"The day after Christmas was again a gay one. The constables, twenty
-five in number, paraded and exercised on the green with banners and
music, and about fifty volunteers, in neat white uniforms, with drums
and fifes and banners flying, went through creditable evolutions and
exercises. All the strangers who had come from neighbouring villages to
spend Christmas at Metlakahtla were collected by Mr. Duncan in the
Mission Hall, and, after a suitable address received, all of them,
presents of soap, apples, sugar, tobacco, etc. In the evening the usual
week-day service was held in the schoolroom, always crowded.

"The following day all the children of the schools were assembled by
Mr. Duncan at his house, first the girls and then the boys, about 200
in all; and, after being amused by him, were treated to sugarplums and
apples, and each one received some article of clothing (cap or cape,
etc.), so as to be sent away to their homes rejoicing.

"Next day all the men of the village, about 300, were assembled in the
market-house to be addressed by Mr. Duncan. After he had given them the
best advice he could, their Christmas presents were distributed to them
in the presence of all the Mission party. These consisted of 1/2lb.
sugar and six apples to each one, with copy-book and pencil, or tobacco
for the older men.

"The day after this, Mr. and Mrs. Schutt kindly entertained all the
widows of the village, about sixty in number, to a substantial dinner.
It was a pleasure to see even the old and decrepit able to sit at table
and enjoy their meal, and it made us enter fully into the idea of the
renovating influence of Christmas blessings, to think in what dark and
murderous heathenism these aged widows had been reared when young.