the arrival of this person, I proceeded to the outpost, but shall pass
over the transactions that occurred there, being similar in all
respects to those already narrated. One circumstance, however,
occurred, which, though not in my vocation, I think worthy of notice.

Two itinerant missionaries called at the Lake of Two Mountains and
distributed a number of religious tracts among the natives, together
with a few copies of the Gospel according to St. John, in the Indian
language. My Algonquin interpreter happened to get one of the latter,
and took much pleasure in reading it. Towards the latter end of the
season I received a packet from my superior at the Lake, and, to my
surprise, found in it a letter with the seal of the Church affixed,
addressed to my interpreter, which I put into his hands, and observed
him perusing very attentively. Soon after he called me aside, and told
me that the letter in question conveyed a peremptory command from the
priest to destroy the bad book he had in his possession, or else his
child that died in autumn would be denied the rites of Christian
sepulture.

We are told that the age of bigotry is past: facts like this prove the
contrary. I asked him if he intended to obey the commands of his
ghostly father. "Not exactly," said he; "I shall send the book to him,
and let him do with it what he pleases; for my part, I have read it
over and over again, and find it all good, very good; why the 'black
coat' should call it bad is a mystery to me."




CHAPTER XII.