 was invariably required to repair the broken heads. 
 The priest used to deal with these men upon strict 
 business principles, charging each one twenty-five 
 cents for receiving his confession, and a like amount 
 for administering the Sacrament. The lack of spirit- 
 uality and the gross sordidness of this system were 
 utterly abhorrent to me an offence to every sacred 
 feeling and religious principle. 
 
 A child of one of these laborers died, and there 
 being no Catholic graveyard in that vicinity, it was 
 buried in the Protestant cemetery. When the coffin 
 had been lowered into the ground, the Catholic friends 
 and mourners poured a bottle of " holy water " into 
 the grave; and after the funeral ceremonies were con- 
 cluded, they had the same bottle filled with whiskey. 
 They also emptied this, but not in the grave ; conse- 
 quently the proceedings terminated in a characteristi- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 57 
 
 cally Irish fashion. One of these men, in conversation 
 with me, said he would rather go to hell as a Catholic 
 than to heaven as a Protestant such is the blind 
 bigotry resulting from this perverting system of so- 
 called religion. 
 
 In the year 1843, after much earnest thought and 
 prayer, I made my final decision, and determined to 
 dedicate my life to the conversion of my Canadian 
 countrymen from the errors of Romanism. It was a 
 sore trial of my faith to exchange my peaceful home 
 and pleasant associations for life among a people who 
 neither knew nor loved the Bible; whose ignorance 
 and superstition seemed a remnant of the dark ages, 
 and from whom I should encounter bitter opposition, 
 if not positive persecution. 
 
 After concluding all matters of business in Massa- 
 chusetts, I came to Canada and entered upon the work 
 to which my life has since been devoted. With some 
 misgivings, I went at once to the Presbyterian Mission 
 at Grande Ligne, and there became acquainted with 
 Madam Feller and Mr. Roussy, who were in charge of 
 that establishment. They appeared to be able, intel- 
 ligent Christian workers, well fitted for their re- 
 sponsible position. I was delighted with them, as 
 well as with the orderly appearance of the place, and 
 gathered courage from my surroundings. 
 
 Not long after my arrival, I was asked by Mrs. 
 Feller if I would take charge of one of their subordi- 
 nate stations, sixty-five miles from Grand Ligne. Here 
 were a number of French converts who, she was in- 
 formed, had been led, through some means, to entertain 
 5 
 
58 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 Baptist views. This defection troubled Mrs. Feller, 
 who was at that time a staunch Presbyterian. I con- 
 sented to visit Berea, with the intent of spying out the 
 land. The teacher in charge of the mission was a lady 
 from Switzerland a fine person, entirely devoted to 
 the work. 1 soon learned that the reports which Mrs. 
 Feller had heard were quite true, and that the converts 
 at Berea were strongly tinctured with Baptist doctrine. 
 It appears that Mr. Beaudin, the agent at this station, 
 had recently declared his belief in the leading tenets of 
 that denomination; and, influenced by him, a large 
 number of the people were strongly inclined to adopt 
 these principles. Mrs. Feller decided to put an end to 
 the matter ; accordingly his case was reported to Dr. 
 Kirk, in New York, and he was summarily dismissed. 
 He did not, however, leave the place, but established 
 a congregation of those favorable to his views. 
 
 I remained at the mission, attending school, visiting 
 the people, and making myself known to them; at times 
 holding meetings always striving earnestly to fit 
 myself for the accomplishment of good results when 
 I should settle to permanent work. I ever bore in 
 mind that my life was not my own ; and, whenever 
 opportunity offered, I always tried to say a word for 
 Jesus. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 59 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 ON one occasion, while travelling in one of the 
 French parishes on the St. Lawrence river, I arrived 
 at a school-house at about four o'clock in the afternoon, 
 just as the school was closing. The teacher, an aged 
 man, interested in my appearance and probably notic- 
 ing that I was fatigued, kindly invited me to remain 
 over night. There is nowhere a more naturally hos- 
 pitable people than the French-Canadians ,in the 
 Province of Quebec, and knowing that the invitation 
 was dictated solely from that motive, I consented to 
 remain. I found this man to be more than ordinarily 
 intelligent. We passed most of the night in reading 
 the Bible and in discussing the various questions which 
 occurred to us. 
 
 It was evident from his troubled look that the argu- 
 ments I advanced were to him new and startling. He 
 said : " Supposing I should become a Protestant, the 
 Catholics would turn me out of the school, and what 
 could an old man like myself do with neither means 
 nor occupation ?" I assured him that if he decided to 
 choose the better part, he need have no fear for the 
 future ; the Lord would certainly provide for him and 
 his family. After praying with these good people in the 
 morning, I pursued my journey, but with less success. 
 After travelling all day, at night-fall I could find no 
 shelter. The report that I was a Protestant having 
 become current, was sufficient to close every door 
 against me ; the people even setting their dogs on me 
 
60 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 when I stopped upon their premises. After dark I 
 found my way into a stable, where I rested and slept 
 a little, but was up and on my way again before day- 
 break. On my return to the mission, I was surprised 
 and pleased to find my acquaintance the old school- 
 master there. He had in the interval courageously 
 renounced Romanism, and seemed delighted to meet 
 me again with the welcome news. 
 
 On another occasion I called at a man's house, and 
 during the conversation asked him how far he lived 
 from a church. " Many miles," he replied, " but still 
 too near." This strange reply aroused my curiosity, 
 and I learned from him that the church in question 
 was Roman Catholic, and presided over by a priest 
 whose iniquitous practices were widely notorious. I 
 did not feel called upon to defend the Roman Catholic 
 priesthood, and I hope the views of Protestantism I 
 presented to him, with the comparisons which naturally 
 arose, may have resulted in ultimate good. 
 
 I was after a time surprised to learn that the very 
 mission with which I was allied was surreptitiously 
 destroying the results of my labor, by bringing the 
 doctrinal points of Presbyterianism to conflict with 
 my teaching. One of my brothers had joined me in 
 evangelistic work under the Grand Ligne Mission, but 
 soon left, owing to disagreement with those in charge 
 upon the very matters which in my case were a 
 stumbling-block and rock of offence. 
 
 I decided also that it would be wise on my part not 
 to continue longer with the mission, but when I 
 broached the matter to Mrs. Feller, she quoted to me the 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 61 
 
 result of Jonah's disobedience to the Divine command, 
 as a warning. Thus far the good I had been instru- 
 mental in accomplishing convinced me that I had 
 been under Divine direction. 
 
 During the latter part of my stay at the mission, I 
 formed the acquaintance of a young man of superior 
 intelligence, one of the stamp who use their reason. 
 He was searching for light, and one day asked me " if 
 by the grace of God men could live without sinning ?" 
 I read him numerous passages of Scripture, explain- 
 ing their meaning, and was instrumental in leading 
 him from the bondage of Romanism to the light and 
 liberty of the higher life. Nevertheless, owing to the 
 difficulties of my position, I finally left the mission 
 and returned to my trade, which I followed for some 
 time. 
 
 After I had worked for several months, I was sur- 
 prised to receive a visit from Mr. Beaudin, the Baptist 
 to whom I have referred. He urged me to resume 
 my work as an evangelist, under the Baptist mission 
 of which he was in charge. To this I demurred, fore- 
 seeing the same difficulties which had caused me to 
 sever my connection with the Grand Ligne Mission. 
 Mr. Beaudin assured me that both he and his people 
 were well aware that I was a Methodist ; that my 
 views should be considered, and that I need anticipate 
 no trouble from that source. Mr. Beaudin was a very 
 devout man, and quite as much a Methodist as myself, 
 saving the single point of Baptism by immersion. 
 
 I resumed evangelistic work under Mr. Beaudin, and 
 shortly afterwards became united in marriage to a 
 
62 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 Christian woman from Champlain, New York State, 
 who by teaching school, and in various ways, was of 
 great service to the mission. 
 
 The work of the Lord gained a fresh impetus among 
 the French -Canadians ; in fact, made such marked 
 progress that the priests, in alarm, tried to win our 
 converts back to Koine, promising that if they would 
 only return their dereliction should be overlooked ; 
 those who did not wish to confess their sins to the 
 priest should not be compelled to do so, and that they 
 need not attend mass oftener than they should see fit. 
 With all this latitude, however, they were enjoined to 
 say nothing derogatory to the true Church. The 
 priests, much to their chagrin, did not succeed in in- 
 ducing any of our converts to desert us. 
 
 One day I was surprised by a visit from a priest, 
 who came apparently to ask me what my religion was, 
 as that was his first question. I told him that I be- 
 longed to our Lord's religion. He replied that he 
 thought I was a Methodist, a peculiar manifestation 
 of heresy he probably wished to investigate. I assured 
 him that, although a member of the Methodist congre- 
 gation, I still belonged to the Church of God. I in- 
 vited him to read the Scriptures and pray with me, 
 but he suddenly discovered that urgent affairs de- 
 manded his immediate attention elsewhere, and de- 
 camped. 
 
 In the days of which I write, the country where I 
 was located was new, undeveloped, and sparsely 
 settled. 
 
 In the month of May, 1845, I went to hold a prayer- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 63 
 
 meeting at a place about five miles distant from the 
 mission, three miles of which was through a dense 
 forest. There were few roads in those days, and we 
 followed trails and paths through the woods. After 
 the meeting I started on my return, and as the woods 
 were thick, and the night very dark, I provided my- 
 self with a pine root for a torch, which furnished a 
 very good light. I had got fairly into the woods when 
 my light went out, and as I had no matches, I was 
 forced to remain where I was all night. Wild animals, 
 especially bears and wolves, were numerous in Cana- 
 dian forests in those early times. I was not disturbed, 
 however, and reached home the next morning, to the 
 great relief of my wife, who had passed an anxious 
 and sleepless night. 
 
 I announced at one of my appointments that at the 
 next meeting I would prove that the Church of Rome 
 was not the Church of God. The time arrived, and 
 the school-house in which we held our meeting was 
 quite filled, a large proportion being Roman Catholics, 
 some of whom, animated by a malicious spirit, remained 
 outside of the building to annoy me and my congrega- 
 tion ; in fact, they locked us into the building. The 
 meeting was a glorious success, and many were in- 
 fluenced for good, notably one man, who had always 
 been a strong Romanist, who arose in the meeting and 
 frankly said : " I am convinced that the Church of 
 Rome is not the true Church." This man with the 
 greater part of his family left the Roman Church and 
 embraced Protestantism, to which faith he remained 
 steadfast until his death, many years afterwards. 
 
64 LIFE OF REV. AMAXD PARENT. 
 
 About this time, also, many Roman Catholics in the 
 vicinity of Milton became so disaffected that they 
 called upon their priest for proofs that the Catholic 
 Church embodied the only true religion. They in- 
 stanced the case of a Mr. Tetreault, of Roxton, who 
 had been a Romish priest, but had become converted 
 to Protestantism, and since had constantly and pub- 
 licly denounced the falsity and corruption of his for- 
 mer faith. They insisted that their priest should 
 meet this man in a public assembly, to discuss the mat- 
 ter, otherwise they would abandon the Church. The 
 priest, after vain excuses and repeated efforts to avoid 
 such a controversy, finding no avenue of escape, finally 
 consented, and the time and place were appointed. 
 The meeting was to take place at Roxton, in the house 
 of a Roman Catholic whose wife was a Protestant. 
 The priest arrived at the house before Mr. Tetreault, 
 and a message was sent to the latter to learn the 
 nature of the subject to be discussed. At Mr. 
 Tetreault's request, I went to the priest and told him 
 the argument would be upon either of two subjects, 
 " Purgatory," or " The presence of God in the wafer." 
 He angrily cried, " Does that apostate priest really 
 think I would allow myself to discuss religion with 
 him ? " Said I, " You have agreed to do so, and if he 
 is wrong, I should think you would consider it your 
 duty to convince him of his error, and brin^ him back 
 to the true faith. However, if you do not wish to meet 
 him, you must accept me as a substitute." He con- 
 sented with bad grace, and opened the conversation 
 with the statement that all priests who left the Church 
 of Rome were bad priests. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 65 
 
 " Supposing that were true," I said, " they need not 
 leave the Church of Rome in order to lead wicked 
 lives. Look over the long list of your Popes of infal- 
 lible pretension ! How many of these, while usurping 
 Divine attributes, were monsters of iniquity, disgrac- 
 ing humanity with their gross vices and evil deeds. 
 You remember at one time a woman was Pope; at 
 another time there existed three rival pontiffs, and 
 sometimes so bitter was the contest for the Papal chair 
 that the aspirants were even murdered by the opposing 
 faction. You recollect, too, that one of these holy 
 fathers called upon the King of France to be a god- 
 father to a child born to him. If there were time, I 
 might multiply instances of Papal corruption. As for 
 the priests, they have been drunkards and adulterers 
 by hundreds, using their sacred office as a cloak for a 
 life of licentiousness. My friend, do not censure the 
 men who leave the Romish Church that cage of 
 unclean birds to preach the pure gospel of our Lord 
 Jesus Christ. Tf the Catholic Church possessed the 
 immortal truth the secret of salvation its priests 
 would go among the converts we have made and 
 succeed in winning them back to itself. But you 
 forbid your people the Bible, God's own guide to truth 
 and eternal life ; you tell them it will lead them away 
 from the right path. Your language means that God 
 was wrong when He said in John, fifth chapter, thirty- 
 ninth verse : ' Search the Scriptures, for in them ye 
 think ye have eternal life, and these are they which 
 testify of Me ;' and again, ' Blessed is he that readeth, 
 and they that hear the word of this prophecy, and keep 
 
66 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 the things which are written therein : for the time is 
 at hand.' Many similar passages might be quoted. 
 I ask you, sir, What man would dare to say that the 
 all-wise God made a mistake ? May the Lord God 
 have mercy on the man who presumes to say the Bible 
 was not made for all men to read ! I might read you 
 many passages in which unmistakable reference is made 
 to the Romish religion, and to the head of that system. 
 St. Paul speaks of it in second Thessalonians, second 
 chapter, third and fourth verses : ' Let no man deceive 
 you by any means : for that day shall not come, except 
 there be a falling away first, and that man of sin be 
 revealed, the son of perdition ; who opposeth and 
 exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that 
 is worshipped ; so that he as God sitteth in the temple 
 of God, shewing himself that he is God.' Sir, you read 
 that whole chapter and you will learn the true character 
 of that ' man of sin.' It is such passages as these that 
 the priests fear to have the people read, and conse- 
 quently prohibit the study of the Bible, as well as 
 all discussion with Protestants on these and kindred 
 points." 
 
 During our conversation, which lasted two hours, 
 the house was thronged with interested listeners, who 
 did not hesitate to tell the priest that he could bring 
 forward no arguments to refute mine. In fact, not 
 having the shadow of a case, he could only reiterate, 
 " It is false ; I do not believe it ;" and, as it was evi- 
 dent that the audience enjoyed his discomfiture, he at 
 length beat a confused and undignified retreat. 
 
 The discussion was a great triumph for our cause. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 67 
 
 Many Roman Catholics called upon me, telling me they 
 were glad I had spoken so strongly as I had to the 
 priest, for he had insisted to them that we had no 
 ground to stand upon, and they were now convinced 
 to the contrary. One of the merchants of the place 
 was anxious for me to go to Montreal and talk with 
 the bishop, saying that this priest was not an educated 
 man, but that His Lordship could answer me. I 
 assured him the bishop would be no better able to 
 controvert these facts than the priest. 
 
 The prosecution of evangelistic work among the 
 French-Canadians is extremely difficult and discour- 
 aging, so powerful a hold has the Romish Church upon 
 its deluded followers, and so bitter and unscrupu- 
 lous the vengeance it wreaks upon those who dare to 
 cast off its bondage. Converts are completely ostra- 
 cized. Relatives and friends are prohibited from all 
 association with the abandoned heretics. Their pro- 
 perty is destroyed, and they are subjected to every 
 imaginable injury and indignity. This state of affairs 
 was more marked forty years ago than at the present 
 time. 
 
 In mixed communities, the Protestant element 
 checks and balances the power of Catholicism, even 
 tipping the scale, by reason of educational superiority 
 and greater freedom of thought and action. Still, 
 though robbed of its worst material features, the spirit 
 of the Inquisition exists as strongly in the Province 
 of Quebec to-day as it did in Southern Europe in the 
 middle ages. When the Roman Catholic abandons 
 his tyrannical system of superstition, in many in- 
 
68 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 stances his life becomes unbearable, and he is forced to 
 sever old associations, and seek a home where religious 
 freedom, with the rights of property and citizenship, 
 are more secure. Many remove to the United States. 
 
 I recollect that at one time, in the township of 
 Roxton, one hundred and forty people left for different 
 parts of the States and Ontario. 
 
 When I was stationed at West Farnham, a man with 
 his family of thirteen children became converted to 
 Protestantism. On the following Sunday the priest 
 denounced this heresy from the pulpit, warning his 
 congregation to have nothing more to do with the 
 apostates. He cited the case of another family who 
 had left the true Church, and were, in consequence, 
 hunted from the parish ; intimating that the same fate 
 would probably result in this case. Shortly after, the 
 converted man told me that he should be obliged to 
 leave the place (although it was a great grief to him 
 to do so), and remove to another part of the township. 
 
 Another convert was one day accosted by a priest 
 on the subject of his change of religion. The man 
 replied, " I have not changed my religion, for I had 
 none before. You priests are continually telling the 
 people that yours is the only true religion, and that 
 you are able to perform miracles. Now, I cut my foot 
 the other day, and have not been able to work since ; 
 if you can heal my foot. I will promise to attend your 
 Church again." " But you have no faith," said the 
 priest. " You are right," the man replied ; " the only 
 miracle I have ever known of you performing is that 
 of making your poor ignorant people believe you are 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 69 
 
 able to create the body of Christ in the Sacrament. 
 God created man, and yet you profess to create Him. 
 How do you explain that ?" The priest, unable to 
 crack this theological nut, hastily walked away. 
 
 A parish priest one Sunday, while denouncing here- 
 tics from the pulpit, recommended that the warmest 
 kind of a reception be extended to Protestant colpor- 
 teurs. Said he, " Should any of those vendors of 
 Bibles and bad books call upon you, let the housewife 
 show her devotion to our holy Mother Church by 
 throwing boiling water from the tea-kettle upon them." 
 
 One day a man called upon me, with the rather 
 startling inquiry of how much I would pay him for 
 his soul. " Why do you ask me that ? " " Because I 
 have a debt to pay, and must have the money," he re- 
 plied. " You poor, ignorant, wretched man ! Has 
 some one told you that I buy men's souls for Satan ? 
 Go ! tell the liar that, instead of selling souls to the 
 devil, I try to save them for Christ." 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 DR. COTE, to whom I have already made allusion as 
 being attached to the Grand Ligne Mission, was after- 
 wards stationed at St. Pie. He had for some time 
 entertained doubts as to the propriety of infant bap- 
 tism, and was not averse to severing his connection 
 with the Presbyterians. At all events, he refused to 
 
70 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 administer the baptismal rite to children at St. Pie, 
 and was at once reported by the Rev. Philip Wolf, 
 teacher of theology, to the Committee charged with 
 the administration of the affairs of the Grand Ligne 
 Mission. Dr. Cote was called to account for his con- 
 duct, with the result that he at once left the Presby- 
 terians and joined the Baptists. 
 
 Strangely enough, it developed at this time that 
 Mrs. Feller, with Mr. Roussy and others of the mission, 
 who had so bitterly opposed the introduction of Baptist 
 views, and had been instrumental in Mr. Beaudin's 
 dismissal, had themselves become strongly imbued 
 with the doctrine they had formerly condemned. At 
 the investigation in the case of Dr. Cote, this further 
 defection became known, with the result that they 
 were all dismissed from connection with the Presby- 
 terian Mission, and soon became thorough-going Bap- 
 tists. 
 
 About this time Mr. Beaudin, who was ignorant of 
 these changes, was summoned to attend a Baptist 
 committee meeting in Montreal. When he entered 
 the committee room, and saw there Dr. Cote, Mr. 
 Roussy, and his old enemy, Mrs. Feller, he was so 
 startled that he at once left the building, was not seen 
 for several days, and was only found after diligent 
 search. Mr. Beaudin had in his earlier days been 
 subject to periods of mental aberration, and the unex- 
 pected encounter at the Baptist Committee Room, with 
 those who had been hostile to him and to that denom- 
 ination, produced a temporary return of his old malady. 
 Mr. Beaudin was found at the end of a week, and 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 71 
 
 though still suffering from melancholy, returned home 
 to Roxton. On his arrival his friends met him, ex- 
 pressing their satisfaction at his safe return. " Is that 
 true ? I thought I had not a friend in the world !" he 
 said. He decided after this trouble that for the future 
 he would not definitely associate himself with any 
 particular sect or mission. He wished to build a 
 church to be called an Evangelistic Church, and having 
 obtained recommendations from Mr. Miner and other 
 local men of repute, went on a journey to the States, 
 to collect money for that purpose. It is with grief 
 and regret for my old friend that I record his myster- 
 ious -fate. After collecting a considerable sum of 
 money, which he deposited with a friend in New Eng- 
 land, he almost immediately disappeared, and has never 
 since been heard from. Whether living or gone to his 
 eternal home, is a matter of which his many friends 
 have to this day no certain knowledge. It is more 
 than probable that he has long since laid down the 
 burden of life at the gates of the Heavenly City. I 
 knew Mr. Beaudin intimately; he was a devoted, self- 
 sacrificing Christian man, ever ready and anxious to 
 do everything in his power to further the cause of 
 Christianity. I am convinced that his labors were the 
 means of accomplishing great good, and that many are 
 now in heaven through his instrumentality. 
 
 After Mr. JBeaudin's departure, I again returned to 
 my trade, but still retained two preaching appoint- 
 ments, and the Lord approved and blessed my efforts 
 by turning many frbm darkness to light. 
 
 There is a great tendency among those newly con- 
 
72 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 verted from Catholicism, to rush to the opposite 
 extreme. Having broken the shackles of priestly 
 bondage, the sense of freedom is almost intoxicating, 
 and they often become impatient of restraint or guid- 
 ance, fancying they are capable of being a law unto 
 themselves. Children of but a larger growth, they 
 must be fed with the milk of the Word watched and 
 tended with patience, wisdom and love. 
 
 The principles of the Methodist Church are well 
 adapted to the requirements of our converts ; the 
 doctrine of sanctiflcation especially was of great assist- 
 ance to me. It seems incredible to me now that I 
 could ever have believed that a fallible human being 
 could have power to absolve me from sin. I can now 
 rejoice in the knowledge that no third person stands 
 between my Saviour and me ; He is our High Priest, 
 and the propitiation for our sins. It is our privilege 
 to walk with God as did Enoch in the days of old. 
 If, then, God Himself is willing to forgive our sins and 
 cleanse us from all unrighteousness, why should we 
 resort to a priest for absolution ? 
 
 A few cases might serve to illustrate how great is 
 the gulf between God's way of salvation, as set forth 
 in the Bible, and this depraved system of human 
 invention. An individual, while on his way to con- 
 fession, dies suddenly unabsolved ; or he fails to find 
 the priest, after repeated visits, and dies without con- 
 fession ; he is, of course, condemned to perdition, the 
 duration of his punishment depending upon his wealth 
 or the generosity of his friends. And, by the way, we 
 Protestants gather from the Bible that riches are a 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 73 
 
 decided stumbling-block in the pathway to heaven ; 
 but with the papist it is the reverse money paves his 
 way to the glories ot' the hereafter, since it is upon 
 the amount of lucre forthcoming that the number of 
 masses depend which free the soul from purgatory. 
 Again, a poor old man goes to the priest for confession ; 
 his tithe, a bushel of wheat and two bushels of oats, 
 is unpaid. The priest refuses to listen until the debt 
 is discharged. In vain the old man pleads his poverty, 
 his large family, his inability to pay. He is old and 
 may die with his sins upon him, but the priest is in- 
 exorable, and drives him from his door, wretched and 
 despairing. Yet God offers free salvation, " without 
 money and without price." God says : " Him that 
 cometh unto me I will in nowise cast out." Yes, it is 
 money which lubricates all the wheels and springs of 
 that gigantic machine, the Romish Church. 
 
 When I was learning my catechism, preparatory to 
 first communion, another small boy came to the house 
 for the same purpose. When the boy entered, the 
 priest said to him : " Your father has not paid his 
 tithe, go home ! I will have nothing to do with } T ou ;" 
 emphasizing the command with a blow on the head 
 which knocked the poor little fellow down and sent 
 him away crying. 
 
 In the vicinity of my home, at this time, 1855, we 
 very seldom saw or heard a Methodist minister, the 
 nearest station being at Granby, about eight miles 
 distant. Methodist services were, however, conducted 
 about once a month by the Rev. Ruf us Flanders, at 
 Bali's Corner, a few miles from Roxton, 
 6 
 
74 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 When I first learned that a Methodist clergyman 
 was to preach at Ball's Corner, I awaited the day with 
 great longing, and when the time arrived I was on the 
 watch for the preacher. I was not only desirous of 
 hearing him preach, but was anxious to become ac- 
 quainted with him ; for, though I had been converted 
 in the Methodist Church, my association with Meth- 
 odists had been limited. I finally saw Mr. Flanders 
 coming on horseback, and running to him, I made my- 
 self known, and as my mother was staying with me 
 then, I invited him to our house. He called and prayed 
 with the family, after which we proceeded together to 
 his appointment. It was a great treat for me to hear 
 so able and godly a man as Mr. Flanders. He con- 
 tinued to preach at Ball's Corner for some time, and 
 his labors there subsequently led to a great revival. 
 Mr. Flanders appointed me a class-leader at Ball's 
 Corner, which I accepted with great reluctance, especi- 
 ally as the members of the class were English people, 
 and my knowledge of that language was limited. 
 
 However, the work at this place prospered, and the 
 membership of the church was considerably increased. 
 I invited these English people to attend our French 
 meetings at Roxton, which many of them did. and our 
 work everywhere seemed to flourish. 
 
 Hitherto I had been laboring simply as an evangelist, 
 or lay-preacher, amongst the French-Canadians; but in 
 1856 Mr. Flanders asked me if I felt disposed to enter 
 the Methodist ministry, and continue the French work 
 under the direction of the Conference. I told him 
 that since my conversion I had felt a call to do work 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 75 
 
 of that character, and related how I had left the States 
 with that intention. He left me with a promise to do 
 what he could to bring about the object he had 
 suggested. 
 
 One day, while away from home, a message was left 
 for me to go and see a man named Ball, a distant 
 neighbor a Universalist who was ill. I had, not 
 long before this, discussed religious matters with Mr. 
 Ball, but did not seem to have made any impression 
 upon him, and I was in doubt whether this might not 
 be a trap of the Catholics to involve me in some 
 difficulty. I went, however, and was glad to learn 
 that my fears were groundless. Mr. Ball was really 
 ill, and had sent' for me to go and pray with him. He 
 acknowledged that his Universalist religion failed to 
 give him consolation and a sense of security at this 
 time of greatest need. I did my utmost to dispel the 
 clouds, and show him the Saviour in His true char- 
 acter. He was grateful, and seemed comforted. Soon 
 after he was baptized by Mr. Flanders, and at the 
 mention of the Trinity he responded " Amen." He 
 died a true Christian, in certain hope of a glad 
 resurrection. 
 
 Mr. Flanders again approached me on the subject 
 of entering the Methodist ministry, inviting me to* 
 go to Gran by to meet several Methodist ministers 
 of the District, in company with Bro. Charbonnell, 
 who was also engaged in French mission work. The 
 Rev. John Tomkins, one of the most venerated pio- 
 neers of Eastern Townships' Methodism, was at that 
 time Chairman of the District. He inquired if I 
 
76 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 was willing to give my life to the work of God by 
 joining the ranks of the Methodist ministry. Feel- 
 ing keenly my educational deficiencies, I replied that 
 I could not give him a definite answer without more 
 thought and prayer. He told me to. think it over, 
 and when I should come to a conclusion on the 
 matter, to write him. 
 
 I felt that, under God, I owed my salvation to the 
 Methodist Church ; I was convinced that it possessed 
 superior adaptability to the French evangelistic work ; 
 it was of my capacity, only, that I was doubtful. 
 T>ut after a time I was led to see that God was calling 
 me to the work, and that casting aside all questions 
 of self, it was my duty to obey. I accordingly wrote 
 Mr. Tomkins that if the Church would accept me, I 
 was at its disposal. 
 
 After my decision was made, a missionary who had 
 been for some time engaged in the French work, and 
 whom I supposed I thoroughly knew, surprised and 
 shocked me by telling me I was a fool to enter the 
 ministry. He said : " 1 have been connected with this 
 work for some years, and find no pleasure in it ; 
 nothing but vexation and trouble ; I am heartily tired 
 of it." I replied that I thought if a man were happy 
 'in God's love, he would be happy in His work; and 
 the nearer we live to Christ, the more thankful we are 
 to work for Him, even if we do sometimes meet with 
 trouble and reverses. The poor man proved in his 
 after career that he was sadly unfit for the work of 
 saving souls. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 77 
 
 I attended the District Meeting at Clarenceville in 
 May, 1856. After a brief examination I was, by a 
 unanimous vote, recommended to the Conference, the 
 result being that I was taken upon the usual four 
 years' probation. I entered upon my work at Roxton 
 Pond, where I organized a class of twenty members- 
 This was the first Methodist class-meeting established 
 among French-Canadians in the Province of Quebec. 
 Being a novelty, it did not at first meet with general 
 approbation ; but as an encouragement and assistance 
 in the Christian life, its usefulness was ultimately 
 recognized as beyond all question. 
 
 After my reception in the Conference I resided in 
 Roxton, where I labored for five months, the Lord 
 blessing my work. I moved from there to Farnham, 
 where I rented a small house having only two rooms. 
 I legan rny work here by visiting from house to house. 
 In my visits I found the Roman Catholics very bitter 
 against me, owing to the fact that I had strayed from 
 what in their ignorance they called the " true Church." 
 
 They did everything they could to drive me out of 
 the place. I at first held meetings in the church, and 
 many of the Catholics came to hear me ; but the priest, 
 hearing of it, told them they must not go, but must 
 drive me from the place. A few nights after this 
 command was issued from the altar of Rome fifteen 
 or twenty men came to my house, and, using a piece 
 of timber for a battering-ram, broke my door to pieces. 
 I jumped out of bed, but could not identify any of 
 them ; but if they thought thus to frighten me awaj- 
 they counted without their host, for I had come to 
 
78 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 stay, and by God's help meant to shake the founda- 
 tions of Rome's altars in that place. At one time I 
 was away on a missionary tour ; my wife and children 
 were alone in the house ; it was in the month of 
 January, and one of those cold nights that are common 
 in the Province of Quebec. About twelve o'clock at 
 night, a gang of Rome's faithful ones' broke the win- 
 dows in the house, and with threats almost frightened 
 my wife to death. My family passed that night with 
 the wind whistling through the house, and were nearly 
 frozen. 
 
 My wife, who was constitutionally delicate, never 
 got over the effects of it ; she died a short time after. 
 Thus does this monster, wrapped in the mantle of 
 religion, make war on defenceless women and children. 
 
 During my troubles I was much encouraged by the 
 sympathy of fellow-Christians not only those of our 
 own denomination, but also others ; the members of 
 the English Church were very kind to us. The Lord 
 blessed our labors in the conversion of souls. 
 
 I was again removed by the Conference of 1858, 
 this time to St. Arrnand, where we found the same 
 spirit of persecution. 
 
 The priest, failing to frighten me away, next tried 
 to ruin my character by accusing me of bigamy, de- 
 claring one of my wives to be living in Farnham, and 
 the other with me. Farnham was about twenty-one 
 miles distant from St. Armand, and I brought such 
 convincing evidence that they lied, that they publicly 
 confessed it was a story without foundation. This 
 attempt to defame my character resulted in good for 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 79 
 
 the cause of God. While preaching one evening, a 
 woman who ran away from her house because I entered, 
 came up and made herself known to me; she became a 
 good Christian and was the means of doing much good- 
 
 This attempt at blackmail on the part of Rome was 
 the means of opening up my way for good work. 
 
 I now took advantage of the tide that for the time 
 seemed to be in my favor, and carried on my work 
 with renewed vigor, visiting from house to house, and 
 reading the Bible to the people. The priest lived six 
 miles away, and therefore his influence was not so 
 direct. After visiting the families in the neighbor- 
 hood, I appointed a meeting, and it was well attended. 
 I was glad to see the English people at the meeting, 
 their presence encouraged me in my work. 
 
 After establishing regular services at this place, I 
 went to the village of Bedford, and there by appoint- 
 ment I had a good meeting. I was now to have an- 
 other evidence of the hatred of the holy- water men. 
 An Irishman came to my house, and I noticed he was 
 under the influence of liquor ; he had a long knife, and 
 I saw he. meant mischief. His first question was right 
 to the point. Said he, " Are you a Catholic ? " I 
 answered by saying, ' " Yes, sir, one of the best kind." 
 This answer seemed to surprise him ; extending his 
 hand, he thus accosted me, " Shure, thin, you're a man 
 afther me own heart." He pulled a bottle out of his 
 pocket, filled with his much-loved potion, and asked 
 me to drink. I told him I did not use liquor. " Bedad, 
 thin, yer honor, shure ye miss a lot of fun." I thus 
 got rid of a troublesome customer. 
 
80 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 A very intelligent Roman Catholic came to the par- 
 sonage to have me read the Bible ; he became deeply 
 interested in it. One day he asked me if I had any 
 tracts if I had, he would distribute them among his 
 people. I gave him some, and they were the means of 
 doing much good. 
 
 I had now regular services at St. Armand, Dunham 
 and Bedford, and prayer-meetings twice a week. At 
 one of our prayer-meetings the blessing of God rested 
 on our labors there were nine converted and left the 
 Church of Rome ; this repaid me for all my trouble 
 and persecution. The influence of this meeting was 
 felt among the English as well as the French popula- 
 tion. 
 
 In the year 1859 I was called to pass through one 
 of the greatest troubles I had yet experienced. My 
 wife, who had never fully recovered from her fright 
 and exposure when our house was broken into, was 
 now called away, and I was left with four motherless 
 children. She who had been the partner of my jo} r s 
 and sorrows, who had stood side by side with me in 
 the batile against wrong, and in many an hour of de- 
 spair had cheered me with her Christian sympathy and 
 childlike faith, was now no more.' 
 
 There are times when it is hard to say, " Thy will be 
 done ;" but through the grace of God 1 was enabled to 
 do it, and know that my loss was her gain. 
 
 Her funeral sermon was preached by the Rev. R. A. 
 Flankers, who paid a high tribute to her worth as a 
 Christian. 
 
 The following Sunday I preached to a large congre- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 81 
 
 gafcion, and the Lord blessed my efforts ; under the in- 
 fluences that surrounded my wife's death the Word 
 was very powerful. After this sermon I asked all 
 those who wished to be prayed for, and desired to lead 
 a new life, to stand up, and all, with two exceptions, 
 rose to their feet. 
 
 I continued the meeting for two weeks, and as the 
 result we had thirty -six conversions, eighteen Eng- 
 lish and eighteen French-Canadians. I immediately 
 organized two classes, the minister of the English lead- 
 ing one and I the other; and what grand times of 
 refreshing we had ! In this place there lived a man 
 who was a drunkard and bully ; he got into a fight 
 with another man and broke two of his ribs. I 
 visited the man when he was sick, and had some 
 serious conversation with him which eventually re- 
 sulted in his conversion. The report got out that in 
 my preaching I had said disrespectful things about 
 the Virgin Mary ; this bully said he would thrash me 
 for it. At our next meeting he was there with the 
 intention to whip me, but in preaching I spoke as any 
 Bible student would about the mother of Jesus, and he 
 was much surprised. The result of it was that those 
 two pugilistic characters were converted to God and 
 became lambs of the fold. Their wives, seeing the 
 change, also became Christians and wielded a powerful 
 influence for good among their neighbors. 
 
 One day a man under the influence of liquor came 
 and lay down under my shed and began crowing like 
 a rooster, saying that when Peter denied his Lord the 
 cock crew, and he was crowing because I was like 
 
82 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 Peter. I have every reason to believe that this same 
 man set fire to my barn, for in about two hours after 
 it was in flames, and I lost everything that was in it. 
 
 We were nobly aided by our friends in this loss ; the 
 people turned out and helped me to rebuild, and Dr. 
 Bradley gave me all the hay I needed for the winter. 
 This incident gave a new impetus to the work, the 
 Roman Catholics saying the mi.ssionary must be a good 
 man or the people would not help him as they did- 
 How true it is that our extremity is God's oppor- 
 tunity ! At one of our meetings a young Englishman, 
 who was a leader in all that was wicked, was so moved 
 by the Holy Spirit that he stood up and asked if there 
 was salvation for him. I asked him if he was a sin- 
 ner; if he felt he needed a Saviour. He said, "Yes." 
 " Then," said I, " you are just the man Christ is looking 
 for." This man was soundly converted. His mother was 
 opposed to my coming to the place for fear I would 
 disturb her peace and stir up the Catholics ; but after 
 her son's conversion she publicly testified her joy at 
 my coming. 
 
 While preaching at Bedford, one of the resident 
 ministers came and said I must change my hour of 
 service, as it conflicted with his. I said to him, " It is 
 impossible for me to do this, and, as my mission is to 
 the French people I do not see how it can affect you." 
 " Well," said he, " if you do not comply with my wishes 
 I will send the Irish Catholics to chase you out of the 
 place." I answered him by saying that if he did 
 I would pray that the Lord might convert both them 
 and him ; and that was the last I heard of it. 
 
LIFE OF RE\ r . AMAND PARENT. 83 
 
 In the year 1860 I again married, the partner of my 
 choice being Miss Maria Stewart, of St. Armand West. 
 
 During the latter part of the year 1866 I moved to 
 Roxton, my ancient field of labor. I had visited the 
 above-mentioned place during the year with much 
 success, often stopping with a Roman Catholic family. 
 After my arrival the same family often invited me to 
 their house, but being afraid of their neighbors, they 
 asked me if I would be kind enough to come at night. I 
 said I would, so I went every night that it was possible 
 for me to do so, staying from nine p.m. to three a.m. 
 Finally they both got converted to God, and were 
 made very happy in their Saviour. As soon as that 
 blessed event took place they came to meeting. 
 
 The next Monday morning his father and mother 
 came from Gran by to see them, and the day after the 
 mother asked for holy water. The son's reply to this 
 question was, " There is a bottle in the house, the con- 
 tents of which superstition and ignorance may call 
 holy, but I cannot accept it as such ; I emptied it some 
 time ago." he zeal of this daughter of Rome for her 
 creed, and her interest in the welfare of her son, event- 
 ually gave her possession of the bottle in which the 
 holy water was kept. There being a little left in the 
 bottle, the mother poured it on her son's head, while 
 a smile of fancied triumph wreathed her countenance 
 as she asked, "Don't you feel better, my son ? " The 
 answer came like a winter wind, chilling the hopes of 
 the mother : " No, I feel worse ; that water makes me 
 coLl and wet." 
 
 The mother, finding the water a failure, thought she 
 
84 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 would try what doctors call heroic treatment, and bring 
 him to the priest. The son, in obedience to his mother's 
 request, went with her to the holy father. (I confess I 
 have not seen much holiness about these fathers unless 
 in their stockings, having no wife to darn them.) 
 
 In the meantime I had been watching for their 
 return to Gran by. Late in the afternoon I was sur- 
 prised to see Bro. Senical with his wife and family, 
 also his father and brother. Coming as they did from 
 the direction in which the priest lived, and having no 
 knowledge of what passed between him and his mother, 
 I was very anxious about him ; but as subsequent 
 events proved, I had no cause for anxiety. He was 
 fixed on the Rock that Rome's bulls and anathemas 
 have failed to move. 
 
 On arriving at the priest's the mother introduced 
 him by saying, " Here is our lost son ; Parent has ruined 
 him. Can you restore him to the arms of the Church 
 again?" The priest then began to catechize Brother 
 Senical. The Bible became Brother Senical's weapon. 
 The holy father could only defend himself by saying, 
 "Your Bible is a Protestant book." "This book," said 
 Brother Senical, " is for the world, and if any part of 
 this Bible is not good will you show it to me ? " The 
 priest then said, " Give me your Bible and I will give 
 you a good one. I have not got a Bible just now, 
 but will get one to-morrow." Brother Senical told 
 him not to forget it, for having once realized the power 
 of God's Word he would not be without it. 
 
 Brother Senical had fought the battle with Rome, 
 and neither her smiles nor her frowns had conquered. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 85 
 
 He had boldly entered her portals and successfully 
 resisted the arguments of her priesthood and the 
 influence of a mother whose maternal feelings were 
 governed by papal influence. He could exclaim, " I 
 am more than conqueror." 
 
 This victory gave greater impetus to the cause of 
 Christ. The family being a prominent one, those who 
 once opposed the Gospel, when they saw this family 
 embracing the religion of the Bible, reasoned thus: It 
 must be good or they would not accept it. They thus 
 became a lamp lighted in the gloom of superstition 
 which by the brightness of its light illumined the minds 
 of many other children of Rome. The work of God now 
 began to prosper. The next neighbor to Brother 
 Senical was suddenly convinced of the fact that some- 
 thing more than mere form and priestly absolution 
 was necessary to get the peace that passeth all under- 
 standing. 
 
 Moral courage is one of the grandest characteristics 
 of man. This man was conscious of the errors of Rome, 
 and also conscious of the severity of the ordeal through 
 which he had to pass a struggle in which a multi- 
 tude of forces were opposing him : his parents were 
 ignorant and superstitious ; his wife, who should have 
 been an helpmate for him, was, as all Roman wives are, 
 the tool of the priest. When he could go to meeting 
 without it being known by any of the family, he went. 
 But at last his wife found it out ; then began her per- 
 secution. The combined forces of priest and wife drove 
 him to seek forgetfulness in the wine-cup. One even- 
 ing the presence of God was powerfully demonstrated 
 
86 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 in the meeting, and the heart of this man yielded. 
 He went home, and his wife thought he was sick ; 
 but it was the sickness of the soul which only 
 Christ can heal, and he at last was healed. Yes, He 
 who touched the blind eye in the days of His flesh 
 touched the spiritual vision of this man blinded by 
 Rome, and into his soul poured the everlasting beauty 
 of our Father's love. 
 
 He learned to read, and began to read to his wife. 
 She ordered him to stop ; he then knelt down to pray, 
 and she tried to drown his voice by various means ; 
 in fact, did everything to try him. He would reason 
 with her, but all to no purpose. At last he came to 
 me for advice. I advised him to take the matter to 
 God in prayer and ask for grace to bear up under the 
 burden, that he might, by an example of Christian 
 fortitude and patience, win her to Christ. For a long 
 time it seemed as if his prayer would not be answered, 
 but as a reward of faith the answer came. 
 
 We were agreeably surprised one evening to receive 
 an invitation from this woman to take tea. On our 
 arrival at the house I asked the husband what had 
 happened. He informed me there was a change in her 
 conduct, she had been in good humor all week. And 
 this was the last of her opposition to her husband's 
 religion. She shortly after became a child of God^ 
 joined the class, and was until her death a living 
 epistle of Christ's power to save. She died a short 
 time after, leaving as a legacy to her husband and 
 children the memory of a life of Christian love which, 
 though short, was replete with earnest devotion. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 87 
 
 About this time a poor but intelligent family, whose 
 home was about thirty-six miles west of Montreal, 
 moved to Roxton. A short time affcer they came I 
 visited the family ; at first they seemed afraid of me, 
 and it was some time before I gained their confidence. 
 After a few visits I noticed the father came to our 
 meetings. In one of our meetings I prayed for our 
 enemies ; this man noticed it, and he thus reasoned 
 with himself : If these people by the power of their 
 religion can forgive their enemies, I want to have that 
 same power. How true that " God moves in a myste- 
 rious way !" 
 
 We appointed a meeting a short distance from his 
 house. Bisson came to the meeting, and I saw he was 
 under deep conviction. Finally he came right out from 
 under the power of Rome, and forsaking her priests 
 and her unintelligible masses, paid homage only at the 
 altar of the cross and to our great High Priest, even 
 Christ Jesus. 
 
 This man often told me afterwards that he hesitated 
 a long time about coming to Roxton ; there were so 
 many French Protestants there, and he was very 
 much afraid he would lose his religion. But he 
 would always conclude by saying, while a halo of joy 
 would wreathe his brow : " Brother Parent, it was a 
 glorious loss, for this loss was my gain ; it was only 
 losing the shadow and gaining the substance." 
 
 Our Baptist friends having heard of the success of 
 our work, thought they would like to receive some of 
 the fruit, and immediately began to persuade the 
 people that it was necessary to go under water,. But 
 
88 LIFE OF REV. AMAXD PARENT. 
 
 they failed in their attempts, most of the converts re- 
 maining true to God and Methodism. 
 
 I think this year was one of the most successful 
 years of my ministry; the Lord blessed niy labors in 
 the conversion of souls. 
 
 I took up an appointment at a place called St. Pie. 
 It is astonishing the number of saints we have in this 
 Province but the saints of Rome do not influence the 
 morals of the people. At this place my work was 
 signally owned of the Master ; many came out from 
 under the cloak of Rome and the dim light of her 
 altar's candles, and standing surrounded by the radi- 
 ance of the lamps of the Gospel, and breathing the 
 gentle zephyrs of our Saviour's love, felt new life and 
 peace within their soul ; while from their lips there 
 came a song of joy and victory : 
 
 " Jesus, the name high over all, 
 
 In hell, or earth, or sky ; 
 
 Angels and men before it fall, 
 
 And devils fear and fly." 
 
 In one of our meetings at this place a very promis- 
 ing young man was freed from the shackles of super- 
 stition. But lynx-eyed Rome saw she would lose a 
 young man of more than ordinary intelligence, "and 
 made the most strenuous efforts to save him for herself. 
 Coaxing, threatening, and all the usual means resorted 
 to by Jesuitism, were tried ; but all failed, and the 
 young man rested not until he had perfect peace. 
 
 There are man}' Protestants in our beloved Dominion 
 who are inclined to think that Rome is emerging out 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 89 
 
 of her primitive form, and that the spirit of intoler- 
 ance of the fifteenth century is gradually Fading away. 
 In order to prove that we are not to accept the seem- 
 ing friendship of Rome as genuine, I will relate an- 
 other incident illustrative of her spirit. 
 
 In the city of Quebec a young man about twenty 
 years of age, whose parents were Catholics, by some 
 means became possessor of a Bible. Reading and study- 
 ing the Word of God, he became a changed man. His 
 former associates missed him in their usual haunts, 
 they missed him at mass, and noticed he was very 
 remiss in his religious duties. His father at length 
 asked him what was the matter. His answer was that 
 he had been reading the Bible, and its teaching pointed 
 him to the Lamb of God, and not to the priests of 
 Rome. 
 
 What was the result of the son's action ? The father 
 went to see the priest. Some time after this \ 7 isit to 
 the holy father the father and son were talking; 
 the old man picked up a block of wood, with which he 
 struck the son and felled him to the floor. Some men 
 who were passing at the time heard the noise and ran 
 in and picked up the wounded boy. After the son 
 came to himself he left home, and is now living in 
 the United States. 
 
 Driven from home by a father's hate, that hatred 
 fanned to such a flame by the priests of Rome that it 
 scorched and burned a parent's love, and nearly made 
 a father the murderer of his own offspring ; and this 
 in our own country, under the light of the nineteenth 
 century ! Go tell to those who have not seen the scars 
 7 
 
90 LIFE OF REV. AMA.ND PARENT. 
 
 of a Roman lash, or witnessed the struggles of her 
 captives to free themselves, that she is changed. But 
 to me she is the same until her convent dungeons are 
 open to the world and her confessional shut up for- 
 ever by the power of the gospel. 
 
 Just about this time I thought I would be honored 
 with the martyr's crown. I was driving homewards, 
 arid the day being extremely warm I was very thirsty. 
 Stopping at a farmhouse near the road, occupied by a 
 Roman Catholic family, I asked the woman if she 
 would give me a drink. She graciously granted my 
 request. I drank the water, thanked her, and drove 
 on. I had .scarcely driven half a mile when I was 
 taken very ill. When I reached home I went to bed 
 and kept growing worse. The Rev. John Davis came 
 to see me, and thought I was poisoned. He gave me a 
 strong emetic, and I got relief. I had all the symptoms 
 of poisoning, and unless it was in the cup of water I 
 do not know where I got it. But the Lord frustrated 
 the % evil designs of Rome, arid made me, one of His 
 most humble ones, the instrument of leading many out 
 from darkness into light. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 I RECEIVED a very pressing invitation from a Catholic 
 family to visit them. Considering it a door opened 
 by the Lord, I accepted the invitation, and spent a 
 very pleasant time with them. I noticed they were 
 anxious to know something about religion, and I made 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 91 
 
 it a point to teach the gospel in my conversation. I 
 visited this family very often after this, until the 
 priest, hearing it, prepared to give me a rough recep- 
 tion. There was a bully in the place who was a tool 
 for the priest, and he met me at the house of this 
 family. 
 
 You can imagine my surprise to meet my pugil- 
 istic friend there. I paid no attention to him, but 
 took out my Bible and began to read and expound 
 as usual. Finally, he interrupted me by asking if that 
 was a good book I was reading. I answered by asking 
 if he ever heard of a bad Bible. " Yes," he said, " the 
 Protestant Bible is bad." " Now," said I to him, 
 " here is a Catholic and Protestant Bible, and I want 
 you to show me the difference between them." " No," 
 said he, " I am not prepared to do it to-night." "Well, 
 sir, I am prepared to tell you that you know nothing 
 about it ; the priest told you, and you have to believe 
 it. Now, sir, if you were an ignorant man who could 
 not read, there might be some excuse for you, but you 
 know better. You came here to-night for the purpose 
 of retarding the progress of the good work going on ; 
 the priest sent you ; but let me tell you that neither 
 you nor your priest can stop this work, because the 
 Lord Jesus Christ is in it, and not some Papal Nuncio." 
 
 I now began to get a little vexed at the opposition 
 of the priest and his tools, and I told this man just 
 what I thought about a man who would allow his 
 wife to lock him in the cellar, for I had heard she did 
 so. He started on the double quick for the door and 
 never troubled me again. I saw the same man a few 
 
92 LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 years after and found him in very poor circumstances. 
 I told him frankly that if he did not repent of his 
 sins he would be lost. I left him then, hoping the 
 Lord would change his heart and that the tool of the 
 priest would become an earnest soldier of the Captain 
 of our salvation. Time after time I have met with 
 just such characters in the seryice of a Church whose 
 characteristic is the gloom of useless symbolism. 
 
 I had been preaching in Shefford for some time, and 
 the people seemed to be interested in the work. The 
 priest as usual gave strong opposition ; he persuaded 
 the people that the Church of Rome was the only 
 true Church, and that all outside the pale of her 
 influence would be lost. I immediately announced that 
 I would prove from the Bible that the Church of 
 Rome was not the Church of God, and that whatever 
 her primitive history was, to-day she was a mass of 
 corruption. 
 
 This announcement filled the house, and there were 
 many intelligent men in the congregation. I asked 
 the Lord to help me, and He did. We had a splendid 
 meeting ; the Word seemed to have convincing power. 
 At the close of the meeting one man stood up and 
 acknowledged the truth of what had been said, declar- 
 ing himself to be no more a Roman Catholic. The action 
 of this individual caused a wonderful sensation ; it was 
 like a thunder-clap in the room. Another victory for 
 Christ ! I felt like singing " Praise God, from whom 
 all blessings flow." 
 
 This meeting was not to be closed without a slight 
 manifestation of Rome's hatred to Protestantism. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 93 
 
 When we were ready to go home we found the door 
 locked on IH, and we had to break the door to get out. 
 The man who locked the door afterwards fell off the 
 wall of a new Catholic church, and was injured so 
 badly that he died from the effects of the fall. But 
 the Lord made this opposition an instrument for good, 
 and Shefford was richly blessed. 
 
 The general impression among our Protestant 
 people is that the deluded followers of Rome are all 
 perfectly satisfied. This, however, is not the case ; 
 there are many who are conscious that all is not right. 
 
 As proof of this statement let me relate a conversa- 
 tion I had with a man who did not know who I was. 
 I was in the habit of driving into the country and 
 visiting the homes ; in one of those homes the following 
 conversation took place : 
 
 " Do you not think your religion costs you a lot of 
 money is it not rather expensive ? " " Yes, sir, it is all 
 money ; the rich have a better chance of getting to 
 heaven than the poor. If a poor man dies the priest 
 can do nothing for him, he is buried without any 
 ceremony. No mass is said for the repose of his soul ; 
 he has to take his chances in the future, and according 
 to Romish doctrine those chances are very poor unless 
 the poor widow can pay for masses for his soul. 
 
 " When the rich man dies the bell tolls for hours, and 
 when the corpse enters the church they place it on a 
 splendidly decorated dais or elevated stand. Candles 
 of varied hues are placed around the body ; the priest, 
 his attendants, and the church are decked in their 
 most costly apparel, while the soul goes right to 
 
94 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 heaven amid the smoke of Rome's incense. One 
 hundred or one hundred and fifty dollars will give 
 you swift passage to glory, if Rome is true." There 
 are many of Rome's children who are conscious of her 
 inconsistency but are afraid to make public their 
 sentiments. 
 
 It is a law in the Church of Rome, that if an in- 
 dividual commits suicide, or dies from the effects of 
 liquor, he cannot be buried in consecrated ground. 
 To show how Rome can accommodate her canons to 
 circumstances where she can replenish her coffers by 
 so doing, let me relate the following incident: 
 
 A young man, the son of wealthy parents, who 
 was attending the Medical College and had ju.st com- 
 pleted his course, received his diploma, and came 
 home preparatory to beginning his practice. He had 
 not been long at home before it was noticed that the 
 ginshop was his most regular resort. He was, in fact, 
 a confirmed drunkard. Here was a sudden blow to 
 parental pride the idolized son a common drunkard ! 
 At last thinking, perhaps, that if he were removed 
 from the influences surrounding him he would reform 
 he was sent to Albany, and money furnished to 
 establish his practice. But all was useless. The 
 father eventually had to bring him home, and in a 
 fit of temporary insanity, caused by liquor, he com- 
 mitted suicide. 
 
 Now, here is Rome's inconsistency ; she buried him 
 in consecrated, ground. The father's money was the 
 open sesame to the doors bolted by papal laws. 
 
 A farmer, who was wealthy, became sick and died. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 95 
 
 Before he died he requested to be buried upon his 
 own farm. After his death the family remembered 
 his request, but did not know what it meant. They 
 went to the priest about it, and he said, " Perhaps he 
 thought the ground in the cemetery too wet ; we will 
 bury him under the church it is built on high land." 
 But they had to pay one hundred dollars for the 
 grave and fifty dollars for the mass. If this were the 
 end of this incident it would not startle us very much, 
 but the family stipulated with the priest that the 
 body should not be covered for some time. They had 
 a brother away from home, and they wanted him to 
 see his father. The priest agreed to the proposition. 
 In the spring, when the brother came home, they went 
 to see the priest, but he informed them that he in- 
 tended putting a new floor in the church, and when 
 the old one was taken up he would send for them. 
 On the next Sabbath, after mass, they asked the priest 
 if they could now see their father. " Oh," said this 
 truthful father, " I forgot all about it, and the floor 
 is now put down solid." 
 
 A short time after, it was learned that the priest 
 had sold the corpse to a doctor for a large sum of 
 money. The boys wanted to prosecute the priest, but 
 the deluded mother told them it would be an un- 
 pardonable sin. This devil with the sacerdotal robes 
 pleaded as an excuse that it was for the benefit of the 
 Holy Church. 
 
 I am not surprised that many of our Protestant 
 people find it hard to believe that, under the garb of 
 religion, such atrocities can be committed. Could we 
 
96 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 but roll back the gates and let the light of clay flash 
 on the inner gloom of Romanism, such a cha-nel- 
 house of iniquity would meet the gaze of the curious 
 witness as would make him turn from the scene with 
 a shudder of horror. 
 
 And yet within her cloister walls are the daughters 
 of Protestant parents breathing an air poisoned with 
 the emanations of Rome's dark deeds. If I had a 
 voice that would belt the world with its power I would 
 send its reverberations sweeping across the oceans 
 until its vibrations would touch every mother's heart 
 with its power, and each tremulous note would say, 
 "Save your daughters from Roman convents if you 
 would save their virtue and their innocence." None 
 but those who have been liberated from the power of 
 a corrupt priesthood know the depths of her degrada- 
 tion. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 AT about the age of fourteen I went to confession, 
 and the priest's questions during that ordeal were of 
 such a nature as to make virtue blush and drive in- 
 nocence forever away from the character of budding 
 man or womanhood ; and those who enter the confes- 
 sional, children, come out with the first seeds of evil 
 planted in their nature. 
 
 The confessional is Rome's greatest power. Even 
 the sanctity of home and family life is made subservi- 
 ent to the tyranny of the confessional, like the coils 
 of the serpent as they gradually wound themselves 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 97 
 
 around Neptune's priest, crushing the life and power 
 from his being until Laocoon lay a helpless victim in 
 its folds. So the coils of the confessional are wound 
 around' the family circle until it becomes a helpless 
 victim in the power of a gigantic religious swindle, 
 whose aim is to hoodwink the devotees who in vain 
 seek peace at the shrine of her numerous canonized 
 saints. 
 
 All this time the work of God was going on, and 
 many Roman Catholics were converted to God and 
 went on their way rejoicing in a free salvation. 
 
 This was a comparatively new part of the country, 
 and the people as a rule were poor. One of those who 
 were struggling with poverty felt it his duty to pay 
 the preacher something, and he signed two dollars and 
 also bought a hymn-book. This man paid his sub- 
 scription and also provided for his family that year, 
 notwithstanding the anathema of the priest ; his ex- 
 ample was productive of much good. Many followed 
 his example and religion prospered. He was one of 
 the most devoted men, and his wife and family were 
 useful members in the Church. Thus the Lord led 
 us on, and when the storm seemed greatest and the 
 gloom blackest, there suddenly came a calm arid the 
 darkness was illumined by the fulfilment of promises 
 such as " I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." 
 
 The year 1869 was one of deep affliction. Hitherto 
 our stay was unclouded and the sun of prosperity 
 seemed to shine on our pathway, but now clouds were 
 gathering on the horizon and the storm was about to 
 break. The first intimation I had of the gathering 
 
98 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 storm was the return of my eldest son from college ; he 
 was taken sick with fever and kept getting worse. 
 
 About the same time another of our family took 
 small-pox, and, after lingering a short time, died. My 
 son was also taken about the same time, and as if our 
 cup of sorrow were not already full enough, I was 
 also stricken with typhoid fever, and our house became 
 a hospital. Surely it was a midnight of sorrow, and 
 to make the storm still more severe, the neighbors 
 were afraid to visit or help us. My wife was worn 
 out with watching, but God sent us a kind friend in 
 Mrs (Rev.) Engalls, whose practical sympathy wonder- 
 fully sustained and helped us. 
 
 The loss of my children and late wife seemed to be 
 a burden of unbearable magnitude, but He who has 
 said, " Cast your burdens," gave me strength for the 
 burden and heat of the day ; and, gazing on the new- 
 made graves and vacant places by our fireside, I could 
 exclaim: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken 
 away ; blessed be the name of the Lord." 
 
 Our Protestant friends sympathized with us in our 
 deep affliction, but the Roman Catholics looked upon 
 it as a judgment on us for leading so many away from 
 the Church of Rome. But, praise God, the storm 
 passed away, and the sky became bright as we caught 
 glimpses of the bright and Morning Star. Looking 
 earthward we saw but the graves of loved ones and 
 the tear of sorrow ; but looking through the rifting 
 clouds, and piercing by the eye of faith the gates of 
 the city supernal, we saw the beckoning hand of our 
 Father calling us to work for heaven and home. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 99 
 
 Blessed be God ! we were enabled to carry on the 
 work, and many precious souls were saved and became 
 champions in the cause of Christ. We toiled on in 
 glad expectancy of the " Well done " of our Father. 
 And now I am to bid farewell to Quebec and her 
 numerous saints, and leave the work that is dear to my 
 heart for other scenes, that I may begin the battle with 
 the enemy of patriotism and virtue under new and 
 different influences. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE Conference of 1870, which held its session in 
 the picturesque city of Hamilton, appointed me to the 
 Lake Huron District, that I might learn if a missionary 
 in that region would not be a benefit to the cause of 
 Christ. In obedience to the call of the Church I went. 
 I had a brother living there at a place called the Ben. I 
 spent a few days among the French Protestants there. 
 On my way to this place, in the village of Bayfield, 
 being curious to know the history of this people, and 
 meeting with a man who was a Catholic, I questioned 
 him as to their character. I rode with him, and on the 
 way there I spoke to him about religion ; he seemed to 
 be a sincere Catholic. Among other things, I asked 
 him if he knew those French Protestants. Not know- 
 ing my profession, and being French, he took me for 
 a Catholic, and therefore spoke without restraint. 
 He said they were the most consistent people he 
 had ever met. Having known a few of them previous 
 to their separation from Rome, I made special enquiry 
 
100 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 concerning them, and found they were all sound in the 
 faith and leading exemplary lives. I asked particularly 
 concerning my brother, whom I had not seen for a long 
 time ; his answer was, " He is one of the best men 
 there." I then told him he was a brother of mine, 
 and I felt like praising God for a religion that makes 
 bad men good, and not only makes them good, but 
 keeps them good. This young man at length asked 
 me what my occupation was. I told him I was a Meth- 
 odist preacher. " What," said he, " you are not a 
 Catholic ? " " Oh, yes," said I, " but not a Roman 
 Catholic." After an explanation as to the meaning of 
 the term catholic, we parted, and I trust the seed I 
 feebly tried to plant in his darkened mind may take 
 deep root, watered by the Holy Spirit. 
 
 As I preached to this people we had many times of 
 refreshing, and my own soul was wondrously blessed 
 with the knowledge that, though in a strange country, 
 the Master was with me, owning and blessing His 
 work. I returned to Hamilton, and the Conference 
 sent Bro. Joseph Dorion from Quebec to take up the 
 work, under whose efficient labors it prospered. 
 
 In the Province of Ontario papal influence is not so 
 strong, hence it is a land of Bibles. How different 
 from poor papal-blinded Quebec. Forty-five years ago 
 in this Province you could hardly find fifty Bibles ; 
 but, blessed be God, the light is growing brighter, and 
 if Protestants do their duty, Rome's triumphs will soon 
 cease, and Christ shall reign supreme. 
 
 There is not a more solemn hour during the session 
 of a Methodist Conference than its closing. Here are 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 101 
 
 a lot of men who, after a year of earnest toil, sometimes 
 in the backwoods of our country struggling through 
 swamps, or toiling up mountains, weary with work, 
 and receiving but the wages in many instances of a 
 day laborer many of them men who would take the 
 foremost positions in any other avocation. 
 
 At the close of Conference, the Methodist ministry 
 stand waiting the final reading of the stations ; they 
 have labored three years on their former circuit, have 
 made many friends, and perhaps in the village grave- 
 yard there is a tiny mound indicative of the fact that 
 "the Lord gave and the Lord taketh away." As each 
 man's name is announced, how anxiously they listen 
 for their destination, perhaps it is hundreds of miles 
 from their last field of labor. Then farewells must be 
 spoken, old and tried friends parted with, and new 
 ones made, and yet, amid these scenes of sadness, the 
 servant of God will sing, 
 
 " happy day, happy day." 
 
 At the close of the Conference of 1870, you may 
 imagine my surprise, dear reader, when I was informed 
 that my next labor would be among the Indians of 
 Oka. I knew nothing of the Indian language, nothing 
 of their habits, only what I had learned by repute. 
 And that knowledge was not much in their favour ; 
 but being a Methodist missionary my duty was to 
 obey the commands of our Captain. Hence, I immedi- 
 ately began my preparations. And, by the way, that 
 is one advantage a missionary has: it does not cost him 
 much for freight, his possessions are comparatively 
 meagre in quantity. 
 
102 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 It was some time before I had the courage to in- 
 form my wife of our future home ; and as I looked 
 upon my wife and little ones, who, though accustomed 
 to the privations incident to a missionary's life, were 
 strangers to savage nature, it seemed as if I could 
 hardly grasp the fact that we were to bid farewell to 
 a people whose faith, though antagonistic to our own, 
 were at least of the same color and nation, and whose 
 language we could understand. 
 
 Duty being the watchword of a Methodist mission- 
 ary, the sacrifice had to be made, and we prepared to 
 pitch our tent among the wigwams of the dusky sons 
 of the forest, once the proud proprietors of our be- 
 loved land. 
 
 At length the day of my departure for the beauti- 
 ful Lake of Two* Mountains came. I took the train 
 for Montreal, arriving there on Friday. Not knowing 
 what means of transport were necessary to take me 
 there, I visited a very dear and valued friend whom 
 I had met at a missionary meeting at which Dr. 
 Punshon presided. Being fortunate enough to find 
 him at home, I told him I was going to Oka, and I 
 wanted information as to how I should get there. This 
 friend, though a layman, was thoroughly imbued 
 with the missionary spirit, and, having frequently 
 visited Oka and its inhabitants, gave me ample in- 
 formation concerning my future arrangements. I 
 shall never forget the hospitality of this friend and 
 his estimable wife, so zealous were they in looking 
 after our comfort. They were, indeed, brother and 
 sister to the missionary and hi.-s family. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 103 
 
 After a hasty goodbye to my friends, I took train 
 to Lachine, thence by boat to Oka. After a pleasant 
 trip on the lake I caught a glimpse of what, in the 
 future, proved to be a home pregnant with hardships ; 
 but, blessed be God, it was but the price of victory. 
 
 There is always a feeling of loneliness connected 
 with a missionary's first view of his new home, but 
 in the majority of cases this feeling is counteracted 
 by the hearty grasp of the hand as our new friends 
 bid us welcome. 
 
 My reception on arriving at our destination was 
 such as to damp the ardor of the most enthusiastic 
 philanthropist, unless his philanthropy emanated 
 from some source not found in depraved human 
 nature. It was by the grace of God alone that I was 
 enabled to say, " Not my will, but Thine be done." 
 
 The boat was at last made fast to the wharf, and 
 I at length stood on the threshold of an experience 
 compared with which all our former labors were but 
 child's play. Here were no pleasant greetings ; no 
 fervent " God bless you, brother;" no sister to cheer 
 the wife of the missionary in this the hour of her 
 trial ; but, .instead, a number of Indians, who gath- 
 ered around us and with fixed gaze seemed to say : 
 <% What business have you here ?" 
 
 After some time I met with one who spoke French, 
 and he volunteered to show me where Chief Joseph 
 lived. I went with him. Arriving at his dwelling 
 we were informed by his wife that he would not be 
 home till evening. As I walked through the village 
 and saw the indications of Indian indolence and 
 
104 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 priestly superstition ; dilapidated, dirty-looking homes, 
 and their inmates in keeping with the place, the 
 full realization came on me that my wife and family 
 would have no companions but these, and that we 
 were not only to teach them of Christ, but also teach 
 them cleanliness and decency. " Father, if it be Thy 
 will, let this cup pass from Me," came to my lips. 
 
 At last Chief Joseph came home. He was a fine, 
 intelligent-looking Indian, and seemed to be born a 
 leader. 
 
 The great question was, where should I live. The 
 chief and I started out to look for a house, there were 
 none vacant. The only vacant place was a house be- 
 longing to Chief John's mother ; I got two rooms of 
 that, the other part being occupied by two dusky 
 families. It was the only place vacant, so we had to 
 accept the inevitable, remembering that He whose 
 cause we had espoused had not where to lay His head. 
 The next day was Sunday ; we began our meeting 
 about 10.30 a.m. I think there were about one 
 hundred and fifty in the congregation ; they were very 
 attentive and seemed to enjoy the service. The dusky 
 mothers with their papooses strapped on a board, 
 and, by the way, those Indian babies are an example 
 to our more civilized youth, they never disturb the 
 congregation, the mother will hang the board up on a 
 peg as we would our hat, and there they stay, monu- 
 ments of Indian stoicism. In the service the Lord 
 seemed to be with us, but what was my surprise after 
 service to see the male part of the congregation start- 
 ing for a place called the Sand Hill to play lacrosse, 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 105 
 
 Chief Joseph with the rest. Surely, thought I, the Gos- 
 pel does not affect them very much ; but in this act I 
 recognized the influence of Rome's teaching and 
 example. 
 
 The priests of the Seminary are exceedingly anxious 
 to throw all blame of the Oka trouble on the shoulders 
 of the Methodists, and that they were the cause of the 
 Indians leaving the Church of Rome. But as Rome 
 herself is a gigantic falsehood, so this statement is 
 false. 
 
 The circumstances of the case are these : The Sem- 
 inary recognizing in Joseph an Indian of more than 
 ordinary intelligence and influence among his tribe, 
 with its usual foresight immediately began to patronize 
 him ; they sent him to college at Montreal in order to 
 prepare him for the priesthood, but He who is no 
 respecter of persons would not allow the mind of this 
 Indian to become dwarfed by the teaching of a 
 religion that, in some respects, is inferior even to the 
 pagan worship of his fathers whose hope was strong 
 in their Manitou and Happy Hunting Grounds. 
 
 By some means the chief while at college became 
 possessor of a portion of the New Testament, in which 
 he found that Peter had a rnother-in-law, and if a 
 mother-in-law, of necessity a wife. And thus the first 
 weak point in Rome's armour was discovered. Joseph 
 began to question the priest on the subject, but received 
 no satisfactory answer and his faith began to waver. 
 The Seminary, conscious that now he would not be 
 over-zealous in the faith, withdrew their patronage 
 and resorted to other means to secure his allegiance. 
 8 
 
106 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 There was, however, a nobility in the character of this 
 Indian that scorned anything that was not true, and 
 Rome's false dealings with his tribe were so apparent 
 that he severed his connection with them by demand- 
 ing his rights and the rights of his people. 
 
 About this time the Indians wanted a chief, and 
 they asked Joseph if he would become their head 
 chief. He complied with their request on certain con- 
 ditions ; the conditions were that they would stand by 
 him in his opposition to the actions of the Seminary. 
 
 The day for the election of the chief came and 
 Joseph was chosen as leader, not to lead his people 
 against other tribes as his forefathers did to win scalps 
 on the field of battle and return in gory triumph to his 
 tribe but to lead them in a battle against an enemy 
 who would rob them of their birthright and drive 
 them from the ashes of their fathers. 
 
 Immediately after Joseph's election to the chieftain- 
 ship of his tribe he began the battle against injus- 
 tice. It seemed as if some of the spirit of his fathers 
 sparkled in his eye as, followed by the members of his 
 tribe, he approached the Seminary. Everything in the 
 shape of a stick or weapon of any kind was left behind 
 for fear a wrong construction would be put on their 
 action by the Seminary. They approached the priest 
 determined to have their rights. The priest in charge 
 of the Seminary, seeing the Indians approaching, de- 
 manded what they wanted. Joseph, whose flashing 
 eye sent forth a brighter gleam as the injustice of 
 Rome to his people came up before him, in scathing 
 tones said, ." We have come to inform you, first, that 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 107 
 
 you have not dealt justly with us, and that we want 
 you to leave our land, as we do not want to be robbed 
 of our heritage ; and you are yearly robbing us of the 
 best of our property, therefore we would like to have 
 it in more honorable hands." 
 
 All that nobility of character for which this chief 
 was noted was displayed in this his first battle with a 
 power who for years had been robbing the Indian of 
 his heritage. 
 
 Here was a courage worthy of imitation : this child 
 of the forest braving an enemy, daring to throw in her 
 teeth the injustice of which she had been guilty ; and 
 this foe of such gigantic power that political leaders 
 bow in sweet submission when she makes her de- 
 mands. Who can but admire the heroism that in 
 scathing terms denounced this power as a robber of 
 individual rights : " This land was given you in trust 
 for the tribe to whom it belongs ; and how have you 
 betrayed that trust ? By selling the timber and filling 
 your treasury with the proceeds of stolen property. 
 This land is ours ours by right of possession ; ours 
 as a heritage, given to us as a sacred legacy. It is the 
 spot where our fathers lie ; beneath those trees our 
 mothers sang our lullaby, and you would tear it from 
 us and leave us wanderers at the mercy of fate. And 
 this you call keeping a trust. Away with such hollow 
 pretensions ! " 
 
 What was the result of this demand of rights by 
 the chief ? Rome answered the demands of justice by 
 sending to Quebec for a posse of police all armed to 
 
108 LIFE OF BEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 the teeth, and by force of arms made many of the In- 
 dians, with the three chiefs, prisoners. 
 
 One of the faithful tools of the Pope came to Oka 
 the day before the arrests were made came as an in- 
 quisitor-general. This son of Rome a brother of the 
 bishop thought he would intimidate the Indians by 
 his august presence. This man, as if he controlled the 
 laws of the land, or as if the laws of our country had to 
 bend to the mandate of Rome, speaking with assumed 
 authority, told the chiefs that he would shut them up 
 in Kingston penitentiary for life if they did not obey 
 the priests. This individual also informed Joseph that 
 the Government had bought land for them in Don- 
 caster. Joseph replied by saying, " We will never go 
 there. To go there means extinction. We will not 
 exchange a productive soil for barren rock in order to 
 suit the whim of some Papal Nuncio. We will die on 
 the soil of our fathers, and our bleaching skeletons 
 shall be a witness to nations yet unborn of Rome's in- 
 justice and greed." 
 
 The prisoners were now taken to St. Scholastic and 
 there brought before the judge, and what was the 
 charge ? It was simply an emanation of the mother of 
 falsehood, a fabrication of Rome. " They came," said 
 the priest, " with the intention to kill the priests of 
 the Seminary and drive them away by force. The In- 
 dians were confined in the jail about seven days. 
 Joseph, ever mindful of the interest of his people while 
 incarcerated, began translating the New Testament 
 into the Iroquois language a work for which he was 
 eminently fitted. The Conference of 1869 will be 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 109 
 
 memorable as the period when Methodism became the 
 defender of the Indian. Joseph, after he had thus 
 began the battle, feeling the necessity for some one to 
 lead them spiritually, called on Mr. Delarondi, a Bap- 
 tist, and asked him if he knew where they could get 
 a minister to teach them the plan of salvation. Mr. 
 Delarondi told them they had better go to Montreal 
 and ask the advice of an eminent Christian man who 
 is always ready to help the needy and distressed. 
 
 This friend of missions asked the Indians if they 
 had left the Catholic Church forever. " Yes," answered 
 they, "we will not be entangled again with the yoke 
 of Rome's bondage." 
 
 Thus answering affirmatively this question, they 
 were at once the subjects of this Christian gentleman's 
 prayers, and also his work. He provided them with 
 money and seed grain ; but, better still, through his 
 interest their spiritual wants were supplied. And 
 this year, 1869, Methodism took up the battle of the 
 red man, and fought the powers of Rome. And 
 now those Indians recognize in the Christian's God 
 their God ; in the Christian faith their faith ; and will, 
 we believe, find a rest in the Christian's heaven. 
 
 About this time a very sad accident occurred about 
 five miles from Oka. A brother of the Hon. Mr. 
 Abbott was drowned ; the Indians were sent for to 
 search for his body ; after some time they found it and 
 gave it to his friends. 
 
 After a few days in Oka, I started for my family in 
 Roxton, in the townships. I made preparation for the 
 journey ; left Roxton early in the morning, in order to 
 
110 LIFE OF HEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 take the train at Granby. After an uneventful journey 
 we at last arrived at our destination and began work 
 among the Indians of Oka. 
 
 Our furniture was placed in the rooms we had en- 
 gaged, and after a woman's tact had made a proper 
 distribution of our goods, our two rooms began to 
 assume a homelike appearance, and we were happy in 
 prospective rest and comfort. But, alas for our hopes. 
 Scarcely had we lain down to rest ere we became con- 
 scious that our right to possession would be contested. 
 The attack made on your humble missionary and 
 family was of the most severe kind : our foes, though 
 of liliputian dimensions, did not lack courage. 
 
 The next morning Mrs. Parent prepared for a war 
 of extermination, and after a vigorous and prolonged 
 battle was rewarded with victory. And henceforth 
 our slumbers were not disturbed by an army of blood- 
 drinkers, known generally by the cognomen of bed 
 bugs. 
 
 On Sabbath morning the Indians began flocking to 
 meeting, and we had a gracious time, only I found it 
 very unpleasant speaking through an interpreter ; 
 however, I soon got accustomed to it. After meeting 
 we had a repetition of the scene of a former meeting, 
 lacrosse, ball and many other games then became the 
 order of the day. I spoke to the chief about it, and 
 told him it must be stopped at once. After explaining 
 to him the nature of Sabbath desecration, he became a 
 champion for the observance of the Sabbath. 
 
 The Indians were exceedingly ignorant and super- 
 stitious, and to add to these evils there were ten 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. Ill 
 
 places in the village where liquor was sold. Another 
 evidence of the effects of papal influence : instead of 
 enlightening and civilizing these sons of the forest, 
 they corrupted their simple nature by surrounding 
 them with principles the nature of which is debasing. 
 
 Under such teaching, and as the result of Rome's 
 superstitious rites and unintelligible masses the Indians 
 were firm believers in witchcraft, and any sickness or 
 misfortune of any kind was attributed to the poor 
 witches; they and they alone were responsible for the 
 evils existing in the tribe. 
 
 The wife of Chief Joseph was a firm believer in 
 witchcraft, and on one occasion gave me some trouble. 
 One of her daughters died, and Joseph asked me to 
 bury her, requesting me at the same time to preach 
 against believing in witches. I began the service, the 
 second chief being my interpreter. She was quiet while 
 I was speaking, but when the interpreter began she 
 called him a liar, and in every way attempted to keep 
 him from speaking, so thoroughly had Rome hood- 
 winked this woman. 
 
 It was amazing the control Rome had over those 
 Indians. The year I went to Oka the hay crop was very 
 light, the season being so dry. I saw a man passing 
 with a load of hay. I asked him where he was going. 
 He said, " To the priest." !t How much will he give 
 you for the load?" "Two dollars; I owe the priest 
 ten dollars, and I must pay him in hay." I said to 
 the Indian, " Here is ten dollars ; go and pay the priest, 
 and get a receipt for it." The man did so, and thus 
 saved his hay. 
 
112 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 The long-robed gentlemen of the Seminary were in 
 the meantime trying to coax the Indians back to the 
 Church ; but all their coaxing failed. When coaxing 
 failed they tried more severe measures and attempted 
 to force them into the Church. 
 
 The Indians were beginning now to see the difference 
 between religion as a reality and a mere form ; they 
 gave practical evidence of their appreciation of the 
 work of the missionary. One day they went to the 
 woods and cut and drew to the home of the missionary 
 enough wood to last him all winter ; and this was not 
 all, those who had no horses came at night when we 
 were in bed and cut it ready for the stove. 
 
 The priest hearing of what they had done forbade 
 them cutting any more wood, but the Indians paid no 
 attention to him. Then the bailiff came to arrest them, 
 and now began in earnest the pending struggle. We 
 had a prayer-meeting to strengthen the sufferers. 
 When the officer came to arrest them they made no 
 resistance, but immediately went with him, trusting in 
 the Christian's God. They were brought to trial, but 
 through the able defence of an eminent Christian 
 lawyer they were soon at liberty. To show the heart- 
 lessness of Rome's priesthood, I will relate the follow- 
 ing incident : 
 
 One morning, while the men were in the woods at 
 work, an Indian woman, seeing a priest approaching 
 the house, told him to go back she did not want him 
 in the house. The- priest paid no attention to her 
 entreaties but came on. When he reached the door, 
 the woman put the broom-handle across it in order 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PAEENT. 113 
 
 to keep him out. This fiend in sacerdotal robes seized 
 the broom, striking the woman a blow which felled 
 her to the ground. He then kicked her. The next 
 day the woman was very sick, and nearly died. This 
 priest was taken before a magistrate, but, as usual, 
 Rome's influence is greater than justice, and he was 
 acquitted. 
 
 The Indian's cup of sorrow seemed to be full and 
 running over, but, notwithstanding the persecution 
 they suffered, the work of God increased rapidly ; 
 and the gloom of superstition, which Rome had 
 wrapped round them as a mantle, was fading, as the 
 light of the gospel of peace flashed its beauty on their 
 path ; and from many Indian voices might be heard, 
 " Praise God, from whom all blessings flow." 
 
 We were now engaged in special services, and the 
 Spirit was mightily moving the hearts of the people. 
 There was one case of remarkable interest a young 
 man, about thirty-six years old. He was a leader in 
 all wickedness; a great drunkard; he would be on 
 the spree for a long time, and when in this condition 
 would abuse his wife most unmercifully. One even- 
 ing, in the meeting, I heard some one groaning and 
 crying, and did not know what to think of it. 
 Finally, I closed the meeting, and then I found it was 
 this hard case. 
 
 At the close of the meeting I went to this young 
 man, shook hands with him, and asked him concern- 
 ing his strange conduct. " Oh," said he, "I am lost !" 
 Pointing him as well as I could to the Lamb of God, 
 I asked him to get down on his knees and pray. We 
 
114 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 all knelt down and prayed with him. It was not long 
 before the peace of God that passe th all understand- 
 ing came into his heart, and he became a sober, indus- 
 trious man. His wife and family came with him to 
 meeting, and became earnest Christians. The con- 
 version of this man was the means of leading many 
 more to the Saviour. 
 
 There was an old chief, about eighty-five years old, 
 whose wife was a Catholic, whom the priest tried hard 
 to get back to the Catholic faith. He came to me 
 one day and asked me how he should get rid of him. 
 I told him to tell the priest that he would send for 
 me the next time he came, and that settled the matter. 
 
 One day I noticed an unusual commotion among 
 the Indians. There were about twenty -five of them 
 standing in a group, with fear depicted on their coun- 
 tenances. They seemed to be watching something. 
 I went up to them, and there I witnessed more of 
 Rome's work. A number of Roman Catholics, with 
 two or three bullies among them, all armed with 
 clubs, were threatening them with imprisonment if 
 they did not immediately obey the papal authority. 
 
 Here was a dilemma. I immediately asked what 
 they wanted. The bailiff, who was a tool of. Rome, 
 said he came to arrest some of the Indians. I asked 
 him to show me his authority. When he produced his 
 warrant I told him to arrest those whom the warrant 
 mentioned and no one else. 
 
 Turning to the mob, I demanded of them their 
 reason for coming in such a manner to arrest a few 
 men who were law-abiding citizens and had never 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 115 
 
 given any offence. I asked the names of those for 
 whom the warrant was made out, and these men gave 
 themselves up without trouble. I told them not to 
 fear the consequences but to look to God for help ; 
 these men were taken from their families to be tried 
 for the same offence, and what was the offence, simply 
 cutting wood on their own land to keep their families 
 from freezing to death. 
 
 Protestants of our beloved Dominion, and all who 
 love justice, gaze on the devilish cruelty of a power 
 that cares not for the tears of widowed wives or 
 starving children, but with the. iron heel of her power 
 crush the life-blood from her innocent victims in 
 order to appease her greed for wealth and power. 
 
 Rome, thou mitred and gorgeous-robed woman ; 
 thou whited sepulchre in whose depths are hidden 
 the ruined and decayed corpses of individual liberties ; 
 whose altars are stained with the blood of its helpless 
 victims ; whose incense is putrid with the stench of 
 ruined homes remember that thy charnel-house will 
 be exposed, and for every pain inflicted thou shalt 
 suffer an hundred-fold. Yes, methinks that Oka shall, 
 in the day when your secrets shall be revealed, be 
 written on thy brow ; and when you plead for entrance 
 to the city of the King, from the lips of the Judge 
 shall come, Remember Oka. And as in a procession 
 of angels the dusky forms of those whom you tried 
 to destroy enter the gates of the city supernal, with a 
 loud noise it shall close forever on you and your 
 note of triumph shall be a shriek of despair. 
 
116 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE Conference of 1872 removed me to Lacolle; a 
 native missionary, who could speak the Iroquois 
 language, being sent to Oka in my place. I labored on 
 the Lacolle mission this year assisting the Rev. Mr. 
 Brown, and also taking charge of the French work in 
 the place. 
 
 The Rev. John Borland had charge of the French 
 district, and being convinced of the necessity for a 
 church at Oka, the school-house being too small, Mr. 
 Borland thought it better for me to go once or twice a 
 month in order to superintend the building of the 
 church. 
 
 Under the able and wise administration of Mr. Bor- 
 land a man in every way fitted for the work, fully 
 consecrated, and deeply interested in French evangeli- 
 zation a man whose every visit left an influence for 
 good, beloved by all, he made everything secondary to 
 the success of this great work. This entire self-sur- 
 render, together with the blessing of the Master, 
 resulted in great good being done. 
 
 My time now was altogether taken up with for- 
 warding the interests of the church at Oka. In order 
 to raise the necessary funds for the building, I took a 
 trip to Kingston, and with the assistance of Bro. Shaw 
 collected the sum of $85.50, and this with other sums 
 materially assisted us in our building operations. 
 
 I had a great deal of travelling to do this year, my 
 appointments being so scattered. Mrs. Parent very 
 
LIFE OF KEV. AM AND PARENT. 117 
 
 often went with me. The winter of 1873 we had very 
 deep snow. In April of that year we started for a 
 place called Henrysburg ; the snow was melting fast, 
 and as a result there was a great deal of water on the 
 road. Our way lay through a Roman settlement, the 
 night was dark, and we knew not the moment we 
 should be thrown into the water. At last, in a very 
 bad place, we were upset and thrown into the water. 
 
 Here we were, wet and cold, three miles from home, 
 with no friendly shelter. I determined to try if I could 
 not get help from some of the Catholics. I succeeded 
 in getting a man to help me get my horse up, and we 
 again started on our journey, arriving at home wet 
 .and cold, late at night. In the month of October I 
 again moved to Oka. We had a great deal of trouble 
 moving; we got to our journey's end about nine o'clock 
 in the evening, and had to move into our house that 
 night. I rented a house from a widow woman, a 
 squaw. The house was very dirty ; in the upper part 
 of the house we found an idol a relic of pagan wor- 
 ship. We did not know what to do with it, but 
 decided to hang it out of the window, and let the owner 
 come and get it ; we did so, and the next morning it 
 was gone. 
 
 I was very much surprised to find an exaggerated 
 account, of this incident in the press afterwards, stat- 
 ing that I had tied a string around the neck of the 
 idol, and had drawn it through the streets. 
 
 The Indians seemed very much pleased to have us 
 back again ; they manifested their love for the mis- 
 sionary in true Indian fashion, that is, by giving Mrs. 
 
118 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 P. and myself Indian names. They called Mrs. P., 
 Little Heaven, and me they called, Look to Heaven. 
 
 After getting settled, I immediately turned my 
 attention to completing the church, and for this pur- 
 pose started on my second collecting tour. And 
 although not as successful as the first time, yet I 
 received some encouragement, for which we were 
 grateful. 
 
 I often thought when soliciting subscriptions for 
 this church, if I could bring the scenes that were 
 being enacted daily scenes that would make the 
 blood of any patriot and lover of individual liberty 
 boil with indignation scenes in which the main feature 
 was : Rome standing like some gigantic monster with 
 sword unsheathed, emitting sparks of fiendish hatred, 
 as she attempted to slay and destroy the liberties of 
 those who for years bore on their backs the scars of 
 her iron heel. If I could bring those scenes in pan- 
 oramic order before the people, the purse of wealth 
 would be open, and the persecuted Indian would soon 
 have a building in which, to worship. 
 
 After much labor the church was finished and 
 dedicated, and the Indians rejoiced in prospective 
 happiness. But alas ! this was but the signal for 
 renewed persecution by those whose jealousy was 
 aroused by this monument of Christian zeal and 
 fidelity. 
 
 We were again startled by another arrest, this time 
 a man who was industrious, one of the better class of 
 Indians. The bailiff came in the night and took the 
 father away from the midst of his family. Thus do 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 119 
 
 those whose deeds are evil love darkness rather than 
 light. The priest went to see him while he was in jail, 
 and offered to give him his freedom at once if he would 
 go back to the Church of Rome. The Indian answered 
 that he would die first ; he would not be entangled again 
 with the yoke of papal bondage. 
 
 A short time after this man was liberated, he was 
 in Montreal, and while there saw the coffin of the priest 
 through whose influence he was sent to jail. Looking 
 at the coffin he said, " You sent me to an earthly prison, 
 but God has incarcerated you in an eternal dungeon." 
 
 The Indians have some songs commemorative of 
 the days when the white man's face was unknown. 
 The following verses I have translated from the 
 original : 
 
 " In the dark wood and forest wild, 
 My father roved, rude nature's child, 
 With tomahawk and bended bow, 
 To lay the bear and red deer low. 
 
 My brother in his bark canoe 
 Across the waves so gaily flew, 
 To shoot the wild duck in the brook, 
 Or catch the bright fish in the lake. 
 
 My mother in the wigwam stayed, 
 The wampum's various hues to braid, 
 Or pound the samp, or dress the skin, 
 Or sew my father's moccasin. 
 
 And I, a little Indian maid, 
 With acorn cup and wild flowers played, 
 Or by mother sat the livelong day 
 To weave the splinted basket gay. 
 
120 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 I could not read, I could not sing, 
 My Saviour's name I did not know, 
 From out the good Book could not bring 
 The tidings that I longed to know." 
 
 This man Gabriel lived in a very poor house, a build- 
 ing about twenty feet square, all in one room. He 
 wanted to rebuild it, and for this purpose went to the 
 priest and made arrangements for getting the timber. 
 The priest gave him liberty to cut the trees by paying 
 a certain some of money. 
 
 Notwithstanding the promise of the priest, when he 
 began to cut the timber he was again imprisoned. 
 While in prison he caught cold, he came home and 
 grew worse, and it was evident he could not get better. 
 He died after about eight days' sickness, and his death 
 was owing partly to the house in which he lived. 
 
 This man was another victim of papal intolerance, 
 and his as well as the blood of hundreds of his tribe 
 stains the altars of Rome's temples, and will eventually 
 roll in a billow of vengeance, sweeping the last vestige 
 of Romish pomp from the pages of the world's history. 
 
 About this time I became conscious of the fact that 
 there were many early deaths among the Indians. The 
 mortality was very high, especially among the female 
 portion of the tribe. In seeking for the cause of this 
 I found it could be attributed to nothing but their 
 ignorance of all laws, the observance of which are 
 conducive to health. 
 
 I have no hesitation in affirming that this evil, as 
 well as others, had its source in the Church of Rome. 
 She being conscious that she could have no absolute 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 121 
 
 possession of the land belonging to the Indians as 
 long as the tribe existed, took good care to keep them 
 ignorant of all sanitary laws, thus hastening their 
 extinction as a race, and then she would claim their 
 lands. 
 
 This may be considered a far-fetched idea ; but 
 those who have watched her actions in her dealings 
 with the Indian in fact, to the careful student of 
 Rome's character it is not at all incredible. This is 
 but the course pursued by her for ages ; and a power 
 governed by principles that are the embodiment of 
 all that is devilish can purs -ie no other course. In 
 order to show on what basis the black-robed gentle- 
 men of the Seminary claimed the exclusive right to 
 the lands of the Indians, let me quote the words of 
 two of her eminent divines. 
 
 The savages of the Lake of Two Mountains consist 
 of three tribes : The Nipinguins, Algonquins, and 
 Iroquois. The territory occupied by these tribes is 
 attached to the Seminary of St. Sulpice, on the fol- 
 lowing conditions, viz. : That those who are the occu- 
 pants of said Seminary shall provide for the mainte- 
 nance and instruction of the Indians, and in every 
 way look after their interests. Now, have they done 
 so ? If not, then I claim they have forfeited their 
 right to all control of the property. 
 
 That they have not complied with the conditions is 
 a self-evident fact. On the contrary, they have not 
 only neglected to provide fur them, but have, in every 
 possible manner, left them to their own resources, and 
 even prevented them from helping themselves. This 
 9 
 
122 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 was proved at the time of the trial, and, if necessary, 
 further evidence can be given. They have thus for- 
 feited all right to any control of the land whatever. 
 
 We now had our church nicely furnished, and our 
 congregations were large and attentive. The Indians 
 are nearly all good singers, and we thought we would 
 organize a choir, which we did. We brought our own 
 instrument into the church ; my daughter played and 
 led the singing. 
 
 We had a choir of fifteen or twenty voices, and it 
 was a treat to hear those Indians sing. They sung 
 in the spirit. Their music attracted many to our 
 services, and we were rejoicing at the success the Lord 
 had given us. A very noticeable feature of change 
 was that even among the Indians who were as yet 
 nominally Catholics all feeling of respect for the 
 priesthood was changed to hatred. 
 
 As an instance of this, a young Indian was sitting 
 on the steps of the Roman Catholic church one 
 evening ; the priest asked him what he was doing 
 there ; the young man said he was merely resting. 
 The meek dignitary of Rome took hold of him to 
 push him off the steps. The Indian resented by 
 giving the holy father a black eye ! 
 
 What a change ! The oppressed became the avenger ; 
 and he who once bowed in humble submission at the 
 feet of a papal dignitary now stands on the dignity 
 of his own manhood, and forever snaps the links of 
 Romish shackles. 
 
 A young squaw, still a Catholic, but who had been 
 enlightened by the Gospel, went to confession ; the 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 123 
 
 father confessor put one of those questions that will 
 make virtue blush. She immediately answered by 
 slapping him in the face and left this box of iniquity 
 forever. 
 
 It was noticeable that during the troubles at Oka 
 the Catholic Indians were never punished for cutting 
 timber or anything else ; they were the pets of Rome 
 and hence escaped her malignant hate. 
 
 The Protestant Indians, avoiding as much as possible 
 giving their persecutors any cause for making arrests, 
 and Rome finding no way in which she could trouble 
 them, at last invented a plan by which the Indian 
 should feel her hate. Many of the Indians had very 
 good gardens and had fenced them in ; they depended 
 on their gardens for a part of their living. One day 
 the now familiar face of the sheriff and his bulldogs 
 were seen in the village, and the question on every lip 
 was, What are they going to do ? 
 
 We were not left very long in doubt as to their 
 intentions. They proceeded to the house of Chief 
 Joseph and began to pull down his fence. The chief, 
 who was working a short distance away, came up and 
 asked what he had better do. I told him to keep 
 quiet and I would go and see these men. 
 
 Arriving on the scene I found the work of demoli- 
 tion going on. I demanded the sheriff's authority for 
 pulling down the fence and destroying the man's prop- 
 erty. He said, " I have the authority of the court." 
 
 His answer reminded me of a story I heard of an 
 Irishman who had a case in court. On being asked if 
 he lost it, " Shure thin," said Pat, " how could I gain 
 
124 LIFE OF ItEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 it whin the coort is in hell and the devil the judge ?" 
 So it was with the Indians : the court was in the pay 
 and under the influence of Rome, hence the injustice 
 the poor Indians had to suffer. 
 
 I gave the papal bullies a piece of my mind ; it was 
 getting so warm for them that one of them stepped 
 up to me as if he would strike. A young Indian 
 standing near, and seeing the movement, stepped up 
 and told the bully if he touched me he would mark 
 him for life. Another of those bullies attempted to 
 kick a squaw. I told him not to touch her ; " if she did 
 anything that deserves punishment arrest her, but you 
 shan't abuse her." 
 
 They had now completed their work of destruction 
 and were leaving the place ; as soon as they were out 
 of sight the squaws began to rebuild the fence. 
 During the whole transaction the Indians had exem- 
 plified in their conduct that meekness and Christian 
 fortitude which is born of firm trust in God. They 
 gave us an example of Christian calmness worthy the 
 imitation of their white brothers. Some of the more 
 warlike spirits said to me, "The priests may be thankful 
 that we have been taught of God that we are not now 
 Catholics. If we had not known the love of God we 
 would scalp every priest in the Seminary." 
 
 Thus we see that the Gospel can make even the 
 savage nature as gentle as the child. They forget 
 revenge and only love and pity for their enemies exist 
 where formerly their nature would lead them to make 
 the blood of their enemies pay for the injustice done 
 them. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 125 
 
 On the Sabbath following this trouble we had our 
 meeting as usual. After our meeting was over, we 
 were surprised to see flames issuing from the shed ad- 
 joining our house. We hastened to put the fire out, 
 and after a hard struggle we conquered. Had we been 
 half an hour later our home would have been in ashes. 
 
 The Seminary at length imagined it had struck a 
 deathblow to Protestantism in Oka. It had by one 
 of her gigantic swindling operations got an action 
 against the chief of the Iroquois for building a church 
 on a piece of property which it claimed to own, although 
 the Indians had been in peaceable possession for a hun- 
 dred and fifty years. 
 
 The whole operation by which the Seminary got 
 this action was a legal farce. Mr. Maclaren, the 
 Indians' legal adviser, was at the court when the trial 
 was to take place, but the other party did not appear ; 
 the second court the same thing happened, the non- 
 appearance of the lawyer of the Seminary. It was 
 arranged by this court that Mr. Maclaren should 
 receive legal notice of the appearing of the lawyers of 
 the Seminary. At the next court the trial was held ; 
 the Romish tools were there, but they did not notify 
 Mr. Maclaren, and thus they had everything their own 
 way, and got a judgment in their own favor. They 
 afterwards tried to prove that they had notified Mr. 
 Maclaren, but they failed to do so, and the failure cost 
 them three hundred dollars. 
 
 The Indians were now to suffer their greatest loss 
 and their Christian principles put to the greatest test 
 they had ever received. 
 
126 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 One afternoon I was suddenly startled by a man 
 coming with all haste to my house, and from his 
 manner I could see he was the bearer of evil tidings. 
 When within hearing, he shouted, " Oh, Mr. Parent, 
 they are pulling down our church." (See page 157.) 
 Although prepared for almost any outrage on the part 
 of Rome, this news was like an electric shock to me. 
 I said to the man, " Go back, and when it is half down 
 come and tell me." I did not think I could bear the 
 scene. When they had nearly completed their work. 
 I went to the church, and what a scene of destruction 
 met my eyes. 
 
 Here lay the ruins of a building that cost me many 
 prayers and much labor, the result of earnest work and 
 self-sacrifice of those persecuted Indians ; the house 
 in which the Gospel was preached now a mass of 
 debris, the result of papal hate and jealousy. None 
 can describe my feelings but those who have passed 
 through similar scenes. 
 
 But I had to control my feelings and give attention 
 to the Indians. I could see by the flashing eye and 
 heaving bosom of the chief and his people that the old 
 warlike spirit of the Iroquois was being awakened. 
 
 The chief came to me and said, " We will shoot 
 these dogs ; we will suffer no longer." " No," said I, 
 " if you did you would be hung, and your life is worth 
 more than theirs." It required all my influence to keep 
 him from putting his threat into execution ; but, by 
 the grace of God, bloodshed was avoided, and we were 
 able to leave the punishment of these papal demons 
 in the hands of Him to whom alone vengeance belongs. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 127 
 
 This was indeed a day of mourning ; the tears were 
 coursing down the dusky cheeks of men and women, 
 while I could not refrain from weeping. " Ah, Rome, 
 thou hideous monster in the garb of religion, for every 
 tear thou hast caused you shall give a blood drop and 
 your fancied victory shall be but the destruction of 
 your power. And this work of destruction shall sink 
 you deeper in perdition, so deep that as those you have 
 thus caused to weep cleave the air of glory on angel 
 pinions, they shall catch your wail of eternal despair.'' 
 
 We were having success in our work, although 
 meeting with such opposition. Our Sabbath-school had 
 increased rapidly, and many of the children used their 
 influence to get their parents to attend, and in many 
 instances were successful. Thus, the good seed was 
 being scattered, and the influence of Rome, even among 
 those who were still under her rule, was gradually 
 growing weaker. 
 
 As an instance of this a woman who was as yet a 
 Roman Catholic, and an eye-witness of the destruction 
 of our church, came to our house and asked if I would 
 take her into the Church, giving as her reasons that 
 she did not think the Catholic religion good, or it 
 would not do such deeds. 
 
 " But," she said, " your religion is good ; it makes 
 the Indian better ; he does not get drunk and beat his 
 squaw ; the whole village is changed ; the Indians do 
 not get drunk and fight like they used to before you 
 came here." 
 
 The Indians very often during these troubles would 
 say the priest might be thankful they were Methodists. 
 
128 LIFE OF xtEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 To show the genuineness of the work on the charac- 
 ter of the Indian, I will relate the following incidents: 
 
 An Indian named Nicola got burned out, and lost 
 everything he had. A short time after, a Scotchman 
 gave him a barrel of flour and some other things to 
 help him in his trouble. This man lived across the 
 river. On Saturday he asked Nicola if he would carry 
 him across the river on Sabbath, and offered him money 
 to induce him to do it. But the Indian, true to his 
 principles, said if he would wait until Monday he 
 would carry him over for nothing. 
 
 The man was so struck with the fidelity of this 
 Christian Indian that he made it known to the whole 
 tribe, and put five dollars on the collection plate. 
 
 Another Indian was travelling on the train. A 
 man who was sitting near him pulled a flask out of 
 his pocket, and asked him if he would not take a 
 drink. The Indian said, " No, I do not drink." " Well," 
 said the man, " it will not hurt you." The Indian 
 said, " It may not hurt me ; but there are many others 
 whom it does hurt, therefore I will not use it." The 
 man raised the window of the car and threw the 
 bottle as far as he could. About three weeks after 
 this the Indian received a silver watch accompanied 
 with a letter stating the sender's pleasure in thus 
 recording fidelity to principle. 
 
 And yet these men whose fidelity to principle 
 is worthy of imitation were treated as dogs. The 
 wife of one of them went to the Seminary to purchase 
 some flour ; it chanced to be a bag she had purchased 
 from them, having their mark on it; the clerk immedi- 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 129 
 
 ately tried to keep the bag. The woman would not 1 
 give it up, she having bought and paid for it. 
 
 This fiend in human form seized her by the hair, 
 threw her down and abused her unmercifully. Why 
 this inhuman treatment of this woman? simply because 
 she fought for her rights. It seems to me, dear reader, 
 that Canadians ought to blush for very shame when 
 a power such as Rome is allowed to abuse the wives 
 of the children of the land we love. 
 
 Let every loyal shout be hushed, every Canadian 
 banner be furled, every tribute of praise to our liber- 
 ties be silenced, until Canada's sons shall make the 
 haughty brow of Rome touch the dust at the feet of 
 Justice, pleading in humble submission for the rights 
 she denied to others. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THUS far I have been leading you, step by step, into 
 the inner court of papal Rome ; now we shall see she 
 will resort to any measure that will accomplish her 
 end. 
 
 The Indians one day summoned a council cf the 
 tribe for the purpose of considering the advisability 
 of rebuilding the fence around the commons. Forty- 
 five Indians met at this council, and it was decided to 
 rebuild. Rome, ever on the alert, and watching for 
 an opportunity by which the Indians might be driven 
 from their homes, at once procured warrants to 
 arrest them. The Indians decided this time to resist 
 
130 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 the officers, and for this purpose began to organize 
 and prepare the defence. Some years previous the 
 Government had given the Indians a small cannon. 
 When they began to turn their backs on Rome she 
 took the cannon from them, placing it where it could 
 not be found by the Indians. By some means Chief 
 Joseph had learned its whereabouts. It was found 
 in the cellar of a French -Canadian, and he told the 
 Indians they could get it when his wife was out. 
 The Indians watched the house closely, and as soon 
 as the man's wife, who was a devout Catholic, left 
 the house, they immediately removed the cannon. 
 They then brought the cannon to the school-house. 
 Chief Joseph advised them to go home, but the young 
 men wanted to load and fire it off for their own 
 amusement. For this purpose they started for the 
 wharf, where they usually set it off. 
 
 On their way to the wharf they noticed flames 
 issuing from a stable belonging to the Seminary. 
 They thought, by firing the cannon, it would give the 
 alarm, and they immediately fired. After giving the 
 alarm, the Indians ran to assist in putting out the 
 fire. Here was an example of doing good for evil. 
 After all their sufferings at the hands of Rome, they 
 were willing to help her in her hour of trouble ; but 
 alas ! this child of the devil, with a robe of self- 
 righteousness on, immediately threw the guilt on the 
 shoulders of those who would aid her in saving her 
 stolen property. Just as the Indians reached the 
 stable they saw a Frenchman coming out of it, look- 
 ing around as if to see if he was noticed. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 131 
 
 I had gone to Montreal, and came back late in the 
 evening with Mr. Flint, the Witness reporter. I had 
 not heard of the fire until about four o'clock in 
 the morning, when I was awakened by the cannon, 
 and I then saw the fire just above the roof of the 
 stable. I immediately thought that trouble would 
 follow. From my knowledge of Rome, I knew she 
 would try and implicate the Indians. Subsequent 
 events proved my conjectures correct, and that I was 
 not mistaken in papal character. Fourteen Indians 
 were immediately arrested, an inquest was held, and 
 fourteen innocent men were sent to jail. 
 
 The conduct of the Indians in this trying ordeal 
 was above reproach. While in jail they kept up their 
 prayer-meeting, and the time was passed in singing 
 the praises of Him who has said, <c I will not leave 
 you comfortless." Could such men be guilty of such 
 a crime ? We answer, No ! Chief Joseph now began 
 to translate the New Testament into Iroquois, com- 
 pleting the four Gospels. 
 
 It might be interesting to the reader to know the 
 conduct of the police who were chosen by Rome for 
 this work of arresting the Indians. 
 
 A policeman entered the house of an Indian to arrest 
 him, the man was not at home. This man asked the 
 woman where he was. She replied she did not know. 
 He then started to go upstairs to find him, and the 
 woman told him he was not there. Now, this fiend 
 struck the woman and felled her to the floor, where 
 she lay unconscious while her husband was carried to 
 prison. This same monster went to another house to 
 
132 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 arrest the only son of a widow. The woman began to 
 plead with him in her own language, the tears stream- 
 ing down her furrowed cheeks ; but instead of being 
 moved by her tears he struck her in the face and 
 knocked her down. This inhuman work was all done 
 thirty-six miles from the city of Montreal, and by the 
 consent of an organization that the world calls Chris- 
 tian, but whose principles are such as would make the 
 arch-fiend blush to own her as his child. 
 
 When the news of our troubles reached Montreal 
 many of our friends came to see us. I was busy pre- 
 paring beds for our guests, when I was suddenly 
 startled by the entrance of a large stone. It was 
 thrown through the window, and without doubt aimed 
 at myself. The stone passed close to my head and 
 made a large hole in the wall on the other side of the 
 room. 
 
 My wife, who was sitting at a window, saw a 
 policeman running away from the house just as the 
 stone entered ; he was a large man and wore a badge 
 on his breast. This happened about nine o'clock p.m. ; 
 about ten minutes after this I sent for the chief police- 
 man to protect my house, and what was my surprise 
 to find the same man sent whom my wife had seen 
 running away from the house immediately after the 
 stone had been thrown. When I spoke to this man 
 about the outrage, he denied having anything to do 
 with it. This same man let the lie out a short time 
 afterwards. He and his companion were overheard 
 talking about the matter, and they wished that Parent 
 was killed. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 133 
 
 My son, who was in the village during the time the 
 police were there, heard this bully say that he would 
 kill that Parent before he went to Quebec. The 
 evidence I had was so clear that I would have had no 
 trouble to convict him for trying to kill me, but after 
 some persuasion by my friends I consented to let the 
 case drop ; and the Lord took the matter from the 
 hands of human justice, and issued a writ for the man 
 to appear at the bar of judgment. Just before I got 
 the warrant, this man went to Quebec, and was shot 
 dead without a moment's warning. 
 
 The trials of these sons of the forest seemed to give 
 greater impetus to the Word of God ; the spiritual in- 
 terests of our mission at Oka were never better. In 
 our prayer-meetings and public services conversions 
 were taking place, and while the prisoners made the 
 walls of their cell resound with hymns of praise, those 
 who were free took up the strain and made the walls 
 of the home of their persecutors tremble with their 
 vibration. 
 
 One evening the Notary Public came to my house 
 with an official-looking document, the contents of which 
 informed me I must leave within twenty-four hours. 
 I immediately went to Montreal and asked the advice 
 of a lawyer concerning the matter ; he advised me to 
 pay no attention to it, and I heard no more about the 
 matter. I received advice from many friends telling 
 me the sooner I left Oka the more certain would I be 
 of my life. One night when I was away from home, 
 and no one in the house but my wife and children, 
 they were awakened by hearing a noise downstairs. 
 
134 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 My wife, putting her trust in God, went down, but 
 when she got half-way the midnight prowlers escaped 
 through the window. 
 
 After this the Indians would come and watch the 
 house all night, keeping guard over the home of 
 the missionary. As another instance of Rome's cruelty 
 I will relate the following incident : An Indian 
 woman was lying in bed with a babe a few days old. 
 The priest ordered her to leave the house ; the woman 
 in her trouble sent for me ; her husband being away, 
 she asked me what she had better do. I told her to 
 remain where she was, as I did not think the priest 
 would insist on her leaving in her present condition. 
 But such fear had the Indians of Rome's hatred that 
 the poor woman being weak fainted away as the 
 horrors of being at the mercy of the priest came 
 before her. The voices of hundreds of these poor perse- 
 cuted souls persecuted for what ? for daring to exer- 
 cise the right to worship the Lord, to pay homage at 
 the shrine of the Eternal instead of some consecrated 
 image cry out from their tombs for the lovers of 
 liberty to rescue them from the grasp of papal hate ; 
 and shall we as Protestants, as Christians, let those 
 notes of despair lose themselves in the vault of Chris- 
 tian indifference ? No, a thousand times no ; let every 
 voice take up the echo and sing : 
 
 Rescue the Indians, care for their sighing, 
 Snatch them in pity from Popery's sway ; 
 ^'eep o'er the suffering ones, save from oppression, 
 Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save. 
 
 Chorus Rescue the Indians, hark to their wailing, 
 Jesus is merciful, Jesus will save. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 135 
 
 Down in the Indian's heart, crushed by Rome's power, 
 Feelings lie buried that grace can restore ; 
 Touched by a loving heart, wakened by kindness, 
 Chords that were broken will vibrate once more. 
 
 Rulers of Canada, duty doth summon you, 
 Succor the red man, stand up in your might ; 
 Shake off indifference in the name of the Highest, 
 Show to oppressors you dare to do right. 
 
 Rescue the Indians, duty demands it, 
 Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide ; 
 From persecution quickly relieve them, 
 Show the poor Indian the Queen's on their side. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 WE are living in an age and under a flag that protects 
 the liberties of the individual. Were a stranger to 
 say anything to the contrary we would immediately 
 resent the statement as an insult to our nation and 
 teach him that our assertion concerning our liberties 
 is true. Yet, strange as it may seem, there is a power 
 antagonistic to our boasted freedom that makes abject 
 slaves of the sons and daughters of Canada. Yea, 
 even makes the rulers of our fair land to serve at her 
 shrine, while she wraps around them her shackles of 
 serfdom. Let every loyal Canadian heart wake up to 
 the fact that this power is usurping the rights that 
 have been given us as a sacred legacy by those who 
 purchased our freedom with their blood. 
 
 Let the following prove the true character of this 
 
136 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 power: Some of our Indians had quite a distance to come 
 to meeting. One evening as they were on their way 
 to our meeting, it being dark, they met a number of 
 Rome's followers all armed with guns ; they fired on 
 the Indians ; the women were nearly frightened to 
 death, but fortunately, owing to the darkness, none 
 were hurt. Finding all their efforts vain to keep 
 the Indians from a knowledge of the Gospel, they 
 tried to keep them from going to hear it. Through 
 the providence of God the very means they used to 
 hinder the work of the Gospel, became a power for 
 good ; it reflected the true character of the Papacy, 
 and even the mind of the Indian caught a glimpse of 
 its hideousness, and drove him to Christ for refuge. 
 After this attempt by Rome to murder the Protestant 
 Indians, many of those who were Catholics left the 
 Church and joined our little band. 
 
 A short time after this, one of the Catholic Indians 
 came to me and asked me if I would take him into the 
 Church. I asked him why he wanted to leave his 
 Church, and he said, " The priests are bad men." He 
 then told me that the priest had offered him a farm, 
 and promised to support his wife and family for two 
 years it' he would kill me. I asked him why he did not 
 doit. He said, " I could not, you are too good a man." 
 I took this man into the Church and never had reason 
 to regret it; he became a thorough Christian. 
 
 It has been said that the Indians are dishonest and 
 revengeful. Those who make such statements know 
 nothing about them ; a more honest, straightforward 
 character than a Christian Indian cannot be found. 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 137 
 
 I was absent from Oka for a year ; when I carae back 
 an Indian came to me and handed me a dollar. I asked 
 him what it was for, and he told me I had lent him a 
 dollar before I went away. I had been informed they 
 were revengeful, but in my dealings with them I found 
 them the very opposite; their meekness that is, of those 
 who had left Rome was proverbial. The example 
 of the Christian Indian is worthy of imitation ; they 
 gladly suffered persecution for the Master's sake, and 
 cheerfully bore the insults heaped on them by their 
 oppressors. 
 
 It is also said that the Indian is lazy, but when 
 we take into consideration their mode of living, the 
 habits to which they had been trained, if among them 
 there is found an inclination to indolence, it is not to 
 be wondered at. There are some who are industrious 
 and anxious to get along, working hard to provide for 
 their family. 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 THE year 1875 confirmed me in my opinion regarding 
 Rome's influence on our Government. The Rev. John 
 Borland, Chief Joseph Louis and myself went up the 
 Mattawan river to locate lands for the Indians. We 
 travelled nineteen days, but could find nothing but 
 rocks and swamps. We reported to the Government, 
 and we were told that in the spring we might explore 
 the French river and take the best land we could find. 
 But in the spring the Hon. Mr. Scott wrote me, 
 stating that this land was required for other purposes, 
 10 
 
138 LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 This Mr. Scott was not the Minister of the Interior 
 with whom we were dealing, but placed there to fill 
 the vacancy made by the temporary absence of the 
 Hon. Mr. Laird. This man was the tool of the Pope, 
 being one of his children, and, consequently, was not 
 friendly to our cause. I did not show this letter to the 
 Indians, they were already so discouraged by the 
 vacillations of the Government. 
 
 The Government offered to give us land for the 
 Indians in any part of Ontario that we should fix upon, 
 The Indians said to me, that if the Government wished 
 to place them in some barren region, they would not 
 go ; they preferred dying at home and be buried with 
 their fathers. But never did I hear the Indians say, 
 they wanted to leave Oka. To this place they were 
 bound by. a thousand ties : it was their home, and the 
 home of their sires, and they could not leave it. 
 
 The trial in connection with the burning of the 
 Catholic church now came off. The fourteen Indians 
 who were arrested were now to appear before the court. 
 The Seminary had forty or fifty witnesses to testify 
 against the Indians. Much against our wishes Mrs. 
 Parent and myself were also summoned as witnesses. 
 Two Indians were accused of having started the fire, 
 and the others were accused of being accessory to it. 
 
 One of the Protestant Indians was in Montreal just 
 before the court began, and a priest offered him fifty 
 dollars if he would swear the Indians guilty. The 
 poor savage said to this enlightened holy father and 
 pillar of an infallible Church, " I cannot swear that, 
 because it is not true." 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT.* 139 
 
 One of the Indians said to a man, "Why don't 
 you do what the priest wants you to ? I have sworn 
 just as the father wanted me to, and I got my fifty 
 dollars, and you will get it too." This same hireling 
 of Rome afterwards swore that he saw two Indians on 
 the roof of the stable, one of them pouring oil on, and 
 the other igniting it. We had fifteen witnesses who 
 testified that they saw this man coming out of his 
 house about four o'clock, and asking where the fire 
 was. After being cross-questioned by our lawyer, he 
 admitted he was about four acres from the fire, and 
 between him and the burning building there was 
 about forty elm trees, making it almost impossible to 
 see the building at all. But this man swore in the 
 interests of the Pope, and could easily obtain an indul- 
 gence, and get a free pass to heaven. The conscience 
 of Rome's followers is exceedingly elastic when her 
 interests are at stake, hence we need not be surprised 
 at an abundance of false swearing. 
 
 They also accused Chief Joseph to be one of the 
 fourteen who set fire to the building; but it was 
 proved that he was in a boat about half-a-mile from 
 the fire. 
 
 On coming to the fire the chief ordered the Pro- 
 testant Indians to come away, or they would be 
 accused of mischief. Some of the Indians seemed 
 pleased to see this building destroyed, and when the 
 bell fell they shouted for joy. 
 
 The trial was a farce from beginning to end, the 
 judge favoring the priests as much as possible : Rome's 
 money, and Rome's political influence bore down the 
 
140 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 scales of Justice. The Protestant Indians had no 
 money, and those who should have been their friends 
 were afraid of Roman power. But the few friends 
 they had were loyal to their interests, and did all they 
 could for them, and through the efficient work of our 
 lawyer the court closed without bringing a bill against 
 them. The Indians were let out on bail to appear at 
 the next court. 
 
 During the interim between the courts, the Lord 
 gave us showers of blessings, many were converted, 
 and many more left the Church of Rome, and came 
 with us, being persuaded by the example of the Chris- 
 tian Indians it was the better way. 
 
 Owing to scarcity of work, and being prohibited 
 from cutting anything in their own land with which 
 to make lacrosse sticks, and other saleable articles, 
 many of the families were very destitute. Mrs. Parent, 
 on visiting some families, found them almost starving ; 
 she immediately crossed the river and collected some 
 provisions for those who needed them most. The 
 officiating priest, in preaching one Sunday, said they 
 ought not to leave their good mother the Church. One 
 man spoke up and said he did not consider her very 
 good. The priest immediately ordered him to be put 
 out. When outside, this man explained himself by 
 saying that this good mother ate all her children up 
 by taking all their earnings to keep her. Many of 
 our Protestant people would be surprised at some of 
 the stories that are told of the doings of the holy 
 fathers in the Province of Quebec. 
 
 A man told me the following story, and said it was 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAKD PARENT. 141 
 
 true : A child of Rome went to confession, and among 
 other sins he confessed he had stolen a pig. The 
 priest asked him if it was worth a dollar. The man said 
 yes. " Well," said the priest, " put your money in 
 that box and I will pay the man for his pig." The 
 man put two dollars in the box. The priest asked 
 him why he did that. The man said they were so 
 cheap he thought he would try it again. 
 
 The time had now arrived for another trial of the 
 Indians, but it was but a repetition of the first. 
 There was no bill found, and the Indians were again 
 let out on bail. To show the kind of law the judge 
 believed in when working for Rome, I will relate the 
 case of a Protestant Frenchman. This man's uncle 
 who was a Catholic died ; he went to the priest and 
 asked him much he would take to bury his uncle. 
 The priest stated the price, the man furnishing the 
 candles. After the funeral, the man sent for the re- 
 mainder of the candles, but the priest would not give 
 them up. The man then sued the priest, but the 
 judge decided the case against him because it was 
 customary, and custom became law. 
 
 Yet though it was customary for the Indians to use 
 the land at Oka, and cut what they wanted, in their 
 case it never became law. Now, why would the rule 
 not work in both cases ? Simply, because the judge 
 was courting the favor of Rome, and filling his coffers 
 with Rome's ill-gotten gains. 
 
 One night I was called to marry a couple on the 
 other side of the river. Mrs. Parent went with me. 
 It was very dark. When we got about half-way 
 
142 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 across the wind began to blow very hard sometimes 
 it seemed as if the canoe could never reach the shore ; 
 but knowing we were in our Father's care we felt 
 safe. We reached the shore in safety, performed the 
 ceremony, and started another matrimonial ship across 
 the ocean of life. 
 
 One day, a short time after this, a Roman Catholic 
 came to me and asked me if I could give him some- 
 thing to eat, as he was starving. I asked him why 
 he did not go to the priest. He said he had been 
 there, and the priest sent him away and told him 
 when he was nearly starved he would give him a few 
 potatoes. This man was the one who swore so strongly 
 for Rome at the trial. 
 
 Thus does Rome treat her people. When this 
 gigantic corpse of religion is dissected by the scalpel 
 of Justice, arid its true nature revealed in the judg- 
 ment, it seems to me that the gates of heaven will 
 have to be tightly closed, or the stench of the car- 
 case, poisoned by her evil deeds, would taint the air of 
 heaven. Yes, the sweet aroma wafted from the 
 amaranthine homes of Beulah would leave a deadly 
 miasma, and angels flitting by on golden pinions 
 would cry, " Unclean !" 
 
 In all our work we were very much encouraged by 
 the practical sympathy of our friends not only 
 Methodist, but also other denominations, especially 
 our Presbyterian friends. 
 
 I would also remember with gratitude the valuable 
 assistance of John Dougal, the editor of the Montreal 
 Witness a man of sterling character, one who was 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 143 
 
 not afraid to champion the cause of justice, but who, 
 through the columns of his paper, became a trumpet, 
 the notes of which reverberated the tidings of papal 
 hate throughout the Dominion, and awakened a slum- 
 bering people to the fact that they were pressing to the 
 bosom of our Dominion a viper that is only watching 
 for a favorable moment to insert its poisonous fangs 
 into the vitals of a young nation, and leave her corpse 
 bleaching on the field of the world's history ; and then, 
 looking on the ruin, in triumph exclaim, "I have 
 conquered !" 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 ANOTHER trial of the Indians. This time the case 
 was to be tried at Aylmer, about one hundred miles 
 from Oka. I came very near being placed in a bad 
 position at this trial. The bail required for the 
 Indians was very heavy, amounting in all to twenty- 
 eight thousand dollars. I was personally responsible 
 for a part of it. One of those Indians had no horse, 
 and could not hire one. He came to me and told 
 me it was impossible for him to go. I immediately 
 went in search of a horse, and after much trouble suc- 
 ceeded in procuring one. Thus I got out of my diffi- 
 culty. I afterwards learned that the gentlemen of 
 the Seminary had forbidden the people to give me a 
 horse. 
 
 On arriving at Aylmer we had some difficulty pro- 
 
144 LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 
 
 viding a home for the Indians ; the Catholics had used 
 their influence to keep the people from assisting us. 
 They told all sorts of stories concerning the Indians, 
 and the people were really afraid to have anything to 
 do with them. Through the providence of God we 
 were successful at last ; the people from the surround- 
 ing country gave us bed-clothes and provisions and we 
 got along nicely. 
 
 This trial was something like the others ; it was on 
 the principle that the end justify the means, and hence 
 only a cartoon on justice. 
 
 On Sabbath we had a meeting in our church at 
 Aylmer ; the Rev. Mr. Hammond was pastor in charge 
 a noble man, who treated us with brotherly kind- 
 ness. After the service I asked a brother of Chief 
 Joseph to speak. One man said to me after hearing 
 him, "If there is religion, that man has it." 
 
 The persecution of the Indians opened the eyes of 
 our people to the real character of their oppressors* 
 and those who were induced to think the vileness of 
 Rome exaggerated were now convinced of its reality. 
 
 At one time the Indians made money by hunting. 
 Beaver fur was very dear, being worth $7.00 a pound. 
 One man, a good hunter, caught 500 Ibs. in one season. 
 When they returned from the hunt it took nearly all 
 their money to pay the Church for its prayers, and 
 the remainder was spent in whiskey. This was while 
 they were children of Rome. 
 
 At one of our trials there were six Roman Catholic 
 and six Protestant Indians ; out of the six Catholic 
 Indians only one could sign his name, while five out of 
 
LIFE OF REV. AM AND PARENT. 145 
 
 the six Protestants signed theirs. This fact is signifi- 
 cant, and proves that Rome took very little pains to 
 instruct them, rather keeping them in their primitive 
 state of ignorance. 
 
 CHAPTER XX. 
 
 THE Conference of 1879 now assembled. At my own 
 request I was sent to the Waterloo District. The tfay 
 ajb length arrived when we should leave Oka, and I 
 confess it was hard to part with the Indians. Here 
 God had wonderfully blessed our labor ; it was with 
 fears within and lightings without that the battle had 
 been carried on for eight years. Viewing the battle- 
 ground now after a lapse of years, I sometimes wonder 
 how we were sustained. 
 
 Just before we left the Indians asked us if we 
 would come to the school-house ; on arriving there we 
 were surprised to find all our Indians there also. They 
 said they wished to bid us goodbye. We were then 
 placed near the door, and all of them with tears in their 
 eyes gave us their farewell. My heart was too full to 
 speak, and while the tear glistened on the dusky cheek 
 of men whose stoicism is proverbial, we were deeply 
 moved. They followed us to the wharf, and as the 
 boat bore us away from the scene of our trials and 
 triumphs they shouted a last farewell. But we trust that 
 in. that land of eternal peace, when the grand old Gos- 
 pel ship drops anchor 'neath its golden portals, the 
 first to meet us will be the once dusky sons of the 
 
146 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 forest, whose war-whoop had been changed by the Gos- 
 pel to a song of peace, and who, for the sake of Christ, 
 bore insult an*d injury with Christian meekness and 
 humility. 
 
 The following is the Rev. John Borland's report of 
 our work at Oka : 
 
 " Our Indian Mission work is an object of growing 
 interest. Oka still gives thanks to God for her 
 supplies of grace, and to the many friends who have 
 neve.r grown weary of helping a long-suffering and 
 Christ-living people. The long-continued oppression 
 and wrongs they are made to endure have compelled 
 several families to seek a refuge of quiet and subsist- 
 ence in some other place ; but those who remain still 
 maintain a good confession of faith before many 
 witnesses of the grace that sanctifies their hearts. 
 
 "Brother Parent, who, with his wife, has rendered 
 invaluable services to this people, both in temporal and 
 spiritual matters, for a period of eight years, is now 
 about to sever his connection to enter another sphere 
 of labor. Our hope is that his successor will take his 
 mantle and render to those Indians the judicious and 
 faithful ministration and supervision they have so 
 signally had from his predecessor." I will now give 
 an extract of my own report at the close of my labors. 
 
 " The year now closing is the eighth I have spent 
 on this mission. I look back over the years with feel- 
 ings of gratitude to God ; His continued presence has 
 cheered me amid the many complicated and fierce 
 trials through which I have passed, while His grace, 
 so manifested in the conversion of souls and support 
 
LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PARENT. 147 
 
 of this interesting people, has strengthened and quick- 
 ened me for the labors of each succeeding year. Our 
 Sabbath and week-day services have been well 
 attended. The prayer-meetings have been special 
 seasons of delight and refreshing. The Sabbath and 
 week-day schools have maintained their interest for 
 good. In the former is an adult class which I have 
 regularly taught ; Mrs. Parent and my daughter having 
 supervision of the others. We have lost by death 
 five, and by removal forty-three ; our present mem- 
 bership is two hundred and thirty-two." 
 
 During the latter part of this year my attention 
 was called to a French settlement, named St. Mark. 
 It is about fifteen miles from Oka. A colporteur 
 visited this place and his labors were productive of 
 good results. I have visited this place and find a 
 work of much promise going on. Our meetings are of 
 a most delightful character ; four are truly converted 
 to God, while quite a number are earnestly seeking for 
 Gospel light. Several of these are in prominent posi- 
 tions in the place. It would be well to give them 
 regular preaching and continue the work now begun. 
 
 There are a few names that will always be held in 
 pleasant remembrance by myself and family in con- 
 nection with our work at Oka, such as Mr. G. Young, 
 Dr. Burs, Messrs. Morton, Armstrong and Parks men 
 who by their practical sympathy nobly assisted us. 
 
 We were now settled down in our new home, a 
 pleasant village about one hundred miles from the 
 scene of our former labors. It was a marked change ; 
 here we have associates with whom we can converse 
 
148 LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 in our own language. A pleasant parsonage and com- 
 fortable home, hence we have felt it was a rest and 
 relief from the work of the past years. 
 
 Here in Waterloo I found one family of French 
 Methodists and two Baptist families ; the Baptists 
 moved away shortly after I came. My work here was 
 visiting the families to whom I could gain access. I 
 also visited South Stukely and established services in 
 the house of my brother-in-law, who was driven from 
 St. Cesaire by persecution. 
 
 Much good was done here, but those who left the 
 Church of Rome went to the States to avoid persecu- 
 tion. This constant removal of the converts from 
 Rome is the cause of the seeming non-success of the 
 French mission. 
 
 The Roman Catholics of this place had heard of me 
 at Oka and were up in arms, and their antagonism 
 was fed by the priest. Meeting with one of them he 
 thus accosted me : " So you are the man that caused 
 those good fathers at Oka so much trouble." " No, my 
 friend," I said : " they were the cause of the trouble. 
 I went to help them make good men of the Indians 
 and they did not like it. The priest said he could 
 pardon their sins, and I said no man can do this but 
 Christ, and this is why they began the trouble." 
 
 In the year 1880 we were again summoned to 
 Aylmer in connection with the trial of the Indians. 
 Through the efforts of Mr. Maclaren the Indians were 
 all discharged and the case finished, we hope forever, 
 as far as human courts are concerned, but woe to the 
 oppressor when they stand arraigned before that 
 
LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PARENT. 149 
 
 Judge with whom no chicanery of Rome will prevail, 
 and to whom all secrets are open. 
 
 Then will the Indian soar on golden pinions above 
 the ruins of the man of sin and forever sing the 
 triumphs of the Cross. 
 
 A man came to me who lived in the township of 
 Ely. He asked me if I would go out to his neighbor- 
 hood and preach occasionally. He showed me a 
 petition containing a number of names requesting me 
 to come and preach for them. After making further 
 inquiries I found that there were two Methodist fami- 
 lies residing in the place who had come from the 
 States, and also three families from the Baptist 
 Church. I asked these people if they were Baptists. 
 They said, as far as the mode of baptism was con- 
 cerned, they were ; " but we do not believe in exclud- 
 ing any Christian from the sacraments." They then 
 asked me if I would take them into the Methodist 
 Church and become their pastor. I wrote to Mr. 
 Borland, asking him what I ought to do in the matter, 
 and he answered, " Take them in." 
 
 I then organized a class of eighteen members, and 
 began regular services. Our work was blessed, and 
 souls were converted. Our Baptist friends, however, 
 could not leave the question of the mode of baptism 
 at rest. A young married man, who was converted 
 in our meetings, wished to be baptized. The Baptists 
 persuaded him that he would have to go under the 
 water and thus this disturbing element came in. 
 I preached on the subject, and the man decided, much 
 to the sorrow of the Baptists, to be sprinkled. 
 
150 LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PAKENT. 
 
 Some people blamed me for going there because 
 there was a Baptist church there, but I do not think 
 any blame can be attached to me. I simply went 
 there by express invitation of the people. 
 
 This trouble about baptism taught me more forcibly 
 than ever the necessity of instructing the converts 
 from Roman error in the doctrine of the Word of God. 
 
 I well remember, in the year 1841, while in the 
 State of Massachusetts, two men came from Boston 
 and began to preach that the end of time had come. 
 These men had a great influence over me. Knowing 
 as I did very little about the Bible, I was easily in- 
 fluenced. It is imperative that those coming out 
 from papal darkness have the light of God's Word to 
 guide them, that the sophisms and evils of religious 
 tramps may be seen by them. 
 
 After laboring two years at this place I was sent 
 to Roxton, a former charge. I found it very much 
 changed. Babes had become men since I had left, and 
 the whole place gave evidence of the industry of its 
 inhabitants. 
 
 The township of Roxton has been blessed by the 
 preaching of the gospel. We have there now about 
 fifty French-Canadian families who are Protestants, 
 and many have gone from there to Lake Huron and 
 the Eastern States. There is no place in which our 
 people have such an influence. At one appointment 
 we have a class of fifty members. They meet in a 
 school-house. My brother was the first man to break 
 from the chains of Rome, and he immediately began 
 itinerative work, reading the Bible to the people in 
 
LIFE OF REV. AMAND PARENT. 151 
 
 their houses ; thus beginning a work that to-day has 
 grown to wonderful results. While holding meetings 
 in this place a man, who was a member of the Church 
 of England, asked some of our converts if they would 
 not rather join his Church. They said, " No ; it is too 
 much like Rome." 
 
 I caught a very severe cold this year, and was con- 
 fined to my bed for some time ; but the Lord raised 
 me up, and I again engaged in my much-loved work. 
 
 I opened another appointment at Shefford Moun- 
 tain, where, I trust, much good has been done, not- 
 withstanding the usual hostility of the priesthood. 
 Some were converted and made to rejoice in a know- 
 ledge of the truth as it is in Jesus. 
 
 My experience has taught me that we can reach 
 the Roman Catholics more readily in a private than 
 in a public house. They are afraid their neighbors 
 will see them, and tell the priest if they go to a 
 church or school-house. One man said to me, " If I 
 had your religion I would be glad." A wealthy man, 
 in the parish of St. Cesaire, who had Protestant neigh- 
 bors, was informed by the priest that he must give 
 them a wide berth. The man said to his spiritual 
 adviser, " Is it not true that our religion is the re- 
 ligion of Christ?" "Yes," said the priest. "Well," 
 said the man, " then I am not afraid, for my religion 
 must be better than theirs." "But," said this holy 
 father, " these Protestants are so skilful in argument 
 they will make you believe black is white." Thus is 
 Rome ever ready with her sophistry to hoodwink the 
 unwary, and keep her people in darkness. 
 
152 LIFE OF KEV. AMAND PARENT. 
 
 This man, however, was determined to have a Bible 
 and learn for himself. The priest then threatened he 
 would refuse him absolution. The man obtained a 
 Bible, read it, and became convinced of the errors of 
 Rome, and immediately severed his connection with 
 her. He was afterwards converted, and became a 
 burning and shining light. 
 
 And now, dear reader, I must bring my little book 
 to a close, and as I pen the concluding lines I am 
 conscious that my work is nearly done. The vigor of 
 my youth is passing away ; and as I meet with those, 
 now men and women, whom I took as babes in my 
 arms, I know I must soon cross the river, and then 
 make my report at the throne of God. 
 
 My life has been a checkered one ; and often I have 
 been discouraged and sometimes the shadows were 
 deep, and sad seemed my path to the goal but the 
 Master would flash the light of His love on the dark- 
 ness, and I could rejoice in the midst of trouble, and 
 with David of old could exclaim, " Yea, though I 
 walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will 
 fear no evil : for Thou art with me ; Thy rod and Thy 
 staff they comfort me." 
 
 My earnest prayer now is, that the notes of the 
 grand old gospel may ring around the universe so 
 loudly that the vibrations of its power may shake the 
 foundations of the structure of Papacy until the 
 gigantic whited sepulchre shall fall a mass of ruins, 
 and on the debris shall be erected an altar of praise 
 to our God. 
 
n 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 |N the eighth day of December, 1875, the news 
 was carried to Montreal, and thence dissemi- 
 nated throughout Canada, that a little Meth- 
 odist church at the Indian village of Oka had 
 
 been torn down by an unfriendly party of "men, armed 
 
 with legal authority for this action. 
 
 THE INDIAN CHURCH BEFORE ITjWAS PULLED DOWN. 
 
 The church was an unpretending structure which 
 had been built through the voluntary contributions of 
 friends in Montreal and elsewhere. -It was unprotected 
 by trees, and, although small, being much larger than 
 
158 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 the buildings surrounding it, had formed a prominent 
 feature in the landscape. Previous to the time when 
 this church was razed to the ground, very few of 
 the thousands who yearly passed up and down the 
 Ottawa River, and whose attention was directed to 
 the village, behind which rose the remarkable bank 
 of glistening white sand that attracted the eye even 
 when miles away, knew aught of it, except that it 
 was inhabited by Indians. 
 
 To some there was pointed out that clump of trees, 
 trimmed to perfect a striking natural resemblance 
 to a bear stooping down to drink from the river, 
 and which for this reason had gained much celebrity 
 as " The Bear." All, with the exception of less 
 than a score, were ignorant of the heart-burnings 
 of those who dwelt in the little houses by the river- 
 side ; ignorant of the deep sense of injustice and 
 wrong, real or fancied, that most of them felt and still 
 feel, and that behind this little village lurked a history 
 both interesting and instructive. 
 
 It was little thought that the attention of the whole 
 Dominion would be riveted to this peaceful-looking 
 spot, and that its name would have to be mentioned 
 with discretion between friends with certain differences 
 in religious belief. In any account of the history and 
 character of the residents of Oka, the causes which 
 brought them so prominently before the public must 
 take no inferior place, and that they may be fairly 
 exhibited is the writer's desire, although that what he 
 may write will be read without prejudice he dare not 
 expect. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 159 
 
 It is possible, however, that a candid account of the 
 events, which, through the suspicious state of public 
 opinion, have assumed an importance so much above 
 what they really deserve, may lead to a fairer under- 
 standing of the questions which come to an issue 
 around this village, whose solution will be determined 
 by the most impartial judge, Time. It is a pleasant 
 task to allow the mind to wander listlessly over the 
 scenes which we may easily suppose to have been 
 transacted on the river which for ages has flowed past 
 Oka's front, and those stern ones history has handed 
 down to us. We can imagine the savage loves that 
 may have been plighted beside the smoothly-gliding 
 waters, and the fitful gleam of the camp-fires as re- 
 flected in their depths. 
 
 It is not difficult to call up the hideous contortions 
 of the " Medicine Man" as he performs his demoniacal 
 incantations, the savage war-dance, the torturing of 
 prisoners, and the self-inflicted tortures by the braves 
 to show their capacity for enduring pain, the ambus- 
 cade, the battle and the scalping-knife. 
 
 As the centuries increase in numbers the white man 
 invades the stream, the black gown of the Jesuit being 
 amongst the first garments to become associated in the 
 Indian mind with the intruders who claimed the land 
 and its owners for the Church and for France. By 
 water, by land, painfully paddling their frail canoes 
 up the stream, toiling around portages, subjecting 
 themselves to all the indignities that the rough people 
 they lived amongst thought fit to inflict not so much 
 out of unkind feeling as to learn whether the strangers 
 
160 OKA AKD ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 were gifted with endurance like their own, sleeping 
 on leafy beds which, one says, had not been made 
 up since creation, but were none the less comfort- 
 able to limbs as tired as his, they steadily advanced to 
 regions hitherto unknown to their countrymen who 
 were impelled only by the lesser incentive of gain 
 there to suffer indignities greater than ever before, but 
 still to be successful in winning many to the Cross. 
 The superstition and narrow scope of ideas of those 
 amongst whom they worked made the task a difficult 
 one, and thus the record of their labor becomes of 
 greater interest. 
 
 The principal tribes amongst whom their labor had 
 to be performed were the Iroquois, Hurons and Algon- 
 quins. The Algonquins were the natural allies of the 
 French, and adhered to them through good and evil. 
 For this they had a double reason. Although the terri- 
 tories of the tribes speaking their language covered 
 the divisions of country now known as North Virginia, 
 New Jersey, South-eastern New York, New England, 
 New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, the Province of Quebec 
 to beyond its northern boundaries, the shores of the 
 Upper Lakes, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana 
 and Kentucky, the fact that they lived by the chase 
 and migrated here and there like the patriarchs in 
 Eastern lands, and were subjected to great hardships, 
 was sufficient to prevent them from being numerically 
 strong and equal in power at the time of which we 
 speak to those red men who tilled the soil. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 161 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 CLOSELY huddled together between the southern in- 
 lets of the Georgian Bay and Lake Simcoe, in the 
 midst of the virgin woods, were found the Hurons. 
 They dwelt in towns pretty compactly built for pur- 
 poses of fortification and defence against their enemies, 
 particularly the Iroquois. Their dwellings and their 
 language would indicate that they were a branch of 
 the Iroquois stock, notwithstanding the hatred existing 
 between the two. Their towns would cover from one 
 to ten acres. The 'dwellings were huddled together 
 with little attention to convenience or order. In fact, 
 this was precluded by the manner of their construction. 
 They varied in size from thirty-five to two hundred 
 and fifty feet in length, though all were about thirty- 
 five feet broad, and as many high. 
 
 This uniformity in width must have been caused by 
 the rude frames being made of saplings, which were 
 planted in a double row and lashed together at the top 
 so as to form a Gothic arch. The roof was made by 
 binding other poles to these, transversely, and the 
 whole was covered with large sheets of bark made to 
 lap each other in layers like shingles or tiles. Under- 
 neath was a network of poles on which were hung 
 weapons, skins, ornaments, clothing, and the golden 
 harvest of the cornfields. Along the whole length of 
 the crown of the roof an opening a foot wide was left for 
 the egress of the smoke and the ingress of the light. A 
 scaffold about four feet in height, covered by thin 
 
162 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 sheets of bark and surmounted by mats and skins, 
 extended down the side of the building. On the 
 scaffold the occupants slept in summer, and beneath 
 was stored their firewood. The fires extended in a row 
 down the whole length of the building, each one 
 answering the wants of two families, whose members 
 slept around it in the winter. There being no sufficient 
 outlet for the blinding smoke, inflammation of the 
 eyes was a common disease, and many of the aged were 
 blind. Sometimes as many as twenty families lived 
 and slept in the one chamber. The moral condition 
 of these people needs no further reference. Parkman 
 describes the scene which presented itself to the Jesuit 
 pioneers of this region as follows : " He who entered on 
 a winter night beheld a strange spectacle : the vista 
 of fires lighting the smoky conclave ; the bronzed 
 groups encircling each, cooking, eating, gambling, or 
 amusing themselves with idle badinage ; shrivelled 
 squaws, hideous with threescore years of hardships ; 
 gristly old warriors, scarred with Indian war-clubs ; 
 young aspirants, whose honors were yet to be won ; 
 damsels gay with ochre and wampum ; restless children 
 pell-mell with restless dogs. Now a tongue of resinous 
 flame painted each wild feature in vivid light ; now 
 the fitful gleam expired, and the group vanished from 
 sight, as their nation has vanished from history." 
 
 The men hunted, fished, built the houses, made 
 weapons, pipes and canoes, and feasted. The women 
 in their early lives were wantons ; after marriage, 
 drudges. In early spring they gathered the firewood 
 for the season, then had to perform the tilling, sowing, 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 163 
 
 harvesting, curing of fish, the dressing of skins, making 
 of cordage and clothing, the preparation of food, and 
 on the march bore the burdens. Champlain says 
 " their women were their mules." Thus in a few 
 years after marriage the women became shrivelled 
 hags, whose ferocity and cruelty far exceeded that of 
 the men. The Indians were inveterate gamblers, and 
 often staked their all on the result of the game : one 
 village would play against the other, and an early 
 writer relates that one midwinter the men of his 
 village returned home through the snow, three feet 
 deep, without leggings and barefooted, yet in excellent 
 humor, having left these very necessary protectors 
 from the cold in the hands of the successful parties 
 in the game. 
 
 Gluttony was a science. A host would put his all 
 into a single feast and invite the village to partake. 
 If the visit were of a medical or mystical character, it 
 was necessary that each guest should eat all placed 
 before him ; failing which the gravest consequences 
 might result to him and to the nation. Prizes were 
 offered to the most rapid feeder. 
 
 After the torture of a prisoner of war, he was killed, 
 boiled and eaten. If he had been courageous, his heart 
 was roasted, and, being divided into small pieces, was 
 given to the young men and boys to increase their 
 courage. 
 
 But the greatest feast was that prescribed by the 
 Medicine-man as necessary to the patient's cure. 
 Parkman thus describes it : " The Indian doctor beat, 
 shook and pinched his patient; howled, whooped, rattled 
 
164 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 a tortoise shell at his ear to expel the evil spirit ; bit 
 him until the blood flowed, and then displayed in 
 triumph a small piece of wood, bone, or iron, which he 
 had hidden in his mouth, and which he affirmed was 
 the source of the disease, now happily removed. Some- 
 times he prescribed a dance, feast, or game, and the 
 whole village bestirred themselves to fulfil the injunc- 
 tion to the letter. They gambled away their all ; they 
 gorged themselves like vultures; they danced or played 
 ball, naked, among the snow-drifts from morning till 
 night. At a medical feast some strange or unusual 
 act was commonly enjoined as vital to the patient's 
 cure ; as, for example, the departing guest, in place of 
 the customary monosyllable of thanks, was required to 
 greet his host with an ugly grimace. 
 
 " Sometimes, by prescription, half the village would 
 throng into the house where the patient lay, led by old 
 women disguised with the heads and skins of bears, 
 and beating with sticks on sheets of dry bark. Here 
 the assembly danced and whooped for hours together, 
 with a din to which a civilized patient would promptly 
 have succumbed." 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 165 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE third tribe to which we shall refer, and by 
 far the most influential in shaping the destinies of 
 this country, was the Iroquois the Romans of the 
 western hemisphere. They were intellectually the 
 superior of the other Indian tribes, and thus proved 
 one of the primary steps offered by phrenologists, 
 inasmuch as they carried the largest heads on the con- 
 tinent previous to the advent of the whites. 
 
 It is evident that they originally consisted of one 
 tribe, which was divided into eight clans, named the 
 Wolf, Bear, Tortoise, Beaver, Deer, Snipe, Heron and 
 Hawk. Jealousy grew into discord, and discord into 
 war, until the tribe was divided into five distinct 
 nations the Mohawks, Oneidas, Onondagas, Cayugas, 
 and Senecas. 
 
 Their villages were ranged in a long line along the 
 Mohawk valley from the Hudson and Lake Champlain 
 to Niagara. Each of these nations was subdivided into 
 the above-mentioned clans, members of each of which 
 were found in all ; and on the subsequent confederation 
 of the nations, when they became known as the 
 Iroquois or Five Nations, these families reunited. This 
 formed a second bond of union of great importance to 
 the solidity of the united nation. The glory of effect- 
 ing this confederation tradition has ascribed to an 
 Onondaga chief named Atotarho, whose descendants, 
 known also by his name, subsequently held the chief 
 dignity amongst them. The confederacy was ruled by 
 
166 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 a council of fifty hereditary chiefs or sachems, belong- 
 ing to the different nations, from eight to fourteen 
 being contributed by each. 
 
 Another council, whose functions were purely civil, 
 was composed of elected chiefs, and thus was made up 
 of men who had arisen through ability, address or valor. 
 There was also a third council, which has been called 
 " The Senate." This was participated in by all qualified 
 by age and experience. This Lafitan describes as " a 
 greasy assemblage, sitting sur lem derriere, crouched 
 like apes, their knees as high as their ears, or lying, 
 some on their bellies, some on their backs, each with a 
 pipe in his mouth, discussing affairs of state with as 
 much coolness and gravity as the Spanish Junta or the 
 Grand Council of Venice." 
 
 The young warriors had their councils also, and the 
 women as well, and the opinions therein arrived at 
 were represented before the Senate, the council of old 
 men, or the Grand Council of the Sachems, by deputies 
 appointed for the purpose. Thus the system of popular 
 government was carried to an extreme, and the young 
 men were no less ambitious to be famous in the council 
 than in the battle-field and the chase. When a Grand 
 Council of special importance was called the whole 
 population would gather together. The minor councils 
 would be held as well as the general one, and the old 
 men around one fire, the young braves around another, 
 the women around a fourth, all consulting simultane- 
 ously and sending their opinions to the final court, it 
 was a wonder if the matter were not viewed from every 
 light, and no wonder that the confederacy became the 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. , 167 
 
 most powerful on the hemisphere, a marvel to even the 
 enterprising Europeans for their astuteness and the 
 union which ever existed in their movements. The 
 latter was occasioned by the fact that the council must 
 be unanimous in its decision a marvel only to be 
 accounted for by the fact that the wills of this stubborn 
 people were bent and moulded by the all -controlling 
 influence of patriotism 
 
 These people dwelt in houses like those previously 
 described, were strongly attached to the land, and, in 
 comparison with the surrounding tribes, were excellent 
 farmers. They were ferocious, taciturn and cruel to 
 their enemies, yet of a social disposition, gossipy, 
 ubiquitous visitors when at their villages, and exer- 
 cised the most unfailing hospitality. 
 
 When one was destitute all were ready to assist. 
 When a young woman was permanently married the 
 other women of the village contributed her first year's 
 store of wood, each bringing an armful. If anyone 
 was without shelter the men of the village joined in 
 building him a house. If any was without food he 
 need but enter the nearest house and sit by the fire. 
 Without a word being said, food was placed before 
 him, and he might eat his fill. Words of thanks were 
 neither given nor expected. 
 
 These tribes were the people, in their natural state, 
 amongst whom the missionaries first began their 
 labors, and without some knowledge of whom thus 
 described it would be impossible fully to understand 
 the elements which united to make a community like 
 that of Oka, where Algonquins, Hurons, and Iroquois 
 
168 , OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 dwelt side by side. On May 16th, 1535, Jacques 
 Cartier with his officers and men assembled in the 
 Cathedral of St. Malo, and received the blessing of the 
 Church on the occasion of their second voyage to 
 Canada's unkindly shore. Early in September they 
 anchored at the shore of a thickly-wooded island, now 
 known as the Island of Orleans, where the wild grapes 
 hung from the trees in generous profusion. They 
 visited Stadacone and its greasy royal ruler. Donna- 
 cona, and set sail farther up the river to Hochelaga, 
 where they found a large Indian town nestled close to 
 the foot of the mountain which now overlooks 
 Montreal, and surrounded by a palisade made by a 
 triple row of trunks of trees so arranged as to give 
 great strength, and to afford the inhabitants valuable 
 means of attack and defence. The people that inhabited 
 both of these towns were of the Huron-Iroquois race. 
 
 Sixty-eight years later Samuel de Champlain visited 
 these sites and found them deserted, and without a 
 vestige of their original grandeur remaining. In the 
 short interval circumstances had occurred which 
 plainly illustrated how great events often result from 
 insignificant causes. 
 
 In this case, as in nearly all others of moment, there 
 was a woman deeply interested. Hochelaga was a peace- 
 ful and united town when the daughter of a Seneca chief, 
 as a recent Huron writer tells us the traditions of his 
 forefathers assert, fell in love with a Huron brave. 
 The feeling was reciprocated. The Huron should have 
 known that his station was too low for him to aspire 
 to the hand of one so great as the chieftain's daughter ; 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 169 
 
 but love gives courage, and the young man proposed 
 for the lady's hand in the most approved form of those 
 days. He was refused, of course. Had the young 
 man been a Montrealer of the year 1878, he might, on 
 this, have eloped with the chief's daughter, or he might 
 have pined away and died of unrequited love. But he 
 did none of these. He took a stone tomahawk and 
 smashed out the unrelenting father's brains. The 
 result was most important. The Senecas and a por- 
 tion of the town demanded the severest vengeance for 
 the crime. The Huron family and their friends took 
 the young man's part. In a democratic country there 
 should be no distinction, and the chieftain was served 
 quite right. A war ensued, in which the Hurons and 
 their allies were victorious, and the tribes which subse- 
 quently became known as the Iroquois were driven 
 across the river to central New York, there to nurse 
 their strength and enmity to those who drove them 
 from their home. Thus, it is said, rose the enmity 
 which only ended with the extinction of the Huron 
 tribes. 
 
 Champlain's first visit was but a short one. Five 
 years after he returned to introduce the French regime, 
 which for a hundred years was to rule the destinies 
 of the country. 
 
170 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IY. 
 
 THE Iroquois, since the date of Cartier's visit, had 
 crossed to the north of the St. Lawrence and waged 
 successful warfare on the Hurons and Algonquins. 
 The former had been driven to the borders of the 
 lake which bears their name, where they founded 
 prosperous towns, though inferior to the ones left 
 behind them ; while the latter were scattered over a 
 great extent of territory, losing that strength which 
 always rests in union. Both tribes dreaded the 
 Iroquois, and feared them as they did the Evil Spirit. 
 Nothing, they thought, could stand before them. 
 
 Champlain firmly believed that on the St. Lawrence 
 he was pursuing the highroad to China with its wealth 
 and mysteries. But with a small backing he believed 
 it to be useless to attempt to reach the great unknown 
 country at the head of this river. 
 
 Olive and Hastings followed a settled policy in 
 India. They allied themselves with the weaker ruler 
 when two were at war. Their aid was ever sufficient 
 to turn the scale. But when the stronger was 
 conquered and the weaker reigned, the latter, although 
 nominally victor, was such only by the might of the 
 British arms, and required the power which raised him 
 to eminence to sustain him there. 
 
 It is possible that a similar policy presented itself 
 to Champlain's mind. Had he received even half the 
 support given to the British conquerors of India, and 
 had there been less civil power invested in the hands 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 171 
 
 of powerful ecclesiastics who soon after attained to 
 great eminence in the country, there need never have 
 been the taking of Louisburg or the defeat on the 
 Plains of Abraham. Tfe opportunity arriving, Cham- 
 plain allied himself with the Algonquins and Hurons, 
 and marched against the Iroquois. On the 28th of 
 May, 1609, he with his Algonquin and Huron allies 
 set sail from Stadacond There were but twelve 
 Frenchmen in the party, but they were armed with 
 the arquebuse a weapon which belched forth fire and 
 a leaden hail such as had never been seen in that 
 region before. They pursued their course up the St. 
 Lawrence to Sorel, up the Richelieu, past Belceil, into 
 Lake Champlain, until they had entered into the 
 country of the Iroquois. In the meantime nine of the 
 Frenchmen had returned with their shallop, because 
 of the rapids met with on the way. On the journey 
 the dreamers of the party were anxious about their 
 dreams, and the white leader was constantly tormented 
 to tell his. But like a weary man he, nightly or 
 daily as the case might be, sank into a dreamless 
 sleep, until, on the 29th of July, he in his slumbers 
 beheld the Iroquois drowning in the lake. The scene 
 was so vivid that he awoke and essayed to rescue his 
 enemies. This attracted the attention of his allies; 
 and on learning the cause they were almost beside 
 themselves with joy, for all now would be well with 
 them. 
 
 That evening they met the Iroquois near the site of 
 the present Ticonderoga. The latter, perceiving their 
 enemies, immediately took to the shore and erected 
 
172 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 rude fortifications. The allied army lashed their 
 canoes together and remained on the water within ear- 
 shot. 
 
 Thus Parkman describes the battle : " It was agreed 
 on both sides that the fight should be deferred till day- 
 break ; but meanwhile a commerce of abuse, sarcasm, 
 menace and boasting gave unceasing exercise to the 
 lungs and fancy of the combatants 'much/ says 
 Champlain, 'like besiegers and besieged in a beleagured 
 town.' 
 
 " As day approached, he and his two followers put 
 on the light armor of the time. Champlain wore the 
 doublet and long hose then in vogue. Over the doub- 
 let he buckled on a breastplate, and probably a back 
 piece, while his thighs were protected by cuirasses 
 of steel, and his head by a plumed casque. Across his 
 shoulder hung the strap of his bandoleer, or ammuni- 
 tion box ; at his side was his sword, and in his hand 
 his arquebuse, which he had loaded with four balls. 
 Such was the equipment of this ancient Indian-fighter, 
 whose exploits date eleven years before the landing of 
 the Puritans at Plymouth, and sixty-six years before 
 King Philip's war. 
 
 " Each of the three Frenchmen was in a separate 
 canoe, and as it grew light they kept themselves 
 hidden, either by lying at the bottom or covering them- 
 selves with an Indian robe. The canoes approached 
 the shore, and all landed without opposition at some 
 distance from the Iroquois, whom they presently could 
 see filing out of their barricade ; tall, strong men, some 
 two hundred in number, of the boldest and fiercest 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 173 
 
 warriors in North America. They advanced through 
 the forest with a steadiness which excited the admira- 
 tion of Champlain. Among them could be seen several 
 chiefs, made conspicuous by their tall plumes. Some 
 bore shields of wood and hide, and some were covered 
 with a kind of armor made of tough twigs, interlaced 
 with a vegetable fibre, supposed by Champlain to be 
 cotton. The allies, growing anxious, called with loud 
 cries for their champion, and opened their ranks that 
 he might pass to the front. He did so, and advancing 
 before his red companions-in-arms, stood revealed to 
 the astonished gaze of the Iroquois, who, beholding the 
 warlike apparition in their path, stared in mute amaze- 
 ment; but his arquebuse was levelled, the report startled 
 the woods, a chief fell dead, and another by his side 
 rolled among the bushes. Then there arose from the 
 allies a yell which, says Champlain, would have drowned 
 the thunder-clap, and the forest was full of whizzing 
 arrows. For a moment the Iroquois stood firm and 
 sent back- their arrows lustily; but when another and 
 another gunshot came from the thickets in their flank 
 they broke and fled in uncontrollable terror. Swifter 
 than hounds the allies tore through the bushes in pur- 
 suit. Some of the Iroquois were killed; more were 
 taken. Camp, canoes, provisions, all were abandoned, 
 and many weapons were flung down in the panic flight. 
 The arquebuse had done its work. The victory was 
 complete. 
 
 " Thus ended the battle which was instrumental in 
 raising up against the French in Canada the never- 
 ceasing enmity of the most powerful Indian tribe in 
 
174 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 America, which ever afterwards was to them a 
 treacherous friend when not an unsparing foe ; and 
 yet the good treatment of the Indians was recognized 
 as of the greatest importance in the French scheme 
 of colonization." 
 
 CHAPTER Y. 
 
 THE first effort made on a large scale to reclaim the 
 Indians was begun by the Recollets, a branch of the 
 Franciscans ; and four friars were sent out with Cham- 
 plain in his voyage of 1615. One of their number, 
 Joseph Le Caron, was brought by a war party of 
 Hurons to their village north of Lake Simcoe ; and to 
 him is ascribed the honor of performing the first mass 
 in that part of the New World. It was claimed for 
 the Church before it had been reached by the indefati- 
 gable Champlain and arrogated to France. The trials 
 of the journey for one like Le Caron it is hard to 
 understand, but all can appreciate his feelings when 
 he writes, " But I must tell you what abundant conso- 
 lation I found under all my troubles ; for when one 
 sees so many infidels needing nothing but a drop of 
 water to make them children of God, he feels an inex- 
 pressible ardor to labor for their conversion, and sacri- 
 fice to it his repose and life." 
 
 This mission was the farthest outpost of the work 
 taken in hands by the Recollets, the others extending 
 east as far as Acadia. Its material support was con- 
 tributed by two Huguenots, William and Emery de 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 175 
 
 Caen, who had the monopoly of trade in New France 
 at this time, with this condition attached. 
 
 But this vast extent of territory was too much for 
 the weak order of the RecoDets to retain, and in 1625 
 they had to accept the assistance of the Jesuits, so 
 strong in wealth and energy that they could prosecute 
 the good cause without relying on the aid unwillingly 
 given by the Huguenots. The chance was greedily 
 seized, and very soon this uncompromising order con- 
 trolled the missions in Canada. 
 
 Two years later the Huguenots had been dispossessed 
 of their monopoly of the exclusive right to the trade 
 of the country, and it was given to a company consist- 
 ing of a hundred associates, with Cardinal Richelieu 
 at its head. This company had a charter giving it the 
 trade for ever, freeing it from all duties and imposts 
 of Canada for fifteen years, allowing officers and eccle- 
 siastics to engage in trade without derogating from the 
 privileges of their orders, determining that every settler 
 must be a Frenchman and a Catholic, and that at least 
 three ecclesiastics must be provided for each settlement. 
 
 Thus it was not long before the Jesuit programme, 
 under Cardinal Richelieu's energetic policy, had devel- 
 oped itself. 
 
 It would be most interesting to glance at the petty 
 scenes which Charnplain and others who joined in 
 them have recorded for future ages, such as the assem- 
 blage of Caen and his sailors, whether Huguenots or 
 good Catholics, to prayers ; the subsequent prohibition 
 of Caen's sailors from psalm-singing and praying on 
 the St. Lawrence, and the compromise by which it 
 
176 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 was agreed that for the time they might pray, but not 
 sing. 
 
 But this would occupy much space at this time, so 
 we shall now revert to the modes of conversion used by 
 the Jesuits, as an indication of the means used by all 
 the Roman Catholic missionaries at this time and of 
 later days to educate the people. 
 
 For this purpose we will follow the zealous Father 
 Superior Le Jeune, and the trio Brebeuf, Daniel and 
 Daoust, willing to do, dare, suffer and die for " the 
 greater glory of God." 
 
 In 1633 Le Jeune was to be found amongst the 
 wandering bands of Algonquins on the shores of the 
 St. Lawrence and Ottawa rivers. With them he 
 starved when the hunt did not turn out well, and 
 when it was successful gorged himself, as was the 
 custom. 
 
 The Indians were skilful in the use of sorcery to 
 gain success in the chase ; but if the Good Spirit did 
 not aid them they ate bark and scraps of leather, find- 
 ing all other mercies concentrated in their tobacco ; so 
 that the father could write, " Unhappy infidels, who 
 spend their lives in smoke and their eternity in 
 flames ! " 
 
 But as hunting grew worse the Jesuit composed 
 two prayers, hung a napkin on the side of the hut 
 and a crucifix thereon, and induced all the Indians to 
 kneel before it with hands uplifted and clasped. In 
 this attitude they said the prayers after him, promis- 
 ing to renounce their superstitions and sins and obey 
 Christ, whose image was before them, if He would 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 177 
 
 save them from perishing. That day they returned 
 home loaded with game, feasted themselves as usual, 
 and out of gratitude abused the dejected priest to the 
 utmost of their well -exercised ability. Thus was the 
 work prosecuted amongst the Algonquins. Bre'beuf 
 and his two companions were destined to carry the 
 tenets of their religion to the Huron villages in the 
 heart of Huron country. 
 
 The Indians, even those who esteemed the priests of 
 other orders, had a natural dislike of the Jesuits. 
 Thus it was with the greatest difficulty, after some 
 two years' delay, and after a vow to St. Joseph, that 
 the Hurons could be induced to carry them to their 
 villages. How they fared on the way it is needless 
 for us to recount. 
 
 The following instructions for the missionaries who 
 should have to visit the Hurons, which were printed in 
 Paris two years later, giving a picturesque glimpse of 
 what might be expected by the self-sacrificing volun- 
 teers for the service, have been condensed by Parkman 
 as follows: "You should love the Indians like brothers 
 with whom you are to spend the rest of your life. 
 Never make them wait for you in embarking. Take 
 a flint and steel to light their pipes and kindle their 
 tire at night ; for these little services win their hearts. 
 Try to eat their sagamite as they cook it, bad and 
 dirty as it is. Fasten up the skirts of your cassock, 
 that you may not carry water or sand into the canoe. 
 Wear no shoes or stockings in the canoe ; but you may 
 put them on in crossing the portages. Do not make 
 yourself troublesome, even to a single Indian. Do not 
 
178 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 ask them too many questions. Bear their faults in 
 silence, and appear always cheerful. Buy fish for 
 them from the tribes you will pass ; and for this pur- 
 pose take with you some awls, beads, knives and fish- 
 hooks. Be not ceremonious with the Indians; take 
 at once what they offer you ; ceremony offends them. 
 Be very careful, when in the canoe, that the brim of 
 your hat does not annoy them. Perhaps it would be 
 better to wear your night-cap. There is no such 
 thing as impropriety among Indians. Remember that 
 it is Christ and His cross that you are seeking ; and if 
 you aim at anything else, you will get nothing but 
 affliction for mind and body." 
 
 The sufferings which must have been endured by 
 those whose experience led to such advice as this were 
 such as must give those who look at their toil 
 from these days larger ideas of the devotion and self- 
 abnegation of the missionaries. That it did not lead 
 to better results is a marvel. The secret seems to lie 
 in their manner of presenting Christianity. 
 
 Instead of elevating the minds of the Indians to a 
 higher level, they brought their Christianity and 
 themselves down to compete with the pagan sorcerers, 
 as in the case of Father Le Jeune. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 179 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE Huron villages were reached in 1634, and at once 
 the work began. A house was built for them. Its 
 internal fittings were the wonder of the neighborhood, 
 especially the clock, which the Indians were taught to 
 believe said, "Put on the kettle," when it struck 
 twelve times, and "Get up and go home," when it 
 struck four times. 
 
 Never before nor since was more trouble taken to 
 reach the Indians. Every one was regarded as a soul 
 that must be saved by any means. Every house was 
 visited, and pictures of heaven and hell shown, arid 
 the doctrines regarding them expounded. 
 
 The children were gathered together in the mission- 
 house, and presents offered to those who could make 
 the sign of the cross, repeat the Ave, the Credo and 
 the Commandments. The result was that in a short 
 time the young people were seen playing at making 
 the sign of the cross, and repeating the prayers to each 
 other to become perfect in them. Thus the living chil- 
 dren were guided. A surer way to heaven was found 
 for the dying. Each one was baptized, and his salvation 
 was considered certain. But as the small-pox raged for 
 several years, beginning soon after the advent of the 
 Jesuits, nearly decimating the nation, and as each dying 
 person was baptized shortly before his death, the In- 
 dians, confounding the cause and effect of the mysteri- 
 ous rite, grew suspicious and forbade its observance. 
 But the intrepidity of the Jesuits overcame all. 
 
180 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 Thus Father Le Mercier relates one of the means 
 used to effect the desired result. Some days before, 
 the missionary had used the same device for baptizing 
 a little boy six or seven years old. His father, who 
 was very sick, had several times refused baptism, and 
 when asked if he would not be glad to have his son 
 baptized, he answered, '* No." "At least/' said Father 
 Pijort, " you will not object to my giving him a little 
 sugar." " No ; but you must not baptize him." The 
 missionary gave it him at once ; then again ; and at 
 the third spoonful, before he had put the sugar into 
 the water, he let a drop of it fall on the child, at the 
 same time pronouncing the sacramental words. A 
 little girl, who was looking at him, cried out, " Father, 
 he is baptizing him ! " The child's father was much 
 disturbed ; but the missionary said to him, " Did you 
 not see that I was giving him sugar ? " The child died 
 soon after ; but God showed grace to the father, who 
 was soon in perfect health. 
 
 There was greater difficulty in dealing with the 
 adults. The Jesuits described heaven and hell in their 
 opposites of joy and terror. But the former afforded 
 but little attraction to the savage mind. The latter 
 was no worse than their feast of death. " Why do 
 you baptize that Iroquois ? " said an Indian to a priest 
 who had performed the last offices to a captive about 
 to give up his life in the torture ; " he will get to 
 heaven before us and keep us out." " I wish to go 
 where my relatives have gone," said a dying woman, 
 and her opinion was the common one. " Heaven is a 
 good place," said a third, " but I wish to be among 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 181 
 
 Indians, for the French will give me nothing to eat 
 when I get there." 
 
 A mother, in answer to the question which she pre- 
 ferred, heaven or hell, replied, " Hell, if my children 
 are there, as you say." 
 
 " Then I will not go ; it is not good to be lazy." was 
 the expression of a dying man when told that they 
 neither hunted, made war, nor attended feasts in 
 heaven. 
 
 The following was Bre'beuf's religious code when, 
 after the small-pox had almost decimated the village, 
 a council was called to ascertain the cheapest terms on 
 which the God of the Jesuits would take pity on 
 them : " Believe in Him ; keep His commandments ; 
 abjure your faith in dreams ; take but one wife, and 
 be true to her ; give up your superstitious feasts ; re- 
 nounce your assemblies of debauchery ; eat no human 
 flesh ; never give feasts to demons ; and make a vow 
 that, if God will deliver you from this pest, you will 
 build a chapel to offer Him thanksgiving and praise." 
 They readily consented to the last condition, but death 
 itself would not make them pay any more. 
 
 The pictures of hell, of the last judgment, and others 
 similar in nature which were used for the same pur- 
 pose, became a more expressive argument than the 
 mere verbal description of these scenes, more especially 
 when they were accompanied by the plague. 
 
 A letter by Father Gamier, ordering a supply, 
 curiously illustrates the kind which was considered 
 the most useful " Send me a picture of Christ without 
 a beard." In the Indian's eyes it was not manly to 
 
182 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 be bearded. This was to be sent with several Virgins 
 and an assortment of souls in perdition, and a fair 
 sprinkling of demons, dragons, etc., made with special 
 attention to their attitude. One soul in bliss would 
 suffice, and all the pictures must be full-faced. Bright 
 colors must be used, and there should be no animals, 
 flowers, or anything to distract the beholder's attention. 
 The imps and demons of these representations 
 became to be considered by the Indians as the demons 
 of the plague, and the Jesuits the controllers of them. 
 But still they were unrepentant. Thus they all 
 argued in the words of one : " I see plainly that your 
 God is angry with us because we will not believe and 
 obey him. Ihonatura, where you first taught His 
 Word, is entirely ruined. Then you came here to 
 Ossossane', and we would not listen ; so Ossossane is 
 ruined too. This year you have been all through our 
 country and found scarcely any who obey what God 
 commands ; therefore, the pestilence is everywhere. 
 My opinion is that we should shut you out from all 
 the houses and stop our ears when you speak of God, 
 so that we cannot hear. Then we shall not be so guilty 
 of rejecting the truth, and He will not punish us so 
 cruelly." 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 183 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING the prejudices of the Indians, their 
 laziness, their conservatism, their low and grovelling 
 ideas, and their shrewd insight into all that was not 
 real, the Jesuits gradually became the leaders. By 
 attending to their temporal wants; by making the most 
 of every advantage gained; by never-ending patience 
 and unfailing skill; by a zeal which never tired ; by a 
 faith sufficient to remove mountains ; by the use of 
 images, superstitions, threats and promises, they 
 gathered round them, one by one, numerous converts, 
 and at last became a power. For a time it alternately 
 increased and decreased, as is invariably the case with 
 such movements. 
 
 In 1648, the victory became complete ; the Iroquois 
 were fast completing the work of the small-pox. A 
 party of Hurons, incensed at the rapid speed of the 
 new religion, murdered a Frenchman. 
 
 A council was held, and after the subject was 
 thoroughly discussed, it was determined to accede to 
 the Jesuits' demand of presents for blood according to 
 the custom. 
 
 Every family in the tribe vied with its neighbor to 
 give the greater present to pay the price of the white 
 man's blood, and the victory of the Jesuit was com- 
 plete, as may be judged by the following quotation 
 from an address to the priest : " We are but a handful, 
 and you are the prop and stay of this nation. A 
 thunderbolt has fallen from the sky and rent a chasm 
 
184 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 in the earth. We shall fall into it if you do not 
 support us. Take pity on us. We are here not so 
 much to speak as to weep over our loss and yours. 
 Our country is but a skeleton without flesh, veins, 
 sinews and arteries ; and its bones hang together by a 
 thread. This thread is broken by the blow that has 
 fallen on the head of your nephew, for whom you 
 weep. It was the demon of hell who placed the 
 hatchet in the murderer's hand. Was it you, Sun, 
 whose beams shine on us, who led him to this deed ? 
 Why did you not darken your light that he might be 
 stricken with horror at his crime ? Were you his 
 accomplice ? No ; for he walked in darkness and did 
 not see where he struck. He thought, this wretched 
 murderer, that he aimed at the head of a young 
 Frenchman, but the blow fell upon his country and 
 gave it a death -wound. The earth opens to receive 
 the blood of the innocent victim, and we shall be 
 swallowed up in the chasm, for we are all guilty. 
 The Iroquois rejoice at his death and celebrate it as a 
 triumph ; for they see that our weapons are turned 
 against each other, and know well that our nation is 
 near its end." 
 
 This last sentence was prophetic. Two years later 
 the Hurons as a nation were destroyed off the face of 
 the earth. 
 
 The Neutrals and Tobacco nation had also disap- 
 peared, and the Algonquins were little more than a 
 name. 
 
 The Huron mission, which had strengthened as the 
 fortunes of the people declined, was abandoned, and 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 185 
 
 the Jesuits wearily turned their faces towards Mont- 
 real. A remnant of the Hurons and a branch of the 
 Algonquins formed a principal part of the settlement at 
 Sault-au-Recollet, which was afterwards removed to 
 Oka, 
 
 We will now turn our attention to another element 
 which had a still more important influence in the 
 future of Oka. The Seminary at St. Sulpice of Paris 
 .established a branch at Montreal in 1657. The same 
 year the inhabitants of Montreal resolved to hand 
 over to them the temporal management of the city 
 and island for the slight protection from the Indians 
 they were enabled to afford. This was officially 
 effected in 16G3. 
 
 At this time the Iroquois had almost depopulated 
 the whole country, and it was only by the noble 
 battle fought by Dollard that the country was saved. 
 
 The mission of the Algonquin and Huron Indians 
 established by the Sulpicians at the fort in Montreal 
 was soon afterwards transferred to Sault-au-Recollet, 
 some nine miles further north. This mission held an 
 important position in the minds of the Sulpicians. 
 The Indians were the defenders of the outposts, gener- 
 ally receiving the first blow on the city delivered by 
 its enemies. 
 
 It was to bring these Indians to a knowledge of the 
 Christianity of the Jesuits that the followers of Loyola 
 suffered as has been recorded, and gave instructions to 
 their inxperienced associates not to annoy them by 
 wearing their hats in the canoe. 
 
 It was to the same end that well-born, delicately- 
 13 
 
186 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 nurtured, and highly-educated ladies came from France 
 to the wilderness of America to suffer. Both used the 
 same means to accomplish their work. Miracles were 
 performed every day, and the wondering Indian 
 was led to follow the performers of miracles. 
 But there was another element in the case : the 
 French king was the nominal possessor of the 
 whole country, and from him all titles were obtained. 
 
 Thus, when the mission referred to was removed to 
 Sault-au-Recollet, this Seminary required a title to the 
 land which' was given to them. This was rendered 
 the more necessary as the religious community soon 
 assumed the qualification of traders as well as that of 
 savers of souls. 
 
 In addition to this the Jesuits at this time were 
 jealous of the Sulpicians, and used every effort to 
 prevent them from establishing themselves in Canada. 
 They were also all-powerful at the French court. 
 Thus there are four interests to be considered with 
 the establishment of the Indian Mission, and the titles 
 to the lands on it. 
 
 Thus opens a new phase in the history of the settle- 
 ment, and one which led to the disputes referred to on 
 the first page of this history. The Sulpicians asked 
 for grants of land for the Indian Mission. Had they 
 asked it for themselves they would not have got it. 
 But the French came and granted the land for the 
 mission, entailing no conditions on the Indians, but 
 many on the Sulpicians. 
 
 For many years the Indians lived at Sault-au-Recol- 
 let. In 1718 they were removed to the Lake of the Two 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 187 
 
 Mountains, where their trustees, the Sulpicians, had 
 obtained a tract of land nine miles square, which was 
 subsequently doubled in size. The conditions of this 
 grant are now before the courts, and eminent legal 
 gentlemen have given very different views as to 
 whether the Sulpicians are the sole proprietors of the 
 land or simply the trustees or tutors of the Indians. 
 Suffice it to say that there were many conditions im- 
 posed, all to be carried out by the Sulpicians and none 
 by the Indians. 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE life of the mission was not a monotonous one. 
 Invasion by the Iroquois succeeded invasion, and the 
 Indians at the Lake of Two Mountains, now a large 
 settlement, as those of many districts had been con- 
 centrated there, were the defenders of the city and 
 bore the brant of the first onslaught by their wily 
 Iroquois foes. But as the time passed, the Iroquois who 
 had been Christianized or partly Christianized were 
 gathered into the settlement and became its chief 
 strength. 
 
 To the French, at the time of the French and English 
 wars, this was very important, as there was a time 
 when it seemed doubtful on whose side the influence 
 of the Iroquois would be given. For a time it appeared 
 that their policy of allowing the Europeans to waste 
 their strength against themselves would be successful, 
 and that the Indians would rule. But they were in- 
 
188 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 duced to side with the British, with the exception of 
 the Christianized ones, who followed their priestly 
 teachers and remained monuments of the past at Oka, 
 Caughnawaga, St. Regis, and other villages. 
 
 It is quite evident that the missionaries first sent, 
 both by the Jesuits and Sulpicians, were the best that 
 could be obtained. Their equals have not since been 
 seen in Canada. Their successors arrogated to them- 
 selves the duties and privileges of traders as well as of 
 ecclesiastics, and the result was that the Indians began 
 to be looked upon as a source of revenue instead of as 
 persons whose salvation was worth all possible effort. 
 Thus at the present time the traditions of the Indians 
 are decided on but two points, the religious teaching 
 and the trading of the missionaries. For a time the 
 latter was most profitable, and the former has never 
 been altered from that adopted by the Jesuits from 
 the Hurons, as previously related. 
 
 When Canada passed into the hands of the British 
 the Indians were not long in changing their allegiance, 
 and were both willing and ready to fight for and with 
 the men dressed in red. 
 
 During the second year of the war of 1812 General 
 Hampton, with an army of 5,000 selected men, advanced 
 from Lake Champlain with a view to attacking Mont- 
 real. He crossed the border on October 21st, and 
 pushing along on both sides of the Chateauguay River, 
 thought to occupy the chief city of Canada without 
 much difficulty. There was between him and his 
 object but a small detachment of 400 troops, whoim 
 the historians call Voltigeurs. But each one was a 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 189 
 
 picked shot, amongst them being a sprinkling of 
 Indians from Oka. They were also bravely led and 
 wisely generalled by Colonel De Salaberry. At the 
 junction of the Chateauguay and the Outarde the two 
 forces met. The Canadians were strongly entrenched 
 behind a breastwork of logs. General Izzard, with 
 more than half the enemy, attempted to dislodge them, 
 but the well-directed muskets of the defenders rapidly 
 thinned their ranks. But as the tight continued it was 
 evident that the strength of the attacking could not be 
 withstood, and that cunning as well as courage would 
 be required to gain the day for the Canadians. Then 
 Colonel De Salaberry dispatched his buglers far to 
 the right and left of his troops in the thick wood. At 
 the signal they sounded the charge. The strength and 
 zeal of the enemy had been well-nigh gone, and now 
 it seemed to them that they were to be immediately 
 attacked at all points by an overwhelming force of 
 which they had known nothing. They fled. To the 
 present day there are, in Oka, Indians who received 
 a pension for their services in this action. 
 
 A few months ago there died at the village of Oka 
 an old chief at the age of a hundred years. He had 
 rendered yeoman service to the British during this 
 war. He was the grand chief of the tribe at the time, 
 and led his band of scouts at the battle of Cataraqui 
 (Kingston). It is related of him that after a skirmish 
 he saw a wounded American soldier sitting on a log 
 and about being bayoneted by one of the chief's men. 
 The chief saved his life, and ten years after the rescued 
 man, meeting him in Kingston, gave him a handsome 
 
190 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 reward. His services were not neglected by the 
 British Government, for at the time of his death he 
 held his commission from Earl Gosford, as the grand 
 chief of the Iroquois, and two silver medals of the 
 reign of " Georgius III., Dei gratia Britannarium 
 Rex, F.D." 
 
 As the country grew older and more civilized and 
 the wars had all come to an end, the Indians were 
 forgotten by the country at large ; those at Oka, from 
 their circumstances, more than others. They were 
 wards of the Seminary of St. Sulpice, not of the 
 country, as those of other Indian settlements, and for 
 years they were left to them alone. 
 
 f The spirit of self-sacrifice which had animated the 
 first missionaries had all vanished. 
 
 The Sulpicians in Montreal had become the seigniors 
 of whole counties, and so wealthy that they were able 
 to defy and ultimately surpass the Jesuits. Thus 
 from a struggling corporation they became one of 
 almost unlimited influence and unbounded wealth. 
 One of the richest portions of their territory was the 
 Seigniory of Two Mountains, on part of which dwelt 
 the Oka Indians. These Indians had a claim on it 
 which only expired when they should all leave it or 
 die out. Of either there was no sign. The Iroquois 
 loved their home, and would not be induced to leave. 
 Then privilege after privilege was taken away from 
 them. Grants they had been accustomed to receive 
 were stopped. The tithes were collected with greater 
 rigor, while sources of revenue were usurped. The 
 Church was made to consume all their gains. Enticing 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 191 
 
 offers were made through the Government for them to 
 settle in other neighborhoods. They grew poorer and 
 poorer. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 ~3 
 
 A DAUGHTER of the old chief previously referred to, 
 two years ago gave the writer the following testimony 
 as to the treatment by the Sulpicians : " I am not 
 aware that the Seminary ever spent a sou on us during 
 my lifetime. They never did us good ; only hurt, both 
 soul and body. About thirty-two years ago my hus- 
 band, Michael Beauvais, was sent to jail for cutting a 
 cord of wood. The priests told us to go to church, but 
 all we saw there was statues and dolls and nuns- 
 They used to preach to us often about the English. 
 They used to say, 'Be careful, beware they are 
 devils, those English Protestants.' They forbade me 
 having anything to do with them. When I used to 
 go to a place where there was a Protestant church, I 
 was afraid I was to be damned. The priests told me 
 they could do miracles, could heal persons ; a good 
 many asked to be healed, but I never knew of any who 
 were cured. Father Dufresne was the best priest, but 
 very hard-hearted. They were very different from the 
 Protestants. I fought with a priest once. I bought a 
 bag from a man, and I wanted some flour and sent a boy 
 to the priest's with the bag for it, and the priest took 
 the bag away. I went to the priest's and saw his 
 man, and asked for the bag. The man said, ' Why 
 
192 OKA 1ND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 didn't you put a patch, on the name, and you might 
 have kept it ? ' I said, ' It is my bag ; I have not 
 stolen it, and don't know anything about the name.' 
 The priest heard this, and came into the room and 
 said, ' You've got my bag.' I said, ' It is not yours, but 
 mine.' He said, ' Get out, you saucy thing ! ' I told 
 him I wouldn't, and he tried to push me out, but I 
 was too strong and wouldn't go. I told him that was 
 his work, whipping women, and left him ; but he kept 
 the bag. The flour we got at the priest's cost as much 
 as it would anywhere else. We left the priests because 
 their oppression was insupportable. We did not know 
 what to do ; we didn't know that we would be any 
 better off after we left, but we couldn't be any worse. 
 They treated us like dogs. The priests never did any- 
 thing for us for nothing. We used to pay one dollar 
 or fifty cents, or what we could, for having our children 
 baptized. The least we could have any one buried for 
 was three dollars and four livres. We paid a dollar 
 and a half for being married. At the burials there 
 were three crosses used. We had to pay two dollars 
 extra to have the wooden one carried, two dollars and 
 a half extra for the brass one, and five dollars for the 
 gold one. The gold one had more virtue than the one 
 of brass. The virtue was for the living priest, not for 
 the dead person. I have been told by the old Indians 
 that when the church was built the Indians gave 
 beaver skins by the pack for it. These packs weighed 
 fifty pounds each, and the skins were worth seven or 
 eight dollars a pound. This was to pay for the church. 
 They have a silver statue of the Virgin Mary in the 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 193 
 
 church which was made of the breast-plates and 
 bracelets of the squaws. The Indians had lots of 
 money then. If they had the same wit then as now 
 they would not have grown so poor. Long ago one 
 man got two thousand dollars for his skins one fall. 
 He used to bring his hat full of money, and would 
 spend it in drinking and would throw it into the 
 river. The priests used to say to us then, ' Bring 
 the money to us ; bring it to us.' They used to 
 take tithes of the income of the land ; every twenty- 
 sixth bushel of grain went to the priest. I paid it 
 myself, and my father did before I was born. If we 
 didn't pay, we were allowed to confess our sins but we 
 couldn't get absolution or communion. That was a 
 great loss heaven lost. There used to be a society 
 called the Holy Family. My aunt Therese was at the 
 head of it. There was an Indian woman who would 
 not go to confession because she said there was some- 
 thing there so bad. The priest told .Therese to send 
 her away, because he didn't want her there. She had 
 a young child that was born a few days before, but 
 was compelled to go. She walked on foot in winter 
 to Ottawa and her child was nearly frozen on the 
 road. They are still alive, but the woman never went 
 to confess any more. When they got to Ottawa the 
 child grew and the Protestants took him. The priests 
 threatened to send the Indians away from the place if 
 they did not pay tithes. Some were really sent away. 
 When any one did anything which displeased the 
 priests they were told to kneel by the church door, at 
 the outside, and stay there while all the others passed, 
 
194 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 as an example of the consequences of disobedience to 
 the priest. I knelt there myself ; it was at the time 
 of the fuss about the bag. I knew too much then. 
 We were ten or fifteen years getting sick of this 
 before we left. I think the Catholic Indians are pay- 
 ing tithes now. Besides the payments I mentioned 
 before, we paid to have masses said to make the land 
 productive. We each paid so much. I also paid for 
 a mass for my husband when he was a year and a day 
 dead, to get him all the way out of purgatory. The 
 first service had got him only part of the way out, and 
 the other part was in ; but after the memorial service 
 all of him got out. I never knew or heard of any one 
 that was fed or clothed by the priests without pay." 
 
 Another narrative showing the relation of the 
 Indians and the ecclesiastics at Oka some years ago, is 
 as follows: "We used to carry maple sugar to the priest 
 during the Easter week for the privilege of kissing the 
 cross. There were hundreds and hundreds of pounds 
 brought altogether from one to six pounds by each. 
 The cross was not a silver one, only a black wooden 
 one. The priests were very smart to get things to 
 themselves. They always had collections in their 
 churches. We used to make bread, and paid a dollar 
 and a half to bring it to the church, where the priest 
 blessed it, cut it and gave it to the people. It was 
 holy bread then, and it was a great privilege to make 
 it The devil never goes to a house where it is. We had 
 to make the sign of the cross before eating it. It 
 shields from lightning and thunder, and if any one 
 was drowned and we could not find the body, on 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 195 
 
 putting the holy bread over the water the corpse 
 would rise. The holy bread made on Easter Sunday 
 was the best of all (infallible). I saw it tried once. A 
 man was drowned in the current, and the holy bread 
 was held over it ; but the body did not rise. It came 
 up, though, three days after. On one occasion when 
 a man was drowned the canoes were stretched almost 
 across the river, and in each one was a piece of holy 
 bread ; but the body was never seen afterwards by 
 any one in the village." 
 
 These are ex parte statements by Indians who had 
 broken away from the guidance of the Sulpicians. 
 The latter, on the other hand, assert that the Indians 
 are always well treated ; that every effort was made 
 to give them religious and secular instruction, but that 
 they repelled every such effort, and were insolent, lazy, 
 deceitful, thieves and liars. 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THIS state of feeling on the two sides must needs 
 lead to a crisis, and it came about in this manner. In 
 1845 an Indian, who was named Joseph or Sose 
 Onasakenarat, was born about five miles from Oka 
 village. He was one of the few Indians of untainted 
 blood. His superior natural intelligence, which was im- 
 proved by a little travel and some association with the 
 English, caused him to be noticed by Father Cuog, a 
 priest who took a real interest in Indian matters, and 
 
196 
 
 OKA ^ND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 who at the age of fourteen sent him to school at Oka, 
 and thence to the Montreal College. Here the greatest 
 care was taken of him, as he was to be the leader of 
 the Indians, one who would be a tool in the hands of 
 his advisers. But he did not forget that he was an 
 Indian and an Iroquois. From Montreal he was sent 
 to Oka again, where for some years he remained as 
 secretary to the Sulpicians there. 
 
 CHIEF JOSEPH. 
 
 The Indians, in their travels to Ontario and the 
 United States, had been given copies of the New 
 Testament in Mohawk (which they understood). In 
 his visit among them at Oka, Father Cuog was shown 
 these books, declared them to be bad ones, confiscated 
 them, and threw them into a box in the room where 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 197 
 
 the young secretary Avorked. The latter read them, 
 found them to be good, and redistributed them amongst 
 his people. His intelligence and manifest interest in 
 the tribe caused him to be looked upon as a coming 
 chief. The time came when one was to be elected. 
 The feeling of the Indians was in favor of Joseph. 
 The Sulpicians objected. Joseph was asked if he 
 would serve if elected, but could not consent, as in 
 
 CHIEF JOSEPH'S HOUSE. 
 
 his position he would be under the immediate control 
 of the Seminary. The gentlemen of the Seminary 
 urged upon him that if he were appointed he must 
 never assist the Indians in obtaining the rights they 
 claimed, and never under any circumstances address 
 the Government; although when at college it had been 
 openly admitted to him by his teachers that the 
 
198 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 Seminary had no right to the land save as guardians 
 and tutors of the Indians. In 1868 he was elected one 
 of the chiefs, and immediately set about the work for 
 which he was elected the obtaining of the rights 
 claimed by the Indians. He visited Mr. Spragge, the 
 Superintendent of Indian Affairs at that time, and was 
 informed that the land belonged to the Indians and 
 advised to petition the Government that it be recog- 
 nized as their property. The chief returned and the 
 petition was prepared, sent to the Government, and 
 by them returned to the Seminary. The next Sunday 
 the priest announced in church that all who signed 
 the petition must report themselves or be excommuni- 
 cated. This was the first open disagreement. 
 
 Then the war began. The Seminary had on their 
 side intelligence, wealth, high position, great political 
 and social influence ; the Indians, only the belief that 
 they were in the right, and their inherited power to 
 endure suffering. Now the characteristics of the 
 races which had been living together as one stood out 
 prominently. 
 
 The Iroquois were defiant; the Algonquins were 
 more yielding, and submitted. Subsequently, when 
 a grant of land was offered at River Desert, the 
 Algonquins accepted it; but the Iroquois evinced 
 their old attachment to the soil, as well as their 
 natural political ability, and refused to move, even 
 when offered money to depart. For some two or 
 three months there was no decided action taken by 
 the Indians in the assertion of their claims. They 
 discussed the matter from every side, around their 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 199 
 
 fires and in the council. At last they determined to 
 follow the bolder course, and the more courageous of 
 them went in a body to the Presbytere, and informed 
 the gentlemen of the Seminary there that they were 
 determined to fight the matter to the end, no matter 
 what the result. The primary result was that, in a 
 few days, Judge Coursol appeared on the scene with 
 a posse of police, arrested the three chiefs and another 
 ringleader, and the four were tried on the spot and 
 sent to jail. 
 
 Up to this time the Indians had all been Roman 
 Catholics ; but to them it did not seem that a religion 
 which bore such fruits as they witnessed could be 
 genuine, and the little they had read of the New 
 Testament confirmed them in this opinion. Believing, 
 also, that their ignorance was being used as a means 
 of oppression, they sent a deputation to Montreal, 
 praying for assistance and advice. 
 
 Here they were directed to Mr. J. A. Mathewson, 
 as a gentleman who had already manifested much 
 interest in the Indians at Caughnawaga, by supplying 
 them with an English teacher in accordance with their 
 own desire, and who was likely to interest himself for 
 them. Mr. Mathewson being an influential member 
 of the Methodist Church was instrumental in having 
 a missionary of that denomination sent to Oka, as 
 the Indians had desired. 
 
 Mr. F. X. Rivet was selected to fill the place, and 
 the Protestant church referred to was erected. Six 
 Indians were arrested for cutting wood to build it, 
 but on trial were released. 
 
200 
 
 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 The condition of the tribe at this time was lament- 
 able. Hardly one could read or write. There was 
 a school, indeed, presided over by Bernard Lacasse 
 (Brother Philippe) ; but, by some means or other, 
 nothing was ever taught at it but the superstitious 
 observances previously referred to, and the duties of 
 
 BROTHER PHILIPPE. 
 
 the Indians to the Seminary, by whom they had been 
 so greatly benefited (?). The consequence was that the 
 Indians were steeped in ignorance and superstition 
 scarcely less than that at the time when Father Pijort 
 was so apt to baptize their ancestors without the 
 knowledge of those so favored. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 201 
 
 From Mr. Rivet's arrival at Oka the condition of 
 the Indians began slowly to improve ; but difficulties 
 grew around them thick and fast. Two men, called 
 " Bullies," Malette and Fauteux, in the Seminary's 
 employ, made it their special business to annoy and 
 injure them. Their houses were seldom safe from 
 the visits of these men, in a condition in which 
 
 J. J. MACLAREN, Q.C. 
 
 drunkenness increased their natural brutality. There 
 was hardly a stick of wood cut but the person who 
 did it was arrested and dragged to St. Scholastique, 
 twenty miles away, for trial. These numerous arrests 
 and trials were a continual annoyance. 
 
 Mr. J. J. Maclaren, of Montreal, was employed by 
 14 
 
202 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 the Indians' friends to defend them, and it is a remark- 
 able fact that he has not lost a single case in their 
 behalf if the " snap judgment," buttressed up by a 
 forgery, which resulted in the tearing down of the 
 Protestant church, be excepted. Thus a constant 
 rotation was followed. 
 
 The Indians would cut wood for making lacrosses 
 or snow-shoes or baskets for sale. They would be 
 arrested and dragged twenty miles for trial. There 
 they would be bailed out. Some months after they 
 would be heard before the court. The juries would 
 disagree or acquit them. They would hardly arrive 
 home again before another arrest, and the round would 
 be followed once again. These arrests prevented them 
 from gaining their living, as in winter their only 
 means of support was the proceeds of goods made 
 principally of wood. 
 
 Were it not for the help obtained from friends, their 
 unfailing good-nature, the zeal with which they assist- 
 ed one another, and their obstinacy, they would have 
 succumbed long ago. But each day increased their 
 conviction that they were in the right, and their deter- 
 mination to hold out to the bitter end ; and no one 
 well acquainted with the Indian character could doubt 
 that it would be a long time before the Seminary 
 could claim the undoubted right to the property. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 203 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 IN 1871 Rev. Mr. Parent was sent to Oka by the 
 Methodist Church to succeed Mr. Rivet. Mr. Parent 
 had been a Roman Catholic, and had suffered much 
 persecution because of his becoming a Protestant and 
 a missionary. He was accompanied by his wife, a 
 noble woman of unconquerable spirit. 
 
 From this time the spiritual welfare of the Indians 
 rapidly progressed. The school, which was taught by 
 a young Indian who had been educated for the pur- 
 pose, became popular, and now all the young can read 
 and write. On the Sabbath the whole Protestant 
 population answered to the call of the church-going 
 bell. But it must not be supposed that all was pleas- 
 ant. The prejudices of early training and the results 
 of early neglect would continually prop out. But, on 
 the whole, the Indians were amenable to good advice, 
 and gradually began to put the genuine child-like 
 trust in God that they previously placed in holy bread, 
 palm, and purchased prayers. This work was known 
 to but a few. It now seemed possible that the Indians 
 might be induced to leave their homes for a more pro- 
 mising field. 
 
 A large reserve had been selected for them in the 
 Nipissing region by the Rev. Mr. Borland, the Super- 
 intendent of the Methodist French and Indian Missions, 
 and they were preparing to remove to it, when word 
 came from Ottawa that it could not be obtained. 
 
 Previously it had been agreed to by the attorneys 
 
204 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 for the gentlemen of the Seminary and for the Indians 
 respectively, that one special case should be taken as a 
 test to determine the respective rights of the two par- 
 ties to the land. The ground on which the Protestant 
 church was built was selected ; but the trial of the case 
 was postponed term after term of the court by the 
 attorneys for the Sulpicians, and finally dropped, and 
 a new suit taken respecting the same property. An 
 arrangement was made between the opposite lawyers 
 that no step should be taken without due notice ; but 
 in October, 1875, a default judgment was taken 
 against the Indians in the absence of their lawyer and 
 without any notice to him. This judgment ordered 
 the Indians to give up the lot to the Seminary or pay 
 its alleged value, $500. 
 
 Thus it was that on the eighth day of December, 
 1875, a gathering of some twenty-five or more men tore 
 down the little church without any legal authority, 
 amidst the sobs of the women. The men were away 
 at work. The desecrators, feeling themselves safe from 
 immediate punishment, added insult to their injury by 
 taunting the women about their loss, asking them 
 where they would worship now, and asserting that 
 there was no chance of their being assisted. The Prot- 
 estants could not save their church, and their influence 
 was as nothing compared with that of the gentlemen 
 of the Seminary. Since this time the religious services 
 have been held in the school-house. A storm of indig- 
 nation rose throughout the country at the outrage. 
 The public knew little about the circumstances, ancj 
 many of the charges made were unjust, 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 205 
 
 But further enquiry into the previous treatment of 
 the Indians, and the subsequent acts of the Sulpicians, 
 alike showed that it was with difficulty that any real 
 injustice could be done the latter. 
 
 Public meetings were held throughout the country, 
 and from various sections substantial help was sent to 
 the suffering people. 
 
 The indignation had pretty well died out, and Oka 
 
 THE INDIAN SCHOOL-HOUSE. 
 
 was about being forgotten, when the injudicious zeal 
 of the gentlemen of the Seminary residing at Oka 
 caused a new outbreak. 
 
 Early in June, 1877, there arose a dispute about a 
 certain pasture which was fenced in and occupied by 
 the Indians. The fences had been torn down and they 
 essayed to rebuild them. On Thursday, the thirteenth 
 
206 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 of the month, at the early hour of three in the morn- 
 ing, the village was attacked by a party of ten pro- 
 vincial policemen from Quebec, who, armed with war- 
 rants for the arrest of some forty-eight Protestant 
 Indians, broke into their houses, pulled them out of 
 their beds, fired off pistols at their ears, and dragged 
 eight of their number away to the Ste. Scholastique 
 jail. The succeeding night the Indians gathered 
 together in the school-house, bringing thither their 
 arms. 
 
 In the morning, about four o'clock, the village was 
 aroused by the sound of a cannon. On looking out 
 the inhabitants saw flames rising high above the trees 
 that sheltered the Roman Catholic church and pres- 
 bytere, and it was known that the church was on fire. 
 In a few hours the buildings which had stood there 
 
 O 
 
 for a century or more were a ruin. Now the public 
 indignation assumed a new phase, and the Indians 
 were openly accused by their enemies of setting fire to 
 the buildings, while their best friends and strongest 
 supporters dreaded that the accusation was too true. 
 The presumption of guilt was strong against them. 
 They had cause for anger ; they had remained up all 
 the night armed ; they had fired the cannon certainly 
 they must have set the fire. It certainly could not 
 have been the gentlemen of the Seminary themselves, 
 and it was hardly likely that the fire could have 
 occurred through accident at that hour in the morning. 
 The matter was settled in the minds of many by the 
 result of the investigation by Judge Coursol, at the 
 instance of the Quebec Government. The enquiry 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 209 
 
 partook more of the nature of a trial than a prelimin- 
 ary investigation, Brother Philippe and Joseph Perril- 
 liard being very useful in bringing up witnesses. 
 
 After the most damaging evidence had been taken 
 against them, fifteen of the Indians were committed to 
 
 JOSEPH PERRILLIARD. 
 
 stand their trial at the ensuing session of Queen's 
 Bench at Ste. Scholastique. Their friends determined 
 that they should obtain a fair trial. On June 27th, 
 the eight Indians who had been arrested for " unlaw- 
 fully and maliciously cutting eighty-four trees of the 
 
210 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 value of fifty cents, the property of the plaintiffs," 
 the gentlemen of the Seminary of St. Sulpice, were 
 arraigned before District Magistrate DeMontigny. The 
 evidence was very damaging. The witnesses for the 
 prosecution had, it appeared, all been afraid of the 
 Indians, and when witnessing the offence had found it 
 necessary to hide themselves, being afraid of their 
 lives ; the evidence being of such a character that Mr. 
 Maclaren claimed it established a riot, which the 
 magistrate could not try, but which must go to the 
 Queen's Bench. The magistrate took this view of the 
 case. 
 
 On the 2nd day of July, 1877, this second and more 
 grievous charge was tried before Mr. Justice Johnson. 
 But the witnesses brought before the Grand Jury to 
 substantiate the case now swore that they were at the 
 scene of action at the time of the tearing down of the 
 fence, and were not afraid and had nothing to be 
 afraid of. The Grand Jury then threw out the bill. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 ON the 8th of January, 1878, the most serious case 
 which had yet been brought against the Indians came 
 up for trial at Ste. Scholastique, before Mr. Justice 
 Johnson. It was that of the fifteen Indians accused of 
 setting fire to the Roman Catholic church. The defend- 
 ants elected to be tried separately. The prosecution 
 selected the case of Zavier Karentatsi dit Declaire. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 211 
 
 The jury was composed of seven French-speaking 
 jurors and five who spoke English. The prosecution 
 had agreed that the jury be half English and half 
 French-speaking people, "on condition that the present 
 lists be sufficient, and the rights of the Crown be 
 not compromised." But notwithstanding this, although 
 the lists were sufficient, and the rights of the Crown 
 were not compromised, the Crown evidently regretted 
 its permission and endeavored to keep off the jury 
 all the English-speaking jurors it could. The evidence 
 for the prosecution was voluminous, carefully pre- 
 pared, direct and damaging. It was proved that the 
 Indians had uttered mysterious threats, and the morn- 
 ing in question were at the fire armed, having remained 
 armed all the night. Father Lacan had been awakened 
 the morning in question by a cannon-shot. He got up 
 and saw Indians skulking around the Seminary build- 
 ings. He afterwards saw them in the yard when the 
 fire was burning, and one threatened him with an axe 
 with which he had been cutting the hose. 
 
 Brother Philippe, looking through closed Venetian 
 blinds, could recognize those in the yard. 
 
 But the strongest witness of all was one Joseph 
 Perrilliard, a servant of the Seminary, who, from 
 behind a certain tree, saw Karentatsi and one Francois 
 Anarente set fire to the building. This was some 
 minutes after the cannon which aroused Father Lacan 
 was fired. 
 
 When he had finished this evidence, Mr. Mousseau, 
 Q.C., M.P., who was one of the three members and ex- 
 members of Parliament who conducted the prosecution, 
 
212 
 
 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 turned round, with a triumphant gaze, and offered to 
 lay his case before a jury of any twelve Orangemen 
 outside of Argenteuil County. 
 
 It was acknowledged that Mr. Maclaren had a terri- 
 bly strong case to destroy. This will be more appar- 
 ent when it is remembered that nearly all his witnesses 
 
 FATHER LAGAN. 
 
 must necessarily be Indians who were implicated in 
 the alleged crime one way or another. But he had 
 one strong point : while it is on ordinary occasions 
 difficult to prove time, on this occasion it could be 
 proven by one thing distinctly the cannon had been 
 fired. It was this which had aroused most of the wit- 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 215 
 
 nesses. This proved a fact as to time which could not 
 be mistaken. Now Perrilliard swore that it was some 
 minutes after the cannon had been fired that he saw the 
 two Indians set fire to the Seminary's sheds. Nearly 
 every other witness swore that he or she was aroused 
 by the cannon, and immediately saw the flames high 
 up above the trees. 
 
 Again, Perrilliard swore that he saw the men set 
 the fire from behind a certain place. Experts were 
 brought to prove that the position of the house was 
 not visible from this place. Our illustration gives 
 a sketch of the scene. Perrilliard swore that he stood 
 behind the first tree of the row to the left of the 
 picture and recognized men setting fire to the roof of 
 the building several hundred yards away, which rose up 
 from behind the limbs of the large tree which shields 
 it. This was at a little after three o'clock in the 
 morning. 
 
 There was another point. Perrilliard's evidence 
 was weakened by that of others, who testified that 
 after the fire he was seen at a distance away from it, 
 with hat, boots, and coat off, and wiping his eyes ; while 
 he himself swore that he did not go out that morning 
 without being fully dressed. 
 
 The principal witness on this point had been sum- 
 moned by the lawyers for the prosecution, but was 
 not called, as her evidence could not improve their 
 case. Mr. Maclaren also produced a number of wit- 
 nesses to show that before and after the fire the pris- 
 oner was asleep in a house at some distance away. 
 
 It is needless to say that the production of this 
 
216 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 evidence startled the prosecution. It had hardly be- 
 gun before they felt that they had miscalculated the 
 strength of their opponents. 
 
 Before it was half through Mr. Mousseau's confid- 
 ence had evaporated. The faces of the Rev. Mr. Lacan 
 and Brother Philippe looked nervous and anxious, 
 while Perrilliard, an oft-tried witness on behalf of the 
 Seminary, seemed vainly conscious that he had done 
 his part well. 
 
 The testimony was fully reported in the daily papers. 
 The excitement throughout the country was intense. 
 
 The evidence was completed on Saturday. Mr. 
 Maclaren addressed the jury in English, and Mr. Mc- 
 Kay, who was associated with him, in French. Both 
 were calm, confident and logical. The jury were 
 locked up during Sunday. All that day the one topic 
 of conversation was the trial. The friends of the 
 Indians were jubilant. Not only was there every 
 chance of their being liberated, but they were also 
 vindicated. Had they been undefended by counsel, 
 not only would they have been committed to prison, 
 but their reputation would have been destroyed. 
 
 On Monday, Messrs. Mousseau and Prevost addressed 
 the Court for the Crown. They had all Sunday to 
 prepare themselves, and it is evident they had used 
 their time to advantage. 
 
 Mr. Mousseau was long afnd inconclusive. It was 
 apparent that all his theories of the case had been 
 destroyed ; but he held strongly to the argument that 
 all the evidence against the Indians adduced by either 
 side was true, while that all in their favor was false. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 217 
 
 Mr. Prevost was tragic in address. He described 
 the deeply-laid scheme of the savages ; their stealthy 
 step as they stole around the doomed buildings ; the 
 lighting of the match, the first glimmerings of the 
 fire, the sleeping inmates of the adjoining building, 
 their rude awakening, the fire as it rushed from point 
 to point on the building ; the calmness and goodness 
 of the holy ecclesiastics, whose lives were devoted to 
 the good of these ungrateful savages ; their coolness 
 in the time of danger and trouble ; the cutting of the 
 hose, the burning of the church, the loss of all ; and 
 laid special stress on the fact that the accused were 
 Protestants. The effort was a grand one. Those who 
 were not French knew what the speaker was saying, 
 his gestures were so forcible, his tones so expressive. 
 His apparent sincerity was telling. Had he been sure 
 of his case there would have been no need for such 
 exertion. He was speaking to the French jurors only, 
 and they would naturally be supposed to be pre- 
 disposed in favor of the gentlemen of the Seminary, 
 whose tenants and creditors some of them were. 
 
 The Judge followed. His addresses, both in Eng- 
 lish and French, were marvels of beautiful diction 
 and close reasoning ; but, strange to say, the one in 
 English seemed in favor of an acquittal the one in 
 French, for a conviction. 
 
 The jury retired ; they could not agree, and were 
 locked up for the night. The following morning they 
 returned to the court again, and said they could not 
 agree, and there was no possibility of it. They were 
 
 15 
 
218 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 discharged. Five all the English-speaking jurors 
 were for acquittal. 
 
 The second case was tried in July of the same year. 
 That of Lazare Akserrte was chosen. Edward Carter, 
 Esq., Q.C., was brought from Montreal to conduct the 
 English side of the case. Mr. Prevost, the represen- 
 tative of the Seminary in the previous case, now 
 represented the Crown, and the defence managed to 
 get but two English jurors on the panel Messrs. 
 Millar and Clennan. The case for the prosecution 
 was conducted with much greater care and determina- 
 tion than before. But the defence was even stronger ; 
 and the tenor of the Judge's summing up, both in 
 English and French, was in favor of an acquittal. 
 The jury stood two for acquittal, ten for conviction. 
 Thus the case stands at present. 
 
 During the interval of these cases, however, Mr. 
 Maclaren had been prosecuting his cause in the civil 
 courts, and obtained a judgment to the effect that 
 certain necessary papers, in the case of the church 
 property, had been forged ; and thus this case has 
 been reopened. There are also several cases of 
 damages, brought by the Indians, pending against the 
 Seminary. 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 WITH such a history it is no wonder that] Oka is a 
 village of much interest and has many peculiarities. 
 
 It may be said to consist of two distinct villages, 
 separated by a high wooden fence. Although living 
 side by side for years, up to the time of the division 
 in 1868 the different tribes of Indians had not com- 
 mingled to any extent, and lived at different ends of 
 the village. 
 
 Exactly in the middle is the Koman Catholic church 
 and its accompaniments, the Presbytere and Nunnery. 
 
 When the Iroquois seceded, the Seminary erected a 
 high wooden fence to separate the two tribes the 
 sheep from the goats. 
 
 But very soon the Algonquins began to follow the 
 example of the Iroquois. The change was a gradual 
 one in this case, however. Not having the stubborn 
 nature of an Iroquois, an Algonquin on changing his 
 faith generally left the village. 
 
 The blanks in the village grew serious, and to fill 
 them up French-Canadians were imported, until now 
 they form a large percentage of the population. Their 
 privileges and opportunities were greater than those 
 given to the Indians, still they did not prosper. No 
 sooner was an Indian house vacated, even for a time, 
 in any part of the village, than it was occupied by one 
 of these tenants. The natural result was that the 
 Indians were gradually crowded out of the village. 
 
 The refusal of wood to use for any purpose, even 
 
222 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 that of repairing a house, caused the dwellings rapidly 
 to become almost uninhabitable, and thus Oka is almost 
 a village of ruins. 
 
 But only a small percentage of the Oka Indians, and 
 those the poorest, live in the village, the others being 
 on farms in the rear, where they are comparatively 
 
 well off. 
 
 
 
 The village is built without any regularity, but still 
 there are what may be called streets ; the houses, as a 
 rule, are not surrounded by any fence or gardens, and 
 thus have an unusually desolate appearance. This 
 may be accounted for by the fact that no sooner is 
 the fence erected than it is destroyed by the enemies 
 of the Indians. Pigs and chickens abound. The 
 streets during the day appear quiet even for a small 
 village. A woman, French or Indian, may be seen 
 washing at the river side, her instruments consisting 
 of a flat stone and a paddle. The boys may be seen 
 playing lacrosse or other games, and there may be 
 one or two men visible making crosses, canoes, or 
 occupied in a similar manner. 
 
 It must not be imagined, however, that the scene of 
 the two Indians on their shaggy ponies is a common 
 one. The braves dressed themselves in this garb as a 
 special favor. 
 
 On the summer evenings the village is much more 
 lively. The children and younger people congregate 
 together before the houses and sing hymns which sound 
 sweetly on the still air, and gossip as their ancestors, 
 who were adepts at this exercise, did centuries ago. 
 
 They invariably wear a pleasant expression on their 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 225 
 
 faces. Their good-humor is proverbial. No visitor 
 should pass through the village without visiting the 
 Indians at their homes. The exteriors are rude ; the 
 interiors are distinguished by their bare walls and 
 rafters. The furniture is of the rudest description and 
 the scantiest in quantity. 
 
 The life of a missionary at Oka is one beset with 
 no slight difficulties. The Rev. Mr. Parent and his 
 
 noble wife are both well fitted for the work before 
 them at Oka, and their children, Charley, Arlie and 
 Rachel, are of great assistance to them. The children 
 are conversant with English and French, and different 
 dialects of the Indian tongue. 
 
 The tribe is ruled by three elected chiefs, of whom 
 Joseph Onasakenarat is the head. But nothing is done 
 
226 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 without the missionary's advice. He is made ac- 
 quainted with their trials and joys, troubles and 
 pleasures. He must have a large sympathy. He is 
 the dispenser of the gifts which friends send to the 
 Indians. He gives nothing away ; all is sold at one 
 price or another. A visitor at his house in the season of 
 hard times, will see the door open in the evening the 
 
 RACHEL. 
 
 Indians never knock and a poor haggard man or 
 woman enter. The demand made is small, just suffi- 
 cient to keep body and soul together a little longer, 
 or till there is an improvement in the fortunes of the 
 supplicant. It may be a herring, a small measure of 
 potatoes, or a box of matches. It is -cheerfully given, 
 and it is seldom that any return is made. Perhaps the 
 one who enters may wish to make an exchange : a 
 

 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 231 
 
 basket, or pair of snow-shoes, or a small bead orna- 
 ment will be offered for something that can be eaten. 
 Whether the exchange is made or not, the needy one 
 does not go away empty. Then, when the days grow 
 cold and the nights colder still, and the wind finds its 
 way through the well-ventilated log-house of the 
 Indians, clothing is in great demand. With this he 
 provides them as well as he is able. His stock of both 
 clothes and provisions often falls very low ; but it is 
 not often that they are completely exhausted. 
 
 To the St. James' Street Morning Sunday-school, 
 Montreal, is chiefly due the credit of providing for the 
 temporal wants of the Indians. While Dr. G. W. Beers, 
 of the same city, devotes much time and attention to 
 the legal case, the children take a lively interest in the 
 work, and each year collect a large sum for it. 
 
 Besides this, unexpected gifts come from various 
 parts of the country, the neighborhoods of Hunting- 
 don, Hemmingford, Lachute, and St. Andrews, being 
 prominently noticeable in this respect. 
 
 The preaching service is very interesting. The 
 building now used is that occupied during the week as 
 a school-house ; it is small, and seated by rude benches. 
 The walls are covered with school-maps ; immediately 
 behind the preacher's desk is the motto, " God is Love," 
 which for many years occupied a similarly prominent 
 position in the Sunday-school of the St. James' Street 
 Methodist Church. 
 
 At these services the singing is very earnest and 
 many of the singers have good voices. Rev. Mr. 
 Parent preaches in French ; his sentences are then 
 
232 OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 
 
 translated by one of the Indian chiefs into Iroquois, 
 which is the only language understood by many of the 
 hearers. 
 
 Much interest attaches to the habits of the descend- 
 ants of the ancient conquerors of the continent ; their 
 lives have their romance as do those of the whites. 
 They enjoy many of the same pleasures and many of 
 the same pains, though they do not show their feelings 
 as much. 
 
 This is shown, perhaps, in no way more than 
 in their care for their dead, which is character- 
 istic of the Indians. A short distance back of Oka 
 village lies the Christian burying-ground of the small 
 remnant of Indians living on the Lake of Two Moun- 
 tains. It was chosen with heed, and around the graves 
 are evidences that fences had been erected to prevent 
 the animals of the field from rudely trampling above 
 those buried there. But these have been sawed and 
 torn down by the enemies of the Indians and their 
 religion, and it has been found impossible to protect 
 the graves in any way. The spirit which prevented 
 the man from fencing in his house and garden when 
 living prevents his friends from claiming the paltry 
 six feet in which his body rests when dead. 
 
 The spot is a sad one. The dark spot at the left 
 of the picture shows the grave from which the body 
 of the old chief Oritz was taken and carried away 
 after it had been placed there by the hands of his 
 friends. He had defended his country in the time of 
 its need; he had received special attention and honor 
 at the hands of his Sovereign through his representative 
 
16 
 
OKA AND ITS INHABITANTS. 235 
 
 in Canada. During the full century of his life he had 
 undergone many vicissitudes. In his youth he had 
 been a warrior, courted by friends and dreaded by 
 enemies. He had been amongst those who had 
 searched for the remains of Sir John Franklin by way 
 of the Mackenzie River. But for many years before 
 his death he was mainly dependent for support on the 
 labors of his daughter herself a grandmother whose 
 sons were hunted to jail, one after another, for the 
 crime of cutting what they considered their own wood. 
 His was a sad end for an active life, a fitting emblem 
 of the destruction of the race, once so powerful, of 
 whom nothing soon will remain but the remembrance 
 of their influence in moulding the country's history, 
 and the beautiful names they have given to our lakes, 
 mountains, counties and streams. 
 
 THE END. 
 
YC144117