The Cause Among the Belgian French in Wisconsin.
By D. T. Bourdeau
I reached this place last Friday, having been detained in not making connections, and traveled on foot in the rain several miles in rather feeble condition. My appointments were out, and I determined not to disappoint the friends in the start. I have held four meetings among them. I find twelve grown persons keeping the Sabbath. They have all given up the use of tobacco, and though they are far behind our American people in point of temporal and spiritual blessings and privileges, yet they are ahead of many of our American brethren in their earnestness in taking hold of the truth and advancing in reform. Though the zeal of some has led them too far in pressing the truth upon others, yet their good motives, and willingness to learn in humility, and the success that has attended their efforts, induce us to overlook past errors which have doubtless closed the ears of some, and to labor patiently to counteract them. They should have received help last spring. The friends call loudly for tracts, and desire to have a paper in the French language as soon as practicable. Though they are very poor, yet they would help raise a fund to start a paper. One said to me that he would pay fifty dollars for this object. Two offer their services as colporteurs free of charges. The Belgian people are scattered over a large tract of country, numbering about fifteen thousand, but are mostly Catholics. There are not far from one hundred Protestant families. Most of these were converted from the Catholic faith by the efforts of a Presbyterian mission. They are in a divided condition, and piety is at a low ebb among them. They are located at five different points. I started meetings yesterday near the center of the work. There were but few out besides our people, yet I left other appointments to give the people a fair trial. I purpose to give a few lectures this week in a Scotch settlement near Bro. Francois Depas, with whom I am stopping. The progress of the work must necessarily be slow. The brethren have no teams, and I have to walk at least five miles to fill my appointments for the French. But the Lord strengthens. It may be interesting for some to learn that the good work here was started by the influence of a humble, unpretending French sister by the name of Cotman, who embraced the truth in Sutton, Canada East, thirteen years ago, and was one in the first company that I baptized. I had often wondered where this sister was, whether she was still holding onto the truth, while she was silently laboring for her Master. The first who embraced the truth, as the result of her consistent course, opened the way, by scattering tracts, for the truth to be preached among the Norwegians by Bro. Olson near Green Bay, where a little company of Norwegians are now rejoicing in the present truth. Following this, another company was raised up in New Denmark. May many lonely ones go and do likewise. Pray for us. D. T. BOURDEAU. Wequiock, Brown Co., Wis.