the Book some distance away; and when he still failed, he protested that
it was because I had so much of it in my head or heart. Of course this
feeling of fear for the Book quickly left them as they became acquainted
with it. When Christianity is accepted, there comes a great love for
the precious volume that has in it so much information of things about
which they are in such ignorance, and that reveals the love of the Great
Spirit for His Indian children.

The missionaries employed simple and primitive ways to teach the
syllabic characters to those who knew them not, but who were anxious to
learn. Sometimes with a lead pencil on a piece of board or birch-bark,
the characters were drawn and slowly and carefully gone over, time and
time again, until they were completely mastered. When pencils gave out,
the end of a burnt stick, or a piece of coal from the fire, had to serve
as a substitute.

Our illustration will show one of my methods used at Burntwood River far
up in the Nelson River country. I had the honour of being the first
missionary who ever reached the Indians of that section and preached to
them the Gospel. They are a fine company of Indians, and I found, that
with the few exceptions of some old conjurers and medicine men and
polygamists, the people were not only glad to see me, but anxious to
hear and accept the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. I visited them
twice a year and began the work; but to my beloved first colleague, the
Rev John Semmens, was given the work of establishing the mission. On
my visits, which as usual were made with my dogs in winter and by canoe
in summer, I had to gather the Indians for religious services as best I
could. The large kitchen of the Hudson Bay Company's trading post was
put at my disposal by the officer in charge, who was ever kindly
disposed toward the good work. In this, as well as in the poor wigwams
of the natives, we met, and sang, and prayed, and explained to them as
well as possible the plan of salvation--God's great love toward them.

In the short brilliant summer the work was very much more pleasant.
Then, under the beautiful trees, or where the great rocks rose up around
us and cast their welcome shadows, we could gather the people and talk
of the loving Heavenly Father; not only of His Creative power, but of
His redeeming love in the gift of His beloved Son.

In my missionary experiences I have found, that the majority of men are
sick of sin. Do