attendants at their own parish church in the old
country; and very sensibly they felt the want, as Sabbath after Sabbath,
passed away, with no service to mark it from other days. "It just
seems," said Mr. Ainslie, "that sin' we cam' to America we ha'e nae
Sabbath ava." In order to meet the want in some measure, he proposed to
the few neighbours which there formed the settlement, that they should
assemble at one house, on each Sabbath afternoon, and listen to the
reading of a sermon by some one present. "I think it our duty," said he,
"to show our respect to the Sabbath-day by assembling ourselves
together, and uniting in worship to the best, o' our ability. I ha'e
among my books a collection o' sermons by different divines, an' I am
verra willin' to tak' my turn in the readin' o' ane, an' I'm sure you
should a' be agreeable to do the same." His proposal met with the hearty
approval of all his neighbours, and for some years each Sabbath
afternoon saw most of the neighbours collected together for the best
mode of worship within their reach. The bush settlements at this period
were much infected by bears, and they often proved very destructive to
the crop of the early settler, and also a cause of no little fear. I
believe the instances have been rare when a bear has been known to
attack a person, although it has happened in some cases; but the
immigrant has so often listened to exaggerated accounts regarding the
wild animals of America, that those who settle in a new section of
country find it difficult to get rid of their fears. On one occasion
when the Sabbath meeting met at Mr. Ainslie's house, Mrs. Ainslie urged
her mother to remain and partake of some refreshment before setting out
on her walk homeward. "Na, na'" replied the old lady, "I maun e'en gang
while I ha'e company, I dinna expec' to leeve muckle longer at ony rate,
but wouldna' like to be eaten by the bears;" and for several years the
one who ventured alone to the house of a neighbour after dark was looked
upon as possessing more courage than prudence. But although the settlers
often came across these animals, on the bush-road, I never heard of one
being attacked by them. An old man upon one occasion returning in the
evening from the house of a friends, and carrying in his hand a
torchlight composed of bark from the cedar tree, suddenly met a large
bear in the thick woods. Being asked if he was not frightened, he
replied, "Deed I think the bear was 'maist frig