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perejeanor |
the jesuit missionary |
a catholic story foumded on tacts |
chapter iii |
the instruction |
of the indians who composed the escort of the missionaries some were not yet baptised |
all however bad heard with devout attention the preaching of the jesuit |
they had listened to him as the messenger of wonderful tidings and had believed |
but yet the careful priest hesitated long to admit to the regenerating waters baptism those ot tueir number who tie feared were not sufficiently instructed in the faith of the catholic church |
the untaught indian ac customed to roam through the wilderness with the works of god for ever before his observant eyes and with incomprehensibilities around him unable to fathom the mysteries of nature nay the mysteries of his own life felt within himself the conviction of a supreme invisible existence |
with the book of nature open before him and natures voice ever in his ear be might well by the dim light of reason wander into the labyrinths of polytheism but it was impossible for him to stifle or forget the instinctive belief of humanity |
in the god invisible supreme over all |
the un lettered wanderer in the boundless forests had reached the same point of knowledge at which it had been possible for the sage of antiquity to arrive |
he worshipped the unknown god |
but the machinery of the universe was beyond the power of his reason and he found a minor deity in every bird and beast and fish and tree anid stone |
when the catholic missionary preached to him of the god infinite supreme eternal filling all space at whose will the world and all its life and beauty had sprung into being and at whoso will the earth again would melt away who was the creator and the lord of all and in whom nil things lived and moved and had their being to his unsophisticated mind it seem worthy of the great spirit which his instinct had sought after in nature and beyond nature in vain |
the piety and real and |
superior knowledge of the missionary had won him credence and when he preached to them ofhe saviour who had come upon earth of his death and of his resurrection for the salvation of all and unfolded to them the evidences of christianity they listened with reverence to his words and cherished them in their hearts |
in his own canoe father jean laval had placed |
two of his neophytes for the purpose of continuing their instruction during the voyage and rene bourdoise in order that he might be schooled in the best mode of conveying knowledge to the simple mindedsavage |
huron dost thou know who created thee |
he said addressing the elder of the two a warrior of some note whose instruction he had but lately commenced |
the great spirit who made the earth and the waters and the forests replied haukimab reverently |
and huron did he make the buffalo and the bounding deer |
yes father the buffalo and the bounding deer and all things else that live |
and did he make thee and me like to them |
my fathers taught that the buffalo nnd the bounding deer departed to the hunting ground of |
spirits where the warriors shade pursued them us here on earth |
it ib wrong |
the black gown taaoheth that the great spirit made man like himself and breathed his breath into his nos trils heaven was mudo for the man who doeth good |
the wild benst dies aud perishes |
father jean laval from the foundation of this simplo questioning ti ok occasion to explain fully and minutely and impress deeply upon the mind of those whom he was instructing the history of mans creation his fall and the pro mise of bis redemption fulfilled by the coming tliepassion and the glorious death of the saviour of the world |
he told them how mans nature became corrupt by bis fall how he became per verse through his disobedience proneto evil subject to bll the temptations of the devil it is that which makes the iroquois cruel and bloodthirsty |
said the younger neophyte the spiritof evil is within him |
as he is with all bad men my son as he is with you when yon indulge revengeful feelings xowaros me auhjuuis |
y ueu v |
wuuiu uu them eril |
for evil |
you must love those who hate you |
shall the huron love the iroquois |
ex |
cmmed the young warrior as his eyes glistened with awakened passion and his head was elevated in disdain shall the dove and the hawk nestle together |
is the huron a dove in his heart broke in the deep stern voice of ahasistari the dove is tender |
the huron brave should be bold and fearless like the eagle |
let the huron be a dove in his heart said father jean laval ere the young indian could open his lips again let him be a dove in purity in meekness in piety in love |
let |
him be the eagle of his tribe when he battles in a just and lawful cause |
my father has spoken well replied the chief in a changed and softened tone |
yes my dear children your first duty is to god the great spirit your next is to your neighbour |
the good spirit created you and sl men to love him and serve him and he com mands you to love one another even your enemies to do good to those who hate you |
if the iroquois is fierce and bad pity him and pray that he may listen to the messengers of christ |
if you hate the iroquois in what are you better than he v it is good said ahasistari it is like a god to forgive |
and then father laval proceeded to inculcate upon his hearers the virtues which were necessary to and which adorned the christian showing how the principles of religion were entwined around all the ties of life and bow they were connected with and ruled every circumstance of our moralexistence |
he instructed them in the rules which should govern them in their inter course with all men and the charity so sublime and superhuman which they should cultivate in their hearts |
thus seizing every word and every trifling circumstance he made them the occasion and |
the vehicle of useful instruction and the means of initiating them into the spirit and practice as well as the doctrines of the catholic church |
occasionally to relieve their minds and to break the continuous length of bis instructions lie would interpose a prayer iind |
occupy himself in teaching them the responses to the litanies and the prayers of the rosary |
they listened with docility and learned with quickness the portions aligned to them and the warriors seemed to vie with each other in acquiring that great and supereminent knowledge which the father of the black gown dispensed to them |
thrice a day morning noon and night the jesuit and ren bourdoise the novice in accordance with their previously adopted resolution recited the rosary to procure through the intercession of the mother of god the blessings of heaven on their mission |
ahasistari and the catholic indians joined in the responses with devoutness and seemed never to weary under their labors while thus cheered with the refreshing dew of prayer |
in this pious occupation the day passed pleasantly and quickly round |
father laval each time they landed to prepare their frugal re pasts assembled the whole party round him gave them a short instruction and having blessed their food sat down upon the grass with them and shared their frugal fare |
as night approached ahasistari began to look about for a convenient spot to bivouac upon and at length selected a beautiful and secluded in denture in the river banks shaded by lofty trees and protected and rendered almost impenetrable from the land by the thick undergrowth reaching some distance back from the shore |
here they landed and drawing up their canoes upon the bank prepared to pass the night upon the spot |
after their evening meal had been despatched father laval was about to commence an in struction or exhortation to bis companions when ahasistari approached him respectfully and said my father the mohawk may be abroad his ear is quick |
perhaps it is better said father laval carrying out the thought of the other without replying directly to his words my children meditate in silence on what you have been taught this day and pray to god for protection invoking the intercession of mary our holy mother wrapping themselves in their blankets after bending their knees in silent prayer the indians stretched themselves upon the ground and soon sunk into the light and watchful sleep of men accustomed to snatch their repose in the midst of danger |
the jesuit and rene bourdoise did not so easily betake themselves to slumber |
for the novice especially was it a situation calculated to drive sleep from his eyelids until nature should sink into unconsciousness from exhaustion |
as he lay wakeful and apprehensive he turned his eye frequently upon the form of ahasistari which in the indistinct light was barely dis cernible to the steady gaze |
occasionally a bright gleam from the expiring embers would lighten uo the picturesque figure of the indian |
tho warrior sat at the foot of a tree rest ing his head upon his band in a careless manner which seemed to the young novice to be the atti tude of one wrapt in thought and contemplation |
ahasistari was meditating but every outward sense was on the alert eager to catch the slightest sound or motion on the forest or upon the mur muring river |
the stars were looking down from heatren sweetly and tenderly shedding a dim light upon the moving waters whose broken sur face reflected the countless pencils of light in myriad forms of quivering beauty |
the unbroken silence of the forest was distinctand clear from the murmuring of the waters orr the shore with thatdistinctness which the listening oar hanging over the crystal wave cau judge between the stillness and quiescence of the solemn grove nnd the sweet low music of the living stream |
the air was mild and calm |
it was a night to wor ship god in |
the hours passed and the motionless form of the watching indian seemed to the dull and closing eye of the novice to swell into gigantic size and then to shrink and fade away to nothingness until in the imperceptible sinking of |
his senses under fatigue and slumber the beauteous scene around him passed from before his closed orbs and bis spirit began to wander in the sunny fields of his own dear france |
how long he slept he knew not but he was at length aroused by the hand of the indian upon his shoulder |
it was not yet day but every prepa ration bad already been made to depart and the kindness of the chief had permitted the young man to enjoy unbroken until the last moment the deep and refreshing slumber which had wrapped his senses |
leaping up from his bard couch the young npvica performed his morning devotions and having made his ablution in the running waters was ready to take his seat in the canoe the moment it was launched father lival had resolved that ren bourdoise and himself should occupy different canoes during the rest of the voyage in order that the young man might be employed as well as himself in instructing the catechumens of whom as we have already said there was a number not yet fully prepared scattered throughout the fleet |
in a few moments the dark forms of the canoes shot out from the banks of the river keeping within the verge of the heavy shadows of the overhanging woods and pursuing their course rapidly and silently rtowardsfthe new fort of montreal |
ere the day dawned they had proceeded many miles upon their journey when striking deeper into the cur rent the canoes drew out in a more extended line and continued on their course |
chapter iv |
night upon the waters |
several jays were happily passed in this man ner and although the progress of the party had been regular the declining sun of the fourth day found them still distant from the sheltering walls of montreal |
as they were now in the most dangerous portion of their passage between the two forts it was determined not |
to land but to continue their voyage during the night |
the indians relieving each other at the paddle and snatching a moments repose while the canoes proceeded slowly and with diminished force up the river |
stretching themselves upon the bottom of the canoes father laval and rene bourdoise pre pared to sleep having committed themselves to the keeping of god |
the novice had already be come in a manner accustomed to the novelty of his situation and its dangers from familiarity began to lose the terror which it had at first possessed |
sleep soon closed his eyes for his heart was pure nnd he bad learned to look on death too long in the stern training of the chris tian soldier to dread bis approach come apparelled as be might |
even reflecting upon life the jesuit is taught to look to its last end to value it as a means worthless in itself priceless when laid downto purchase immortal bliss |
death has no pangs for him for htm it cannot sever any earthly ties the only tie that binds him to this earth leads through the portals of the tomb to heaven |
those gates to most men so dark and gloomy are but the triumphal arch through which be shall pass when the victory over sin and hell is won for him |
constant meditation has cooled bis passions stemmed their rapid flow and taught him well the utter worthlessness of earthly pride and pleasures and possessions |
he follows the com mand of the saviour to the youth who sought the rule of perfection |
he strips himself of earthly riches |
he is ready then to go forth upon the world without staff or scrip or raiment to do gods work prepared for life or death in obedience to the will of his divine master |
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