THE following remarkable account of the effect of observing the Sabbath as a day of rest, is taken from an interesting volume, entitled, “Stories from Indian Wigwams and Northern Camp Fires,” by Egerton Young, missionary to the Indians of the “wild north land” of America: Although the brigades, with their valuable cargoes of supplies, started together from Norway House for the Mackenzie River and Altrabasca districts, I noticed each year that our own Indians of the Mission were the first to return with their load of furs. On talking with them about it, they at once and unanimously declared, that it was because they remembered the Sabbath-day and kept it holy that they were able to make the trip in a shorter time than the other brigades that had no Sabbath.
With great pleasure I recall the following account of one of their trips, as told me one fall, as a campfire story, by some of the stalwart fellows who had been on the trip themselves. Their simple story is another argument for the Sabbath as a day of rest.
“You remember, missionary,” said the narrator, “as you were there at the fort to see us off, how all the brigades left together. That was on Wednesday. We went down Sea River to Lake Winnipeg, and then turned to the west and crossed over the mouth of the Saskatchewan River. Up that great river we went until we turned up north, towards the height of land. We kept well together for the first few days, and camped not far from each other the first Saturday night. As we from the Christian Mission did not intend to travel the next day, we selected as safe and pleasant a spot as we could find, and made our boats’ cargo secure from rain or storm. We gathered sufficient wood for our Sabbath fires, and after supper and prayers, lay down to sleep. The next morning the other brigades went on and left us. We put on our Sunday clothes, which we always carry with us, and spent the Sabbath as nearly as possible as we would have spent it if we had been at home in our Christian village. We held two services during the day, for you know there are now many of our people who can lead us in these meetings. We had our Bibles and hymn books with. us. We sang and had prayers, and read from the good Book, and talked of its truths. We had a good rest between the services. Then, after supper and prayer, we were soon asleep again. Monday morning we were up very early, for you know that daylight comes soon, in summer in this land. Soon were our kettles boiled and prayers over, and we were off. Refreshed by our Sabbath rest, we bent to our oars, and made our boats, spin along at a great rate. In the portages we could, work the harder and get over them more quickly because of the rest. On we pushed day after day. We passed the different camping places of the brigades ahead of us, for there is only the one route. When we reached hose where the ashes were still warm, or there was a log still burning, we knew that they were now not very far ahead of us. We caught them up this year Thursday afternoon, and then there was great excitement, as we tried to get ahead of them. They kept us back in the portage, into which they had first. entered, but when afterward we got out into the river again, where it was a trial at the oars, we managed to get in the lead, and camped that night as the head brigade. Very early we were up and off next morning, and thus we did not let them pass us before the Sabbath came. On that day we rested as usual. The other brigades passed us on Sabbath afternoon, and pushed on a few miles further, and there camped.
“We were up very early on Monday morning, and came up to the others while they were at breakfast. With a cheer, we rowed by, and they did not catch us up again. We pushed on, week after week, until we reached the post, where we found the brigades that had. come down from the Mackenzie River district, waiting for us with a cargo of furs. We quickly exchanged loads with them, and commenced our return journey. We were three days down on our way home, when we met the other brigades going up. We rested every Sabbath day during the whole trip of about two months, and yet were home about a week before the Indians who kept no Sabbath, but pushed on every day.”
As I looked upon the bronzed and healthy faces, and contrasted them in their manly vigor with some worn-out, spiritless men in the other boats, as their missionary, I rejoiced at their story. Deeply interested in the question, I watched, and, as well as I could, I studied it for a number of years on these severe testing grounds. Physically, our Indians were no larger, and apparently no stronger, than were those of other places, and yet here is the fact, witnessed and commented upon by others as well as myself, that the men who kept the Sabbath did their work in less time, and returned in much better health, than those who knew no day of rest.
Gladly then have I recorded this so fully, as another of the unanswerable arguments of facts, that the Sabbath is not only a blessing to man spiritually, but that in its observance he is so aided physically, that he can do more work and keep in better health than those who know not of it.