April 10–13, I enjoyed a good quarterly meeting with the church in Montreal, at which two of the youth offered themselves as candidates for baptism, and were encouraged to move with reference to carrying out their convictions. I then went to a point in Labelle County situated about one hundred miles northwest of Montreal. Here it was my object to open up a new French field, and prepare the way for a family of believers in Montreal whose head is conversant with both the English and French languages, to settle on a piece of land in that field, and to subdue and till it as a means of self-support while serving as light bearers. Believers in cities who can not support themselves where they are and keep the Sabbath, would do well to leave the cities, and locate in the country, where they can sustain themselves by tilling the ground, or laboring at some other trade, help support the cause financially, and shed the light of present truth on those around them.333
I was quite successful in accomplishing the objects I had in view in making this journey. I became acquainted with several intelligent and enterprising French families, who had come from localities in France with which I was familiar, and had settled on farms, and were making life a success. I visited, instructed, and prayed with these families, and gave them a general idea of the work in which I am engaged. They highly appreciated the message I bore them as far as I had time to develop it. Especially were they interested in what I said on the love of Christ and the love we should manifest toward our fellow-beings, even toward our enemies, and on the evidences of Christ’s near coming. I also visited their French pastor, who bade me Godspeed.
Not far from these interested parties, I found plenty of cheap and good wood land on which the family I referred to could settle. A French brother who had been a colporteur for a Bible society, but had lost his position because of his keeping the Sabbath, and could not support himself in Montreal and observe God’s holy day, had preceded me in taking up a piece of land in the wilds of Namur township. This township was so named because its first inhabitants were French Belgians who had come from the city of Namur in Belgium. It is also in this township that the French families reside which I visited on this trip.
My experience in reaching our French Bible colporteur was a peculiar one. I first stopped at a station on the Canadian Pacific Railroad from which I had been told I could be taken by stage to Namur, a distance of about twenty miles. This would bring me to within five miles of the point in a forest, for which I had started. But having reached my station, I found that no stage line connected it with Namur, and that the nearest terminus of the stage line connecting the railroad with Namur was several stations beyond the one at which I had stopped. The price that was asked to take me to Namur was so exorbitant that I could not submit to pay it. I therefore arranged to be taken, for a reasonable amount, to Namur, by a man from that place, first on a loaded lumber wagon, then on the back bunk of “travers” sleds, according as we should go on bare ground in the open country, or on the snow in a forest nine miles wide. We first met with an accident. Our wagon broke down and failed us, leaving me with a heavy overcoat, a satchel, and a bundle of bedding I had taken for protection against the cold in rough camp life, to plod along for miles in the mud. But God sustained me, and I stayed overnight with a noble French Catholic family, whose heart and confidence God gave me.
The next day I was obliged to walk about ten miles. When I had gone about half of this distance, I parted with the man who had agreed to take me to Namur, and was left alone to travel nearly five miles on foot with my baggage. The night had shut in upon me, and I had to travel most of this distance through a dense forest in which wolves were numerous. I had just seen by our road an unmistakable mark of their ravages in the remains of an innocent reindeer that had fallen a victim to these voracious creatures of the forest.
I was an entire stranger, and had but a blind, winding footpath to go by. The deep snow was fast melting, and I would often sink in it to my knees under my luggage. I found strength in prayer, and felt as if I was braced up by iron bands. Perspiration oozed from every pore until my clothing was wet from my head to my feet. But God gave me courage as well as strength. On my knees I found these. Yet as a prudential measure I at one point roared out, causing the forest to ring, that the wolves might be kept at bay by their knowing that I feared them not. I also hoped that the sound of my voice would catch the ear of the man whom I was trying to reach. This object was not gained; but shortly relief came as I saw in front of a mountain before me a faint light emitted by a lamp in a rough shanty.
I was thankful to God when I reached the rude hovel, where I met our Bible colporteur and the man looking for a farm. The latter had preceded me on foot from the station, leaving the baggage behind with me; for he thought I would return to Montreal, not being able to proceed. Said he and our colporteur, “How could you come through with such a heavy load?” And the former added: “I had no baggage, and yet am all jaded out.” He is a man in the prime of life,—only a little past forty years of age. I replied, “God sustained me,” and I was further encouraged by these Scriptural declarations: “Out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.” Heb. 11:34. “They shall still bear fruit in old age.” Ps. 92:14. My portable bedding proved to be very acceptable, as I found that the foundation of my bed in the rude hovel consisted of shavings and green hemlock boughs.
This has been to me a precious experience. By using precaution, I received no harm, and was stronger when I reached Montreal, than when I left the city. On this journey I reflected seriously on the importance of physical exercise, the advantages of which I still realize in a strong constitution which I obtained in clearing up land and tilling the ground in my childhood and youth. Even in old age this vigorous drill makes it easier for me to endure harshness, fatigue, weariness, and pain. I look back to those who were my fellow students in a seminary nearly half a century ago, who shunned physical labor and looked down upon me because I indulged freely in useful physical exercise, and see that they are nearly all under the sod. God has spared me, and I know that one reason for this is that I have, more or less, kept up physical exercise.
How I feel for our children and youth who do not do this, and, as a result, dwindle out with a poor constitution and but little power of endurance, and little or no relish for self-denial! Some of these are fast becoming demoralized by the corrupt moral atmosphere of cities. How can such meet the conflicts before them in coming wars? How can they endure the privations and hardships consequent on being incarcerated behind prison walls for the sake of Jesus and the practical truths connected with the doctrine of his soon coming?
While I do gratefully acknowledge God’s care over me, and his sustaining grace given me on my recent trip, I wish it distinctly understood that I believe such pioneering as I have recently engaged in, should, for the most part, be left for younger workers. Where are the strong young Frenchmen who have studied at our colleges, or have had precious experiences elsewhere? Will our Conferences to whom they belong keep them laboring for those speaking the English tongue because they can do that thing, and deprive French fields of the very laborers God himself has designed for them?
It will be a duty of no minor importance for those having the charge of the work in cities like Montreal, wisely to plan for a position for those who can not support themselves and keep the Sabbath. And what plan can be wiser than to place such on farms? Five families, or parts of families, already have had to leave Montreal to gain a livelihood elsewhere. Two of these have gone to Vermont. But, thank God, in due time these will be replaced by others accepting the truth. Recently a young Welchman kept his first Sabbath with me; and a few others of the English tongue have already become convinced that they ought to obey the message, from literature handed them by my tract worker. D. T. BOURDEAU.
