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 Pioneer life in Zorra / by W.A. MacKay 
 
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 3 1924 028 901 102 
 
Cornell University 
 Library 
 
 The original of tliis book is in 
 tine Cornell University Library. 
 
 There are no known copyright restrictions in 
 the United States on the use of the text. 
 
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PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 BY 
 
 REV. W. A. MacKAY, B.A., D.D. 
 
 WITH INTRODUCTION BV 
 
 HON. G. W. ROSS, LL.D., M.P.r. 
 
 Minister of Education for Ontario 
 
 "The faithful delineation of human feelings, in all their strength and 
 weakness, will serve as a mirror to every mind capable of self-examination. " 
 
 — Carlyle 
 
 WITH PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 TORONTO 
 
 WILLIAM BRIGGS 
 
 1899 
 
Entered according to Act of the Parliament of Canada, in the year one 
 thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, by William Briggs, at the 
 Department of Agriculture. 
 
Zo /II5p /Iftotber 
 
 0\K OK TIIK KAI;L^' ZUltUA PIOXKKRS, 
 
 WHO HAS (.ilVKN IWK S()\S 'I'l t TIIK CHRISTIAN' i\I I N'lSTK V ; 
 
 AND WHO NOW. 
 
 rX THE EKHITV-SIXTH VKAK OF UFAi AGK. 
 
 IS EX.IOYIXG 
 
 THE CALM EVENING Ul'' A ISEAl'TIKVL CHRISTIAN LIFE, 
 
 I'HIS BOOK IS AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED 
 
 BY THE AUTHOR 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 Introduction 7 
 
 I. Zorra in the Thirties 21 
 
 II. The Home Life of the Pioneer . . -37 
 
 III. The Pioneer and the Sabbath . . .52 
 
 IV. Gangin' tae the Kirk 64 
 
 V. The Men's Day 78 
 
 VI. An Old Communion Sabbath . . .101 
 VII. The Old Communion Sabbath—" Doing 
 
 the Word" 114 
 
 VIII. The Catechising 127 
 
 IX. Pioneer Politics 140 
 
 X. Zorra and the Rebellion of '37 . . .154 
 
 XI. Logging Bees and Dancing Sprees . . 166 
 
 XII. Pioneer Songs 183 
 
 XIII. A Funeral Among the Pioneers . . 198 
 
 XIV. Ghosts, Witches, and Goblins . . .211 
 XV. Pioneer Schools and Schoolmasters . . 235 
 
 3 
 
4 CONTENTS 
 
 Chapter Page 
 
 XVI. Rev. Donald Mackenzie, the Pioneer 
 
 Preacher of Zorra .... 254 
 
 XVII. Rev. Lachlan McPherson of Williams . 272 
 
 XVIII. John Ross of Brucefield ... 284 
 
 XIX. Rev. Daniel Allan of North Easthope . 308 
 
 XX. Rev. John Fraser, M.A., of Thamesford . 325 
 
 XXI. Rev. William Meldrum of Harrington . 340 
 
 XXII. Rev. Daniel Gordon ..... 352 
 
 XXIII. Pioneer Methodism in Zorra . . . 370 
 
 XXIV. Zorra's Famous Missionary . . 384 
 XXV. What Shall the Harvest Be ? . . .398 
 
LIST OF 
 PORTRAITS AND ILLUSTRATIONS 
 
 Page 
 
 Zorra Pioneers — 
 
 Honor List (Ages from 90 to 105) Frontispiece 
 Mrs. Marion MacKay (Age 86) . Dedication 
 Exterior View of a Pioneer's House . . .21 
 
 Interior View of a Pioneer's House . . . -32 
 Pioneers, (Ages from 82 to 91) . . . .37 
 
 Pioneers, (Ages from 80 to 84) . . . -52 
 
 Pioneers, (Ages from 77 to 89) ... 64 
 
 Zorra's Old Log Church .... 78 
 
 Pioneers, (Ages from 76 to 79) . . . . ici 
 
 Pioneers, (Ages from 54 to 78) . . . .114 
 
 Zorra's Tug of War Team ™ . . . 166 
 
 Pioneers, (Ages from 65 to 76) . 198 
 
 Pioneer Preachers — 
 
 Rev. Donald Mackenzie of Zorra . 254 
 
 Rev. Lachlan McPherson of Williams . . 272 
 Rev. John Ross of Brucefield .... 284 
 
 Rev. Daniel Allan of North Easthope . . 308 
 Rev. John Eraser, M.A., of Thamesford . . 325 
 Rev. William Meldrum of Harrington . . 340 
 Rev. Daniel Gordon and Mrs. Gordon of Har- 
 rington . . .... 352 
 
 Rev. G. L. Mackay, D.D. (Zorra's Famous Mis- 
 sionary) ....... 384 
 
 5 
 
INTRODUCTION 
 
 To THE early settlers of Western Canada a 
 volume on pioneer life requires no introduction. 
 We paint in glowing language the courage of 
 the soldier who made long marches and endured 
 hardships to maintain the honor of his country, 
 or to advance her interests either for conquest 
 or defence ; and yet we forget that similar quali- 
 ties were exercised, even under less favorable 
 circumstances, by the pioneers who entered the 
 forests of Ontario within the present century. 
 The soldier had the stimulus of his companions, 
 the flaunting of flags, the beating of drums, the 
 example of his officers, and all that sentiment 
 could do to urge him forward even at the peril 
 of his life. The pioneer had no such stimulus. 
 He often went single-handed into the deep 
 7 
 
8 INTRODUCTION 
 
 forest ; he had to separate himself from friends 
 and neighbors, to endure perils by night and by 
 day, to live on the scantiest fare and in the most 
 depressing isolation ; and yet in spite of all these 
 disadvantages he never relaxed in his determi- 
 nation to make himself self-sustaining, or even 
 more, if a kindly Providence would only so favor 
 him. 
 
 The early settler was no knight-errant, no 
 speculator in margins, no waiter upon Provi- 
 dence, but, as a rule, a man of indomitable 
 energy, courage, physical endurance, and with 
 confidence that seed-time and harvest would in 
 due time bring him reasonable prosperity. No 
 better stuff stood beside Nelson on board the 
 Victory. No better stuff climbed the heights of 
 Alma, or charged the dervishes at Khartoum. 
 
 The Ontario pioneers (and I am speaking 
 now particularly of those who settled the 
 western counties) left the old home as a matter 
 of choice, except perhaps a few who might have 
 been evicted because their landlords wanted 
 the paddocks they occupied for other purposes. 
 The great majority of them, however, felt that 
 
INTRODUCTION . 9 
 
 in tlie land of their fathers their sphere was 
 circumscribed, and if their position was to be 
 improved at all, and provision made for their 
 families, they must seek homes abroad. This 
 was particularly the case with the settlers from 
 Scotland. True, they may not have expected 
 the hardships they subsequently endured ; but 
 what were hardships to them so long as they 
 had a free home, their families around them, and 
 the prospect of independence within their reach ? 
 In the old land they were tenants ; in the land 
 of their adoption they were landlords — owners 
 in fee simple of the soil they tilled. It was 
 theirs to improve ; it was theirs to bequeath to 
 their children after them ; and this one fact was 
 a silver lining to the darkest cloud that hung 
 over them. 
 
 Notwithstanding this, it is almost impossible 
 to over-estimate the hardships endured by the 
 early pioneers. There is a great deal of romance 
 cast around the log house of the settler, with its 
 open, glowing fire-place, generous hospitality, 
 and its unsophisticated simplicity of manners. 
 The novelist likes to speak of the hollyhocks 
 
to INTRODUCTION 
 
 that nodded lazily beneath the window, as if to 
 remind one that hope still blossomed within ; of 
 the wild rose or honeysuckle that climbed over 
 the unhewn walls, as if to show the sympathy 
 of nature with the plainness of the architecture. 
 That is the romantic view of the pioneer's first 
 home. But to those who know some of the 
 realities of pioneer life, the log house too often 
 furnished but scant shelter from the pitiless 
 rains of autumn or the tempests of winter. Its 
 hospitality was frequently taxed far beyond the 
 comforts of its owner, and its open fire-place 
 was too often insufficient for the fullest enjoy- 
 ment of life, either by night or by day. 
 
 Sixty years ago a thousand or more such 
 homes could have been seen amid the forests of 
 the west. How came it about that the same 
 district is now dotted with homes — one might 
 almost call them mansions, so beautiful are 
 they in design and so attractive in appearance ? 
 How came it about that the forest path over 
 which the settler carried supplies to his family 
 on his back, is now an easy highway for the 
 traveller and pleasure-seeker ? How came it 
 
INTRODUCTION n 
 
 about that the ploughshare and the reaping 
 machine now move freely where once stood the 
 giants of the forest ? How came it about that 
 happy villages occupy the camping ground of 
 the Indian? Is it not because the pioneer 
 stretched forth his strong arms against the 
 natural obstacles of those early times, and with 
 a stout heart resolved to bring them under the 
 influence of intelligence and civilization ? And 
 can it be possible that we, who see the changes 
 wrought at such tremendous cost of energy and 
 toil, can forget the sturdy qualities of those by 
 whom these changes were brought about ? 
 
 It is said that the Pilgrim Fathers of New 
 England were the sifted wheat of the early col- 
 onists, and that to them the United States owes 
 the vigor of its national character. In many 
 senses of the term the pioneers of Ontario 
 were chosen men — sifted wheat. As a rule, 
 they were men with a fair education ; but 
 even where this was denied them, they 
 had a high sense of the value of education 
 as a preparation for the duties of life. Ac- 
 cordingly, we find that wherever there was 
 
12 INTRODUCTION 
 
 a settlement, were it ever so small, there 
 was a school house; and although the school 
 master of those days would not rate very high, 
 judged by the standards of modern education, 
 he was honored because of his calling and the 
 responsibilities of his office. Being obliged to 
 accept the hospitality of his patrons in lieu of 
 the full wages to which he was entitled, he had 
 the opportunity of carrying the torch of learn- 
 ing, flickering though its light may have been, 
 from house to house, and no doubt often stim- 
 ulated the pioneer to a greater interest in the 
 education of his children. Though books were 
 few in number they were eagerly read, and 
 when a newspaper found its way, by a 
 weekly mail, to the homes of those who 
 could afford such a luxury, the work of 
 of the school master was still further strength- 
 ened and the interest of the pioneer quick 
 ened. As years went by, some member of 
 the family would venture out into the world 
 to seek a professional career. His example be- 
 came the object of admiration far and near, 
 and so the native ambition, sometimes of many 
 
INTRODUCTION 13 
 
 fathers, but more frequently of the mothers, was 
 aroused to see that the honor of the family was 
 similarly maintained. In many a home lux- 
 urious ease and ordinary comforts were aban- 
 doned that the nascent genius of some embry- 
 onic Mansfield, or Candlish, or Simpson, might 
 be developed. 
 
 The religious character of the pioneer was 
 also an important factor in strengthening his 
 arm as he grappled with the difficulties of early 
 settlement. He had not left his own land be- 
 cause he mistrusted Providence, but because he 
 believed Providence was specially directing him 
 as to his future course. The God that watched 
 over him and his fathers in the land of his birth, 
 he believed was present in the forests of Canada ; 
 and so with an unbounded faith he entered 
 upon his daily labors. Until he was able to 
 erect a church for public worship, he placed 
 his humble dwelling at the disposal of his 
 neighbors, and by his daily life and his devo- 
 tion showed that he believed religion had its 
 obligations as well as its comforts. 
 
 In maintaining his religious life, the pioneer 
 
14 INTRODUCTION 
 
 was greatly aided ( and I only speak of the 
 Presbyterians) by the character of the early 
 Presbyterian missionaries. With nearly all the 
 ministers mentioned in this volume I was per- 
 sonally acquainted. I have heard them preach, 
 sometimes in the forest, where parallel ranges of 
 logs were the only pews, and the overshadow- 
 ing trees the only shelter from the sun ; some- 
 times in a barn, when no church was available ; 
 sometimes in a log church as primitive as the 
 log house of the pioneer. I have heard some 
 of them conduct an English service and others 
 a Gaelic service. It is but natural, having 
 regard to the emotional character of one's 
 early life, that I should recall with more than 
 ordinary enthusiasm the personality of the men 
 and the vigor of their discourses. Even mak- 
 ing due allowance for this, I think I am safe in 
 saying that some of them were endowed with 
 apostolic fervor, and with more than the usual 
 gifts of eloquence. I fancy I can now hear the 
 Rev. John Ross, in his peculiar penetrating voice, 
 depict the future terrors of the unregenerate, till 
 the blood was chilled with horror; and then 
 
INTRODUCTION 15 
 
 in tones soft and soothing as a zephyr plead 
 for the acceptance of the story of the cross. 
 To hear him was to feel that he had lived near 
 the Master, and that no life was worth living 
 unless permeated with a sense of the great 
 hereafter. 
 
 The Rev. Donald Mackenzie, of Zorra, was 
 one whose personality I can also recall most 
 vividly. I remember distinctly a sermon 
 preached by him — it must have been in the 
 early fifties — from that sublime passage in 
 Isaiah : " They that wait upon the Lord shall 
 renew their strength," etc., and I think I can still 
 hear the tumultuous eloquence with which he set 
 forth the glory of that strength and the over- 
 whelming power it gave to those who possessed 
 it. Mr. Mackenzie's delivery had one peculiar- 
 ity. While in his exordium he was argu- 
 mentative — speaking quietly and apparently 
 hesitatingly — as he proceeded he gained 
 strength as a river does in the^ multitude of 
 waters that are poured into it. Step by step 
 the volume became stronger as he approached 
 the peroration — a peroration that was some- 
 
1 6 INTRODUCTION 
 
 times almost terrific in its earnestness and elo- 
 cutionary force. When he reached the climax 
 he suddenly ceased, as a Roman candle seems 
 to explode when it has reached its maximum 
 height, and then, in the quietest tones, as if ex- 
 hausted nature could do no more, he uttered 
 a short prayer. 
 
 The Rev. Lachlan McPherson was for many 
 years minister of the congregation at which my 
 father and family worshipped. He received the 
 greater part of his education in Canada, and was, 
 I think, licensed to preach by a Canadian Pres- 
 bytery. Mr. McPherson was usually of a very 
 calm temperament. He wore a sadly sobered 
 look, and had the expression of one who gave 
 himself much to meditation of a very solemn 
 character. His disposition was by no means 
 morose, however, for he enjoyed a joke and 
 could tell a good story ; but his manner was 
 ordinarily reserved and serious. He was, more- 
 over, a good Gaelic scholar, and as Gaelic was 
 his mother-tongue, he had special aptitude as a 
 preacher in the Gaelic language. His delivery 
 was often characterized by those undulating 
 
INTRODUCTION 1) 
 
 cadences peculiar to the Gaelic and Welsh 
 languages, and when he fell into this rapturous 
 oratory he was very impressive. He was, how- 
 ever, in many respects more of a theologian 
 than a pastor, and had a special affection for 
 the doctrines of John Calvin and his disciples. 
 Predestination and the formulae of the Shorter 
 Catechism were frequently his theme, and, as a 
 consequence, he touched the hearts of his people 
 less than he otherwise might. Nevertheless his 
 sermons were stimulating and did much to keep 
 alive the intellectual life of the people whom he 
 served. 
 
 Of the others mentioned in this volume I need 
 not speak in detail, though all partook more or 
 less of the character of the men to whom I have 
 already referred. Several of them served as 
 superintendents of public schools as well as 
 ministers of the gospel. All of them commanded 
 the deepest respect of those to whom they 
 ministered, and left on the generation they served 
 the impress of their own religious constancy and 
 earnestness. But they, too, like the pioneers 
 among whom they labored, endured hardships, 
 
1 8 INTRODUCTION 
 
 travelling on foot through the deep forests, and 
 accepting, without a murmur, the scanty com- 
 forts of the pioneer's home. Their labors may 
 not be recorded in large biographies, as is the 
 work of such men as Guthrie and Chalmers and 
 Wesley and Spurgeon ; but their work is recorded 
 in the lives they have comforted, the churches 
 they have founded, and the example they gave 
 to the community in which they lived. Well 
 will it be for the religious character of future 
 generations if they have many disciples. 
 
 In view, therefore, of the character of the 
 pioneers whose early lives Dr. MacKay has here 
 so vividly depicted, and particularly in view of 
 the character of the missionary pioneers whose 
 work like a golden thread runs throughout the 
 narrative, I would commend this book to the 
 people of Canada. 
 
 " Prominence is not necessary to true great- 
 ness." The pioneer had no prominence — he had, 
 nevertheless, the elements of true greatness. 
 The qualities which enabled him to establish a 
 home for himself and his family, in the face of 
 so many difficulties, are the qualities by which 
 
INTRODUCTION 19 
 
 nations are built, good government established, 
 and pro3perity and peace made possible. To 
 follow in his footsteps is a guarantee that Can- 
 ada will grow in influence and power as one 
 generation follows another. 
 
 Geo. W. Ross. 
 
 Toronto, August 2nd, i8gg. 
 
PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 
 ZORRA IN THE THIRTIES 
 
 " Oft did the harvest to their sickle yield, 
 
 Their furrow oft the stubborn glebe has broke ; 
 How jocund did they drive their teams a-field ! 
 How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy 
 stroke ! " —Gray. 
 
 The traveller going through Oxford to-day 
 and viewing its large towns, its busy factories, 
 its elegant churches, its commodious school- 
 houses, its comfortable homes, and its fertile 
 fields, finds it hard to realize that within the 
 memory of some of us the whole district was 
 an unbroken forest, where the wild Indian roved 
 and the bear and wolf prowled. This wonder- 
 ful change speaks to us of difficulties overcome, 
 
 21 
 
22 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 of trials patiently endured, of earnest purpose 
 and indomitable perseverance. The men and 
 women who were chiefly instrumental in bring- 
 ing about the change have strong claims upon 
 their descendants, and the memory of their holy 
 faith and heroic deeds ought not to be allowed 
 lightly to perish. The following pen pictures, 
 though sketched with a feeble hand, are con- 
 ceived with a loving heart ; and they are placed 
 as a few sprigs of heather upon the graves of 
 ancestors who deserve our highest gratituds. 
 
 Away back in the thirties Zorra was settled 
 by a race of sturdy Highlanders from the north 
 of Scotland, chiefly from Sutherlandshire. As 
 early, indeed, as 1820, two brothers, Angus 
 and William MacKay, settled in the district — 
 some of their descendants are still living there 
 in comfort. After braving the hardships of the 
 forest for nine years, Angus MacKay returned 
 to Scotland, but in the following year returned, 
 bringing with him his aged mother and a ship- 
 load of Sutherlanders. 
 
 These people left their native land, not as a 
 matter of choice, but from necessity forced upon 
 
PATRIOTISM AND PIETY 23 
 
 them by the covetousness of Highland landlords. 
 Aristocratic proprietors formed the plan of 
 driving away the peasantry in order to turn their 
 little farms into sheep pastures and sporting 
 grounds. The result was that men who never 
 flinched in battle for the defence of their coun- 
 try — the descendants of those who drew their 
 swords at Bannockburn, Sheriffmuir and Killi- 
 crankie — the children and nearest relations of 
 those who had sustained the honor of the British 
 name in many a bloody field — the heroes of 
 Egypt, Corunna, Toulouse, Salamanca, and 
 Waterloo — the men of whom General Havelock 
 exclaimed at the close of one of the most 
 fiercely-fought battles of modern times, "Well 
 done, brave Highlanders ! " — these noble men, 
 who deserved so well of their country, were 
 robbed and trampled upon ; and, as they would 
 not be enslaved, they were compelled to seek 
 an asylum across the Atlantic. 
 
 With sad hearts and tearful eyes they bade 
 farewell to their heath-clad hills, and the homes 
 they loved so dearly, faced an ocean voyage of 
 twelve weeks in an old emigrant ship, endured 
 
24 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 ■ all the hardships of a two weeks' journey up the 
 St. Lawrence in open boats towed by oxen, 
 penetrated the unbroken fastnesses of the forest ; 
 and, in spite of bears, wolves, and mosquitos, 
 laid the foundation of the prosperity we see on 
 every side of us to-day. 
 
 The question has been sometimes sneeringly 
 asked : " Why should our fathers have been so, 
 intensely attached to their native soil ? " That 
 attachment had piety as well as patriotism in 
 it. The houses from which our pioneer fathers 
 and mothers were driven were not only the 
 homes which they and their forefathers had 
 occupied from time immemorial, but they were 
 spots hallowed by the most sacred associations 
 — spots not a few in which individuals had in 
 their hearts " built a pillar and anointed a stone," 
 and worshipped their God and the God of their 
 fathers. A forcible separation from such homes 
 was felt as none but members of the household 
 of faith can feel. 
 
 But enough said on a dark subject The 
 memory of these men and women ought to be 
 revered by their descendants. We owe them a 
 
SHEEP FOR MEN 25 
 
 great deal — our pleasant surroundings, the 
 blood that flows in our veins, our energy and 
 solidity of character, and, in as far as spiritual 
 things can be inherited, the hope that cheers in 
 life and sustains in death. 
 
 That the Highlanders of to-day have lost 
 none of the " martial fires that thrilled their 
 sires," the Dargai Heights abundantly testify ; 
 but, alas ! the Gordon Highlanders can no 
 longer be recruited from the land of their 
 forefathers. A story is told that, after a large 
 number of the Highland tenantry had been 
 evicted and their places filled with sheep, a 
 recruiting officer happened to come into the 
 neighborhood, but the only response received 
 by him to his request for volunteers for the 
 army was, " Baa, baa," thus indicating that as 
 sheep had been substituted for men, the recruit- 
 ing officer might look to the sheep for his 
 soldiers. 
 
 " A bold peasantry, their country's pride. 
 When once destroyed can never be supplied." 
 
 When these expatriated men and women 
 came to Zorra there were no roads — only a 
 
26 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 blazed path here and there to guide the travel- 
 ler. Such a path led in a "bee line" from 
 Woodstock to where Embro is now situated. 
 A large part of the county was at that time 
 swamp, and in the spring and fall of the year 
 the swamps would be full of water. The waters 
 contained myriads of frogs, which kept up an 
 incessant croaking all day and night. 
 
 There is a story told of a famous "frog- 
 scare." In the fall of 183- several families 
 settled in the south and eastern part of the 
 township. Very early one morning, next 
 spring, the whole district was suddenly awak- 
 ened by unearthly sounds on every side. The 
 terrified ones quickly got out of bed and made 
 what preparations they could to meet the foe. 
 Some thought the dreaded Indians were upon 
 them, others vowgd that the voices were those 
 of witches or devils flying through the air. Win- 
 dows were fastened, doors bolted, and prayers 
 offered. For a couple of hours before dawn the 
 greatest panic prevailed. 
 
 With the first grey streaks in the east, a party 
 of men armed with axes, clubs, and such other 
 
DENIZENS OF THE FOREST 27 
 
 weapons as were available, climbed the hill to 
 the eastward to see if the Indians were indeed 
 coming ; but seeing no enemy, they soon re- 
 turned to allay the fears of their friends. It 
 was not long before some of the older inhabi- 
 tants explained to the people that the sounds 
 proceeded from the thousands of frogs which, 
 frozen in during the winter, and suddenly let 
 loose by the advent of spring, were express- 
 ing their joy in very hearty though very 
 unmusical notes. 
 
 The dismal howling of the wolves, together 
 with the " mony eldritch screeches " of the frogs 
 outside, and the crickets inside the houses, were 
 a torment to the new settlers till their ears got 
 accustomed to the disagreeable sounds. The 
 woods were full of wild beasts, such as the deer, 
 bear, wolf, fox, hedge-hog, wild-cat and squirrel,^ 
 also many snakes and other reptiles. Many 
 stories are told of bears appropriating, Rob Roy- 
 like, the lamb, the calf, or the pig of the settler. 
 Such birds as the crow, hawk, robin, wood- 
 pecker and bluejay made the forest vocal with 
 their notes in spring. 
 
28 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Besides the really dangerous bear and wolf, 
 there was another source of fear, as great or 
 even greater. These were the ghosts, the exist- 
 ence of which was most certainly believed in by 
 these Scotch settlers. Many a time have the 
 chills run up and down my back as I have 
 listened to the weird, uncanny tales told at the 
 "ingleside" by the light of the old back-log, 
 and evidently believed by the narrator as well as 
 his hearers, who gathered closer to the fire and 
 to one another after each blood-curdling story 
 was told. 
 
 Mr. L , one of these pioneers, had a new 
 
 blue denim pair of trousers, and one day, after 
 being in Woodstock and partaking of a " wee 
 drappie," he returned home at night. The 
 night was wet, and every time one leg passed 
 the other while walking, the trousers, in rubbing, 
 gave forth a peculiar squeaking noise. It was a 
 
 ghost, sure! Mr. L ran for life in the 
 
 direction of the nearest house, but the ghost ran 
 too, and kept up the terrifying sounds till, over 
 bogs, through swamps and brushwood, out of 
 
CROSSING THE RED SEA 29 
 
 breath, the fleet-footed Highlandman at last 
 found safety in the nearest shanty. 
 
 On another occasion, this same pioneer re- 
 turned from the county town in a wretched 
 plight. He had imbibed freely during the day, 
 and coming home at night lost his way. It was 
 in the spring-time, and the swamps and streams 
 were full of water. In his wanderings he crossed 
 and re-crossed some of the streams several 
 times, until he arrived at home scarcely recog- 
 nizable. " O my poor man," exclaimed his wife 
 on seeing him, " where have you been ? " 
 
 " Och, woman," replied the drouthy and 
 drenched Hielanman, "she's cam' from Egypt, 
 and she pe crossing the Red Sea of 'en, of'en." 
 
 When some unfortunate went astray in the 
 woods and did not return in the evening, his 
 friends would commence hallooing or blowing 
 a horn, neighbors would take up the call, and in 
 a short time the whole country round would 
 be hallooing or blowing horns. These sounds 
 could be heard a great distance, and never 
 failed to bring the wanderer back. 
 
 It is related of one of the settlers that, having 
 
30 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 gone astray several times, his friends advised 
 him to procure and use a compass. He did so ; 
 but the next time he went from home he lost 
 his way as usual. 
 
 " Why did you not steer by the compass ? " 
 said a friend to him afterwards. " Because," 
 was the prompt reply, " I could not get the 
 gude-for-naethin' thing to point right." 
 
 These settlers lost no time whimpering over 
 the cruelties of the past or the hardships of the 
 present; but, with brave hearts and stout arms, 
 they at once went to work, and from dawn till 
 dark the forests resounded with the strokes of 
 the axe, and the crashing of the falling trees. 
 
 Soon little clearances, like so many breathing 
 spots, could be found scattered over the whole 
 township ; but nowhere could one clearance be 
 seen from another. This rendered unusual the 
 "flying visit" of to-day. The visitor was 
 expected to remain two or three hours at least, 
 and if the visit was cut short, the visitor would 
 likely be asked, " Have you come for fire ? " a 
 query which requires a little explanation. The 
 hearth fire, like that in some ancient temples, 
 
HAVE YOU COME FOR FIRE ? 31 
 
 was not allowed to die out ; and the last act of 
 the "gude" man or his wife before retiring 
 to rest was to cover the bright embers over 
 with ashes, which, when raked ofif the next 
 morning, disclosed the nucleus of a new fire. 
 Occasionally, however, the fire would go out, 
 and an aged pioneer mother relates how, on one 
 such occasion, she had to travel nearly two miles 
 by a path through the woods to the nearest 
 neighbor for a kindling-brand. Such a visit 
 was necessarily very brief, hence the popular 
 taunt to a hurried visitor, " Have you come 
 for fire ? " 
 
 Every farmer had a bell on one of his cattle, 
 so that when they wandered they could be more 
 easily found. Old settlers often remark what 
 great distances sound could be heard through 
 the woods as compared with the present day, 
 when the land is cleared. The stroke of an 
 axe, it is said, could easily be heard a mile 
 away, while a falling tree could be heard at a 
 distance of three miles. Sheep were folded 
 every night as a protection from wolves. 
 Hearing the wolves howling, one would think 
 
32 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 they were very near, while perhaps they were 
 a mile away. The wolf has an instinctive 
 dread of fire, and if a man was benighted in 
 the woods he was safe if he could only light a 
 fire. A settler put a wager that tobacco 
 smoking had saved his life, and that he could 
 clearly prove it. The explanation was that, 
 being one night lost in the woods, he lighted a 
 fire, and thus saved himself from the wolves ; 
 " but," said he, " I would not have had the where- 
 withal to make that fire had I not been a 
 smoker." This plea for the pipe is, to say the 
 least, far-fetched, and cannot be used to-day, for 
 the wolves are all gone. 
 
 The first cabins were 12 x i8 feet, perhaps 
 9 or 10 feet high, and, of course, built of logs. 
 The roof was constructed of basswood logs, 
 hollowed out, and laid alongside each other, 
 with the hollow side up. Then other logs, 
 similarly hollowed, were laid on these, with the 
 hollow side down, and so as to overlap those 
 underneath. Such a roof was waterproof, but 
 not always proof against the driven snow. The 
 inside of the cabin was divided into two rooms. 
 
INTERIOR OF THE HOUSE 33 
 
 with a loft above. In this loft the children 
 usually slept, and they mounted to it by means 
 of pegs driven into the wall. The openings 
 between the logs were filled with moss obtained 
 from the trees, and the moss was daubed with 
 soft clay. There was a big fireplace constructed 
 of stones, wood and clay. Such families as 
 could afford it had a couple of andirons in the 
 fireplace, upon which the sticks were carefully 
 laid ; others used a couple of flat stones for this 
 purpose. From the top of the chimney was 
 suspended a chain with a hook at the lower end, 
 capable of being raised or lowered, so as to 
 adjust the pot to the fire. By and bye this chain 
 gave place to a " crane," — a movable bar of iron, 
 attached by hinges to one side of the chimney, 
 and placed horizontally over the fire. Upon 
 this could be suspended two pots, one for the 
 porridge and the other for the soup. The bread 
 was baked at first in a kind of flat-bottomed 
 pot, called the bake-kettle, which stood upon 
 three legs about three inches in length. This 
 pot had an iron lid with a broad rim and a loop 
 handle to lift it by. The raised dough was put 
 3 
 
34 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 into this pot, which was placed upon the hearth 
 and covered all over with coals. Soon the loaf 
 issued, well raised and baked, sweet and whole- 
 some as any to-day from the best of modern 
 ovens. In the course of time the pot gave 
 way to the " reflectors " ; and they, in turn, to 
 the black, cheerless modern stove. The table 
 was bare, but always scrupulously clean. Two 
 bedsteads, a few stools, some rude chairs and 
 a big Sutherlandshire chest constituted the 
 furniture. The chairs or stools — for there was 
 not much difference — consisted of rough slabs 
 of wood, in which holes were bored, and legs 
 fitted in. There was usually one window, con- 
 sisting of four panes of glass, 6x8 inches 
 each. Most of the dishes were of pewter, and 
 taken from the old country. The spoons were 
 made of horn, and the knives and forks were 
 horn-handled. The fare was " hamely " but 
 wholesome, " porridge and milk " with oaten 
 cake being the staple. 
 
 These pioneer homes were undoubtedly rude, 
 and in many respects uncomfortable, but they 
 
THE PATIENT HOUSEKEEPER 35 
 
 sheltered many a happy family, illustrating 
 the sentiment of Scotland's poet : 
 
 "What though on hamely fare we dine, 
 Wear hoddin' grey and a' that, 
 Gie fools their silks and knaves their wine ; 
 The man's the gowd for a' that." 
 
 The fire blazing in the big chimney at night 
 cast many a weird figure in the corners of 
 the shanty; and often, while gazing into the 
 glowing coals, has my fancy conjured up 
 Scottish castles, bloody battles, martyr scenes, 
 and forms of beasts, birds, etc. 
 
 We usually had to burn " green wood." This 
 was not so bad if the fire kept up well ; but, 
 alas for the poor shivering ones when the 
 night was cold and the fire burned low ! It 
 seemed impossible to get it up again. A 
 pioneer once remarked, in the presence of a 
 neighbor, that he did not believe anything could 
 ruffle his wife's temper. " I can tell you some- 
 thing that will, if you'll consent to try it," replied 
 the neighbor. "Agreed," said the pioneer. 
 "Just bring home and cut up a load of the 
 crookedest green sticks you can find," proposed 
 
36 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 this disturber of the peace, " and if that don't 
 worry her I don't know what will." The plan 
 was complied with, but there was no change 
 in things around the pioneer's home ; in fact, 
 everything seemed to be more agreeable than 
 before. At last our friend said : " Wife, how do 
 you like the wood I brought you last?" "First 
 rate," said the wife. " These crooked sticks fit 
 right round my kettle, and make it boil in half 
 the time." 
 
 The good wife had learned the important 
 lesson that things which " can't be cured must 
 be endured." A difficulty which would have 
 evoked bad temper in another, in her only 
 developed patience, one of the noblest Christian 
 graces. Let the housekeepers of to-day take a 
 note ! 
 
"t! t- O - X 
 
 
 ; a 5 ■• M^ 
 
 
 '■^ L~ r ^'^A 
 
CHAPTER II 
 
 THE HOME LIFE OF THE PIONEER 
 
 " By the soft green light in the woody glade, 
 On the banks of moss, where thy children played ; 
 By the gathering round the winter hearth, 
 When the twilight call'd unto household mirth ; 
 By the quiet hour when hearts unite 
 In the parting prayer and the kind ' Good-night ' ; 
 By the smiling eye and the loving tone, 
 Over thy life has the spell been thrown, 
 And bless that gift, it hath gentle might, 
 A guarding power and a guiding light ! " 
 
 We have endeavored to describe the humble 
 cabin in the woods, with its rude furniture and 
 meagre fare. But every log in that cabin was 
 put in its place with a grateful heart to God ; 
 and however scant the furniture, there never 
 lacked the family altar, around which parents 
 assembled, morning and evening, for the wor- 
 ship of the Most High ; and however meagre 
 37 
 
38 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the fare, it was never partaken of until the 
 blessing of God was asked upon it. Again at 
 the close of the meal, all eyes were closed and 
 hands folded, while every head bowed in rever- 
 ent thanks to God for his bounty in providing 
 for the wants of his unworthy creatures. Ref- 
 erence has been made to the ceilidh, or the 
 friendly visit of one neighbor to the house of 
 another. But even in this apparently trivial 
 event God was recognized. When any one, 
 old or young, came to a neighbor's house, he 
 first knocked at the door. At once from within 
 came the clear, ringing invitation, " Come in." 
 The party without opened the door, uncovered his 
 head, and standing still for a moment, invoked 
 a blessing, " Beannaich so," (bless this place). 
 Quickly the response came from the head of 
 the house, " Gum beannaich e sibhfein " (may 
 he bless yourself). So also on rising to leave 
 the house the visitor said, " Beannac/id leibh" 
 (blessing with you), to which the response came 
 as before, " Beannachd leibh fein" (blessing 
 with yourself). 
 
 But the most important event in the daily 
 
FAMILY WORSHIP 39 
 
 religious life of the pioneer was undoubtedly 
 family worship. Come with me on a quiet 
 summer morning or evening to one of these 
 homes. In a small clearing in the dense forest 
 stands the little log cabin. A blue curl of 
 smoke rises from the wooden chimney ; it is 
 a symbol of the incense that is being offered up 
 within. We will not disturb the solemnity of 
 the worship, but we will take our place near by. 
 Listen to the sweet strains as they slowly and 
 solemnly ascend on the still air. They are 
 singing the Shepherd's Psalm. Father and 
 mother, far away from the home of early days, 
 unite with those whom God has given them, in 
 the overflow of soul in song, and amid such 
 primitive surroundings their hearts go out in 
 the words : 
 
 " The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want. 
 He makes me down to lie 
 In pastures green ; he leadeth me 
 The quiet waters by." 
 
 After this a chapter is read slowly and 
 solemnly, with occasional observations by the 
 high priest of the family. At the close of the 
 
40 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 reading the children are expected to tell some- 
 thing of what they have heard. Then "the 
 books " are closed, the spectacles laid on top of 
 them, and the face of the father clothes itself 
 with grave, dignified solemnity, and a strange, 
 unwonted, tremulous depth comes into his voice 
 as he says, " Let us pray." The prayer is 
 certainly not an "oration," nor is it, from a 
 literary point of view, a gem ; but it is earnest 
 and emotional, nothing stilted, formal, or frigid 
 in it, and uttered by one who feels the presence 
 of God. We are near enough to hear some of 
 the words, and hearing them we cannot easily 
 forget them : 
 
 " O God, our Father, we bow before Thee. 
 We are not worthy of this privilege, but we 
 come in the name of Thy dear Son. Hear us 
 for His sake. Thou art great beyond our 
 understanding, but Thou art infinitely good. 
 Thou didst give us our being, and Thou hast 
 cared for us all our life long, leading us by the 
 still waters and through the green pastures of 
 Thy grace. Thou hast brought us to this good 
 land, and hast given us a house to dwell in. 
 Thou dost spread our table morning, noon, and 
 night ; and Thy presence cheers us, so that we 
 need fear ng evil. We thank thee for Jesug 
 
AN ALTAR IN EVERY HOME 41 
 
 Christ, Thy Son, and for redemption through 
 His precious blood. Assure our hearts of an 
 interest in the great atonement. Guilt is ours, 
 grace is Thine. O Father, help us this day. 
 Give us strength and courage and peace. Carry 
 us in Thine arms, and keep us near Thy heart. 
 Hear us, O God of our fathers, for our children. 
 We have given them to Thee in solemn cove- 
 nant. Write Thy law upon their hearts, so that 
 they may never depart from Thee, but may live 
 holy, happy, useful lives. The Lord hear us for 
 Jesus' sake." 
 
 The church was always prayed for, and 
 especially on Saturday night was the divine 
 blessing invoked on the services of the follow- 
 ing day. Usually mention was made of " the 
 country in which we dwell " and " the dear land 
 from which we have come." I pity the man 
 who can ridicule, or speak lightly of, such a 
 scene. Richard Baxter tells us of a time when 
 the power of the Gospel was so felt in Kidder- 
 minster, that in every house on many a long 
 street, family worship was devoutly observed. 
 The writer can recall a time when in every 
 house on many a long concession line in Zorra 
 God was worshipped morning and evening. 
 Who can estimate the value of such worship in 
 
43 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the formation of character? It promotes order 
 and regularity in a home, and diffuses a sym- 
 pathy among the members. It calls off the 
 mind from the deadening effects of worldly 
 affairs. It says to every member of the family 
 " There is a God ; there is a spiritual world ; 
 there is a life to come." It fixes the idea 
 of responsibility in the mind of a child. It 
 develops, as neither pulpit nor Bible class nor 
 Sabbath School can do, a sense of duty to God 
 and man. Blessed is the home that is thus de- 
 voutly consecrated to God. Whatever uncertain- 
 ties hang, to human view, over its future history ; 
 whether predominates there the voice of health 
 and gladness, or the wail of sorrow and pain ; 
 whether its larder be filled with plenty, or made 
 lean by poverty ; how oft soever its windows 
 may be darkened by calamity and death, — one 
 thing is sure, it is the abiding place of the Most 
 High ; the Angel of the Covenant is there, and 
 in the deepest night of grief that home has 
 light and hope and peace. What has given 
 Scotland the proud position she occupies to- 
 day among the nations of the earth? Is it 
 
SCOTLAND'S GREATNESS 43 
 
 her insular position, the wisdom of her rulers, 
 the valor of her soldiers, or the genius of her 
 poets ? No, not at all. Her greatness and her 
 power are to be explained in the honor in 
 which God has been held in her families. It is 
 Christianity among her people that is the grand 
 secret of all her prosperity and her greatness. 
 And this Christianity is fed and nourished 
 chiefly at the family altar, amid such scenes as 
 Robert Burns photographs in his " Cottar's 
 Saturday Night." 
 
 " From scenes like these old Scotia's grandeur springs 
 That makes her loved at home, revered abroad. 
 Princes and lords are but the breath of kings, 
 An honest man 's the noblest work of God." 
 
 Here is the secret of Scotland's greatness. 
 It lies not in her ironclads and her Armstrong 
 guns, but it rests on something far mightier 
 than armies and navies — the Christianity of her 
 people, a Christianity that begins and is carried 
 on at the family altar. This is the righteous- 
 ness that has exalted that nation, and this 
 righteousness, far more than the richest pro- 
 ducts of our mines, fields, and forests, will make 
 
44 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 this Dominion truly great and happy. Talk of 
 colleges ! The best college from which the pro- 
 fessional men of Zorra ever graduated, that 
 which has left the most lasting and beneficial 
 influence upon their minds and hearts, was the 
 college of a Christian home. These men 
 to-day are scattered far and wide, and they 
 belong, some to the medical, some to the legal 
 some to the theological, and many to the 
 teaching profession ; but they look back with 
 fond recollection to the day's when with father 
 and mother, brothers and sisters, they rever- 
 ently knelt in prayer on the rude floor of the 
 little log cabin. 
 
 How tender the memory of that last home- 
 leaving, when the boy was going far away to 
 enter college, or engage in business, or to learn 
 a trade. For weeks past kind hands have been 
 preparing such little articles of clothing as 
 will be useful to him when away from mother 
 and sisters : and now the little trunk is packed 
 and the morning of separation has come. There 
 are but few words spoken, and feeling is 
 wonderfully suppressed, but 
 
LEAVING HOME 45 
 
 " Kneeling down to heaven's eternal King, 
 
 The saint, the father and the husband prays ; 
 Hope springs exulting on triumphant wings. 
 That thus they all shall meet in future days." 
 
 Many years have since passed by, bringing 
 with them many and varied experiences, but 
 the influence of that solemn hour is with us still, 
 and will abide with us while memory lasts. 
 
 Ours is a day of competition, hurry, excite- 
 ment, when business is war, and anything is 
 fair. Home life is largely broken up, and the 
 conditions are not favorable to the cultivation 
 of kindness, quietness, and a tender regard for 
 the happiness of others. Some men are no- 
 where greater strangers than in their own 
 homes, and they know but little of the beautiful 
 domestic life of our fathers. 
 
 And it was a busy life. In the winter season 
 all day long the axes rang incessantly, and the 
 trees crashed and fell. Then in the spring and 
 summer there were " the ploughing and sowing, 
 reaping and mowing" from dewy morn till dusky 
 eve. It was a Zorra lad who, being told that he 
 was too short for his age, replied, " Father keeps 
 me so busy I haint time to grow." 
 
46 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Roderick C was noted far and near for 
 
 his early rising — in winter time never later than 
 four a.m., and during the summer months even 
 earlier than that. Of course, at the rousing call 
 of the head of the house every member of the 
 family was obliged to rub his sleepy eyes and 
 scramble out of bed. Because of this, old Rod 
 found it hard to keep hired help. Three differ- 
 ent men, it is said, in as many weeks, had tried 
 and failed. At length the supply of men and 
 boys seemed to be exhausted, and old Rod 
 found himself at the beginning of the harvest 
 season with no help, and with no prospect ot 
 procuring any. Just at this juncture a young 
 Highlander, a stranger in Zorra, appeared upon 
 the scene, and announced his willingness to 
 work for Rod. Many were the warnings which 
 he received, and many the wagers made as to 
 how long young Donald would remain in Rod's 
 employ. But Donald persisted in turning a 
 deaf ear to all warnings, and soon his bundle of 
 clothes was reposing in the loft of Rod's shanty, 
 and he himself installed as a member of the 
 household. His sleep that night was sound and 
 
EARLY RISING 47 
 
 dreamless, so far as it went ; but scarcely, as he 
 afterwards declared, had his head touched the 
 pillow, before he was awakened by a terrible 
 commotion. The dog was barking and the 
 children howling, while a strong smell of fried 
 pork from the kitchen below floated to his 
 nostrils. Presently he heard old Rod climbing 
 the ladder, and stumbling in the darkness to- 
 wards his room. " Wake up, wake up, m' man," 
 cried old Rod, opening the door noisily. But 
 young Donald was equal to the occasion. 
 " Thank y', sur," he replied, " but she will not 
 eat so late at nicht." Then as Rod's retreating 
 footsteps grew fainter, Donald sank again into 
 well-earned repose. 
 
 A few nights afterwards, however, Donald did 
 by some mistake respond to the four a.m. call of 
 the head of the house. The first thing after 
 coming down was family prayer, in which Rod 
 thanked the Lord for the " licht of anither day." 
 " Toot, toot, mon," said Donald, " it will no be 
 licht for twa hours yet ; why thank the Lord ? " 
 
 As might be anticipated, the social life of the 
 settlers was very strong. Common difficulties 
 
48 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 drew them closer together. A good woman, we 
 are told, entered a grocery store to purchase 
 some lozenges. But the store was damp, and 
 the lozenges were adhering too closely together 
 to suit the purchaser. " What kind of pepper- 
 mints are these ? " The grocer being somewhat 
 of a wag, and knowing the woman's nationality, 
 replied, " These are Scotch peppermints." " Ou, 
 aye," was the ready reply, " is that the reason 
 they stick sae closely t'gither ? " 
 
 There were no club-rooms or bar-rooms in 
 those days, but the woodsman spent his 
 evenings where every husband and father 
 should do, in his own home and in the bosom 
 of his own family. The time was occasionally 
 improved in sharpening his axe, or making 
 a handle for it, or mending an old pair of 
 shoes, or putting a patch on his trousers. 
 Sometimes a neighbor would drop in, or per- 
 haps two or three, and the conversation would 
 turn on the weather, the crops, the taxes, last 
 Sunday's sermon, the next Communion, or the 
 time and place of the next catechizing. The 
 friends in Scotland would be remembered, the 
 
tHE LITTLE L1BS.ARY 4^ 
 
 records of this and that family traced, and the 
 hope expressed of such a person or family 
 coming to Zorra. Newspapers were scarce, but 
 such as came to hand were eagerly read and 
 the contents discussed. 
 
 Stories of olden time were told, some of 
 these of an historical character, some religious, 
 but many of the humorous sort. Old and 
 young greatly enjoyed such a meeting for an 
 hour or two at the close of the day's work. 
 
 " Talk not of joys, indeed, till thou 
 
 Hast seen the smile of age ; 
 Or of the laughter in the which 
 
 The ' hoary ' ones engage. 
 When it is theirs in fellowship 
 
 To stories tell, galore, 
 And to portray, time and again, 
 
 The scenes of days of yore." 
 
 The library was small, but it always con- 
 tained a Gaelic Bible, a metrical version of the 
 Psalms in Gaelic, and the Shorter Catechism. 
 Besides these, there could usually be found in 
 it one or more of the following books : a Gaelic 
 version of Boston's " Fourfold State," Bunyan's 
 "Pilgrim's Progress," "Edwards on the Affec- 
 tions," Allaine's " Alarm," Baxter's " Call to the 
 4 
 
so PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Unconverted," Doddridge's " Rise and Progress 
 of Religion in the Soul," and a number of songs 
 or Gaelic poems by such Highland ministers and 
 laymen as Macdonald, Kennedy, Aird, Peter 
 Grant, and Dugald Buchanan. All these were 
 read and re-read, over and over again ; and I 
 have no hesitation in ascribing much of the 
 vigor of intellect, liveliness of imagination, and 
 spiritual discernment which so strikingly char- 
 acterized many of the fathers, to their thorough 
 knowledge of the Bible and of these theological 
 and poetical works. Of very many of the 
 fathers it may truly be said that in at least 
 three books they were deeply read ; two with- 
 out — the Bible and God's Providence ; the other 
 within — the human heart. The first two filled 
 their minds with lofty and elevating thought ; 
 the other gave them that knowledge of them- 
 selves which, however important, schools or col- 
 leges cannot impart. 
 
 There is no greater delusion than that intelli- 
 gence increases in proportion to the number of 
 books read. The reverse is frequently the case. 
 Reading should be a means to develop think- 
 
WHAT BOOKS TO READ 51 
 
 ing. A book should never read simply because 
 it is interesting. If one's reading decreases the 
 respect for moral purity, or reverence for God, 
 if it gilds vice and ridicules goodness, if it 
 exalts political party above moral principle, or 
 dollars above duty, if it makes a criminal into a 
 hero, or in any way weakens the sense of 
 responsibility to God and man, it is worse than 
 no reading at all, and the mind should no more 
 feed upon such reading than the body upon 
 foul carrion. The Bible is the grandest book 
 in the world. It will develop the intellect, 
 strengthen the will, and purify the life as any 
 or all other books cannot do. It was read and 
 studied by our fathers ; and it cheered them 
 in life and supported them in death. This I 
 know, that the fathers in Zorra '' who knew and 
 only knew their Bible true," could discourse 
 on the laws of mind and matter, the relation- 
 ships of society, and the responsibilities of 
 manhood and womanhood, as the wholesale 
 devourers of sensational newspapers and the 
 •' penny-dreadfuls " of our day cannot even con- 
 ceive of It is better to deeply read than to be 
 widely read. 
 
CHAPTER III 
 
 THE PIONEER AND THE SABBATH 
 
 " I am now in my 87th year, and I ascribe my physi- 
 cal and mental activity largely to my strict observance of 
 the Sabbath."— Hon. W. E. Gladstone. 
 
 At the present day it has become popular in 
 certain quarters to characterize the fathers as 
 narrow and bigoted, and especially to charge 
 them with Puritanical strictness in their observ- 
 ance of'the Sabbath. Herein we have powerful, 
 though unconscious testimony to their loyalty 
 to the truth. In a day when avarice combines 
 with licentiousness and infidelity in trampling 
 under foot the most sacred truths, and espe- 
 cially the Sabbath law, it is refreshing to call 
 to mind the integrity, the fearlessness, the ad- 
 herence to principle exhibited by our fathers. 
 They felt that there was a vital and eternal 
 52 
 

 ^.J^.-^)uj 
 
A SABBATH WELL SPENT 53 
 
 difference between truth and error, and as they 
 believed so they lived. 
 
 Some of the fathers may have erred on the 
 side of literalism, but their error has been great- 
 ly magnified by scoffers. The following beauti- 
 ful description of a home in Scotland, with its 
 reverent and happy Sabbath, will call up in the 
 mind of many a Zorra man and woman to-day 
 equally happy scenes in years gone by : 
 
 " We had special Bible readings on the Lord's 
 day evening, mother and children and visitors 
 reading in turns, with fresh and interesting 
 question, answer, and explanation, all tending to 
 impress us with the infinite grace of a God of 
 love and mercy in the great gift of His dear 
 Son Jesus, our Saviour. 
 
 " I can remember those happy Sabbath even- 
 ings ; no blinds drawn and shutters up to keep 
 out the sun from us, as some scandalously affirm, 
 but a holy, happy, entirely human day • for a 
 Christian father, mother, and children to spend. 
 How my father would parade across and across 
 our flag floor, telling over the substance of the 
 day's sermons to our dear mother ! How he 
 would entice us to help him recall some idea or 
 other, rewarding us when we got the length of 
 ' taking notes,' and reading them over on our 
 return ; how he would turn the talk ever so 
 naturally to some Bible story or some martyr 
 
54 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 reminiscence, or some happy allusion to the 
 Pilgrim's Progress ! 
 
 " And then it was quite a contest which of us 
 would get reading aloud, while all the rest 
 listened, and father added here and there a 
 happy thought, or illustration, or anecdote. 
 There were eleven of us brought up in a home 
 like that ; and never one of the eleven, boy or 
 girl, man or woman, has been heard or ever will 
 be heard saying that Sabbath was a dull or 
 wearisome one for us, or suggesting that we 
 have heard or seen any way more likely than 
 that for making the day of the Lord bright and 
 blessed alike for parents and for children." 
 
 Oh, for an honest love of the truth, and a 
 readiness to contend for it at all hazard ! Three 
 distributors of church charity in Toronto, last 
 winter, fearing that they were imposed upon by 
 all assisting the same persons, determined to 
 compare notes. One of these distributors was a 
 Roman Catholic, another a Methodist, and the 
 third a Presbyterian. They soon found a 
 woman whom they had all been assisting on the 
 ground that she belonged to each of their 
 churches. This woman had her babe baptized, 
 (i) by the Priest, (2) by the Methodist minister, 
 and (3) by the Presbyterian ; and she was only 
 
A FALSE CHARITY 55 
 
 waiting till her child got a little bigger, to show 
 that she had no prejudice whatever against the 
 Baptist Church. This woman was no bigot, 
 and she is a fair representative of multitudes 
 who in our day boast of their religious liberality, 
 and whose godliness is only a matter of gain. 
 Liberality to error is treason to the truth. 
 Some people are so " charitable " that they 
 have no controversy with sin or Satan. The 
 pioneers of Oxford were Bible-reading, God- 
 fearing, Christ-loving men and women, who 
 believed something, and lived as they believed. 
 To them truth was the Saviour's crown-jewels, 
 and they would as soon think of loving a king 
 and trampling on his crown, as pretend to love 
 Christ, and then trample on his law. 
 
 Who will deny that the devout observance 
 of the day of rest developed in the fathers a 
 vigorous and Christian manhood and woman- 
 hood, and made them strong physically, men- 
 tally, morally ? France, with her infidelity and 
 her reckless desecration of the Sabbath, stands 
 to-day face to face with the solemn problem 
 of national extinction. When the Parisian 
 
S6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Sabbath has produced better men and women 
 than the Puritan Sabbath has done, it will be 
 time enough to sneer at the fathers. Many of 
 us have heard of the great Breckenridge 
 family of the United States. There were 
 three brothers of them, and all stood in the 
 very front rank of able men in the Presby- 
 terian Church of that country. One day, Dr- 
 John Breckenridge thus accosted his aged 
 mother : " Mother, don't you think you might 
 have been a little less severe on us boys ? " 
 " John," replied the good woman, " when you 
 have raised three such sons as I have done, you 
 may undertake to reprove your mother for her 
 methods." The application of this to the Pari- 
 sian and Puritan Sabbath needs no comment. 
 
 Girard, the infidel millionaire of Philadelphia, 
 one Saturday ordered all his clerks to come on 
 the morrow to his wharf and help unload a 
 newly arrived ship. One young man replied 
 quietly : 
 
 " Mr. Girard, I can't work on Sundays." 
 
 " You know our rules." 
 
A MORAL HERO 57 
 
 " Yes, I know. I have a mother to support, 
 but I can't work on Sundays. 
 
 " Well, step up to the desk and the cashier 
 will settle with you." 
 
 For three weeks the young man could find no 
 work ; but one day a banker came to Girard to 
 ask if he could recommend a man for a cashier 
 in a new bank. This discharged young man 
 was at once named as a suitable person. 
 
 " But," said the banker, " you dismissed him." 
 
 "Yes, because he would not work on Sundays. 
 A man who would lose his place for conscience' 
 sake would make a trustworthy cashier." And 
 he was appointed. 
 
 Even if men had no immortal souls to be 
 cared for, their brains and their bodies require a 
 day of rest. If we are to make the most of our- 
 selves even in this life, we must take one day in 
 seven for a quiet rest from physical toil and 
 mental excitement. It is one of the cunning 
 devices of the devil to destroy men, by tempt- 
 ing them to turn God's appointed day of rest 
 into a day of work or pleasure. Hon. W. E. 
 Gladstone is only one of many who ascribe 
 
58 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 their physical strength and mental activity in 
 extreme old age to a devout observance of the 
 Sabbath. 
 
 The following incident will illustrate the loy- 
 alty of our ancestors to the Sabbath, and the 
 quaint, original manner in which some of them 
 could enforce their views of the holy day. A 
 good elder one day came upon a number of 
 young lads who were grossly profaning the 
 Lord's day. In gentle tones, and without the 
 slightest sign of anger, the old man said : 
 " Boys, let me tell you a story. There was a 
 rich man, and he owned seven fine cows. He 
 had a neighbor who was very poor, and pos- 
 sessed nothing at all. But the rich man was 
 so generous that he gave the poor man, free, 
 without any price, six of his fine cows. And 
 now what think you the poor man did ? " 
 " Well," said one of the boys, " he would be 
 very grateful to the rich man." " I would 
 think," said another, "he ought to show his 
 gratitude by doing what he could to please 
 and honor the man who treated him so 
 kindly." " No, my boys," said the old man, 
 
A MEAN MAN 59 
 
 " you will be surprised when I tell you that he 
 was neither grateful nor respectful to his bene- 
 factor; but, on the contrary, he used to come 
 and steal the milk from the only cow the good 
 man kept for himself." 
 
 Is that story true ? " said one boy. " Who is 
 that man ? " cried another. " Why, that man's 
 too mean to live," shouted a third. " Stop, my 
 dear boys, and I will explain. I have told you 
 a story to teach you a moral. God in His in- 
 finite goodness has given us six days in the 
 week for our own use, but the Sabbath He has 
 retained to Himself But, boys, you seem not 
 to be satisfied with six days, for you are rob- 
 bing God of His day. Is this right? Is this 
 manly ? " " You've got us this time," said one 
 of the boys. " He gave us a lump of sugar with 
 a pill inside," said another ; but there was no 
 more desecration of the Sabbath for them that 
 day. 
 
 All the pioneer fathers were not equally 
 successful in their endeavors to preserve the 
 sanctity of the Sabbath, as the following will 
 show : A good man was one day going through 
 
6o PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the woods on his way to the church. Suddenly 
 he espied two young fellows a short distance 
 off, one with a club holding guard over a hole 
 in the ground, and the other farther away 
 fishing. Going up to the nearest who, it may, 
 be explained, was a little dull intellectually, the 
 man remonstrated with him. 
 
 " My boy, do you know what you are doing ?" 
 
 "Ou, aye, she pe waiting till the beastie 
 comes out." 
 
 " But this is the devil's work you are doing 
 to-day!" 
 
 " Toot, toot, it's na the deevil ; its a ground- 
 hog — I saw it going in, wi' my ain eyes ! " 
 
 " But do you know what day this is?" queried 
 the good man. 
 
 Here followed a long shrill whistle from the 
 half-witted boy, and a call to his companion, 
 " Come here, Tarn ; here's a feller that disna ken 
 what day it is ! " 
 
 A story is told of a farmer in the southern 
 part of the township who had a pond on his 
 farm, and who also owned a ram sheep that 
 was great with his head. On Sabbath after- 
 
PRACTISE WHAT YOU PREACH 6i 
 
 noon the boys would occasionally have lots of 
 fun with this pugnacious animal. A young 
 fellow would take his place close up to the 
 pond, and then keep bowing his head, as if 
 daring the ram to fight. Instantly the ram, 
 gathering up his strength, would rush forward 
 to battle ; but when he came near enough, the 
 boy would nimbly leap to one side, and the 
 ram would plunge into the water, much to 
 the amusement of the juveniles. One Sabbath 
 afternoon the old man caught the boys at this 
 sport. You may be sure he gave them a sound 
 lecturing on the sin of Sabbath desecration, and 
 ordered them all home to study the catechism. 
 The boys soon disappeared ; but now the old 
 man began reflecting on the sport, and the 
 more he reflected the more he felt tempted to 
 experiment a little himself So just for once 
 he would try. Taking his place beside the 
 pond, he made certain movements to attract 
 the attention of the ram. Nothing daunted 
 by former experiences, the brave animal, with 
 head and tail erect, came rushing to the 
 encounter. But the old man, not being so 
 
62 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 nimble as the boys, failed to get out of the way 
 in time. Result : the wrong party got into the 
 water. Moral : practice what you preach. 
 
 The profound regard of some of the pioneers 
 for the Sabbath appears in the following amus- 
 ing incident. A good elder, one bright Sunday 
 morning, donned his best suit of Sunday black. 
 He had gone some distance with his wife on the 
 way to the church, when that lady reminded 
 him that he had forgotten to feed the calf As 
 it would be night before they could get back, 
 there was but one course open for him. The 
 calf must not be left to starve. So at once the 
 elder retraced his steps, got a pail of milk, and 
 carefully carried it into the field where the calf 
 was enjoying life, after the manner of its kind. 
 The elder's approach filled the calf with joy; 
 and as the milk was slowly and carefully poured 
 into a trough the infant bovine plunged its 
 head, with an emphatic "splash," into it. Up 
 spurted the milk in a score of streams, and the 
 elder's black coat was black only in streaks. 
 Then, in this time of trial appeared ample proof 
 of the elder's respect for the day. Quickly he 
 
THE SORELY-TRIED ELDER 63 
 
 grasped the calf s head, and as he spoke the fol- 
 lowing devout words, at each word he thumped 
 that head against the trough. And this is what he 
 said : If — it — no — be — the — Sawbath — and — she 
 — no — be — breaking — the — Lord's — day — she 
 — would — punch — her — head — through — this — 
 trough." " If an aith wad relieve ye, dinna mind 
 my presence," was the counsel given a Scotch 
 minister by his " man " on a very trying occasion. 
 But while we may smile at the foibles of these 
 men, let us not fail to admire their loyalty to 
 conscience. And though we may not approve 
 their severe literalism in the interpretation of the 
 fourth commandment, let us freely acknowledge 
 that the fault was less, infinitely less, than that 
 spirit of to-day, which defiantly tramples under 
 foot divine authority by turning the Lord's day 
 into a day of worldliness and rioting. 
 
 " O day most calm, most bright. 
 The fruit of this, the next world's bud, 
 Th' indorsement of supreme delight ; 
 Writ by a friend, and with his blood ; 
 The couch of time, care's balm and bay ; 
 The week were dark but for thy light : 
 Thy torch does show the way." 
 
CHAPTER IV 
 
 GANGIN' TAE THE KIRK 
 " A pious peasantry, their country's pride." — BURNS. 
 
 To say that our forefathers were a church- 
 going people would be greatly to understate the 
 truth. They were devotedly attached to their 
 church ; their most hallowed memories and asso- 
 ciations clustered around it, and to attend its 
 services they gladly travelled on foot over a 
 winding path in the dense forest, three, six, or 
 even in some cases ten miles, returning the 
 same day after the service was over. 
 
 To-day we will accompany these people, 
 young and old, on the way to the kirk ; and as 
 we listen to their conversation we will leave 
 each reader to commend or to condemn as his 
 judgment and taste may direct. We give a few 
 snap-shot photographs of things as they were. 
 64 
 
m!v:fi''^f^m^ 
 
THE COMMUNION DAYS 65 
 
 It is a beautiful day in the beginning of June, 
 18 — . A brilliant Canadian sun is overhead, 
 the air is laden with the fragrance of apple, 
 plum and pear tree blossoms, and sweet clover ; 
 the wild birds, freed from the enforced silence of 
 a long winter, make the forests vocal with their 
 merry notes. Here comes a group of people, 
 most of them of the younger sort, on their way 
 to the Communion. Not that it is Sabbath, 
 or that the holy feast will be observed to-day. 
 It is Friday, or what is commonly known as the 
 " Men's Day." 
 
 At this time the Communion was observed 
 only once a year, and lasted five days. It com- 
 menced on Thursday, which was called the 
 " Fast Day," (La Trasgaidh). Friday was the 
 " Day of Self-examination," (La RannSaichaidh) ; 
 Saturday was the " Day of Preparation," (La 
 Ulluchaidh) ; Sabbath was the " Day of Com- 
 munion," (La Comunnaidh) ; and Monday was 
 the " Day of Thanksgiving " (La Taingealichd). 
 With that respect for order said always to char- 
 acterize the Presbyterian Church, the various 
 religious services of the communion occasion, 
 S 
 
66 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 such as the reading of scripture, prayers, sing- 
 ing, sermons, and even the personal conversation 
 of each day, always bore upon the uniform sub- 
 ject of that day, as indicated by the name of the 
 day above given. 
 
 And now we join the happy company of 
 church-goers at a place where two roads meet, 
 and we enter upon a four-miles' path through 
 the woods. We soon learn the subject of con- 
 versation. One of the party has just received a 
 letter from a friend in Dornoch, Sutherland- 
 shire, Scotland. This letter had lain in the post 
 office for several days, owing to the inability 
 of Mrs. Burton, the person to whom it was 
 addressed, to pay the postage, viz., two shillings 
 (50 cents). However, the two young sons of 
 Mr. N., hearing of the good woman's difficulty, 
 and having no spare cash, took their flails and 
 hired out for two days, threshing wheat for Mr. 
 McAlpin, a farmer near Woodstock. For their 
 work they received two shillings, and that night 
 the money was handed to the widow Burton. 
 Next morning the letter was received and 
 eagerly read. Many of the neighbors, hearing 
 
YOUNG PEOPLE'S CONVERSATION 67 
 
 of its arrival, called on Mrs. Burton, to see if 
 there was any news about their friends " ayont 
 the sea." The letter had, in fact, become a sort 
 of circulating library, and the chief subject of 
 conversation in the district. In it the informa- 
 tion was conveyed that a number of families 
 were just about leaving the parish of Rogart to 
 make a home in the woods of Zorra. From this 
 the conversation drifted to the social life of 
 some of the settlers. 
 
 " Did you hear," said a young woman, " that 
 another of the Mackay girls is going to get 
 married ? " 
 
 " Ou, ay," said an elderly spinster, " Angus 
 Mackay's daughters are going fast." 
 
 " That's so," said two or three voices at once. 
 " It's only a year since Angus Mackay settled 
 on the seventh line with a family of eleven 
 children, seven daughters and four sons. Four 
 daughters and two sons were married last win- 
 ter, and now the fifth is going. And all are 
 lucky enough to be settled in Zorra." 
 
 " Marriage is a lottery, and the luck is very 
 doubtful," said the aforesaid dame. "There is 
 
68 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Sandy McKinnon ; losh man, he's nae Christian 
 ava. Have ye no heard what he said tae his 
 puir sick wife the ither day?" Upon being 
 assured that the important information had not 
 yet reached the company, she proceeded: "Weel, 
 the puir woman has been unco sick for a while 
 back, an' confined tae her bed. Noo, ye ken 
 there's only ae cruzie in the hoose that has 
 the creesh an' wick in't, an' the ither nicht it 
 was slowly burnin' in Peggy's room. But in the 
 forepairt o' the nicht some o' Sandy's cronies 
 cam' on a ceilidh, an' they were sittin' i' the 
 kitchen i' the dark. An' what think you Sandy 
 did? He just took the cruzie oot o' Peggy's 
 room and put it on the kitchen table, that he 
 an' his cronies micht see the smoke curlin' up 
 frae their pipes. Then Sandy gaed back tae 
 his wife's room tae see if she wantit onything. 
 And Peggy, glowerin', scaulded him. ' Ah, 
 Sandy, ye'll no' gie a puir body a licht to dee 
 wi'.' ' Dee ! dee ! is that what yee say, Peggy ? 
 I'll gie ye the licht' ; an', runnin' tae the kitchen, 
 he taks the cruzie in his twa hans, an' plantin' 
 it doon wi' a bang on the wee table at the front 
 o' Peggy's bed, said, ' There, dee, noo ! ' " 
 
WHY HE REGRETTED HIM 69 
 
 " That reminds me of auld Blue-bonnet and 
 his wife," said young Peter Laird. " Ye ken 
 Blue-bonnet is some twenty years aulder than 
 his wife, and a short time syne he thocht he 
 was gaein' to dee. But after a while he began 
 ta mend, and yin day says he to his wife, ' Dod, 
 Maggy, I think I'll pu' through this time yet' 
 ' Tam,' answered the partner of his bosom, ' as 
 you are a' prepared, an' I'm quite resigned, I 
 think it wad be just as weel if ye wad gang 
 the noo.' " 
 
 "Weel, I could tell something in that line 
 myself," said a young fellow, directing his re- 
 marks to the elderly dame. " Mr. M — , living 
 on the eighth line, was once asked by a friend 
 if he knew Mr. G— , who lived in the same 
 parish with him in Scotland. ' He's dead lang 
 syne,' said his friend, ' and I'll never cease regret- 
 tin' him as lang as I live.' 
 
 " ' Dear me, had you sic respect for him as 
 that ? ' 
 
 " ' Na, na ! It wasna' ony respec' I had for 
 him masel', but I married his widow.' " 
 
 At this witticism there was considerable 
 
70 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 laughter, until the wife of Elder Matheson 
 interposed. " Young people," said she, " be 
 serious. This is na' time for makin' fun — 
 remember ye' re gangin' tae the kirk." 
 
 Whatever objection may be brought against 
 the above conversation among our pioneer 
 juveniles, no one will accuse it of overmuch 
 Puritanical strictness. 
 
 Our pen picture would be very defective, 
 indeed, were we to rest here. Let us listen for 
 a little to the conversation of the more elderly 
 men and women, who are, this beautiful morn- 
 ing, on their way to the kirk. Here is Donald 
 Campbell walking alone, and apparently ab- 
 sorbed in his own meditations. We will intro- 
 duce ourselves : " Good morning, Mr. Campbell. 
 You are alone to-day." The reply was gentle 
 but prompt : " To myself it seems I am not 
 alone," meaning, of course, that the Lord was 
 with him. 
 
 John Gunn and Tammas Clarke are old 
 neighbors. They left Scotland together, and 
 together they endured for some years the hard- 
 ships of pioneer life. Their common environ- 
 
JOHN AND TAMMAS 71 
 
 ment, however, did not shape them alike. 
 John Gunn stood six feet high, straight as an 
 arrow, with well developed forehead, melting 
 blue eyes, and features betokening strength of 
 character and kindliness of heart. He was de- 
 vout with more than an ordinary education, and 
 a worthy member of the church. Tammas was 
 tall rather than stout, a wonderful talker on 
 religion, could discuss theology, and was great 
 on the " decrees." 
 
 " He could a hair divide 
 Betwixt the west and north-west side." 
 
 He was not a member of the church, but was 
 most regular in his attendance on religious 
 services. 
 
 " Good morning, Tammas," said John, as the 
 two neighbors met the first time for several 
 weeks, " I am glad to see you coming to the 
 kirk to-day." 
 
 "Well," replied Tammas, "we are told 'not 
 to forsake the assembling of ourselves together.' " 
 
 " You are right," said John ; " these seasons 
 come so seldom, they are so refreshing, and our 
 Heavenly Father is so good. Ah, Tammas ! it's 
 
72 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 a bonnie world we live in. It must have been 
 at some such season as this that Solomon said : 
 
 " The winter is past, 
 The rains are over and gone, 
 The flowers appear in the earth, 
 The time for the singing of birds has come, 
 And the voice of the turtle is heard in the land." 
 
 " Did you observe," said Alex. McNeil, " how 
 beautiful our neighbor McAllister's orchard 
 appears ? the trees, so dead and bare durin' the 
 winter, now clothed in their beautiful white 
 robes." 
 
 " I see, Alex., you are quite poetical this 
 morning, and I do not wonder," said Tammas. 
 " All nature is poetry just now. But to tell the 
 truth, when coming by McAllister's orchard I 
 was thinkin' not so much of the blossoms as 
 of the busy bees that were feedin' upon them. 
 What a lesson of industry to us farmers." 
 
 " Ay," replied John Gunn, " and a lesson also 
 to a' who read or hear the gospel." 
 
 " I dinna see that," frankly confessed Tammas. 
 " Well," responded Gunn, " some gospel read- 
 ers and hearers are like butterflies, others are 
 like bees. The butterflies flit over the flowers, 
 
A CONUNDRUM 73 
 
 and nothing comes of their flittin', but the bees 
 dive into the heart of the flowers and emerge 
 filled with sweetest honey. I trust this Commu- 
 nion will be a time when we will get into the 
 inward meaning of scripture, and our souls feed 
 on the sacred sweetness which the Lord has put 
 there for the spiritual nourishment of his chil- 
 dren." 
 
 " Ye needna fear that," said Alex. MacNeil, 
 " if Mr. Allan is with us. Mr. Allan is so spirit- 
 ual, and Mr. McPherson is aye happy in 
 openin' up and applyin' the scripture, and our 
 ain minister is second to nane in driving home 
 the truth." 
 
 " Let me put a question to you learned men," 
 said Tammas. " Why is this great forest like 
 the Christian Church ? " 
 
 "Do you mean," replied John, "that it is com- 
 posed of a great variety of trees, some great and 
 some small, some strong and some weak, just 
 like the Church ? " 
 
 " And," continued Tammas, with a shrug of 
 his shoulder and a wink of his eye, " some 
 straight and sonie crooked ? " 
 
74 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " That," said Tammas, " is not a bad compari- 
 son, but try again." 
 
 "Well, then," replied John Gunn, "in the 
 woods we see the strong shelterin' the weak, 
 and each helpful to the life and growth of the 
 whole." 
 
 " Very good again," said Tammas, " but I 
 would like to hear what our friend Donald 
 Macleod has to say about the forest and the 
 Church." 
 
 Mr. Macleod was a man greatly esteemed for 
 his moral worth, but was not forward in pushing 
 his views. At the mention of his name several 
 voices united in calling for his reply to the 
 question under consideration. " Let us hear it," 
 said a number of voices at once. 
 
 " Well, I am no preacher and cannot dis- 
 course on spiritual things like some of you, 
 but I can see a likeness between God's work in 
 nature and his work in grace. The Church is 
 built up with members as this forest is replen- 
 ished with trees, not so much by importation 
 from abroad, as by growth, multiplication from 
 within. Thus the Church of old grew from one 
 
LESSONS FROM A ROBIN'S NEST 75 
 
 family, and one son in that family — Isaac — to 
 be, with few extraneous additions, a nation of 
 many millions. By all means let us add to the 
 Church from the heathen world, but still more," 
 said Macleod, pointing to some very young 
 children in the company, " let us carefully raise 
 these tender plants within its sacred enclosure, 
 so they may never know the bitterness of the 
 wilderness life." 
 
 It may here be observed that, of all the men 
 in Zorra, none so carefully looked after the 
 " tender plants " as this same Donald Macleod. 
 
 Now the party are emerging from the woods, 
 and are getting over the crooked rail fence by 
 means of three steps on each side, rising one 
 above the other. Suddenly little Gerald Gordon 
 is heard calling out at the top of his voice, 
 " Mamma, I have found a robin's nest, and 
 there are three little birds in it." There was a 
 halt in the procession. The young people 
 especially wanted to see " the dear little things.'* 
 
 " See how they are all opening their bills so 
 wide," said Willie Graham. " What is that for?" 
 
 "Ah, Willie," said his mother, "they want 
 
76 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 their food. And our Heavenly Father says to 
 men and women ' Open thy mouth wide and I 
 will fill it' I hope the lesson will not be lost 
 on you, dear children, to-day in the church." 
 
 " I remember," said Lucy MacDonald, " a 
 verse in our school book about little birds in 
 their nests." 
 
 " Let's hear it," cried out several juvenile voices. 
 
 Then Lucy repeated the familiar little rhyme : 
 
 " Birds in their little nests agree, 
 
 And 'tis a shameful sight 
 When children of one family 
 
 Fall out and chide and fight." 
 
 " Aye, aye," said Tammas, " sometimes pretty 
 big children in one family and in one church, 
 ' fall out, and chide, and fight.' " 
 
 " Well," said Alex. MacNeil, " the little birds 
 should teach big and little people to live in peace 
 with one another. The God whom we serve is a 
 God of peace, and the Saviour whom we love is 
 the Prince of Peace. And yet, it is, alas ! only 
 too true that, as our brother says, children of the 
 same family, and members of the same church, 
 quarrel. Yonder are Mr. G — and Mr. M — 
 coming to church to-day, but they don't speak 
 
REACHED THE KIRK 77 
 
 to each other. Their dispute is concerning the 
 right place for the line fence. The strip of land 
 claimed by each is perhaps long enough, but 
 scarcely wide enough, to accommodate a coffin." 
 
 " And yonder is auld Maggie Reid," says one, 
 " she'll no spak to her neighbor, Mrs. Ross, 
 because Mrs. Ross washes the dishes on the Sab- 
 bath, a thing which Maggie Reid says is verra 
 wrang, and which nae Christian would do." 
 
 We have now reached the kirk, and here we 
 must leave our friends for the time. 
 
 What we have said will help the reader 
 better to understand what "going to church" 
 meant to both juniors and seniors in the days of 
 old. No one complained of the distance — 
 rather it was regarded as a providential oppor- 
 tunity for the interchange of thought. The 
 young people gossiped away, much as I sup- 
 pose they have done since the days of Adam 
 and Eve, while the old people recalled scenes 
 and events of former days, and loved to spirit- 
 ualize the works of nature ; and no less an 
 authority than Ruskin assures us that " all most 
 lovely forms of thought are directly taken from 
 natural objects." 
 
CHAPTER V 
 
 THE MEN'S DAY 
 
 "The king lost his head — fools may whimper and 
 whine, 
 But he lost it, believe me — by judgment divine. 
 Our kings were the godly, the grey-plaided men, 
 Who preached in the forest and prayed in the glen.' 
 
 — J. S. Blackie. 
 
 The old log church was not an elegant 
 structure, but it was the best building in the 
 township. Its dimensions were forty-eight feet 
 by twenty-eight feet, and eighteen logs high. 
 It was well hewed outside and inside ; chinked, 
 and plastered with lime. There was a gallery, 
 access to which was by an outside stair. There 
 was no spire, no cushions, no carpet, and for the 
 first winter or two, not even a stove. The 
 windows and furniture were of the most primi- 
 tive kind. It was capable of holding about four 
 78 
 
THE TRIBES GO UP 79 
 
 hundred persons, though on Communion occa- 
 sions many more would be crowded into it 
 
 But this first Zorra church was the religious 
 centre of a very large district, and it had associa- 
 tions that made it dear to the hearts of our 
 Scottish forefathers. Thither the tribes went up, 
 not only from the two Zorras, but from 
 Nissouri, Blanshard, North Easthope, East and 
 West Williams, and other Highland settle- 
 ments. There the pioneers heard those 
 precious gospel truths, and sang those sweet 
 Psalms so familiar to them in their native land 
 There they dedicated their offspring to God in 
 baptism, and often sat around the Communion 
 Table in loving fellowship. 
 
 It is 10 a.m. ; the regular service will not 
 begin for an hour, but the church is already well 
 filled with devout worshippers from far and 
 near, and Sandy Matheson, in a clear, distinct 
 voice, is reading a chapter '' just to improve the 
 time." This same Sandy Matheson was the 
 precentor, and as he sang those majestic Psalms 
 in the old Gaelic airs, right heartily did the 
 whole congregation join with him, until there 
 
So PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 was a volume of sound surpassing in power, if 
 not in harmony, anything furnished us to-day 
 by our choirs and " kists o' whus'les." 
 
 Here it may be stated that the work of the 
 old Gaelic precentor was not so easy as many 
 to-day many suppose. He had not, it is 
 almost needless to say, the help of organ or 
 choir, and even the tuning-fork was regarded 
 with suspicion. He was religiously required to 
 "line" the Psalm, that is, to repeat or chant 
 each line before singing it. This habit origi- 
 nated, very likely, in those days when the 
 people were poor. Bibles scarce, and few able to 
 read. But the habit has come down from one 
 generation to another, and in many Gaelic con- 
 gregations can still be seen. The minister 
 announces the Psalm, and reads over the 
 stanzas he wishes to be sung. He repeats the 
 first two lines, and the precentor sings them, 
 and so far all is easy. But now the precentor 
 has to chant or repeat the next two lines, and 
 here is where the difficulty begins. He has to 
 keep in mind the note with which he concluded 
 his second line, and he has also to keep in view 
 
GAELIC SINGING 8r 
 
 the note with which to begin his third Hne, and 
 begin and end his chant accordingly. And it 
 was just here that many an oganach, or young- 
 ster who had aspirations for the precentor's 
 chair, came to grief. 
 
 To those who did not understand the true 
 poetic sentiment in the Highland nature, this 
 singing may have seemed a strange combina- 
 tion of weird, meaningless sounds, but to the 
 warm-hearted Highlander they were the "Songs 
 of Zion." The swaying motion of the precen- 
 tor, the movements of the hand, foot, and the 
 Psalm book, the uplifting of the eyes to heaven, 
 and the hearty responsiveness of the congrega- 
 tion, were an inspiration to preacher and people. 
 
 Now the tall, stately, familiar form of the 
 pastor appears. He is accompanied by some 
 neighboring ministers who have come to assist 
 him on this occasion. I say " neighboring," 
 although some of them lived fifty or sixty miles 
 away. The reading instantly ceases, and there 
 is a hush of silence pervading the congregation, 
 as with solemn mien Mr. Mackenzie enters the 
 pulpit and takes his seat. The service is mostly, 
 6 
 
§2 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 though not exclusively, in Gaelic ; but for the 
 sake of unlearned readers we will give it, with 
 the exception of a sentence or two, in English. 
 The opening sentence was as follows : " Tois- 
 ichmid air aoradh follaiseach an Tighearna le bhi 
 seinn chum a chliu anns a' naothamh salm thar a 
 cheithir fichead," which is thus rendered : " Let 
 us begin the public worship of God by singing 
 to His praise in the eighty-ninth Psalm." The 
 reader who understands both the Gaelic and the 
 English will at once see a majesty and solemnity 
 in the Gaelic of this religious formula that is 
 wholly lacking in the English translation. The 
 first Gaelic word, for instance, as any reader can 
 see, consists of no less than ten letters, and is 
 equivalent to the first three English words, 
 " Let us begin." And yet, let me observe, the 
 Gaelic, so rich in words of devotion, has no pro- 
 fane words. When Gaelic men utter profanity 
 they have to use the English language. 
 
 And now every heart goes forth in the words : 
 
 " Air trbcair Dh4 sior-sheinnidh mi 
 Is ni mi oirre sgeul ; 
 O kl gu h-al gu maireannach 
 Air t'fhirinn thig mo bheul." 
 
PRAYING FOR THE SICK 83 
 
 (" God's mercies I will ever sing ; 
 And with my mouth I shall 
 Thy faithfulness make to be known 
 To generations all.") 
 
 After singing there was prayer ; but frequently 
 before the prayer the precentor would rise in his 
 desk and say, " The prayers of the congregation 
 
 are asked for on lot — concession — , upon 
 
 whom the hand of God is being heavily laid." 
 Then the congregation stood up, and with 
 bowed heads engaged in prayer. After this a 
 chapter was read, and another Psalm sung, and 
 then began the distinctive work of the " Men's 
 Day," sometimes called " The Question Day," 
 and sometimes also " The Day for Self-examin- 
 ation," (La Rannsaichaidh). 
 
 It was always the Friday before Commu- 
 nion, and the proceedings formed a marked 
 feature of Highland Presbyterian worship. The 
 exercises corresponded in some respects to the 
 Christian Endeavor meetings of to-day, but 
 only " the men " — that is, persons of age, experi- 
 ence, and prominence — took part in them. Our 
 account of the proceedings of this day is neces- 
 sarily very imperfect ; but it will at least show 
 
84 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 that our fathers were brainy men, close ob- 
 servers of nature, devoted students of the Bible, 
 and able, in an original and quaint manner, to 
 express their views of Bible truth. The general 
 subject was always self-examination, or the 
 marks of the true believer, and was always 
 expressed in the form of a question. The 
 minister invited some brother, in dependence on 
 divine guidance, to propose a scripture text 
 appropriate to the occasion. Soon there arose a 
 venerable man, his head silvered with the frosts 
 of more than threescore and ten years ; only a 
 few grey locks are left him, and these float over 
 his shoulders. In slow measured cadence he 
 read Gen. xxiv. 58, " Wilt thou go with this 
 man? and she (Rebekah) said I will go." 
 " These words," said the speaker, " will afford us 
 an opportunity of inquiring into the evidences 
 of character in those whose purpose in life is to 
 go with the Man, Christ Jesus. A tree may be 
 known by its leaves, a flower by its fragrance, 
 music by its harmony, and all things by the 
 qualities which they present to our senses. So 
 a Christian should be known by the life he 
 
THE QUESTION PUT 85 
 
 lives. Will the brethren point out some of 
 these marks ? " 
 
 The minister re-stated the question, explained 
 its nature, indicated its application, and encour- 
 aged all to speak their minds freely. "The 
 question proposed," said he, " is a very appro- 
 priate one. This man we will take as repre- 
 senting the Son of God, who became man, lived 
 as our example, and died as our substitute. In 
 Him are stored up all the blessings which 
 infinite wisdom and love have appointed for sin- 
 ners, both in the state of grace and the state of 
 glory. ' I am He who liveth and was dead, and 
 behold I am alive forevermore.' Because He 
 lives He blesses those who ' go with Him ' ; and 
 by His Spirit changes them into His own image, 
 from glory to glory, until at last they shall be 
 like Him, when they ' shall see Him as He is.' 
 May there be many to-day willing to go with 
 the man Christ Jesus. That you may know 
 whether or not you are going through life with 
 Him, we will consider the marks of those who 
 go, as well as their blessedness. And as Re- 
 bekah's purpose, in going with Abraham's ser- 
 
86 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 vant, was to enter into the marriage union with 
 Isaac, we will consider the relation between 
 Christ and His people under that suggestive and 
 beautiful figure. Now, brethren, waste no time." 
 
 John Mackay was the first to respond. 
 " Observe, my friends," said he, " that Rebekah 
 was willing to leave her country, her relatives 
 and friends, in order to go with this man, and 
 receive Isaac for a husband. ' Thy people,' 
 said she in her heart, to Isaac, 'shall be my 
 people, and thy God my God.' Young peo- 
 ple, you have been baptized in the name of the 
 triune God — Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. For- 
 sake the world, and enter into this sacred union 
 with Christ, and you will be as Isaac and 
 Rebekah, as Ruth and Naomi, as Jonathan and 
 David." 
 
 " Christ's bride," said Alexander Munro, "was 
 black and uncomely when He set His heart 
 upon her, but she became fair and beautiful. I 
 remember hearing a father in Dornoch tell the 
 story of a man who owned a garden that was 
 overrun with weeds. But in some way this man 
 became the possessor of a foreign flower of sin- 
 
A WONDERFUL FLOWER 87 
 
 gular vitality. He sowed a handful of the seeds 
 of this flower in his weedy garden, and then left 
 it to work its own sweet way. Time passed on, 
 and the man knew not how the seed was doing, 
 till one day he opened the garden gate, and saw 
 a sight which astounded him. He knew that 
 the seed would produce a beautiful flower, and 
 he looked for it ; but he little dreamed that the 
 plant would cover the whole garden. But so it 
 was ; the flower had destroyed every weed, till, 
 as he looked from one end of his garden to the 
 other, he could see nothing but the fair colors 
 of that rare plant, and smell nothing but its 
 delicious perfume. 
 
 " Christ is that plant of renown. If you take 
 Him into your heart He will gradually destroy 
 every weed of sin, and over your whole nature 
 there shall be the beauty of the Lord." 
 
 " We see," said Robert Matheson, " that 
 Rebekah joined interests with Isaac, a man of 
 God, one of whose characteristics was ' medita- 
 tion in the field,' v. 63 ; and it seems to me 
 that those who are wedded to the Lord Jesus 
 Christ will meditate on the works of God, and 
 
88 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 hear what God has to say to them in the world 
 around. They will see Him in the flowers, and 
 hear Him in the winds, and behold His glory 
 in the heavens. And thus in the house or in 
 the barn, in the field or in the woods, they will 
 be • still with God.' " 
 
 The Christian Endeavor era had not yet 
 dawned in Zorra, and it must be confessed that 
 some of the fathers regarded with suspicion 
 young persons aspiring to prominence in the 
 church. "Young people," said one speaker, 
 " should be seen, not heard. What would you 
 think of a chicken, just out of the egg, getting 
 on the fence and crowing ? Don't you think he 
 should wait till his feathers appeared ? A colt, 
 only a few days old, is long in his limbs, tall, 
 erect, lively, but as yet very unfit for burden or 
 harness. Modesty became the wife of Isaac, and 
 modesty is a becoming grace in the young bride 
 of Christ." 
 
 In a somewhat pessimistic strain the next 
 speaker continued, " Our age is a superficial 
 one — fair exterior, but hollow at heart. Last 
 autumn, just after the first frost, I was walking 
 
WERE THE FATHERS MEAN? 89 
 
 in the woods, when I saw a most beautiful sight. 
 I was fairly enraptured with the gorgeous scene. 
 All the colors of the rainbow seemed commingled 
 in beautiful harmony. I stood and gazed upon 
 the sight, and lest I might never see so fine a 
 sight again, I went up and closely examined, 
 when alas ! alas ! it proved to be nothing more 
 than a hollow stump covered with ivy. That is 
 the religion of too many — nothing but leaves. 
 Remember the fig-tree and what became of it." 
 
 It has been charged against the pioneers that 
 they were contracted in their views, and took 
 little interest in anything beyond their own 
 bounds. No doubt the fathers lived in the same 
 world as other Christians of their day. The 
 spirit of missions has greatly deepened and 
 broadened since their time. But to accuse the 
 fathers and mothers of Zorra of meanness or 
 selfishness, or of a lack of broad, generous sym- 
 pathy, is to bear false testimony. Nobly they 
 bore one another's burdens, and according to 
 their opportunities did good unto all. And on 
 these occasions selfishness was strongly de- 
 
90 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 nounced, and the duty of the Church to the 
 heathen world never failed to be emphasized. 
 
 Donald Macleod was a man of blessed mem- 
 ory. My heart thrills with gratitude as I recall 
 his influence upon my early Christian life. During 
 a ministry of thirty years I have been associated 
 with not a few earnest, effective Christian 
 workers, but never have I known any one who 
 did so much, and did it so unostentatiously as 
 this man, so tender, yet so strong ; so quiet, yet 
 so aggressive ! He was elder and deacon, and 
 well did he discharge the duties of both offices. 
 He was precentor in both the Gaelic and Eng- 
 lish services, and though receiving no fee, he 
 was never absent from his post of duty. He 
 was the only teacher of a Sabbath School of 
 seventy scholars ; and each winter he taught, 
 without remuneration, a large singing school. 
 Twice each year he travelled over a large section 
 of country, collecting for the minister's stipend 
 and for the missionary schemes of the church. 
 And while fervent in spirit he was diligent in 
 business, and was regarded as one of the best 
 farmers in the community ; there were no stand- 
 
DONALD MACLEOD 91 
 
 ing accounts against him, nor was there ever a 
 mortgage upon his farm. He was an advanced 
 temperance man, and declined to supply his 
 harvesters with whiskey ; but for this wholesome 
 deprivation he allowed them extra wages. 
 There was a poor old creature in the neigh- 
 borhood without money and without friends. 
 Donald Macleod built for her a little house near 
 his own, and fed her from his own table till the 
 time of her death, at the age of about one hun- 
 dred years. 
 
 A Presbyterian missionary relates the follow- 
 ing : One night in company with a young friend 
 I was passing by this old woman's house and 
 heard her earnestly praying aloud. Curiosity 
 prompted us to go up to the door and listen. 
 Her prayer was as follows : " Lord I am a poor 
 old woman, lonely as the pelican in the wilder- 
 ness, the owl in the desert, the sparrow upon 
 the house top ; but Thou hast not forsaken me. 
 I thank Thee, Lord, for this good man, and his 
 wife and children, who are so kind to me. Be 
 good to them and bless them in time and 
 eternity." 
 
92 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Let us hear what Donald Macleod has to say 
 on the "Men's Day." This is how he spoke.: 
 " Unselfish devotion to the interests of her hus- 
 band is a mark of a good wife. Are we unself- 
 ishly devoted to the interests of our Lord, 
 and of one another? Alas, how selfish- 
 ness abounds ! How many are like the whirl- 
 pool, always taking in, and never giving out ; 
 like the marsh, keeping all it gets till it becomes 
 stagnant, putrid, pestiferous ; or like the clod, 
 daily drinking in the light and warmth of the 
 sun, but giving out none, remaining the same 
 black clod still. We are all more or less selfish. 
 There has never been but one absolutely pure, 
 unselfish life, — that of the Lord Jesus Christ." 
 
 Spiritual life dies not, but there are times 
 when it sinks low, like the sap in the tree dur- 
 ing the winter, to rise again at the voice of 
 spring. The pioneers were not strangers to 
 such religious experience. Few of them, indeed, 
 claimed the full assurance of salvation. " God 
 only knows the depravity of my heart," said 
 one. "Was there ever such a guilty wretch? 
 I sometimes wonder if I am a child of God 
 
ASSURANCE OR NO ASSURANCE ,93 
 
 at all. O minister,'' said he, turning to the 
 pastor, and speaking in most pathetic tones, 
 " were I ready I would willingly depart ; but 
 alas ! those doubts and fears. Still, like Ruther- 
 ford, I will hold to Christ under the water, and 
 if I must drown I will not let go my hold of 
 Him." The speaker was one greatly beloved 
 by the people, and many were moved to tears 
 by his earnest words. 
 
 As he sat down, there slowly rose to his feet 
 an old man with wintry beard falling upon his 
 breast, but a strange glow of fire in his eyes, 
 which told of a life within that winter could not 
 touch. With evident but delicate reference to 
 the last speaker, he said in a quiet, subdued 
 voice, " We are guilty, but let us not forget the 
 infinite ransom paid. Rebekah knew that she 
 was Isaac's wife, and it would be ho honor to 
 Isaac to have her doubting her relationship to 
 him. We owe ten thousand talents, and we are 
 not able to pay one, but the husband assumes 
 the wife's debt. The God-man has paid our 
 debt to the uttermost farthing. We believe this, 
 and the result is as a calm after a storm. A 
 
94 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 sweet peace fills the soul. The clouds vanish, 
 the sun appears brighter than before, the earth 
 puts on her robes of beauty ; the flowers pour 
 out their fragrance, the birds sing, and all is joy 
 and peace." 
 
 " Whether I sing or whether I sigh," said 
 Elder Rose, " the promise is true, and the Pro- 
 miser is faithful. Sometimes I stand on Tabor's 
 summit, and sometimes I am hidden in Baca's 
 vale, but His love abideth, and His promise is, 
 ' They go from strength to strength, every one 
 of them in Zion appeareth before God.' " 
 
 The next to speak was George MacKay, better 
 known as duine Righ-lochan (the man of King- 
 lochan). He was a man of strong religious 
 character, and bore a very prominent part in 
 the early religious life of Zorra. " It is many 
 years," he said, " since I decided to go with this 
 Man, and I have never found Him once unfaith- 
 ful. Goodness and mercy have followed me all 
 my life. Not one good thing hath failed of all 
 the Lord God hath promised." 
 
 There he stood, the aged saint, tottering into 
 the grave, but happy as happy could be. 
 
JAMES ADAMS' TESTIMONY 95 
 
 Turning to the young people he continued, 
 with a heavenly glow upon his countenance, 
 " Come early into the marriage union with 
 Christ, and you will be His happy bride as long 
 as you live." 
 
 Such an appeal coming from a veteran Chris- 
 tian, covered with the scars of battle, made a 
 powerful impression. 
 
 " It seems to me," said James Adams, " that a 
 sure mark of being Christ's bride is to be like 
 Christ. We sometimes see a striking resem- 
 blance developing between husband and wife — 
 a similarity, not merely in modes of thought and 
 in general character, but in their very appear- 
 ance, their countenance. Certainly it is so with 
 Christ and his people. You thrust a bar of cold 
 black iron into the fire, and keep it there. By 
 and bye the iron becomes changed into a red 
 fiery mass. So when we come info close union 
 with Christ, we become gradually changed into 
 the image of Christ." 
 
 " Friends," said Alexander Wood, " do not 
 lay too much stress upon mere internal feelings, 
 or mere external marks. They are both liable 
 
96 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORUA 
 
 to mislead. There may not be much peace qr 
 comfort, and the life may be imperfect, and yet 
 there may be true faith. The most devoted wife 
 is not always the one who speaks most about 
 her love to her husband. Grace is a thing of 
 the heart, and sometimes, like a spark of fire, it 
 may be very small, but oh ! blow gently upon it, 
 fan it, and it will become a flame. Last winter 
 I rose early one morning — a very cold, frosty 
 morning. I found the fire was entirely out ; but 
 I took the steel and flint, and although shivering 
 in the cold, I patiently kept striking till I espied 
 a little spark down in the tinder. It was a very 
 little one, but I gently blew it into a little flame, 
 and soon the whole room was warm. And our 
 dear Lord quenches not the feeblest spark, but 
 by His blessed Spirit fans it into a flame that 
 will give light and warmth to all within its 
 reach." 
 
 Alexander Nasmyth was not a Highlander, 
 but seemed greatly to enjoy "the Men's 
 Day." " Rebekah,'' said he " was sought 
 and found and espoused to Isaac. So with 
 Christ and the believer. We did not seek Him 
 
DONALD URQUHART 97 
 
 till He first sought us. We are the bride to win 
 whom He came from afar. And since we heard 
 His sweet, clear, tender voice, it has been, as our 
 brother has said, rest and peace and joy. The 
 bird, resting upon the branch and pouring 
 forth its volume of song, is a true picture of the 
 believer resting on Jesus." 
 
 Hector Ross spoke of the blessedness of the 
 bride of Christ, and quoted the words of the 
 song, " My beloved is mine and I am his." 
 
 The last to testify was Donald Urquhart. 
 " Of Rebekah," said he, " it could be said, ' The 
 heart of her husband doth safely trust in her.' 
 Can Christ, in like manner, safely trust us ? 
 Can He trust us with time and money and 
 opportunities? Can He be sure that we will 
 not purloin for ourselves what is rightfully 
 His ? " 
 
 Such were some of the men that formed the 
 first church in Zorra, a church which for more 
 than three-score years has been a light that has 
 never been extinguished, guiding wandering 
 ones, and pointing them heavenward ; a foun- 
 tain from which have issued refreshing streams 
 7 
 
98 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 for thirsty souls. Humble though their lot was, 
 and rough their appearance, these men had 
 clear heads and warm hearts ; they gave of their 
 scanty means, made sacrifices and self-denials ; 
 endured discomfort, sitting upon bare, hard 
 board benches, in a cold, unwarmed building in 
 midwinter, that they might worship God and 
 bring up their families in the fear of the Lord. 
 To-day we are reaping the fruit of their toil and 
 sacrifice. They labored faithfully and we have 
 entered into their labors. 
 
 It was now 3 p.m., and the services had 
 continued since 1 1 a.m. Still there was no 
 uneasiness or desire to break up the meeting. 
 Rev. Mr. Mackenzie summed up the addresses, 
 reviewing and emphasizing salient points, coun- 
 selling the erring, encouraging the halting ones, 
 and driving home the truth to saint and sinner. 
 
 " Give Christ," said he, " your heart, your life, 
 your all. ' None but Christ, none but Christ ! ' 
 This has been the martyr's cry amidst the fire ; 
 let it be ours in life and in death ! " 
 
 He then called upon Rev. Mr. Allan to close 
 the service. Mr. Allan was eminently fitted to 
 
REV. MR. ALLAN 99 
 
 do so. He was a man of a broken spirit. 
 Having felt the bitterness of sin in his own soul 
 he knew how to deal with inquirers ; and, when 
 he spoke, there was power in every word. On 
 this occasion he was peculiarly tender in his 
 pleading. " The servant," in verse 66, " telling 
 Isaac all things that he had done," he used as a 
 figure of the child of God telling his Master of 
 his work in bringing anxious souls to Christ. 
 With melting pathos he dwelt on the spiritual 
 side of the fine picture in verse 6"] : "Isaac 
 brought her into his mother's tent, and took 
 Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved 
 her." " Here," said the preacher, " is a picture 
 of Christ loving the church, and giving Himself 
 for the church. ' I am married unto you, saith 
 the Lord, I have loved thee with an everlasting 
 love.' " Then, in the most persuasive tones, the 
 preacher appealed to his hearers, " Will you go 
 with this Man ? " Having put the question, he 
 made a long and solemn pause. Then, looking 
 from side to side of the church upon his hearers, 
 he quietly asks, " Who says, I will go ? " 
 
loo PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 The inspired counsel to Christ's bride is then 
 sung : 
 
 " O daughter, take good heed, 
 Incline, and give good ear ; 
 Thou must forget thy kindred all, 
 And father's house most dear. 
 
 " Thy beauty to the King 
 Shall then delightful be ; 
 And do thou humbly worship him, 
 Because thy Lord is he." 
 
 — Ps. xlv. lo. 
 
 Rev. Lachlan McPherson led in prayer, and 
 the people departed, feeling it was good to be 
 there. 
 
CHAPTER VI 
 
 AN OLD COMMUNION SABBATH 
 
 " There, there, on eagle wings we soar, 
 And time and sense seem all no more. 
 And heaven comes down our souls to greet. 
 And glory crowns the mercy seat." 
 
 Christopher North speaks of the Scottish 
 Sabbath as "a day upon which the sun rose 
 more solemnly, yet not less sweetly, than on 
 other days, with a profound stillness pervading 
 both earth and skies." Such was the Com- 
 munion Sabbath in Zorra, on the occasion 
 of which we write. A brilliant Canadian sun 
 cast a radiant light on field and forest, while 
 above was the dark blue sky, with here and 
 there a fleecy cloud. For hours before the time 
 of meeting, worshippers, many of whom had 
 travelled from five to ten miles, might be seen 
 gathering to the log church. 
 
 lOI 
 
I02 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 It was a time of much prayer in tiie congre- 
 gation, and it was no uncommon thing for the 
 church-goer to see, here and there, persons 
 emerging from the woods, where they had spent 
 the whole morning in wrestling with God for 
 his blessing upon the Communion services. 
 Such prayers united the pioneers with their 
 Maker. To-day the British people all over 
 the world are sounding the praises of General 
 Gordon, and doing themselves honor by 
 erecting a monument to his name. Perhaps 
 a braver man never breathed God's air. But 
 whence his faith, his courage, his heroism ? 
 He was what he was because of secret prayer. 
 During each morning of his first sojourn in 
 the Soudan, there was one half-hour when 
 there lay outside his tent a handkerchief, and 
 the whole camp knew the full significance of 
 that small token, and most religiously was it 
 respected by all, whatever was their color, creed, 
 or business. No foot dared to enter the tent so 
 guarded. No message, however pressing, was 
 carried in. Whatever it was, life or death, 
 it had to wait till the guardian signal was 
 
A PIONEER CONGREGATION 103 
 
 removed. Everyone knew that God and 
 Gordon were alone in there together. 
 
 In more senses than one the pioneers were 
 strong men, because they were men of prayer. 
 Some came to the church with ox-teams, but 
 most on foot, and up to the time of worship they 
 darkened the roads as they still kept coming. 
 
 And now the church is crowded from end 
 to end with thoughtful, earnest worshippers. 
 Perhaps the majority of those present are men, 
 but the women are there in large numbers. 
 They sit in families, the mother at one end of 
 the pew, the father at the other, with the 
 children in the order of their ages between — a 
 happy contrast to what we too frequently see in 
 our churches to-day — father and mother in a 
 centre pew, the boys in the gallery, and the 
 girls somewhere else. While, of course, the 
 greater number are residents of the township, 
 many are there from such places as East and 
 West Williams, Ekfrid, Mosa, Gwillimbury, etc. 
 Looking around the congregation you can 
 discern almost everywhere that physical robust- 
 ness and vigor, and that energy and force of 
 
I04 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 character, that have always distinguished the 
 best class of Scottish peasantry. The old 
 women wear the white mutch with a black 
 ribbon tied around ; the young women are 
 plainly dressed, but for neatness and good 
 looks would compare favorably with those of 
 any congregation to-day similarly situated. 
 
 " A tuck, a frill, a bias fold, 
 
 A hat curved over gypsywise. 
 And beads of coral and of gold. 
 
 And rosy cheeks and merry eyes, 
 Made lassies in that long ago 
 Look charming in their calico. " 
 
 Regular living, plenty of sleep, fresh air, plain 
 diet, and wholesome exercise did more for health 
 and beauty than all the advertised nostrums of our 
 day could have done. These men and women 
 loved their church, and were ready to make 
 any sacrifice to attend its ordinances. Around 
 the pulpit and in front of it were seated the 
 elders. We give their names : Robert Mathe- 
 son, George MacKay, John MacKay, Hector 
 Ross, Alex. Matheson, Alex. Rose, Wm. Mac- 
 Kay, and Alex. Munro. The preacher was the 
 Rev, D, Mackenzie, and seldom did he preach 
 
THE CHURCH SERVICE 105 
 
 with more fervor and power than on this occa- 
 sion. The Psalm sung was the one hundred 
 and sixteenth : 
 
 " I love the Lord because my voice 
 And prayer he did hear. 
 I while I live will call on him 
 Who bowed to me his ear." 
 
 It is needless to say there was no choir or 
 organ. The singing was not artistic, but it was 
 hearty and congregational, unlike too much of 
 the singing of to-day, where all is done by a 
 choir and an organ, while the congregation 
 remains as voiceless as an asylum of mutes or a 
 graveyard of the dead. The prayers were spe- 
 cilic, appropriate, fervent, and unctional. The 
 text was 2 Cor. viii. 9 : " Though He was rich, 
 yet for your sakes He became poor." Every 
 eye was upon the preacher as he dwelt on (i) 
 what Christ was — " He was rich " ; (2) what He 
 became — " He became poor " ; (3) why this won- 
 derful change — " for your sakes ". With clear- 
 ness and effectiveness the preacher described 
 Christ as the sinner's substitute. " For your 
 sakes He left the glory He had with the Father 
 
io6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 from all eternity ; for your sakes He became 
 man ; for your sakes He lay in the manger, suf- 
 fered hunger, thirst, weariness, and persecution. 
 For your sakes He spoke wonderful words and 
 wrought wonderful miracles. For your sakes 
 He endured the mock trial, the scourging, the 
 agony, and the crucifixion." Then there was an 
 invitation given to all poor and sorrowing ones 
 to come and, through His poverty, receive the 
 riches of divine grace. " You are poor in the 
 things of this world," said the preacher, " but 
 to-day you may become millionaires in grace." 
 A part of the twenty-sixth paraphrase was sung : 
 
 " Ho ! ye that thirst, approach the spring 
 Where living waters flow ; 
 Free to that sacred fountain all 
 Without a price may go." 
 
 After this there was the "fencing of the 
 table." This was a distinctively Highland 
 custom, and has now fallen into disuse. But 
 whether its disuse is conducive to better church 
 membership, or to a higher type of religion gen- 
 erally, is very doubtful. It is quite possible that 
 in unskilled hands the " fencing of the table 
 
FENCING THE TABLES 107 
 
 might discourage weak believers ; but it pre- 
 served the true dignity of the sacred ordinance, 
 and made a clear distinction between the gen- 
 uine and the spurious — a distinction that is cer- 
 tainly not too much emphasized in our churches 
 to-day. A faithful " fencing of the table " in 
 our day might considerably diminish the list of 
 church members, but would it diminish the real 
 strength and efficiency of the Church? If it 
 diminished the quantity would it not improve 
 the quality ? " But what was this fencing ? " 
 asks one of my young readers. 
 
 At the old Communion the communicants did 
 not, as to-day, sit in their pews while they par- 
 took of the bread and wine. There was a long 
 table extending through the centre of the 
 church, from one end to the other. This was 
 covered with a snowy white linen cloth. And 
 before the communicants were invited to sur- 
 round the table, the fencing took place. First 
 the minister warmly invited all true believers to 
 the table. " Eat, O friends ; drink, yea, abund- 
 antly, O beloved." Then unworthy communi- 
 cants are solemnly warned, The hpHness of 
 
io8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 God's law is declared, and its application to the 
 thoughts of the hearts as well as the outward 
 life. " This is a holy ordinance, and only those 
 who are living holy lives have a right to it. 
 Any living in sin who approach this table are 
 guilty, as Ananias and Sapphira were, of lying 
 unto God. All such we solemnly debar from 
 the table of the Lord. This bread and wine are 
 not for you. Some of you know the sins you 
 indulge ; perhaps it is the profanation of the 
 holy Sabbath, 'doing your own ways, finding 
 your own pleasures, speaking your own words.' 
 Some of you may be guilty of swearing or 
 lying, or dishonesty, or drinking, or uncleanness. 
 If you take your place at this table you will eat 
 and drink unworthily ; and in the name of the 
 Lord Jesus, the great King and Head of His 
 Church, I solemnly debar you. Remember, he 
 that eateth and drinketh unworthily eateth and 
 drinketh judgment to himself But all you who 
 truly love the Saviour, and are seeking to serve 
 Him, come and welcome." 
 
 Slowly, one by one, the communicants leave 
 their pews and take their seats at the table. 
 
THE FEAST 109 
 
 Evidently the feelings in the minds of some are 
 those of dread rather than of affection ; and the 
 minister occasionally remonstrates with them 
 for their slowness in coming forward, reminding 
 them that they are not coming to a place of 
 execution, but to a feast of love. At length the 
 table is supplied with guests, and what was 
 called the " first table address " is delivered. 
 This is full of encouragement and comfort to 
 believers. Then, in solemn silence, the ordi- 
 nance is observed, each partaking of the 
 bread and wine. After this there is the " sec- 
 ond table address " in which the communicants 
 are reminded of the solemn vow they have 
 taken, and are exhorted to go forth into the 
 world living the life of Jesus. 
 
 The services are now over ; yes, they are over, 
 but not in their results. These still live, not 
 only in the hearts of the few who enjoyed them 
 and remain to this day, but in the hearts and 
 lives of their children, and their children's chil- 
 dren. In lives made purer and nobler and better 
 throughout all time and eternity, the service of 
 the old " Communion Sabbath " will be seen. 
 
110 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Much criticism has been expended on these 
 great Zorra Communions. We are told that the 
 ungodly of the township, as well as those of the 
 neighboring towns and villages, took advantage 
 of these gatherjngs for no good end — that they 
 came to them only to indulge in rioting and 
 drunkenness. This is no doubt true, and is one 
 of the numberless instances of the abuse of a 
 good thing. But yet, even if we had the power 
 to prevent such persons coming to such gather- 
 ings, we would hesitate to use the power. True 
 such persons are no help to the ordinance, but 
 they have precious souls ; and where is it more 
 likely that the " other sheep not yet of this fold " 
 may be gathered in, than in the " green pas- 
 tures " where the Good Shepherd feedeth His 
 flock, and where His " remembrancers " are met 
 together in His name and by His authority ? 
 
 But again, it is objected that even the Lord's 
 people, coming in such numbers from a distance, 
 would have been better at home ; that their 
 coming was an imposition upon the hospitality 
 of the congregation. Such a complaint, however, 
 never came from those who entertained them. 
 
HIGHLAND HOSPITALITY iii 
 
 Such a complaint would have been quite incon- 
 sistent with the well-known hospitality of our 
 pioneer fathers and mothers. " Come with me," 
 said a good woman to a group of strangers 
 standing at the church door, " there is room in 
 my house for ten of you, and there is room in 
 my heart for ten times ten." 
 
 It was the poet Burns who said : 
 
 "When death's dark stream I ferry o'er, 
 A time that surely shall come ; 
 In heaven itself I'll ask no more 
 Thanjust a Highland welcome." 
 
 These were times of refreshing, and the great- 
 ness of the multitude added to the enthusiasm 
 of the occasion. A big church and only a few 
 people in it, the fathers used to say, was like a 
 great barn with only one bundle of straw in it — 
 the winds howl through it. A coal of fire left 
 alone is not likely to burn brightly, but many 
 glowing coals laid together help to keep each 
 other alight. In the Church of God under the 
 Old Dispensation the men of Israel did not come 
 up to Jerusalem by twos and threes, but from 
 ■ all parts of Judea — north, south, east, and west — 
 
112 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 with glad hearts they came in great companies, 
 and their praise was a great shout, like the voice 
 of thunder. 
 
 The pioneers, like the apostle, were "filled 
 with the company of the brethren," These 
 sacramental occasions were the only oppor- 
 tunities many of them had of knowing each 
 other in this world, and of holding pleasant 
 and profitable intercourse. Acquaintances 
 sprang up between persons from different 
 parts of the country who met at the Commu- 
 nion. This acquaintanceship in many cases 
 warmed into Christian fellowship, so that ulti- 
 mately one element of happiness in the Zorra 
 Communion was the pleasure of seeing the faces 
 of dear friends, and enjoying the sweet fellow- 
 ship of kindred souls. Who can forget the 
 heartfelt greeting that took place when a num- 
 ber of old friends met after an absence of a 
 whole year ; or the joy, commingled with sorrow, 
 that filled the hearts of the Lord's people on 
 Monday, the last day of the feast — joy, because 
 of the spiritual and social blessings of the 
 season, but profound sorrow that now the Com-. 
 
COMMUNION MONDAY 113 
 
 munion was at its close, and that they were 
 about to separate and return to their distant 
 homes, many of them not expecting to meet 
 again for another year, that is till the next Com- 
 munion season ? " When shall we have a Com- 
 munion without a Monday ? " was an expression 
 on the lips of many, and meant " When shall 
 we meet to part no more ? " Nearly all of these 
 grand old saints are now enjoying their Com- 
 munion without a Monday. May we be worthy 
 sons of noble sires ! 
 
CHAPTER VII 
 
 THE OLD COMMUNION SABBATH :— " DOING 
 THE WORD" 
 
 " Raise ourselves above ourselves we must, 
 Else our lives to others are but dust.'' 
 
 " Is THE sermon done ? " was the question 
 asked one who had returned from church sooner 
 than expected. " No," was the prompt reply, 
 " the sermon is preached, but it is not done. 
 The ' doing ' of it is for you and me during the 
 week." Having seen our pioneer fathers as 
 " hearers of the Word," let us to-day accompany 
 a few of them on their way home from the com- 
 munion, and see them as " doers of the Word." 
 " We have heard wonderful things th' day," 
 said Elder Munro. " Yes," observed Alexander 
 Murray, " that was a very practical discourse. 
 If the Lord did so much for us, ought we not 
 114 
 
CONVERTED BY A TEAR 115 
 
 to be ready to do something for Him and for one 
 another ? " 
 
 " I sometimes think," said Donald Urquhart, 
 " that it was to take away our selfishness, and 
 to make us kind and generous to one another, 
 that the Lord placed us in Zorra. Yonder we 
 were in Scotland, caring nothing for one another, 
 but the Lord disturbed our nest, forced us from 
 our homes, and placed us in this wilderness, 
 where we are so dependent on one another's 
 sympathy and help." 
 
 " And how easy it is to help when there's a 
 mind to," added Mrs. George MacKay. " The 
 other day my little girl came home from school, 
 telling me what a dear little girl Maggie Murray 
 was. Next day I met Maggie, and thanked her 
 for being so good to my little girl. ' Why 
 no ! ' said Maggie, ' I did nothin' for her, she was 
 cryin' and I just cried with her.' " 
 
 " Ah," said Donald Urquhart, " there is a 
 great deal in crying with one another. Do you 
 know that one of the best Christians in Zorra 
 to-day was converted by a tear? Alexander 
 MacNeil, whom you all know and love, had for 
 
ii6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 years listened to some of the grandest preachers 
 in Scotland, including the great Dr. MacDonald 
 himself. But the most earnest and evangelical 
 preaching did him no good. Many others were 
 converted, but he remained hard as ever. After 
 coming to Zorra he often exchanged work with 
 John Morrison, a man who had felt the power of 
 the truth. One day, as MacNeil and Morrison 
 were threshing wheat together in the barn, 
 between the strokes of the flail Morrison spoke 
 a word for Jesus ; but MacNeil only laughed at 
 him and hinted at hypocrisy. Now Morrison, 
 as you know, is a man transparently honest and 
 very sensitive, and his soul was filled with grief 
 at MacNeil's banter. So in the flush of emotion 
 a big tear, like a pearl, dropped, although he 
 still kept on with his flail. He tried to hide the 
 tear as well as he could, but MacNeil noticed it; 
 and what years of preaching could not do, that 
 tear did effectually; for MacNeil thought to 
 himself, ' What ! does John Morrison, care for 
 me, and weep for my soul ? Then it is 
 time I should care for it, and weep for it my- 
 self And from that day to the present Alex- 
 
JOHN GUNN AND THE CONSUMPTIVE 117 
 
 ander MacNeil has lived a different life. He 
 was converted by a tear and between the strokes 
 of a flail." 
 
 Thus the conversation went on for the first 
 mile or so of the homeward journey. Here John 
 Gunn suggested to Tammas Clarke the pro- 
 priety of both of them calling upon a poor sick 
 girl who was wasting away in consumption. 
 This girl had a somewhat remarkable experience, 
 and before inviting the reader inside the humble 
 home, we must give him a bit of her history. 
 She and a younger sister had emigrated some 
 years before with their parents from Sutherland- 
 shire. They located in the eastern part of Zorra. 
 With untiring perseverance the father worked, 
 clearing the bush lot, until back of the little log 
 house there was a clearance of fifteen or twenty 
 acres. But alas ! one day, chopping alone in the 
 woods, a limb fell upon him, and mortally 
 wounded him. For hours he lay upon the cold 
 earth, bleeding and groaning, with no one to 
 help. His wife was the first one to find him. 
 She did not faint nor scream, but acted like a 
 good, sensible woman. Her shawl she put as a 
 
ii8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 pillow under her husband's head, and with part 
 of her other clothing, she hastily bandaged the 
 gaping, bleeding wound. Neighbors soon 
 arrived. Two boards were procured and nailed 
 side by side. Upon this the poor man was 
 carried home ; but he survived only a few 
 days. His last words were, " Oh, Jean, I'm 
 unco' sorry to leave yersel' and our twa bonnie 
 bairns, but the Lord will tak' care o' you an' 
 them." 
 
 With a noble spirit Jean faced her now heavy 
 task, trying to do the work of both husband and 
 wife ; but the task was too much for her. Sor- 
 row, want of proper nourishment, overwork, and 
 exposure, constituted a burden too heavy to bear; 
 and in a few months a naturally frail constitu- 
 tion succumbed, and Jean followed her " gude 
 man " to the land o' the leal. 
 
 And now the two girls were left without 
 father or mother, in a strange land, with no 
 one to counsel or to provide. For a time 
 they fought bravely the battle of life. Mary, 
 the elder, had learned to sew, and her mother 
 bad also taught her until she had a fairly 
 
A PIONEER HEROINE 119 
 
 good education. Being left destitute, she 
 gathered around her a number of the neigh- 
 boring children, and taught them reading, 
 writing, arithmetic, and sewing. Then, after 
 her scholars were dismissed, with busy needle, 
 under the midnight lamp, she toiled for herself 
 and sister, and the prospect seemed to be 
 brightening. But alas ! the delicate frame had 
 been overtasked. The hectic flush and the 
 hacking cough soon revealed the fires consuming 
 within. And now, in that humble home, she sat 
 a patient sufferer by day, a weary watcher by 
 night, unable to lie down for fear of suffocation, 
 kept awake all night by the incessant cough, 
 dependent largely upon the charity of neighbors, 
 her only prospect that of early descent to the 
 grave. 
 
 " Poor girl ! " I hear the reader say, " could 
 any lot be harder ? " But along with our 
 two friends let us enter the little log shanty 
 and hear what she has to say. With kind but 
 manly bearing, John Gunn walks forward to the 
 invalid and, taking her thin wax-like hand in 
 his, asks : 
 
120 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " Mary, how are you to-day ?" 
 
 A bright smile plays over her face and 
 lightens every feature, as she answers, " Thank 
 you. I am very well." By this she means, not 
 that her health is good, but that she has no 
 complaint to make against Him who doeth all 
 things well. John draws up a chair, sits down 
 beside the invalid, still holding her hand in 
 his. In sympathetic tones he asks : 
 
 " Are you suffering much to-day ? " 
 
 Another sunny smile. " Yes, a great deal 
 to-day ; but it is all right." 
 
 Will the reader tell us what enables this poor 
 child of sickness, sorrow, and want, to know that 
 it is all right with her ? Has human philosophy 
 ever taught so profound a truth ? Listen again : 
 
 " Do you not," says John, " get very tired 
 sitting day and night in this chair without 
 change of posture ? " 
 
 " Of course it would rest me very much if I 
 could lie down sometimes, but my Heavenly 
 Father has been so good to me since I have 
 been in this chair, that, if it were His will I 
 could sit here forever." 
 
HOW FAITH SUSTAINS 121 
 
 Again let the reader reflect. Who is this 
 Heavenly Father ? How has He been good to 
 her ? What gives her contentment in that chair 
 of suffering ? Another question the good man 
 asks : 
 
 " Are you not very lonely in the dead hours of 
 night, when your cough keeps you awake and 
 your sister is asleep?" 
 
 " Oh, no ! When my cough is not too distress- 
 ing, the night is my happiest time ; for when my 
 sister, at my entreaty, has gone to sleep, and the 
 fire burns low, and everything is still in the 
 house, then my Heavenly Father is nearest, and 
 my Saviour is right by my side, and I am so 
 happy that I can hardly keep from awakening 
 my sister to tell her how happy I am." 
 
 " Well," replies John, " I am so glad that 
 Jesus is with you and sustaining you." 
 
 " Oh, yes," says Mary, and taking a little 
 Bible from the table beside her, she reads, " Yea 
 though I walk through the valley of the shadow 
 of death I will fear no evil, for Thou art with 
 me." Turning to Isaiah xxvi, she says, " Here 
 is a passage that is sweet to my soul," and then 
 
122 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 reads, " Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace 
 
 whose mind is stayed on Thee : because he 
 
 trusteth in Thee." 
 
 Four verses of the grand old Covenanters 
 
 Psalm were sung : 
 
 " God is our refuge and our strength, 
 In straits a present aid ; 
 Therefore, althdugh-therearth remove, 
 We will not be afraid." 
 
 Then all engaged in a few words of earnest 
 
 prayer : 
 
 " O thou Eternal Father, infinitely great, and 
 good, and tender! hear us, we beseech Thee. 
 Clouds and darkness often encompass Thee, but 
 justice and truth go before Thy face. Thou hast 
 a right to do with Thy own what seemeth good 
 to Thee, and Thou dost never love them more 
 than when they are in the furnace. O Father ! 
 look in pity upon this poor child of sickness and 
 trouble ; reveal to her Thy grace, and enable her 
 calmly to rest in Thy love. Sustain her faith, 
 brighten her hope, and cause her to triumph to 
 the end. Amen." 
 
 As again John Gunn and Tammas Clarke 
 took the road, the latter said, 
 
 " Well, John, I never saw nor heard the like 
 o' that afore. I dinna understan' it." 
 
 " Ah ! " said John, "the secret of the Lord is 
 
TAMMAS IMPRESSED 123 
 
 with them that fear Him. This experience he 
 imparts to His beloved. Take Christ as your 
 Saviour, Friend, and Brother, and then you will 
 know what sustains this dying girl, and what 
 makes her so contented and happy amid all her 
 sufferings." 
 
 " I never before," said Tammas, " felt as I 
 now do, that there is something real in religion. 
 Why, the sermon this morning, and the sight of 
 the sacred emblems, did not impress me like 
 the testimony of that poor girl." 
 
 Not a word was spoken while they travelled the 
 next two or three miles along the narrow path 
 through the woods, the one man following the 
 other, as we say, in Indian file. It was evident 
 that there was a fierce conflict going on in 
 Tammas's mind. The testimony he had just 
 heard was a revelation to him. He had never 
 heard anything like it since, in Dornoch, his 
 dying mother took him by the hands and told 
 him to meet her in heaven. John was quick to 
 discern Tammas's mental condition, and thought 
 it prudent to leave him to his own meditations. 
 
124 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Coming to the place of parting, John said, 
 " You'll be at the meeting to-night, Tammas." 
 
 " Ou, aye," said Tammas, scarcely realizing the 
 nature of the question. 
 
 It may here be stated that on each of the five 
 evenings of the Communion, ten or twelve 
 prayer meetings were held in the different 
 sections of the township. These meetings 
 were attended by the families in the locality, 
 the young and the aged. This evening the 
 prayer meeting was not held inside the house, but 
 in the cool shade of a spreading beech tree near 
 by. Tammas was there in good time, and, con- 
 trary to his usual custom, did not seek a back 
 seat, but sat near the little table on which rested 
 the Bible and the Psalter. 
 
 John Gunn conducted the service. It had 
 been a warm afternoon, but now a heavy dew 
 was falling and the evening was getting chilly. 
 The first to lead in prayer was Elder Rose. 
 He was in his shirt sleeves, his coat lying on 
 the back of his chair. Just as he was rising to 
 pray, a friend sitting by him, perceiving the 
 lowering temperature, and apprehending the 
 
ELDER ROSE'S PRAYER 125 
 
 danger of catching cold, suggested to the elder 
 
 the propriety of putting on his coat before 
 
 engaging in prayer. Suiting the action to the 
 
 word, he helped to put it on. Then began a 
 
 prayer that will never be forgotten by those 
 
 present. The power of the Spirit was there. 
 
 Taking his idea from the putting on of his coat, 
 
 the elder supplicated God : 
 
 ■' O Lord, put on us Thine own robe, the glo- 
 rious garment of Thy righteousness (Oh Thigh- 
 earna cuir umainn culaidh uat fein eadhon 
 trusgan glortmhor t' fhireantachd) ; we need 
 it ; it is a cold world this, and we cannot live 
 without Thy robe. It is of infinite value, and 
 has cost Thee a great price, even Thy dear Son, 
 His life and death; but Thou wilt give it to us 
 without money and without price. Oh that each 
 one here to-night would accept this beautiful 
 robe ; then would Thy comforts fill his soul, and 
 his peace flow as a river." 
 
 " I understan' it a' noo," said Tammas to John 
 Gunn, when the meeting was over. 
 
 " Understand what ? was Gunn's query, put 
 just to draw out his friend. 
 
 " Understan' what it is to become a Christian," 
 said Tammas. 
 
 " Well, let me hear you explain it." 
 
126 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " It's juist to tak' Christ as Elder Rose took 
 the coat. It is as simple as can be. I saw it 
 while the elder was praying about the robe, its 
 cost, its beauty, its comfort, its freeness. I see 
 now how poor dying Mary is so patient and 
 cheerful in her trouble. It a' comes from taking 
 Christ without questionin'." 
 
 " Yes," said John, " that's it. Keep that always 
 in your mind, Tammas. It will dispel every 
 doubt arid fill you with peace and comfort." 
 
 Thus came to a close an old Communion 
 Sabbath in Zorra — a day, on the part of God's 
 people, full of good words and works. That old 
 Sabbath in many of its forms is now an institu- 
 tion of the past, but its fruits still remain. The 
 Lord was in the midst of His people, and His 
 presence made the Communion seasons times 
 of refreshing, so that the Sacrament became 
 throughout the township the great event of the 
 year, from which all other events were dated. 
 Ask a pioneer, " When did you begin haying 
 last year ? " and his reply would be that it was 
 three or four weeks (as the case might be) 
 after the Sacrament. 
 
CHAPTER VIII 
 
 THE CATECHISING 
 
 "AH that I have taught of art, everything that I have 
 written, every greatness that there has been in any 
 thought of mine, whatever I have done in my life, has 
 simply been due to the fact that when I was a child my 
 mother daily read with me a part of the Bible, and 
 daily made me learn a part of it by heart." — Ruskin. 
 
 " The Lord willing, we will have a meeting 
 for catechising in the house of Donald Ross, 
 
 line, on a week from first Tuesday, at 
 
 3 o'clock p.m." Such was the pulpit intimation 
 which set the whole district referred to astir 
 during the following week. 
 
 " Eh, my ! " said Mrs. MacTaggart to her 
 neighbor, as they walked home from church, 
 " will yon not put Kirsty Ross all in a flutter ? 
 Ye ken she is no verra strong, and she is 
 afeard o' the minister.'' 
 
 "And I doot," said the neighbor, "if she kens 
 the Catechism very well." 
 
 Great was the overhauling of things at the 
 127 
 
I2§ PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 house of Mrs. Ross, in preparation for the cate- 
 chising. One of the three beds was removed to 
 make room for the occasion. There were the 
 usual whitewashing, scrubbing, dusting, and 
 rearranging of furniture, commonly known as 
 house-cleaning. The few simple decorations on 
 the wall were rearranged so as to show to the 
 best advantage ; and the broken corner of the 
 looking-glass was ingeniously concealed by a 
 drape. All this work Mrs. Ross did unaided, 
 for her husband, though a kind-hearted man, 
 was occupied from dawn till dark, either 
 threshing in the barn or chopping in the woods. 
 The evenings were occupied by Mr. and Mrs. 
 Ross renewing their acquaintance with the 
 Catechism and the metrical Psalms. The two 
 eldest children, Robbie and Maggie, were also 
 drilled on the " questions " as far as the com- 
 mandments, but the other three, Donald, Jennie, 
 and Roddie, were taught only the creed and 
 the Lord's Prayer, or a part of it. Similar 
 preparation was made during the week through- 
 out the whole district, and the candle or 
 the rush light was kept burning in many homes 
 
COULDN'T PASS EXAMINATION 129 
 
 till a much later hour than usual. Even the 
 programme of studies in the public school was 
 arranged with a view to the catechising. 
 
 The day announced has come, and for fully 
 one hour before the time appointed the people 
 can be seen coming from all directions to the 
 place of meeting. The children accompany 
 their parents, for there is no school to-day. 
 
 These catechisings were not all public ; some 
 of them were in private. If a man who was 
 not in the full membership of the Church 
 desired baptism for his child, he was required to 
 undergo special examination as to his religious 
 knowledge and character. And the examina- 
 tion was not always satisfactory. One, whom 
 we shall call Donald, went to the minister for 
 such examination, but failed to pass. On his 
 way home he met another going to the minister 
 on the same errand. 
 
 " Ah ! " said Donald, " the minister was hard 
 on me th' day. She canna get no baptism." 
 
 " And what for no ? " said his neighbor. 
 " What did he ask you ? " 
 
130 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 "Why, he axed me how mony command- 
 ments there are." 
 
 " And why did ye no say ten ? " 
 
 " Ten ! ten ! " cried Donald, " She tried him 
 with a hun'r (hundred), and he was no satisfied. 
 Ye needna try him wi' ten." 
 
 Unconsciously beautiful, however, was the 
 answer of a poor woman. Being asked a num- 
 ber of questions, none of which she was able to 
 answer, she made this reply : " Minister, I 
 canna speak weel for my Saviour, but I can live 
 for Him, and I think I could dee for Him." 
 
 In order to understand the interest attaching 
 to the catechising, it must be remembered that 
 no person in the world is prouder of his nation- 
 ality than the Highlander. It was a High- 
 lander who said of the Queen, when her daugh- 
 ter was married to a clansman, " She'll be a 
 prood woman noo." The typical Highlander is 
 also intensely self-conscious, and wishes to 
 stand well in the esteem of his neighbors for his 
 religious intelligence. Hence the close, patient 
 study of the Catechism before a public exam- 
 ination, and the chagrin when a question was 
 
DIFFICULTIES OF THE CATECHISING 131 
 
 asked which he could not answer, and the many 
 expedients resorted to in order to avoid com- 
 mitting himself when in doubt as to the correct 
 answer. Back seats and concealed corners of 
 the room were at a premium. Persons well 
 posted were in good demand as prompters. 
 "You sit beside me, Johnnie, and gie me a word 
 when the minister speirs me the question, for 
 you see my memory is no sae gude as aince it 
 was." 
 
 " Now," said the minister, " John McDonald, 
 we'll begin with you, as you are the man of the 
 house." 
 
 " Oh, minister, please don't ; ask Peggy, my 
 wife here, for she has more scripture nor me." 
 
 On another occasion a somewhat difBcult 
 question was asked a woman. Contrary to 
 expectations she answered correctly. Then a 
 still more difficult one was put. Again the 
 reply was quite correct. And so question after 
 question followed, each more difficult than the 
 preceding, and every time came the correct 
 answer. At length it dawned upon the minis- 
 ter that there must be in the neighborhood 
 
132 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 of his catechumen some unusually clever 
 prompter. Quietly, and without the slightest 
 sign of surprise or disapproval, he asks, " Am 
 Veil Eachann Ros na shuidhe an sin?" ("Is 
 Hector Ross sitting there ? " ) Of course Hec- 
 tor Ross, an intelligent and sympathetic elder, 
 was sitting there, and, concealed from the min- 
 ister, was assisting the poor woman in her theo- 
 logical examination. 
 
 " Don't be bothering me," said a short, stout, 
 middle-aged man to those around him, when 
 the question was put to him. " If I go wrang 
 will the minister himsel' no tell me?" This was 
 said as " a blind " ; the man did not know the 
 question, and as a matter of fact there was no 
 one prompting him ; but he wished to convey 
 the idea to his examiner that his failure was 
 owing, not to ignorance, but to the too great 
 eagerness of those around him to assist. The 
 trick worked well, for the minister at once said, 
 "That's right, John, depend on yourself; here's 
 the question,'' and with this the good man 
 repeated nearly the whole answer for John, while 
 a grim smile played over John's countenance. 
 
GOOD MANNERS BUT BAD THEOLOGY 133 
 
 and his eye twinkled at the thought of how he 
 had cheated the minister. 
 
 Sometimes the answer to a question was 
 exceedingly though unconsciously droll, caus- 
 ing ill-concealed amusement among the 
 younger portion of the audience, while the old 
 people looked more than ordinarily grave. A 
 boy, who had been specially trained by his 
 mother in good manners, was being examined 
 on the following passage : 
 
 " We have all sinned." 
 
 " Now, my boy,'' said the minister, '' does 
 that mean that every one of us has sinned ? " 
 putting the emphasis on " every one." 
 
 The boy hesitated, fearing an affirmative 
 answer, lest he might cast a reflection on the 
 character of his pastor. But, upon a repetition 
 of the question, the lad replied : 
 
 "Every one has sinned except yoursel' and the 
 elders." He saved his manners at the expense 
 of his theology. 
 
 It may here be explained that while the minis- 
 ter presided at these meetings, putting such ques- 
 tions and making such remarks as he saw fit, the 
 
134 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 questions were usually asked, not by the minis- 
 ter, but by one of the elders. There was tact 
 and wisdom in this. The elder selected on this 
 occasion was one who could not read, but who 
 was, nevertheless, thoroughly conversant with 
 the Catechism and with his Bible, and a man of 
 intellectual power and native eloquence. 
 
 "Johnnie Dougall," said the elder, "give us, 
 the twenty-third Psalm." 
 
 The Psalm is repeated from beginning to end 
 without a slip : 
 
 " The Lord's my shepherd, I'll not want. 
 He makes me down to lie 
 In pastures green : he leadeth me 
 The quiet waters]^by." 
 
 " Now," said the minister, addressing himself 
 to the father of the young man who had just 
 recited, "your son has done well. I trust the 
 words he has repeated are the testimony of his 
 heart concerning the Lord's goodness. But you 
 are a man of experience ; you can look back 
 upon a life of many ups and downs. Can you 
 give us this beautiful Psalm, changing the time 
 of it from the present to the past ?" With some 
 
LOOKING BACK 135 
 
 kind help from his minister, and an occasional 
 word from young Willie Saunders, the father 
 repeated as follows : 
 
 " The Lord has been my shepherd, and I have not 
 been in want. 
 He hath made me to He down in green pastures ; 
 he hath led me the quiet waters by. 
 
 " My soul he hath restored again, 
 And he hath made me to walk 
 In the paths of righteousness. 
 Even for his own name's sake." 
 
 The change in the tense of the Psalm con- 
 veyed an entirely new idea. The minds of the 
 aged men and women present went across the 
 ocean to the heather hills of Scotland and 
 the old kirk, to the parting with friends, and 
 the long sea voyage, and the journey into the 
 unbroken forest, and the varied experiences of 
 years. And, as they thought of these things, 
 tears came to the eyes of some while the testi- 
 mony was borne, " The Lord has been (not 'is') 
 my shepherd." 
 
 "Well," said the minister, "if Jehovah has 
 been your Shepherd in the past He is your 
 
136 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Shepherd to-day, and He will continue to care 
 for you unto the end, and you will dwell in His 
 house for evermore." 
 
 Among the Shorter Catechism questions, of 
 course, " effectual calling '' was not overlooked. 
 
 " Catherine Macintosh," said the elder, " will 
 you tell us what is effectual calling?" 
 
 At once, in a clear, sweet voice, that could be 
 heard distinctly by everyone in the house, came 
 the answer : 
 
 " Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, 
 whereby, convincing us of our sin and misery, 
 enlightening our minds in the knowledge of 
 Christ, and renewing our wills, He doth per- 
 suade and enable us to embrace Jesus Christ, 
 freely offered to us in the Gospel." 
 
 " This," said the minister, " is a great question, 
 and contains a complete account of the scheme 
 of human redemption." Then in a plain, simple 
 way he comments upon each clause of the ques- 
 tion. " And now let us see how many here can 
 bear personal testimony to these blessed truths. 
 Let us use the singular number and the past 
 tense, instead of the plural number and the 
 
PERSONAL TESTIMONY 137 
 
 present tense, as in the Catechism. Who can 
 repeat the question with these changes, and thus 
 make it the expression of their own experience ?" 
 The pastor's idea was a little further explained, 
 and then it was quickly apprehended. One head 
 after another was bowed in humility. Still none 
 ventured to respond. Again the question was 
 asked : 
 
 " Is there no one who can bear clear personal 
 testimony to the truth of his effectual calling ? " 
 
 Slowly a young man rose from his seat. His 
 frame shook with emotion.. His voice trembled, 
 and tears filled his eyes, while he repeated the 
 question with the change suggested. 
 
 " Effectual calling is the work of God's Spirit, 
 whereby He hath convinced me of my sin and 
 misery, enlightened my mind in the knowledge 
 of Christ, and renewed my will and persuaded 
 and enabled me to embrace Jesus Christ freely 
 offered to tne in the Gospel." 
 
 While the young man was speaking there 
 was a solemn silence, and as he sat down there 
 was an audible sigh of praise, with here and 
 there an expression of " Thank God." A pro- 
 
138 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 found impression was produced, for all present 
 knew the lad as one of noble Christian 
 character. He had a genuine spiritual experi- 
 ence, and he told it. " Go home to thy friends," 
 said Christ to the man healed, " and tell them 
 what great things the Lord hath done for thee, 
 and hath had compassion on thee." 
 
 And now the benediction was pronounced. 
 There was much handshaking, and many were the 
 inquiries as to the welfare of the children away 
 from home, and " friends ayont the sea." The 
 minister, one or two elders, and a few of the 
 more intimate friends of the family, remained and 
 partook of the " hamely " but hospitable meal. 
 
 These occasions are gone, and few of those 
 who took part in them are now with us, but the 
 good effects are still to be seen. We have 
 occasionally heard Mr. Mackenzie charged with 
 remissness in looking after the young of his con- 
 gregation. This is a great injustice to the mem- 
 ory of a good man. Mr. Mackenzie carefully 
 sought the godly upbringing of the young, and 
 that he sought it not in vain the history of the 
 congregation ^mply testifies. But he secured 
 
BENEFITS OF THE CATECHISING 139 
 
 this end, not so much through the Sabbath 
 school, as by taking pains, in private and in 
 public catechising, to teach parents and children 
 their duties to God and each other. 
 
 The men from Zorra who have become mis- 
 sionaries, ministers, lawyers, doctors, and Chris- 
 tian workers of all kinds, received their early 
 religious education, not so much in the Sabbath 
 school as at the fireside, and from their parents, 
 God's own specially appointed teachers. It is 
 quite possible to abuse a good thing, and there 
 is reason to fear that we are at the present day 
 allowing the Sabbath school to supersede paren- 
 tal effort. 
 
 Dr. Guthrie ascribes the mental vigor and 
 business tact of the Scottish people largely to 
 their familiarity with the Book of Proverbs. 
 And so we hesitate not to ascribe a large meas- 
 ure of the material, mental, and moral worth of 
 Zorra to the faithful training of their children by 
 the pioneers, an important part of which was 
 connected with the catechising, so faithfully at- 
 tended to by the Rev, Donald Mackenzie, 
 
CHAPTER IX 
 
 PIONEER POLITICS 
 
 " Party is the madness of the many for the gain of the 
 few." — Sir John A. Macdonald. 
 
 For some years after the first settlement, the 
 Zorra pioneers took little interest in politics. 
 What with clearing the forest, " ploughing, sow- 
 ing, reaping and mowing," they had hard work 
 to provide food and clothes for themselves and 
 their children. In Parliament there scarcely 
 existed what we now call partyism. The politi- 
 cians, acting upon the principle that the " State 
 belongs to the Statesman," were occupied in 
 gobbling up as much of the land as possible at 
 a shilling an acre. 
 
 There was but one voting place for the whole 
 county. This was at an hotel called " Martin's 
 old stand," near Beachville. It was opqn vot- 
 140 
 
WHISKEY GALORE 141 
 
 ing ; the election lasted for five days, and feeling 
 ran high. During the election, free meals and 
 liquor were supplied by each candidate to his 
 friends. Barrels of whiskey were placed near 
 the polling booth ; pails, dippers, and little tin 
 cups were supplied in abundance, and as may be 
 easily imagined, the consequent scenes were far 
 from edifying. The wonder is that under such 
 circumstances the consequences were not even 
 more serious. But the typical Highlander, 
 although never chargeable with lack of courage, 
 is not disposed to fisticuffs. This is too small 
 game for him, and if he fight at all, he aims at 
 killing " twa at a blow." 
 
 A Highlander and an Irishman fell out and 
 began to quarrel. Instantly the Irishman's coat 
 was off. " Tut ! tut ! " said Donald. " Pe quate, 
 and we will jaw it for a while." 
 
 But while personal encounters were not so 
 frequent as under the circumstances might be 
 expected, the poverty and degradation caused 
 by strong drink were very great. In Britain's 
 battles, from the days of old down to Dargai 
 Heights, the Highlander has taken his full share 
 
142 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 of fighting and honors, and he has proved him- 
 self able to hold his own " man tae man the 
 world o er ;" but alas, there is one enemy that has 
 time and again, in Zorra and elsewhere, proved 
 more than a match for him — the enemy that 
 gurgles out of the neck of a black bottle. 
 
 Cheap as whiskey was in those pioneer days 
 it was frequently hard to get, for the money was 
 not there. A poor old woman, who was very 
 fond of a dram, sent her daughter round to 
 Sandy's bar for a gill. As she sent no money, 
 but only a promise to pay next morning, the 
 girl came back without the whiskey, and re- 
 ported that the tavern keeper would not give it 
 to her without the cash. The woman had no 
 money, but she told the girl to give the family 
 Bible as security till the next morning. Even 
 that was refused. When this was reported to 
 the old lady she exclaimed, " What will I do 
 when he'll neither tak my word nor the Word of 
 God for a gill of whiskey ? " 
 
 " Bring out Jeroboam," said the head of a 
 house when a friend called, meaning a jug of 
 whiskey. But why was the whiskey jug called 
 
A PRACTICAL JOKE 143 
 
 " Jeroboam " ? Because it was " Jeroboam, the 
 son of Nebat, who made Israel to sin." Thus 
 the Highlander, with a native religious instinct, 
 confessed his fault while he indulged the sin. 
 
 It was in the thirties. Mr. Ayers was driving 
 a flourishing hotel business in Embro. The 
 political contest was between Peter Carroll and 
 Robert Rollo Hunter. Mr. Ayers each day 
 drove a four-horse sleigh, loaded with voters, to 
 " Martin's old stand," the place of voting. There 
 was always a piper on board, who skirled away 
 the music that never fails to inspire the High- 
 land heart. They had cast their votes, and 
 were " na fou, but juist had plenty." The four- 
 horse team had been left standing for hours in 
 the shelter of a log house. In this domicile lived 
 two bachelors, who, for various reasons, were no- 
 toriously unpopular. Indeed it was whispered 
 that these men did not distinguish between 
 their neighbors' hen roosts and their own. On 
 this occasion a wag played a cruel practical joke 
 on the bachelor brothers. 
 
 While the sleigh stood beside the house, an 
 enemy found a couple of logging chains, fast- 
 
144 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 ened them securely together, then attached one 
 end very carefully to both cross beams of the 
 sleigh ; then the other end was attached to the 
 top log and roof of the shanty. The chain was 
 carefully concealed with snow. Well, the time 
 came for the Zorra boys to start for home. They 
 had the Deoch an doras (drink of the door, 
 that is, the last drink). " All aboard ! " There 
 was a rush, and soon all found a place, in vari- 
 ous postures, in the long sleigh-box. " Hurrah ! 
 Whip ! Crack ! Get up ! " With a bound the 
 horses dashed forward, but in an instant came 
 to a standstill. The driver, knowing nothing of 
 his attachment, struck up again with more vigor, 
 and in less time than it takes me to write it, the 
 topmost log of the shanty, accompanied by the 
 roof, lay on the ground. 
 
 When, with bunting ilying, pipes screaming, 
 and twenty free and independent electors shout- 
 ing, the sleigh reached Embro, there was a hot 
 time in the old village that night. Every man, 
 woman and child turned out, and long and loud 
 was the cheering when it was announced that 
 Hunter (Embro's favorite) was ahead. But next 
 
OXFORD'S M.P.'S. I4S 
 
 night the news came that Carroll was ahead. 
 The third night Hunter's majority was seventy, 
 and he kept the lead to the end, much to the 
 satisfaction of the Zorra men. 
 
 The first Parliament of Upper Canada was 
 elected in 1792, and was held at Niagara. I can 
 find no trace of any representative of Oxford in 
 the first or second Parliament, but in the third 
 Parliament, 1800- 1804, Oxford, along with Nor- 
 folk and Middlesex, was represented by Hon. 
 D. W. Smith. 
 
 From 1804 to 1812 Oxford and Middlesex 
 were represented by one man — Benaiah Malory. 
 
 From 1 81 2 to 1820 by Mahlon Burwell. 
 
 From 1820 to 1840 the elections resulted as 
 follows : 1 820, Thos. Horner ; 1 824, Thos. 
 Horner and Chas. Ingersoll ; 1828, Horner and 
 Malcolm ; in 1830, Chas. Ingersoll and Chas. 
 Buncombe ; in 1835, Chas. Buncombe and Robt. 
 Alway. 
 
 Buncombe having left the country, there was 
 a contest, as we have seen, for his seat, between 
 Robert Rollo Hunter a ndPeter Carroll, resulting 
 in the election of the former. 
 10 
 
146 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 After the union of Upper and Lower Canada, 
 in 1840, Oxford was represented by Francis 
 Hincks, afterwards Sir Francis Hincks. 
 
 In 1844 Mr. Robert Riddell was elected, and 
 in 1848 Peter Carroll and Hon. F. Hincks. 
 
 In 1849 Lord Elgin was egged, and the par- 
 liament building in Montreal burned. There 
 was great excitement throughout the country. 
 
 In 1 85 1 Hon. F. Hincks was elected ; after 
 which the county was divided into two ridings 
 — North and South Oxford. 
 
 In 1854 the north riding was represented by 
 D. Matheson, Esq., of Embro, and the south 
 riding by Hon. F. Hincks. 
 
 In 1858 Hon. Geo. Brown, of Toronto, was 
 elected for the north riding, and also for To- 
 ronto, and decided to sit for Toronto. Then 
 the constituency was represented by Wm. 
 McDougall. 
 
 In 1 86 1 the north riding re-elected Wm. Mc- 
 Dougall, and the south riding Dr. Connor ; and 
 on the demise of Dr. Connor, Hon. Geo. Brown 
 became representative for South Oxford. 
 
 In 1863 the north riding was represented by 
 
A CAMPAIGN DOCUMENT 147 
 
 Hope F. McKenzie, of Sarnia, and the south 
 riding by Hon. Geo. Brown. 
 
 In 1867 the north riding elected Thos. Oliver, 
 of Woodstock, as its representative. 
 
 In 1872 Thos. Oliver was again returned for 
 North Oxford by acclamation, and E. V. Bod- 
 well for South Oxford. 
 
 In 1874 Thos. Oliver was returned a third 
 time for North Oxford, and Col. Jas. A. Skinner 
 for South Oxford. 
 
 In 1880, on the death of the late Thos. Oliver, 
 the present member, James Sutherland, became 
 member for North Oxford. Since then Mr. 
 Sutherland has been elected four times, and 
 each time by an increased majority. 
 
 The election of Hon. (afterwards Sir) Francis 
 Hincks, in 1851, was perhaps one of the most 
 exciting contests ever witnessed in the county. 
 The " Clergy Reserve " question and the 
 " Separate School " question were up, and a 
 great deal of religious feeling was aroused. The 
 writer has now before him one of the campaign 
 sheets of the time. It is a large poster, eighteen 
 inches by twelve. The head-lines are in very 
 
148 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 large letters, and the whole get-up quite sensa- 
 tional. For clear ringing denunciation of a 
 political opponent this electioneering document 
 would be hard to beat. Here it is as far as it 
 can be exhibited on our small page : 
 
 "ATTENTION! 
 
 REFORMERS ! ! 
 
 " Hincks, the traitor to Reform Principles, and 
 his Office-hunting friends have reported that 
 Scatcherd will resign. This is false ! 
 
 " Scatcherd cannot resign ! 
 
 "400 
 
 " Free and Independent Electors have signed 
 his Requisition, and he is pledged to go to the 
 polls. He is opposed to tax the people $800,000 
 a year to pay the ' Interest ' on money for a, 
 railroad from Quebec to Halifax, for the benefit 
 of Lower Canada. 
 
 " Electors of Oxford ! — Can you vote for 
 Hincks, who has falsified every promise, and be- 
 trayed your dearest interests ? 
 
 " Who voted against the Marriage Bill ? 
 Hincks. 
 
 " Who voted against the Rectory Bill ? 
 Hincks. 
 
A POLITICAL CATECHISM 149 
 
 " Who voted against the Clergy Reserves 
 Bill ? Hincks. 
 
 " Who is patron of the fifty-seven Rectories ? 
 Hincks. 
 
 " Who said you persecuted the English 
 Church ? Hincks. 
 
 " Who turned Merrit and Malcolm Cameron 
 out of the Executive Council ? Hincks. 
 
 " Who supports Sectarian Schools ? Hincks. 
 
 " Who said Upper Canada Reformers were a 
 set 01 Pharisaical Brawlers ? Dr. Tach6, one 
 of the new Ministry. 
 
 " Who got $7,000 to pay for dinners given 
 in Montreal, and called it ' extra services ' ? 
 Hincks. 
 
 " Who voted $80,000 of your money to repair 
 the Governor's residence in Quebec ? Hincks. 
 
 " Who spent $350,000 to remove the seat of 
 Government? Hincks. 
 
 " Who voted $300,000 last year to pay for the 
 Administration of Justice ? Hincks. 
 
 " Who divided the County ? Hincks. 
 
 " REFORMERS !— AWAKE. 
 
 " Record your votes for Scatcherd, for his Elec- 
 tion must be secured. Read his Address. He 
 is a Farmer, and a resident of your county. 
 His Interest is yours. 
 
 " Mr. Hincks has received a Requisition from 
 the County of Kent, to run in opposition to Mr. 
 George Brown, and has accepted it. 
 
 "November 18, 185 1." 
 
ISO PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Strange that after such a fusilade Hincks 
 was triumphantly elected ! 
 
 A Zorra man who is still living, speaking of 
 the excitement of this election, says : " They 
 axed me how I was going to vote. I said I 
 
 would vote for ; and as soon as the word 
 
 was out of my mouth the blood was out of my 
 nose. " This was voting solid ! 
 
 How did the early elections compare with 
 those of to-day ? As we have already clearly 
 shown, they were not ideal. We wish we could 
 say : 
 
 "Then none were for the partyi then all were 
 
 for the state ; 
 Then the great man helped the poor, and the 
 
 poor man loved the great ; 
 Then spoils were fairly portioned, then lands 
 
 were fairly sold, 
 And the Romans were like brothers in the brave 
 
 days of old." 
 
 In the olden times, as to-day, whiskey was the 
 foe of everything pure and good. The fact also 
 of there being only one polling place in the 
 county, and the open voting, helped greatly to 
 increase the excitement. 
 
REMEDY FOR CORRUPT POLITICS 151 
 
 But notwithstanding the excitement and ex- 
 cesses of the early elections, they were con- 
 ducted in a manner immeasurably more pure 
 and honorable than some similar campaigns in 
 our time. Are not our politics rapidly degen- 
 erating into a very cesspool of corruption ? 
 The boodling and bribery, the frauds and cor- 
 ruption which have characterized many recent 
 elections, are enough to bring the blush of 
 shame to the cheek of every honest Canadian. 
 Occasionally we have an election trial, and 
 then, although only a corner of the covering is 
 raised, we see something of the seething mass 
 of corruption underneath. And yet how seldom 
 do we hear the ring of genuine, honest indigna- 
 tion against political corruption, except when it 
 hurts " our party " or " our man." 
 
 What is the remedy ? The remedy lies largely 
 with the Church. Unless the Church throws off 
 her indifference, arouses herself to cry aloud and 
 spare not, the cancer will spread. Legislation 
 can do something; and by all means let good 
 laws be sought — laws that will make it as easy as 
 possible to do right, and as difficult as possible 
 
IS2 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 to do wrong. But legislation can deal only with 
 environment. The Divine Spirit alone, working 
 upon the hearts of men, can create and foster a 
 love of righteousness, and a hatred of iniquity. 
 
 We may change the tariff, reform the finances, 
 prohibit the liquor traffic, obtain better Sunday 
 laws, enact severest laws against bribery, kill off 
 the monopolies, and shake off the bosses, but 
 unless the electors enthrone Jesus Christ in the 
 politics of the land, there will soon be as much 
 oppression, dishonesty, intemperance, and cor- 
 ruption as ever. Radical and lasting reform 
 must begin in the heart. " Let Glasgow flourish 
 by the preaching of the Word," said John Knox. 
 So we say of Zorra, Oxford, Canada. Men of 
 God, arise ! 
 
 " Perish policy and cunning ! 
 Perish all that fears the light 
 Whether losing, whether winning, 
 ' Trust in God and do the right. ' 
 
 " Trust no party, sect, or faction ; 
 Trust no leaders in the fight ; 
 But in every word and action 
 
 ' Trust in God and do the right.' " 
 
 As soil, shower, and sunshine can make more 
 
CHRISTIAN CITIZENSHIP 153 
 
 flowers and fragrance than all the chemists, so 
 God's Word and Spirit can effect more in moral 
 reforms and human regeneration than all human 
 legislation. Let every Christian patriot there- 
 fore proclaim the glorious truth that Christianity- 
 is not a mere sentiment, or a system of cold 
 abstractions, but a power that shows itself 
 grandly in the domestic, the social, the politi- 
 cal life of a people. It ennobles every depart- 
 ment of life, making the polling booth as sacred 
 as the prayer meeting, and the act of voting an 
 act of worship. 
 
CHAPTER X 
 
 ZORRA AND THE REBELLION OF '37 
 
 "Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori." — HORACE. 
 (" It is sweet and noble to die for one's country.") 
 
 The first settlers in Zorra were not from 
 Scotland, but represented various nationalities ; 
 some of them were United Empire Loyalists, 
 or more or less remotely connected with them. 
 Among these early settlers were the Hodgkin- 
 sons, Codys, Karns, Youngs, Coukes, Burdicks, 
 Reeds, Galloways, Wilkersons, Aldridges, and 
 Tafts. Many of these names are still familiar, 
 and those bearing them regarded as among the 
 most intelligent and progressive in the district. 
 One of them, Marvin Cody, writes to me from 
 Sarnia, as follows : " I came to Zorra in March, 
 1824. When in my seventeenth year, under a 
 deep sense of my lost condition as a sinner, I 
 154 
 
CAUSE OF THE REBELLION 155 
 
 went out one evening into the field by the fence- 
 side and cried for mercy, and mercy was given 
 me. There and then I became a new creature. 
 The peace, the love, the joy which followed 
 made me very happy ; I united with the Baptist 
 Church. And now, in my eighty-fourth year, 
 I must be nearing the great solemnities of 
 eternity ; but I have a confident hope in my 
 dear Saviour, who has stood by me these many 
 years ; and the prospect of going to be with 
 Him in heaven through eternity is very de- 
 lightful." 
 
 The war between the United States and Can- 
 ada began in 181 2 and lasted about three years, 
 and was the cause of much bloodshed and hard- 
 ship to the Canadian people; which, however, 
 onlj intensified tiieir loyalty to Great Britain. 
 
 Soon after this began the political struggle 
 that ended in the rebellion of 1837-9. In this 
 struggle we find on the one hand, a number of 
 patriotic men fighting for popular rights, and on 
 the other hand, what is well known as the "Family 
 Compact." The Family Compact was a small but 
 compact body of men, most of them Loyalists, 
 
iS6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 combined together for the purpose of securing 
 and retaining all the government offices for 
 themselves or their relatives. There was at this 
 time no responsible government as now under- 
 stood ; that is, the Governor and his cabinet 
 were not responsible in any way to the people. 
 The Governor was sent out by England, and he 
 had the power to choose his own cabinet to suit 
 himself. He did choose, not according to the 
 wishes of the representatives of the people, but 
 according to the dictates of the Family Com- 
 pact, who had wormed themselves into power, 
 and were determined to stay there regardless of 
 the wishes of the people. For some twenty-five 
 years the struggle for responsible government 
 continued to be the burning question of the day, 
 the particular matter in dispute during the 
 latter part of the period being the " Clergy Re- 
 serves." A word of explanation may be in 
 place : 
 
 The Clergy Reserves had their origin in what 
 is known as the " Constitutional Act of 1791." 
 By the thirty-sixth clause of that Act provision 
 was made for reserving out of all grants of pub- 
 
THE CLERGY RESERVES 157 
 
 lie lands in Upper and Lower Canada, past as 
 well as future, an allotment for the support of a 
 " Protestant Clergy." This allotment was to be 
 equal in value to the seventh part of the lands 
 so granted. By the next section, it was provided 
 that the rents, profits, and emoluments, arising 
 from the lands so appropriated, were applicable 
 solely to the maintenance and support of a 
 " Protestant Clergy." These provisions were in 
 their result most unfortunate for both Ontario 
 and Quebec. Especially so for the former pro- 
 vince. They sowed the seeds of sectarian and 
 political strife, retarded the growth of the 
 country, divided the people, called into existence 
 bitter feelings, which have hardly yet subsided, 
 and were the immediate cause of the rebellion 
 of 1837. As the holders of public offices were 
 chiefly members of the Church of England, that 
 body obtained, under the Family Compact sys- 
 tem, then in force, fully eleven-twelfths of all the 
 reserves. According to a return made to the 
 House of Assembly of lands set apart as glebes 
 in Upper Canada during the forty-six years from 
 1787 to 1833, it appears that 22,345 acres were 
 
158 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 so set apart for the clergy of the Church of Eng- 
 land, 1,160 acres for ministers of the Kirk of 
 Scotland, 400 for Roman Catholics, and none 
 for any other denomination. 
 
 Besides which the lands of the Clergy Reserves, 
 instead of being set apart in blocks, were inter- 
 spersed with the grants made to settlers, thus 
 giving the Church the benefit of the increased 
 value of the neighboring land caused by im- 
 provements made by settlers ; while the Church 
 lands were left unappropriated and wild, thus 
 increasing the difficulties of road-making and 
 causing other inconveniences. The grievance 
 was first felt by the settlers in their private 
 capacity, and the first protest made against the 
 reservations on purely secular grounds. In 
 1836 great indignation was caused by the dis- 
 covery that Governor Colborne had, on January 
 15th, while sitting in Council, created forty- 
 four rectories of the Church of England, and 
 endowed them with extensive and valuable 
 glebe lands, out of the Clergy Reserves ; thus 
 creating practically an Established Church. 
 This was done in a clandestine manner, without 
 
W. LYON MACKENZIE 159 
 
 the knowledge and in opposition to the de- 
 clared policy of the Imperial Government, and 
 also in opposition to the resolutions of the 
 Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada. This 
 act of the Governor-in-Council was regarded as 
 a breach of public faith and a violation of the 
 rights of the people, and led to open rebellion a 
 few months after. 
 
 At last, under the leadership of William Lyon 
 Mackenzie, things came to a crisis. Perhaps 
 unwisely, recourse was had to arms, but desper- 
 ate diseases require desperate remedies. Blood 
 was shed, and a number of executions followed, 
 but the result was the inestimable blessing of 
 popular government as we have it in Canada 
 to-day. 
 
 W. Lyon Mackenzie has been stigmatized by 
 a certain class of writers, as an agitator, a fire- 
 brand — injudicious and reckless. This, how- 
 ever, has always been the fate of patriots and 
 true reformers. To him more perhaps than to 
 any other man we owe the popular, civil, and 
 political rights we enjoy to-day. The Family 
 Compact was a strong and unscrupulous party 
 
i6o PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 and it took a man of dauntless courage and 
 indomitable perseverence to fight it. Such 
 a man was W. L. Mackenzie. Several times 
 he was expelled from Parliament, and as 
 often re-elected by his loyal constituency in 
 York. Once he had his type thrown into the 
 lake by a mob headed by the chief men in 
 Toronto. But against tremendous odds he 
 persevered in his struggle for the rights of the 
 people ; nor did he struggle in vain. The 
 rebellion brought the misgovernment of the 
 country, for a quarter of a century by the Fam- 
 ily Compact, prominently before the British 
 people, and woke them up to a sense of their 
 duty, and the necessity of giving to Canada the 
 right to govern herself according to the wishes 
 of the majority, expressed through the repre- 
 sentatives in parliament. This is what we now 
 call responsible government, which we largely 
 owe to W. L. Mackenzie, and for which we can- 
 not be too thankful. We hope to see the day 
 when Canada will erect a monument to the 
 memory of Mr. Mackenzie and honor him for 
 his patriotic readiness to shed his blood, rather 
 
ZOrra's part in The Rebellion i6i 
 
 than see his country enslaved by an unprinci- 
 pled and wicked oligarchy. 
 
 In 1854 the Canadian Parliament, authorized 
 by the Imperial Government, alienated the 
 Clergy Reserves from religious to secular pur- 
 poses, having due regard to the life-interests of 
 all beneficiaries, whose stipends were not to be 
 reduced. 
 
 The money was divided among the muni- 
 cipalities, and each municipality decided for 
 itself what use to make of it. Many appor- 
 tioned it to public roads, but Zorra, we think 
 greatly to her credit, set it apart for the perma- 
 nent benefit of her public schools. 
 
 But what part did Zorra take in the rebel- 
 lion? 
 
 " I hae but ae son, my brave young Donald, 
 But gin I had ten they would follow Prince 
 Charlie." 
 
 When the news of the uprising came, great 
 indeed was the excitement. No question was 
 asked as to the justice or injustice of the cause. 
 The Highlanders, as well as their neighbors, the 
 
 II 
 
i62 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 United Empire Loyalists, were prepared to do 
 
 or die in defence of the Crown, right or wrong. 
 
 " To doubt would be disloyalty, 
 To falter would be sin." 
 
 A call was made for volunteers, and promptly 
 two hundred stalwart men presented themselves 
 in Embro ready for drill. Crittendom's distil- 
 lery was extemporized for a drill-shed. The 
 vats were filled with snow well packed in, so 
 that the floor was all of one uniform level. 
 There were not guns enough, but Cooper 
 Welsh's hoop-poles were used instead. The 
 drill-master was Mr. Nasmyth. After about a 
 week's practice, word came that the rebels were 
 marching on to Woodstock. At once the 
 Embro company, reinforced by another com- 
 pany from the country, headed by their respec- 
 tive pipers, and carrying guns, clubs, poles, etc., 
 set out on the march to meet the enemy. 
 
 It was at the time of the Fenian raid, many 
 years after, that an old lady in Zorra is reported 
 as having declared with much vehemence, 
 " They may tak Montreal, and they may tak 
 Toronto, and they may tak Woodstock, but 
 
FLEEING WHEN NOT PURSUED 163 
 
 they'll never tak Z-o-r-r-a." This was certainly 
 the spirit of the Highlanders in 1837. Having 
 reached Woodstock, they found no enemy any- 
 where in the neighborhood ; and, after remain- 
 ing under arms for a few days, they were per- 
 mitted to return home. 
 
 The homeward journey from Woodstock to 
 Embro was made on foot through the woods. 
 The night was very frosty. When the volun- 
 teers were about two miles east of the village, 
 suddenly they heard the loud cracking of the 
 trees because of the frost, resembling the reports 
 of rifles. The brave boys instantly concluded 
 that Mackenzie's rebels were after them. They 
 became panic-stricken, and took helter-skelter 
 to their heels, hiding behind trees, logs, and 
 brushes, until, after some difficulty, they were 
 persuaded that there was no real cause for alarm. 
 But the boys never liked to be reminded of this 
 exhibition of weakness. It is related that some 
 years ago, when there were no railroads in Scot- 
 land, an Englishman and a Scotchman were 
 riding together on the top of a coach running 
 between Stirling and Dumblane. The English- 
 
1 64 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 man inquired of his neighbor the name of a cer- 
 tain place. With feigned surprise, the Scotch- 
 man replied, " Dinna ye ken whaur ye were 
 weel lickit ? " In this way the Englishman was 
 given to understand that he was unconsciously 
 passing over the field of Bannockburn. So it is 
 said the Zorra people would, for years after, 
 point out to the volunteer boys the famous 
 woods, reminding them, " that's whaur ye were 
 lickit by the rebels.'' 
 
 However, the volunteers stood high in the 
 estimation of their countrymen, and at a gather- 
 ing given in their honor great was the praise 
 bestowed upon them. It is said that in the 
 gathering there was an old woman who, observ- 
 ing some young men not cheering as lustily as 
 she thought they should do, remonstrated with 
 them, saying, " Why you no cheer ? These are 
 the men who fought and dee'd for ye." 
 
 I have before me as I write a very interesting 
 document. It is dated July Sth, 1838, and is 
 very much the worse of the wear of three-score 
 years, although still quite legible. It is the pay- 
 sheet of the Zorra volunteers, and the heading 
 
A PIONEER DOCUMENT 165 
 
 reads as follows : " We, the undersigned officers, 
 non-commissioned piper, and privates of the 
 detachment of the 3rd Oxford Regiment, under 
 the command of Captain Wm. Mackay, serving 
 from the 30th of June to the 5th July, 1838, 
 acknowledge to have received our pay for that 
 period, for which we annex our names." 
 
 Then follow sixty-four names, nearly all 
 written by the persons themselves, and the 
 greater number of them written in a good round 
 hand, speaking well for the literary training of 
 these pioneers. 
 
 Among the names are Macdonalds, Murrays, 
 Munros, Mathesons, Macleods, Sutherlands, 
 Campbells, and Mackays — the latter, of course, 
 predominating. Not one of those whose names 
 are on this document is now living. Peace to 
 their ashes. 
 
CHAPTER XI 
 
 LOGGING BEES AND DANCING SPREES 
 
 " If you want knowledge, you must toil for it ; if food, 
 you must toil for it ; and if pleasure, you must toil for 
 it. Toil is the law. Pleasure comes through toil, and 
 not by self-indulgence and indolence. When one gets 
 to love work, his life is a happy one." — RUSKIN. 
 
 There may be no logical connection between 
 logging bees and dancing sprees, but they were 
 intimately associated in the experience of the 
 Highland pioneers of Zorra. And their union 
 illustrates the truth of Ruskin's statement, that 
 " toil is a condition of enjoyment." It also 
 shows that the pioneers were not a set of dul- 
 lards, whose life consisted only in a weary round 
 of hard, irksome duties. They were a hardy 
 people, full of energy and vivacity. If they 
 endured much, they enjoyed much. 
 
 There were three ways by which the first 
 i66 
 
"NIGGERS" 167 
 
 settlers cleared the land. The first was called 
 " slashing." The farmer slashed the trees down 
 in winnows, and let them thus lie on the ground 
 for three or four years. Then in dry weather 
 he would set fire to the winnows, and soon the 
 whole slashing of ten or twelve acres would be 
 a great mass of smoke and flame. The brush 
 and smaller timber would be burnt up ; but the 
 great logs, the beeches, elms, oaks, and maples, 
 would still remain. It was necessary, therefore, 
 to cut them up, so that they could be piled into 
 heaps to be burnt. This was done not alto- 
 gether with the axe, but largely by means of 
 what were called " niggers," which consisted of 
 fire placed on top of the logs at intervals of 
 twenty or thirty feet, and by means of small 
 dry timber laid across, kept burning until the 
 big log was burnt through, and thus divided 
 into several short sections, such as the oxen 
 could haul. 
 
 It was a Zorra man who wrote a letter to his 
 friends in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, declaring 
 that he had a hundred " niggers " working for 
 him. He mentioned that there were very dark 
 
i68 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 people in America called " niggers." He then 
 went on to give a minute description of his 
 farm — so many acres cleared, such good crops 
 from year to year, and how well off he was now, 
 compared with what he was in Scotland. 
 " Even to-day," said he, " I have no less than 
 one hundred niggers working for me to clear 
 my farm." Of course, he meant the iire used 
 on the tree for cutting it instead of the axe ; but 
 he kept the explanation to himself It is said 
 the whole parish in Scotland was agog with 
 excitement over the Zorra man's wonderful 
 wealth in controlling the services of no less than 
 one hundred negroes. 
 
 In the same spirit another pioneer informed 
 his friends in Scotland that in Zorra men re- 
 ceived five shillings ($1.25) for rocking a cradle. 
 The " cradle " meant was that used in the har- 
 vest field, though a different one was suggested 
 to the man in Scotland. 
 
 Another way to clear the bush was by " gird- 
 ling." This consisted in hacking the tree all 
 around, so that in the course of six or seven 
 years it ^ ould decay and fall, Thi§ in?tho4 of 
 
CLEARING THE FOREST 169 
 
 clearing was, however, found very dangerous for 
 the cattle, and whenever the wind would blow 
 limbs would be falling, and many a farmer 
 had his ox or cow killed. It was wonderful, 
 however, the instinct of danger which the ani- 
 mals acquired, so that as soon as they perceived 
 the wind rising, they would rush terrified from 
 the girdling. Another objection to this method 
 of clearing was that, while the big trees were 
 decaying, the underbrush would grow up to be 
 small trees difficult to destroy. A man could 
 girdle two acres a day. 
 
 The third way was the most laborious, but 
 considered by far the quickest and best. It 
 was to cut down the trees and make them into 
 logs from fourteen to eighteen feet long, then 
 pile the brush, and cut the underbrush. A good 
 chopper would thus cut down an acre in about 
 seven days. 
 
 When these people came to Zorra they knew 
 nothing about chopping, most of them having 
 never seen a chopping-axe, or its handle ; every- 
 thing h^d to be learned, A!! the more credit to 
 
I70 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 them foe their brave and successful fight with 
 the forest. 
 
 These pioneers carried their religion into all 
 the affairs of life. I have heard one of them 
 state that before tackling a giant of the forest, 
 he invariably knelt down and prayed for strength 
 and protection. He evidently feared only the 
 large trees, and was willing to take chances on 
 the small ones, though, as a matter of fact, the 
 small ones were the most dangerous. Not- 
 withstanding all precautions, however, many a 
 broken leg, cut foot, and crushed arm testified 
 to the dangers incurred by our uninitiated fore- 
 fathers in hewing out for themselves homes in 
 the forest. 
 
 The first thing done on coming to the town- 
 ship was to choose a spot for a house. The 
 spot selected was usually the highest hill or 
 elevation that could be found on the farm. The 
 next thing was to cut down all the trees that 
 in falling might reach the building. Some in- 
 stances, however, occurred in which through 
 miscalculation, some tall tree was left, which in 
 a storm fell upon the shanty, seldom, however, 
 
LOST IN THE WOODS 171 
 
 doing more damage than frightening the in- 
 mates, for the big logs of the shanty were strong 
 enough to hold up the heaviest weight. 
 
 The immigrants usually arrived in August, 
 and, having built the shanty, the next few 
 weeks were given to underbrushing. Then all 
 winter the forest resounded with the woodman's 
 axe. In early spring there was the sugar-mak- 
 ing. Not infrequently would the sugar-makers 
 remain in the woods most of the night boiling 
 down the sap. 
 
 It is related of a pioneer that one night he 
 continued boiling down till two o'clock in the 
 morning. He then started for home ; but, 
 leaving the bright blaze of the iire, and entering 
 the dark woods, he got bewildered and lost his 
 way. He travelled about for an hour, and then 
 made up his mind that he had better remain 
 where he was until daylight. With the first 
 streak of dawn he descried in the distance a 
 small shanty. He hastened towards it, and 
 knocked loudly at the door. A small boy, dh- 
 habille, opened. Mr. W. inquired if anyone 
 here knew where Mr. W.'s house was. The 
 
172 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 little fellow quickly ran back to another room, 
 excitedly crying, " Mither, mither, faither has 
 come hame, but he has gone daft." In his be- 
 wildered state Mr. W. failed to recognize his 
 own house, or his boy. 
 
 The time for logging has come, and there is 
 to be a great " bee " on the farm. Farmer 
 Murray has six acres to log of heavy timber, 
 and he will need six yoke of oxen and thirty 
 men. So he goes round the district and invites 
 all to his " bee." Those who have oxen are to 
 bring them. Their wives and daughters are 
 also invited to come and help prepare the 
 dinner and supper, and also to make a quilt. 
 Young farmer A. is told to bring along his 
 bagpipes, and B. is to bring his fiddle. C. is 
 to come to make handspikes, and D. is ap- 
 pointed butler. 
 
 In many cases, however, the handspikes were 
 prepared previously to the day of the "bee." 
 They were made mostly of ironwood, and were 
 the shape of the well-known iron crowbar of 
 to-day. Many kept them from year to year, 
 
THE MEN AT WORK 173 
 
 until they got smooth from constant use, and 
 light by seasoning. 
 
 Well, the day for the " bee " has come, and a 
 beautiful, sunshiny day it is. By six o'clock in 
 the morning the men and oxen are ready for 
 work. The first thing done is to divide the 
 field to be logged into strips of equal width, 
 and running from one end to the other. Then 
 a yoke of oxen, attended by five men, is put in 
 charge of each strip. After each man has taken 
 his " horn," or glass of whiskey, the work of the 
 day begins in real earnest. 
 
 I was at that " bee," a very young boy, but 
 the scene is vividly before me just now. Each 
 driver has a long blue beech switch, specially 
 prepared by twisting one end until it was quite 
 limber, which he flourishes around the heads of 
 the oxen. The men wear moleskin pants, and 
 a belt around the waist. The shirt sleeves are 
 rolled all the way up. The butler, or boss of 
 the work, gives all necessary directions. The 
 strength of the oxen is astonishing, and so is 
 their instinct for the work. The stumps are so 
 thick that it is hard to get room to build a 
 
174 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 heap. The chain is attached with a roll, so that 
 the log, when moved, will turn partly over. 
 This prevents the snags, which, of course, have 
 not been cut away from the under part of the 
 log, catching the ground and increasing the 
 resistance. Then the log is pulled among the 
 stumps to where the heap is to be built, and 
 after the first log or two is placed, the oxen 
 seem to know instinctively just where to go 
 each time. 
 
 Here is a big oak tree, three feet through, 
 and fifty-six feet long, hard to burn, stumps 
 thick all around it. Farmer George is foreman 
 for this gang. He has worked in France at a 
 sawmill, and knows, or is supposed to know, 
 how to handle logs. He claims also to be able 
 to speak French, and he is not slow in parading 
 his knowledge among the Zorra men. On he 
 goes to build this heap. He says : " We'll give 
 that cherry log a roll, swing her around beside 
 this oak, and we'll draw them basswood and 
 maple ones and put them in the bottom, and 
 we'll put that rock-elm fellow on top." 
 
 Here are some of the cries constantly heard 
 
THE^fLOG-HEAP 175 
 
 that day, as the log-heaps were being built : 
 "Hip!" "Roll up!" "Up she goes!" "Skade!" 
 "Hold that catch now!" "Now boys, push ! " 
 "Can you hold on?" "I'll try. No, I can't!" 
 " Come here, driver, quick ! " Driver runs, and, 
 putting his breast against the log, pushes with 
 all his might. " Yes, we can hold it." " You 
 catch under !" " Now, get ready ! He-ho-he ! " 
 The strength of five stalwart Highlanders is 
 tested. Up goes the log, but the men are out 
 of breath. Each removes the old straw hat 
 from his head, and the red handkerchief is 
 taken out to wipe the great beads of perspira- 
 tion from the face. 
 
 The heap is completed. Foreman George 
 puts in his French : " Bien ! eh, bien, messieurs ! 
 That heap of logs would be worth thirty pounds 
 in France." The butler now goes his round 
 with the black bottle and glass. Thus the 
 work goes on, until the call to dinner is heard. 
 There are no horns to blow in these days, the 
 distance from the house not being sufficient to 
 make them necessary. 
 
 " We boys " were set to watch the oxen 
 
J 76 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 while feeding on the edge of the woods with 
 the yoke on. There was no hay, but that did 
 not matter much ; the tall, rich grass afforded 
 ample pasturage. , I cannot report fidelity to 
 duty on this occasion. We spent a considerable 
 part of the dinner hour in trying to get the 
 oxen to fight ; but hard-working oxen, like hard- 
 working men, are not disposed to, fight, and 
 no serious results followed. 
 
 After dinner, the work went on as before. 
 There was whiskey galore, and as evening 
 approached the butler was in greater demand, 
 and the evil effects of the black bottle were 
 becoming more manifest. The race was keen 
 as to who should first reach the end of their 
 strip. 
 
 Thus was Zorra cleared of its forests. Some- 
 times, with a blazing sun in the heavens, and 
 log-heaps burning on every side, the heat was 
 simply terrible and the smoke suffocating. 
 What with the smoke-drawn tears running 
 down the cheeks in streams, and the dust and 
 ashes adhering, the men were scarcely recog- 
 nizable. 
 
PAT AT A LOGGING-BEE 177 
 
 The story is told of an Irishman who came to 
 Zorra at this time. Shortly after arriving he 
 one day lost himself in the woods. Hearing 
 the shouting and noise of men who were 
 logging, he turned his footsteps in that direc- 
 tion. The day was very hot, and the men 
 very black. The Irishman soon found himself 
 in the midst of a scene such as he had never 
 before witnessed. 
 
 " Well, Pat, do you know where you are ? " 
 
 " Faith ! " was the reply, " joodging from the 
 hate of the climate, and the coolur of the 
 people, it must be perdition, sure 1 " 
 
 As I write the story of the difficulties encoun- 
 tered and overcome by these brave toilers of 
 the forest, my heart thrills with admiration. 
 How hard they wrought ! How patiently they 
 endured ! How cheerfully they persevered ! 
 It matters little to me how humble their work 
 was, the spirit in which they did it is every- 
 thing. Their invincible courage, industry, 
 determination, should put strength into the 
 hearts of their descendants, if ever in the 
 discharge of duty we feel disposed to yield to 
 
178 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 difficulties. Many men owe the grandeur of 
 their lives to their tremendous difficulties. 
 
 It is now 7 o'clock p.m. The oxen are sent 
 home, the workmen make good use of home- 
 made soap and water, supplied them in a great 
 oaken tub ; soon hands and faces are washed, 
 and the men are as clean and spruce as if they 
 had never been near a log heap. 
 
 The young women of the neighborhood are 
 gathered in or around the house, some quilting, 
 and others attending to the cooking and serving 
 necessary at a large gathering. Of course 
 the tables were usually spread outside the 
 house, and under the shade of a spreading 
 beech or maple. 
 
 Farmer Murray had a big log house, with 
 two windows in front, one in the back, and one 
 in the end, and one in the top gable. After 
 supper everything is prepared for the dance. 
 All unnecessary furniture is put aside, boards 
 with props underneath are put round the walls 
 for seats, and the floor is cleared. A chair is 
 put on top of a chest for the piper and fiddler, 
 who are alternately to supply the music. 
 
THE DANCE 179 
 
 The piper takes the chair first, not however, 
 
 till after he receives inspiration from the black 
 
 bottle. And now for the dance. B. takes C.'s 
 
 wife, and C. takes B.'s wife as partners in the 
 
 first round. After this the floor was free to all. 
 
 There were no round dances in those days. 
 
 " But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys and reels 
 Put life and mettle in their heels." 
 
 As the evening wears on the dancing be- 
 comes more lively. The butler becomes more 
 liberal with his bottle. The piper becomes 
 more enthusiastic. 
 
 " He screwed his pipes, and gart them skirl 
 Till roof and rafters a' did dirl." 
 
 At intervals songs are sung and stories told. 
 Farmer Ross sits beside the ladder, telling a 
 crowd of eagerly listening young people how 
 William Wallace slaughtered the Englishmen, 
 and of all Wallace's brave deeds for Scotland. 
 Another tells of Samuel Macdonald, the High- 
 land giant, who took hold of the hind axle-tree 
 of the mail coach and held back four horses ; 
 how he raised a sixty-gallon barrel of whiskey 
 between the palms of his hands, and took a 
 
i8o PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 drink out of the bung-hole. Another relates 
 
 the adventures of a Highlandman in running 
 
 away with the laird's daughter. He tells an 
 
 admiring circle of young men and maidens how 
 
 the pursued lover fled with his bride : — 
 
 " He set her on a coal-black steed, 
 Himsel' lap on behind her, 
 And he's awa' to the Hieland hills. 
 
 Where her frien's they canna find her." 
 
 Farmers M. and G. sat on the crockery side 
 of the chimney, trying who could repeat and 
 sing the most songs out of Robert Brown's song 
 book, with a laughing, applauding crowd around 
 them. M. beat G. at repeating the most, but G. 
 was voted the best singer. 
 
 Every now and again the butler came round 
 and treated. 
 
 The fiddler's turn came next to supply the 
 music, and after a deep potation, he mounted 
 the elevated chair. The butler calls for a High- 
 land fling. D. takes M.'s wife, and M. takes 
 D.'s wife for partners. All take their places 
 and the music begins. The dancers hop and 
 reel round, toes up and heels dowri, and turn to 
 the right and left on one foot, and clap their 
 
THE HOME-GOING i8i 
 
 hands, and snap their fingers, and whoop, with 
 ever-increasing heartiness. The fiddler gets 
 inspired, plays faster and faster, his foot keeping 
 time on the big chest, making a loud hollow 
 sound. The boys get around him, and every 
 time he rises from the chair they move it a 
 little nearer the edge of the chest. At last the 
 excitement is at its height ; up goes a whoop, 
 and down comes the chair, fiddler and all, land- 
 ing on Farmer M.'s head, and the heads of two 
 or three others, bringing them to the floor in a 
 heap. Soon order is restored, the fiddle starts 
 again, and the fun grows fast and furious. 
 
 By-and-bye the grey streaks are seen in the 
 east, the blue bonnet reel is danced, deoch-an- 
 dorrus is taken, and all start for home. Some 
 of those present had two, three, or even four 
 miles to go, mostly through unbroken woods. 
 There were of course no buggies or bicycles, 
 but that did not in the least detract from the 
 pleasure of the occasion. Every laddie took his 
 lassie, and conveyed her safely to her home. 
 On these journeys often were the tender words 
 of love spoken, and vows of constancy given, 
 
1 82 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Sometimes, too, one of the young people " had 
 a crow to pick " with the other for devoting too 
 much attention to some one else during the 
 evening. But the spirit of manly chivalry 
 actuated the great majority of the young men 
 of the early days, while honest womanhood was 
 the character of the women. 
 
 Occasionally, however, two jealous rivals 
 would proceed to fisticuffs, while even among 
 the women there were not wanting instances of 
 something else than sisterly love. 
 
 The story is told of a belle of those days, com- 
 monly known as "the flower of the forest," 
 being detained from a dance through the trick 
 of a jealous rival. The beautiful maiden was 
 suffering from a slight cold. Her rival called 
 on her the day before that on which the dance 
 was to take place, and, feigning much sympathy 
 with her, assured her that a sure and speedy 
 cure for a cold was too keep the feet for a 
 couple of hours in a foot bath of hot water and 
 mustard. The unsuspecting beauty at once 
 complied. Result, blistered feet, no dance, and 
 alienation of rival beauties. 
 
CHAPTER XII 
 PIONEER SONGS 
 
 " My mither's sangs, my mither's sangs, I think I hear 
 
 them still ; 
 Sweet memories o' my childhood ! my very soul they 
 
 thrill ; 
 They bring me back my youthfu' days, and I feel 
 
 young once more, 
 As I lilt the auld Scotch sangs again, my mither sang 
 
 before, 
 As I lilt the auld Scotch sangs again, my mither sang 
 
 before." — John Imrie. 
 
 Someone has said, " Let me make the songs 
 of a people, and I care not who makes their 
 laws." Doubtless the songs of a people both 
 indicate their character and help to develop that 
 character. And the days of the bard are not yet 
 passed away. The present is an age of mater- 
 ialism and utilitarianism, but never was the 
 world more controlled by poetry than to-day. 
 183 
 
i84 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 A short time ago Rudyard Kipling lay on 
 what was feared to be his death-bed. Around 
 that bed there stood, in anxiety and tears, the 
 whole civilized world. And why? Emperor 
 William expressed the heart of Christendom 
 when he telegraphed his sympathy to him as 
 the poet who had " sung about the deeds of our 
 great common race." Kipling's " Recessional " 
 will perhaps do more than anything else 
 written during the present century to ameliorate 
 the condition of the laboring man. 
 
 No country in the world can boast of a 
 grander race of poets than Scotland ; and no 
 people in the world have shown more of the 
 poetic temperament than the Higlanders of that 
 far-famed isle. 
 
 In the breasts of our Scottish pioneers there 
 burned a poetic fire which hard work and 
 "hamely fare" could not quench. Amid what 
 many would consider unfavorable environments, 
 their lives were happy and joyous. They brought 
 with them many of the songs of the old land, 
 and they were not without "minor bards" of 
 
BUCHANAN AND GRANT 185 
 
 their own, who, according to their gifts, sang 
 of church and state, love and adventure. 
 
 " The songs I used to sing, 
 
 'Mong Scotland's heathery hills 
 Lose not their charm with age — 
 
 Their melody still thrills ; 
 And echoing from each crag and fell, 
 Still hold my soul in love's sweet spell." 
 
 The object of this chapter is to present some 
 of these songs, sacred and secular, to the reader. 
 Of the sacred songs or hymns sung by the 
 pioneers, none outside the Psalms and para- 
 phrases were so popular as the religious poems 
 or songs of Dugald Buchanan and Peter Grant. 
 These songs were called oranan, a Gaelic word 
 no doubt of common origin with the Greek word 
 oranos, heaven. 
 
 These oranan show little poetic fire, but they 
 are, nevertheless, charming verses in which 
 evangelical truth is presented in clear, effective 
 language. 
 
 Buchanan, instead of selecting a variety of 
 subjects, muses on the general subject of religion, 
 after the manner of Tennyson in " In Memo- 
 riam." 
 
1 86 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Here are some of Peter Grant's subjects : 
 " The Love of My Redeemer," " The Blood of 
 the Lamb," " Calvary," " Eternal Home," « Ever- 
 lasting Misery," " The State of Nature," " The 
 Joy of the Righteous," ' " The Cry of the Mar- 
 tyrs," " The Judgment Day," " The Song of the 
 Missionaries," " The Bible," " The Complaint of 
 the Highlander," " Counsel to the Young." 
 
 We give the following from Grant : 
 
 URNUIGH (Prayer). 
 
 " O Thighearn is a Dhia na gloir 
 An t-Ard-Righ mor os cionn gach sluaigh 
 Cia danadh ni air t-ainm ro mhor 
 Le bilidh neoghlan bhi ag luaidh. 
 
 " Na h-aingle 's airde rinneadh leat 
 Cia lag an neart ! 's cia dall an iul ! 
 Cia aineolach air t-oibre mor ! 
 'S cia goird air do ghloir an clin ! 
 
 " Am beachd do shuile fiorghlan fein 
 Cha'n 'eil na reulta 's airde glan 
 'S cha 'n 'eil na h-aingle 's naomha 'n gloir 
 Ann lathar do Mhorachdsa, gun smal," etc. 
 
 Translated thus : 
 
 O Lord the God of glory, the Supreme King over all 
 people. How bold to celebrate thy name so great, 
 with unclean lips. 
 
"THE HEATHER HILLS" 187 
 
 The greatest angels by Thee created, how weak their 
 strength ! How obscure their vision ! 
 
 How ignorant of thy vast works ! How short of thy 
 glory, their praise ! 
 
 In view of thy pure eyes, the loftiest stars are unclean. 
 The holiest angels in glory are not in the presence 
 of thy greatness, without stain. 
 
 Here are is a sample of the patriotic songs 
 that were favorites at one time in Zorra. It 
 is entitled 
 
 " THE HEATHER HILLS. 
 
 " How gladsome is the sea 
 
 Wi' its heaving tide ! 
 How bonnie are the plains 
 
 In their summer pride ! 
 But the sea wi' its tide. 
 And the plains wi' their rills. 
 Are no half so dear as my heather hills. 
 I contentless muse on the flowery lea, 
 I can heedless look on the siller sea. 
 But my heart wi' its nameless rapture thrills 
 As I gaze on the steeps of my heather hills. 
 
 Chorus : — 
 
 " Then, Hurrah ! Hurrah for my heather hills ! 
 Where the bonnie thistles wave to the sweet bluebells ; 
 Where the wild mountain flood 
 Heaves his crest to the cloud. 
 Syne foams down the steeps of my heather hills." 
 
1 88 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Here are a few verses of a martial song, once 
 very popular : 
 
 " Charge, ye noble-hearted heroes, 
 Make the tyrants backward reel ; 
 On, as did your dauntless fathers. 
 With their trusted Highland steel ! 
 
 " Charge, for Scotland's stainless honor ; 
 Round her deathless laurels twine ; 
 Make her golden page of glory 
 With unfading lustre shine ! 
 
 " Yours the straths of purple heather, 
 Yours the mountain and the glen ; 
 By your valor let despots know 
 That these nurse but gallant men. 
 
 " To the pibroch proudly sounding 
 On they bound with hardy pride ; 
 In the van the claymore flashes, 
 Foemen fall on every side.'' 
 
 After each verse there was usually sung the 
 following chorus : 
 
 " Charge, ye Scottish braves, in triumph. 
 Burst the proud oppressor's chains ! 
 Like your own immortal Wallace, 
 Noble blood rolls through your veins." 
 
 The question has been asked, "Why do 
 
WHY HIGHLANDMEN WEAR KILTS 189 
 
 Highlandmen wear kilts?" Various answers 
 have been given. This is certain, the High- 
 lander's admiration for his native costume is 
 both poetical and powerful. A few years ago 
 a missionary from one of the Pacific isles was 
 describing, before a congregation in London, 
 Ontario, the costume of the natives. He spoke 
 of it as being scanty, even more so than the 
 kilts of the Highlanders. At the close of his 
 address an aged Gaelic mother came up, 
 warmly shook the missionary's hand, asking, 
 " Did ye say that the people wore kilts ? " 
 " Well, yes, ma'am, it is something like that ! " 
 The good woman closed her eyes, folded her 
 hands, and devoutly exclaimed : " The Lord be 
 thankit the Gospel is makin' sic progress ! " 
 
 The following characteristic incident is related 
 of the late Sir John A. Macdonald. The Prem- 
 ier, talking once with a friend on the peculiar 
 customs of different people, stated that on a visit 
 to the West a reception was given him, at 
 which a Bishop from Belgium was present. As 
 the party were being escorted by a body of men 
 in Highland costume, the foreign Bishop, seeing 
 
I90 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the bare legs and kilts, asked why the men were 
 without trousers. 
 
 " It's just a local custom," gravely replied Sir 
 John. " In some places people take off their 
 hats as a mark of honor to distinguished guests ; 
 here they take off their trousers." 
 
 The cynic has sometimes charged that High- 
 landers wore kilts only because, having on one 
 occasion fled from the enemy, to punish them 
 their mothers, wives, and sweethearts took away 
 their trousers. To redeem their character and 
 to regain their clothing they have ever since 
 fought bravely. 
 
 Other evil disposed persons claim that High- 
 landers wear kilts simply on the ground of 
 economy. One thing is sure, the Highlander is 
 devotedly attached to his native costume. 
 
 A good many years ago there was in some 
 quarters an agitation to change the military 
 costume of the Highlanders for the common 
 colors of the British soldier. The agitation 
 aroused the keenest opposition on the part of 
 the whole Celtic world, as the following song 
 will indicate : — 
 
STAND UP FOR THE TARTAN 191 
 
 THE TARTAN. 
 
 " Come, Scottish men an' Scottish maids, 
 Put on your tartan, kilts an' plaids. 
 An' dock yoursel's wi' braw cockades, 
 An' stand up for the tartan. 
 
 " Let foreign birkies gape an' stare 
 At Scotland's sons in garb sae rare. 
 We still will laugh at them an' wear 
 Our ain world-famous tartan. 
 
 " It is the garb our fathers wore 
 Wi' patriot pride in days o' yore, 
 An' won on mony a foreign shore 
 Bright honors in the tartan. 
 
 " Upon the field o' Waterloo, 
 
 When bullets thick as hailstones flew. 
 Our plaided pipers loudly blew 
 Tae cheer the lads in tartan. 
 
 " An' when the cavalry o' France 
 In floods o' valor did advance, 
 In vain their fiery steeds did prance 
 Around our squares o' tartan. 
 
 " The Scottish lads in close array 
 Stood man tae man upon that day. 
 An' thick as leaves the Frenchmen lay 
 Around our squares o' tartan. 
 
 " Thrice glorious, garb o' Scotland brave 
 Forever let the tartan wave ! 
 'Tis Freedom's flag, for ne'er a slave 
 E'er wore the bonnie tartan. 
 
192 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " Come rally then frae Tweed tae Spey, 
 Ye Scottish lads an' lassies gay, 
 An' wi' one voice declare for aye 
 Tae still preserve the tartan." 
 
 I subjoin what was once well-known in Zorra 
 as " The Hielan'man's Toast " : 
 
 " Here's to the hills, the heath, and the heather, 
 The bonnet, the plaidie, the kilt, and the feather ; 
 Here's to the heroes that Scotland can boast. 
 May their names never dee — that's a Hielan'man's 
 toast." 
 
 A good deal has been said about the pio- 
 neer's fondness for drink. This is no doubt 
 true of some, but that the general community 
 realized the evils of over-indulgence is evident 
 from the popularity of a song, the first verse of 
 which I here give : 
 
 " Chan e uisge-beatha ach uisge-bas 
 An t-uisge chradh mo chridhe 's mo chom 
 An t-uisge a dh'fhag mo cheanna liath 
 An t-uisge a dh'fhag na ceudan lom." 
 
 Which may be thus freely translated : 
 
 " The water of life ! no, not at all ! 
 The water of death, 'twere better to call 
 That which so oft has racked my head, 
 That which leaves thousands lacking bread." 
 
THE MEDLEY 193 
 
 Love songs were, among the young people, 
 
 the most popular. Some of these took the 
 
 medley form, being part English and part 
 
 Gaelic. Here is a sample : 
 
 '' As sure as I'm a sinner, I never propose 
 To have you decoyed no t-fhagail fo bhron 
 Oir ni mi do phosadh gun mhearachd gun gho 
 'S-gur cinnteach thu do chaidreamh o'n chailin 
 donn og." 
 
 Gaelic in second line — " nor leave you in sorrow." 
 ThLrd line — ** I will marry you without mistake or deceit." 
 Fourth line — "Fellowship from the young brown-haired damsel is to 
 you a certainty." 
 
 To the medley belongs the following well- 
 known verse : 
 
 " When Eve, in all her loveliness, 
 Appeared to Adam's view. 
 The first word that he said to her 
 Was " Cia mar tha sibh an diugh." 
 
 The experience of a rollicking lover, before 
 
 and after marriage, was thus expressed in an 
 
 old pioneer song ; before marriage he gaily 
 
 sings : 
 
 " My name is Dick Thompson, the cobbler, 
 I served my time at Percant, 
 I know I'm an old depredator, 
 But I am resolved to repent. 
 
 13 
 
194 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " Twenty long years I've been roving, 
 I've spent the prime of my life ; 
 But novi' I'm resolved to gie over 
 And cuttle myself to a wife." 
 
 Well, he gets married, and after a while 
 
 what a change ! Here is how he expresses 
 
 himself : 
 
 " My wife she is ugly, she's lazy, 
 
 She's dirty, she's towsie, she's black. 
 She's the de'il for brawling and scolding, 
 Her tongue is forever click-clack. 
 
 " And now we'll be parted forever; 
 This morning before it is light, 
 I doused her three times in the river, 
 I cursed her, and bade her good-night." 
 
 One of the finest love songs I have come 
 across, either in Gaelic or in any other language, 
 is called " Handsome Mary." The song is 
 ascribed to J. McDonald, a Gaelic bard of the 
 last century, in Ross-shire. It is too long to 
 insert the original, but I give an excellent 
 English translation of three verses of it by the 
 late Evan MacColl. The references to the lark 
 thrush, cuckoo, sea-gull, and to the beautiful in 
 nature, are exquisitely happy. Only those who 
 
A LOVE-SONG 
 
 195 
 
 know the difficulty of translating poetry from 
 one language to another, can fully appreciate 
 the original, or sufficiently admire the trans- 
 lator's success. 
 
 " Her's are teeth whose whiteness 
 
 Snow alone can peer ; 
 Her's the breath all fragrance, 
 
 Voice of loving cheer ; 
 Cheeks of cherry ripeness, 
 
 Eyelids looking down, 
 'Neath a forehead never 
 
 Shadowed by a frown. 
 
 " Out on royal splendors ! 
 
 Love best makes his bed 
 'Mong the leaves and grasses 
 
 Of the sylvan shade ; 
 Where the blissful breezes 
 
 Tell of bloom and balm, 
 And health-giving streamlets 
 
 Sing their ceaseless psalm. 
 
 " No mere music, art-born. 
 
 There our pleasures crowned ; 
 Music far more cheering 
 
 Nature for us found — 
 Larks in air, and thrushes 
 
 On each fiow'ring thorn, 
 And the cuckoo hailing 
 
 Summer's gay return.'' 
 
 Very different from the above was the 
 
196 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 experience of Johnny Sands, as related in a 
 song popular sixty years ago. 
 
 " A man, whose name was Johnny Sands, 
 Had married Bella Haige ; 
 And, though she brought him gold and lands, 
 She proved a terrible plague." 
 
 Mrs. Sands was a "scolding wife," a very 
 termagant, and so Johnny, wearied of life, 
 agreed with his spouse that he should put an 
 end to his existence. And this was the plan 
 proposed : he was to stand on the brink of the 
 deep river, and his wife was to come rushing 
 down the hill and throw him in. And to make 
 success certain the virago tied the poor man's 
 hands behind his back. Let the poet tell the 
 story : 
 
 " For, oh, she was a scolding wife. 
 Full of caprice and whim ; 
 He said that he was tired of life, 
 And .she was tired of him. 
 
 " Says he, 'Then I will drown myself. 
 The river runs below' ; 
 Says she, ' Pray do, you silly elf, 
 I've wished it long ago.' 
 
THE MORAL 197 
 
 " 'You tie my hands behind my back, 
 And when securely done, 
 I'll stand upon the brink,' he said, 
 ' While you prepare to run.' 
 
 " All down the hill his loving wife 
 Now came with all her force 
 To push him in ; he slipped aside. 
 And she fell in, of course. 
 
 " Now splashing, dashing, like a fish, 
 ' Oh, save me, Johnny Sands ! ' 
 ' I can't, my love, though much I wish. 
 For you have tied my hands.' " 
 
 Moral. — The wicked fall into the pit they 
 have digged for others. 
 
CHAPTER XIII 
 
 A FUNERAL AMONG THE PIONEERS 
 
 " There is a reaper whose name is death, 
 And with his sickle keen, 
 He reaps the bearded grain at a breath. 
 And the flowers that grow between." 
 
 When death invaded the home of the 
 pioneer, every mark of respect was shown to the 
 deceased. The body was washed and laid out 
 on a long table or board, until the coffin could 
 be made ; then the windows were darkened, 
 pictures turned to face the wall, a white sheet 
 thrown over the cupboard, the clock stopped, 
 the candles lighted, everyone stepped softly, 
 and a solemn silence prevailed. Still, there was 
 great restraint of feeling, little shedding of 
 tears, and seldom would a sob be heard, though 
 there was a good deal of sighing and subdued 
 moaning. The coffin was always home-made 
 198 
 

 y. 
 
 o 
 
 N 
 
 %-:■ . 
 
LAYING OUT THE DEAD 199 
 
 by some carpenter, and was very plain, having 
 no handles or ornament of any kind. Lamp 
 black mixed with the white of eggs served to 
 color the outside of it. 
 
 When the coffin was ready it was brought to 
 the house of the dead, a white linen sheet was 
 spread cornerwise over it ; then the body, 
 plainly dressed in a white shroud, was put in 
 and the linen drawn over as a winding sheet. 
 
 The face was covered with a small piece of 
 embroidered muslin, which was removed only 
 when some one wished to view the corpse. The 
 hands were crossed upon the breast, giving the 
 idea of a person resting in sleep. A saucer 
 two-thirds filled with salt, was placed on the 
 breast, and a copper placed over each eye, 
 which was supposed necessary to keep the eyes 
 closed. The severest thing that could be said 
 of any man was that he was mean enough to 
 steal the coppers off a dead man's eyes. 
 
 After this, preparation was made for the 
 " wake." The coffin containing the corpse was 
 placed next the wall. A table stood in the 
 middle of the room with the Bible and Psalter 
 
200 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 upon it. The chairs being few, boards or 
 planks were utiHzed. If it was winter time, a 
 large " back-log " was put into the fireplace, and 
 sufficient wood brought in to last all night. 
 
 Towards evening, neighbors and friends, old 
 and young, begin to assemble. A special 
 messenger had gone from house to house in the 
 afternoon, announcing the death, and it was 
 regarded a matter of civility for at least some 
 member of each family to attend the wake. 
 
 At first, there was but little conversation, and 
 that little was carried on in an undertone, but, 
 as the bread, biscuits, and cheese, went round, 
 accompanied by whiskey, the company looked 
 less solemn, and the conversation became 
 decidedly more lively. 
 
 Here let us guard against doing injustice to 
 the old pioneers. I have read of Irish and 
 Scotch " wakes," where there was excessive 
 drinking, and the usual accompaniments — 
 unseemly anywhere, but especially so at a 
 funeral. But I am bound to say that I never 
 witnessed drunkenness at a Zorra " wake," nor 
 have I met with any who ever did. Scenes of 
 
THE "WAKE." 20I 
 
 intemperance, alas ! were only too common 
 on mere social occasions, but the early settlers 
 put a restraint upon themselves in presence of 
 the dead. 
 
 A clergyman was not expected to be present, 
 but there was no lack of men capable of 
 conducting a religious service. In the earlier 
 years of the settlement there were such men 
 as John MacKay, Hector Ross, Alex. Rose, 
 D. Urquhart, Alex. Wood, George MacKay, and 
 Donald Macleod, who could always lead the 
 people with acceptance in the various acts of 
 worship, such as reading and expounding the 
 scriptures, prayer, and praise. 
 
 Three or four times during the night, several 
 verses of a Psalm would be sung, a chapter 
 read, and a plain but practical talk given on 
 some appropriate passage of scripture. 
 
 The intervals between worship were occupied 
 with conversation, more or less edifying, fre- 
 quently the latter. Some would draw useful 
 lessons from the life of the deceased ; but it 
 must be admitted, the conversation chiefly 
 turned upon the occult, such as apparitions, 
 
202 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 and ghosts, and death-signs of a terrifying 
 nature. 
 
 Donald C. tells of the trials of the departed 
 one, first in the old country where he knew 
 him well, " and his father and his gradfather be- 
 fore him " ; and then his trials after coming to 
 Zorra. " Och, och ! " would perhaps be the 
 conclusion, "it's often the black ox has trampled 
 upon his toes. Poor fellow, there's na mair 
 trouble for him noo." 
 
 From this the conversation naturally glided 
 into a talk on the troubles of life. " The fact is," 
 said an aged pioneer, "there is something in 
 every life to embitter it. Here is a story I 
 heard in Sutherlandshire : 
 
 " A wealthy laird was travelling through the 
 Highlands when one day about noon he came 
 where a large flock of sheep was feeding. The 
 shepherd was sitting by the roadside preparing 
 to eat his dinner. The following conversation 
 ensued between the laird and the shepherd : 
 ' Well, shepherd, you look happy and con- 
 tented, and I expect you have very few cares to 
 vex yout I am the owner of large properties, 
 
A BLACK EWE IN EVERY FLOCK 203 
 
 but I am not happy, and I look at such men as 
 you are with a good deal of envy.' 
 
 " ' Well sir,' replied the shepherd, ' I have not 
 troubles like yours, and I would be happy 
 enough if it were not for that black ewe that 
 you see yonder amongst my flock. I have 
 often begged my master to kill or sell her ; but 
 he won't, though she is the plague of my life, 
 for no sooner do I sit down to read my book, or 
 eat my dinner, but away she sets off over the 
 hills, and the rest follow her ; so that I have 
 many a weary step after them. There, you see, 
 she's off, and they are all after her ! I must go !' 
 
 " ' Ah, friend,' said the laird to the shepherd, 
 before he started, ' I see every man has a black 
 ewe in his flock to plague his life.' " 
 
 A common opinion among the Zorra pioneers 
 was that the subject sanctified the conversation. 
 Any conversation, however gossipy or scan- 
 dalous, was regarded as proper enough if the 
 subject of it was a religious person, place, or 
 thing. If on the Sabbath you spoke of the 
 beautiful fields around you, a prompt reply 
 would perhaps be, " This is na day to be 
 
2P4 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 speaking anent sic things " ; but if you spoke 
 of the minister, the church, or the service, you 
 might say about anything you please without 
 incurring risk of reproof Hence the following 
 story related at the " wake " : 
 
 A certain minister was reputed to be a man 
 of great nerve. Nothing, it was said, could 
 daunt him, not even a ghost. So some of the 
 boys decided to test him. It was known that 
 on a certain day he would be in a distant part 
 of his congregation visiting, and would pass 
 through the cemetery as he returned home late 
 at night. The winds wailed among the tomb- 
 stones, the moon cast weird beams of light and 
 shadow, and the clouds rushing across the 
 heavens, kept the shadows constantly flitting. 
 It was just a night for ghosts to be abroad. So 
 two of the boys wrapped themselves in the 
 necessary white sheets, and kept moving with 
 certain antique motions among the stones. 
 
 By and bye the minister, footsore and weary, 
 came along. He espies the supposed ghosts, 
 looked at them for a little while, then coolly in- 
 quired, '' Is there going to be a general resurrec- 
 
THE PHILOSOPHY OF THE "WAKE." 205 
 
 tion, or are there just a couple of you out for a 
 gambol ? " 
 
 Such narratives, it will be readily admitted, 
 did not powerfully tend to impress upon the 
 minds of those present, a profound sense of the 
 solemnity of the occasion ; but told with much 
 gravity, and interspersed with devotional exer- 
 cises, they left an impression of awe upon the 
 minds of the younger and more timid of the 
 company which, unto the end of life they will 
 never be able entirely to shake off. 
 
 There is little doubt that the old, and now 
 obsolete custom of sitting up and watching by 
 the dead, has its origin in the belief (and who 
 can deny its truth) that the dead is still with us. 
 They have passed beyond our ken, but we are 
 not beyond theirs. Do our departed loved ones 
 take no interest in us ? Have they nothing to 
 do with those strange, subtle, inexplicable influ- 
 ences that sometimes come over us? If our 
 eyes were opened, who knows but that we could 
 see those who have gone from us, and yet have 
 not gone from us ? 
 
2o6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " One family we dwell in Him, 
 One Church above, beneath, 
 Tho' now divided by the stream, 
 The narrow stream of death." 
 
 Gentle reader despise not these humble toil- 
 ers of the forest. Theirs not rank, wealth, or 
 learning ; but they knew their Bible, and lived 
 according to their light ; they cherished true 
 love to God and a genuine sympathy for one 
 another. In few things does their nobility 
 of character shine forth more splendidly than in 
 their tender, practical sympathy for one another 
 in time of bereavement. The dead usually 
 remained unburied for three days, and during 
 this time the family was relieved of all care, not 
 milking their own cows, feeding their cattle, or 
 even cooking their own meals. All this was 
 done for them by kind neighbors in turn. If 
 severe sickness or death occurred in spring-time 
 or harvest, I have known as many as a dozen 
 neighbors arrange to help, and kindly give a 
 day with the plow or the cradle, so that as little 
 loss as possible might be experienced by those 
 who had for a time, through the dispensation of 
 Providence, been withdrawn from their work. 
 
THE LAST SAD RITES 207 
 
 When the day of funeral came, there was in 
 the morning a service of more than ordinary 
 solemnity. A suitable portion of scripture was 
 read ; the twenty-third Psalm was sung ; not 
 unfrequently we sang the words of the fifty- 
 third paraphrase: — 
 
 " Take comfort, Christians, when your friends 
 In Jesus fall asleep ; 
 Their better being never ends ; 
 Why then dejected weep ? 
 
 " Why unconsolable, as those 
 To whom no hope is given ? 
 Death is the messenger of peace, 
 And calls the soul to heaven. 
 
 * * * * 
 
 " A few short years of evil past, 
 We reach the happy shore, 
 Where death-divided friends at last 
 Shall meet to part no more." 
 
 After solemn prayer the usual refreshments 
 were passed around. 
 
 "The lifting" followed. The coffin containing 
 the corpse was brought out, carried by the near- 
 est friends, and placed on two chairs outside the 
 door. Then the coffin was placed upon the 
 bier and covered with the mortecloth. This 
 
2o8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 cloth was of black silk velvet, with a white silk 
 border, and was the common property of the 
 district. 
 
 When all was ready six men stepped forward, 
 shouldered the bier, and started with their bur- 
 den. Frequently they had four or five miles to 
 go, mostly by a path through the woods, involv- 
 ing many a sharp turn, and much caution 
 against tripping upon projecting roots or stones. 
 The pall-bearers were of course relieved at 
 short distances by others. Thus tenderly upon 
 the shoulders of neighbors and relatives were 
 many of the pioneers borne to their last resting 
 place, in what is now known as the " old log 
 church cemetery." 
 
 In later years, the coffin was carried in a 
 lumber wagon. I can well remember when a 
 spring carriage was an unknown luxury in 
 Zorra ; but those that had a team of horses and 
 a wagon of any kind gathered for miles round 
 at a funeral, and the solemn procession rattled 
 over the rough roads, with eight or ten people 
 in each wagon. Occasionally, a front team, for 
 some reason, would suddenly stop, and the 
 
THE IPIONEER HEARSE 20^ 
 
 drivers behind would not notice till the tongue 
 of perhaps each wagon in the long procession 
 would strike the tailboard of the wagon in 
 front, causing one loud blow ofter another, like 
 the firing in succession in a line of infantry. 
 
 By and bye the spring democrat appeared. 
 The first few of these did duty as hearses for 
 a large number of years, as they were at the 
 service of the people for miles around. 
 
 The coming of the age of wagons gave the. 
 death blow to the ghost epoch ; probably, as it 
 was thought, because the spooks did not like 
 the rattle of the newfangled machine. 
 
 Before the advent of the wagon, the wise 
 and graver men of the township were said to 
 have often seen weird, uncanny lights moving 
 solemnly along the road after nightfall, the sure 
 precursor of a funeral. Some of these seers 
 were even said to have been so gifted as to hear 
 the words of the leader of the funeral cortege, 
 as, with military precision, he halted and gave 
 the order, "Relief!" They could, it was 
 affirmed, even make out the figures of those 
 bearing the coffin. 
 14 
 
210 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Many stories of this kind were related at the 
 wakes we attended in early youth; and, after 
 hearing them, we preferred to have company 
 on the way home at three or four o'clock 
 in the morning. 
 
 When the funeral procession reached the 
 grave, and all was ready, the coffin was lowered 
 by the nearest relatives. Then, for a minute or 
 so, all heads were uncovered and bowed in silent 
 prayer. After this, the filling in of the grave 
 was done, not as now by the grave-digger, but 
 by the company in turn. 
 
 The grave being filled in, and the last sod 
 laid upon it, all took their departure, leaving 
 their friend's body in God's acre, and in His 
 keeping till the resurrection day. Then, as 
 now, the burial was with the feet to the east, 
 doubtless with reference to the direction from 
 which our Lord is expected to come a second 
 time. "As the lightning cometh out of the 
 east and shineth unto the west, so shall also the 
 coming of the Son of Man be." 
 
CHAPTER XIV 
 
 GHOSTS, WITCHES, AND GOBLINS 
 
 " Unquiet souls, 
 Risen from the grave to ease the heavy guilt 
 Of deeds in life concealed.'' — Akenside. 
 
 Every traveller knows that much of the charm 
 of Scottish scenery is derived from the legends 
 and myths which tradition has associated with 
 Scottish castles, churches, graveyards, glens, 
 caves, and waterfalls. The Scottish pioneers of 
 Zorra carried with them the traditions of their 
 fatherland, and were strong believers in the 
 occult and the dreadful. With Hamlet they de- 
 clared : 
 
 " There are more things in heaven and earth, 
 Horatio, 
 Than are dreamt of in your philosophy." 
 
 Often have we sat by the old ingleside, and 
 with mouth and eyes open, knees trembling, and 
 
212 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the cold chills creeping along the spine, listened 
 to weird tales told by our grandparents and 
 others, concerning dismal sounds, ghostly appear- 
 ances, and the sorceries of horrid witches. These 
 uncanny tales made a deep impression upon our 
 youthful minds, and we can remember occasions 
 when, while passing through the dark woods, 
 suddenly the hooting of the owl, or the far-away 
 lonely cry of the nighthawk, or the rustling of 
 the leaves by a squirrel or raccoon, broke the 
 solemn stillness, and imagining some ghost or 
 bogie or evil spirit approaching us, we took to 
 our heels and ran like frightened deer. Zorra 
 is perhaps not yet old enough to have devel- 
 oped a legendary era of its own, and the pre- 
 sent matter-of-fact business age is not favorable 
 to such a growth. Yet Zorra is by no means 
 devoid of folk-lore. The characters, incidents, 
 adventures, and experiences of pioneer days , 
 present as good material for the poet, the 
 painter, the dramatist, and the legend builder as 
 did Scotland to Scott and Miller, or the New 
 England States and New York to Hawthorne 
 and Irving. There is danger that the weird 
 
ZORRA FOLK-LORE 213 
 
 stories, myths, and legends of the early days 
 may soon disappear, unless they are changed 
 from the oral into the written form ; and I feel 
 like Selkirk on his island, when the rich fruits of 
 autumn were dropping around him, that if I 
 myself do not preserve some of them, they 
 must perish. 
 
 Leaving it to others to enter fully into the 
 subject, I shall, in this chapter, open the door 
 just a little in order that the reader may have a 
 glimpse at a few out of the multitude of shad- 
 owy forms that flit to and fro in the mists of 
 Zorra legends. 
 
 Many years ago there lived in the township a 
 family whom we shall call Gourlay. It consis- 
 ted of four brothers, all unmarried. Naturally, 
 these brothers were kind and generous enough, 
 but, alas ! they were all victims of strong drink, 
 and when under the influence of the liquor-fiend 
 they were, even beyond the ordinary drunkards, 
 a disgrace to themselves and a terror to their 
 neighbors. They would fight each other sav- 
 agely, and often made night hideous by their 
 yells, screams, and horrid profanity. 
 
214 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Still they scrupulously observed the outward 
 forms of religion. Being bad during the week 
 was to the Gourlay brothers an additional rea- 
 son why they should be as good as they could 
 on Sunday. Regularly they drove to the vil- 
 lage' church, a distance of five miles, and with 
 a stolid stare, broken only by snuff-taking, they 
 sat through the service. They had had, of 
 course, a couple of drinks in the village tavern 
 before entering the kirk, but oh, they were very, 
 very dry before the long service was over, and 
 glad were they to return to their favorite resort. 
 Their reckless driving and boisterous behavior 
 on the way home from church were a sore scan- 
 dal to those who feared God and regarded His 
 day. On Communion Sabbaths, when the roads 
 were filled with people, men and women, old 
 and young, the Gourlay brothers were more 
 than ordinarily reckless. 
 
 It is 4 p. m. Hundreds of people are on 
 the road wending their way homeward. There 
 is a blazing sun overhead and the road is very 
 dusty. Suddenly shouts are heard, "Clear the 
 way !" The people pause, look back, and about 
 
DEATH FROM DRINK 215 
 
 half a mile behind, they see a thick cloud of dust. 
 It's a runaway ! No, it is the Gourlay brothers. 
 Quickly the people divide, some going to each 
 side of the road, and not a few timid ones get- 
 ing over the fence, or seeking shelter behind the 
 biggest stumps or trees near them. 
 
 With a whoop and hurrah, the four brothers, 
 seated in their big heavy waggon, slashing the 
 horses and waving their blue bonnets, fly past. 
 The people utter a sigh of relief and pray the 
 Lord to have mercy on the miserable drunkards. 
 
 Shortly after this, late one summer night, 
 three of the brothers are returning from the vil- 
 lage, drunk and noisy as usual. Two of them sit 
 in the front seat of the waggon, and the third, 
 whose name was Robert, sits by himself in the 
 back. Coming along the sideroad through a 
 marshy place where the road was very rough and 
 dark, Robert takes out his black bottle, and is in 
 the act of drinking, when suddenly the waggon 
 gave a jolt, and the wretched drunken man 
 falls out backward. He was a heavy man, and 
 falling upon a projecting root, he broke his 
 neck. Death was instantaneous. The bro- 
 
ii6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 thers, too drunk to perceive what has happened, 
 drive home and go to bed as usual. Next 
 morning some neighbors find Robert Gourlay 
 dead, his hand still clutching the neck of the 
 black bottle, the lower part having been broken 
 off in the fall. 
 
 For years after this, it was alleged, a strange 
 form was seen from time to time moving to and 
 fro along this side-road. The figure was not 
 more than four feet high, very stout, and with 
 little or no neck, the head set closely upon the 
 shoulders and drooping forward upon the breast. 
 The eyes glared like two balls of fire ; the 
 mouth was partly open and the tongue pro- 
 jected. It certainly presented a gruesome 
 appearance. The voice was low and sepulchral, 
 resembling somewhat the gurgling of a distant 
 streamlet. Whenever the ghost appeared the 
 dogs in the neighborhood, it was said, howled 
 piteously, while the cattle and horses snorted 
 and took to their heels. 
 
 The spectre uttered many groans and moans 
 and uncanny sounds that stirred the hair of 
 listeners on their scalps, but the only sound that 
 
THE GHOST APPEARED 217 
 
 could be understood was the one ^oxA^—deoch 
 (Gaelic for drink), uttered with a hoarse, gurgling 
 tone. Whether this word was meant to indi- 
 cate the cause of ruin, or the present thirst of 
 the spirit, was never ascertained. But for years 
 men, returning from the village about the same 
 time of night that the killing took place, would 
 see the awful form moving backwards and for- 
 wards, holding in its right hand the neck and 
 part of a black bottle, and amid the hollow 
 moans and sullen groans uttering ruefully the 
 ominous word — deoch. 
 
 At length one dark stormy night, as an elder 
 of the Church was passing along the side-road, 
 the ghost appeared. The good man at once 
 took out his Bible, and, opening it, held it right 
 between himself and the ghost. Then for the 
 first time the ghost found full and distinct 
 utterance. It related with deep contrition the 
 history of the past, and added : " This is the 
 last time I shall ever appear on earth, for to- 
 night I would have died had I not been killed 
 twenty years ago on this spot through — deoch" 
 
2i8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 And from that day to this the " gaist of Rob 
 Gourlay " was never more seen. 
 
 In an old log shanty, situated on the edge 
 of a great marsh, usually known as the "big 
 swamp," lived Jean Gordon. Her only com- 
 panion was a black cat, which was said to be an 
 evil spirit incarnate. Jean was an old beldam, 
 wizened and toothless, and nearly bent double ; 
 she had apparently not troubled comb or wash- 
 basin since her infancy, which was long, long 
 ago. She had, it was believed, the power to 
 transform herself into a cat, dog, ape, a bat, an 
 owl, or even a frog. She could inflict rheuma- 
 tism, headache, or toothache on anyone against 
 whom she had a grudge ; she could put the 
 cows dry and prevent the butter coming in the 
 churn, the bread from rising and the soap from 
 forming ; indeed, the death of two calves was 
 ascribed to her sorceries. 
 
 Andrew McCuUoch's wife declared that 
 Jean had bewitched her child, so that, while the 
 child grew with unnatural rapidity, it sucked 
 
JEAN GORDON, THE WITCH 219 
 
 from her breast not milk, but blood, leaving her, 
 the poor mother, nothing but skin and bone. 
 
 Jean spoke Gaelic, but with such rapidity of 
 utterance that she could not be understood, and 
 it was believed by many that she mingled 
 with her Gaelic Hebrew or some other primitive 
 language. 
 
 She seldom left her lonely home by day, but 
 was often seen flitting through the shadows in 
 the woods about the time of sunset. On dark 
 and stormy nights she would screech and jabber 
 down a chimney, and scream and whistle at 
 windows, and by the dim firelight or candle- 
 light her face might be seen peering through 
 the panes. She was more than once seen to 
 arise from her shanty on her broom ; and, when 
 high up, stir and push clouds before her with 
 the broom. 
 
 On the farm of Alexander Macdonald there 
 was a great elm tree, with branches bare and 
 decayed, because one night Jean, going about 
 in the form of an owl, had perched for a few 
 moments on the topmost branch. 
 
 But, alas ! one day Jean's existence came to 
 
2 20 . PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 a sudden close. She was out in the form of a 
 bird. A farmer, named Tom Ferguson, was 
 hunting ; he heard the rush of wings, and, look- 
 ing up, saw a black bird with a long neck and 
 with feet like scrawny hands. It uttered a cry 
 so weird and so shrill, that it made the farmer 
 shudder. Soon it alighted on a dead tree, and 
 he shot at it. With a blood-curdling yell, the 
 bird, or evil spirit, whatever it was, circled 
 round his head. Three times he fired, with the 
 same result. Then he concluded that it must 
 be some uncanny thing, and he remembered 
 that evil things could not withstand silver. 
 (This is certainly a fact to-day.) But having 
 no bullet of that metal on him, he took a six- 
 penny piece and rammed it down his gun with 
 a piece of cloth, at the same time uttering much 
 prayer. 
 
 At sight of this the bird screamed dreadfully 
 with terror, and vainly tried to escape. He 
 fired. The ugly creature dropped with the coin 
 in its body, and fell on its right side. At that 
 very moment, Jean Gordon, living in her shanty 
 beside the big swamp, more than a mile away. 
 
A GHOST WITH A FIERY HEAD 221 
 
 arose from her spinning wheel, gasped, and fell 
 on her right side — dead. 
 ********* 
 
 At certain seasons of the year a ghost of 
 most terrible appearance could be seen on a 
 dark road east of Embro. The phantom stood 
 about five feet high, and from the top of the 
 head there issued a pale white light. The 
 light was so bright that a man could see the 
 time of night on his watch by means of it. 
 Just below the flame there appeared two eye- 
 balls, luminous and immovable, and a great 
 gaping mouth. Many trustworthy witnesses 
 there were to the existence of this ghost, and, 
 indeed, for some time the road was deserted by 
 the terrified people. Tradition said that in very 
 early times a murder had been committed on 
 this spot by the Indians, and that the pale 
 light issued from the top of the victim's head, 
 from which the Indians had removed the scalp. 
 
 But Sandy Dunbar was a godly man, of 
 great courage and strength, and he determined 
 to confront the ghost, whatever the consequences 
 might be. So one night, taking, as his neigh- 
 
222 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 bors told him, his life in his hands, he went 
 forth on his weird mission of investigation. 
 Some half dozen brave young Highlandmen, 
 armed with knives and sticks, accompanied him 
 till within several hundred yards of the dreaded 
 spot. Then the brave man proceeded alone. 
 Sure enough, there was the ghost, and the sight 
 of it made the sweat ooze from every pore. 
 However, it was Sandy's boast that he had 
 never turned his back on a foe, man or devil. 
 So, after praying for his wife and children, and 
 especially for himself in his present trying situa- 
 tion, he called to the ghost, demanding who or 
 what he was and what he wanted. But there 
 was no response. Coming a few yards nearer, 
 and grasping more firmly the hickory club with 
 which he had armed himself, he made the same 
 demand a second time ; but the same awful 
 silence continued, and so also after a third 
 demand. Still the ghost was there, the head 
 blazing, the eyes glaring, and the mouth wide 
 open. 
 
 Slowly and cautiously Sandy moved nearer 
 and nearer the ghost, ready to defend himself 
 
FOX-FIRE 223 
 
 to the death if necessary. At length he was so 
 near that, with great fear and trembhng, he 
 summoned courage enough to put out his hand 
 and touch the ghost, when, to the delight and 
 surprise of the brave Highlander, it turned out 
 to be the stump of a spruce tree. The light at 
 the top was the mycelium of the fungus which, 
 it is well known, develops on the decaying 
 wood of the spruce and some other kinds of 
 trees under certain climatic conditions, and 
 shines at night with a pale soft phosphor- 
 escence. It is' frequently called by the country 
 people " fox-fire," and sometimes " wolf-fire.'" 
 What appeared as mouth and eyes were only 
 spots where the bark had fallen off, and the 
 uncovered surface reflecting the light from 
 above formed a crude resemblance to a human 
 face. 
 
 This same " fox-fire," it is said, has led to 
 many a ghost story. Trees sometimes cast 
 their roots into a cave. These roots get injured, 
 and consequently decay ; and in the process 
 of decay they frequently give out this phosphor- 
 
224 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 escence. The light in the cave is seen at night, 
 and a ghost story is the result. 
 ********* 
 
 A Zorra man, who is now in his eighty-fifth 
 year, but hale and hearty, relates the following. 
 I give the narrative in his own words : " In the 
 year 1 84 — myself and family were living in the 
 southern part of Zorra. My wife's sister had 
 come from Hamilton on a visit. Every night 
 for several weeks, about i a.m., we heard the 
 most delightful singing coming towards' the 
 house, and then suddenly ceasing at the door. 
 The singing was in a minor key, low and soft, 
 making a strain of rare, unearthly sweetness. 
 
 " One night my sister-in-law was sitting near 
 the window, and, hearing the sound, looked out 
 and saw a man approaching the house singing 
 softly as he came. Reaching the door, he looked 
 up to the window where she was and then 
 passed on. She observed him particularly, and 
 that same night gave us a minute description of 
 his hat and clothes. 
 
 " Next day my sister-in-law, my wife, and 
 myself were in Woodstock, and, seeing a 
 
A STRANGE COINCIDENCE 225 
 
 mechanic in his ordinary every-day working 
 clothes pass by, my sister-in-law exclaimed, 
 ' That's the man I saw last night coming up to 
 our house singing.' A few weeks after this the 
 young woman was taken down with a fever, and 
 after a few days' illness died. 
 
 At that time coffins were not kept in stock, 
 but any ordinary carpenter made them to order. 
 Along with a relative, I went to one carpenter 
 after another in the neighborhood, four or iive 
 in all, but for some reason or other, none of 
 them could make the coffin. We then came to 
 Woodstock, went to Mr. B.'s carpenter shop, 
 and the first man we met at once consented to 
 make the coffin. This man was the one my 
 sister-in-law saw approaching the house sing- 
 ing, and whom she afterwards identified on the 
 streets of Woodstock." 
 
 Ghosts — what are they? Whence do they 
 come? 
 
 " Perhaps they are the signals loved ones send 
 Who wait our coming on the other shore ; 
 Too spirit-full with earthly sense to blend, 
 Too finely soft to fully pierce life's roar." 
 
 IS 
 
226 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 So, at least, says the poet ; but there is another 
 theory, not so poetical, but equally plausible, in 
 
 explanation of ghostly appearances. 
 
 ********* 
 
 I give the following well-authenticated nar- 
 rative, not as a Zorra ghost story, but because it 
 explains a good many ghost stories in Zorra 
 and elsewhere. The celebrated Dr. Abernethy 
 stood at the head of the medical profession in 
 his day. He was once applied to by a man 
 whose terrible experience was as follows : He 
 could neither eat nor sleep, and was wasting 
 away day by day ; and he gave as the cause ol 
 all his trouble that he was visited every night 
 between the hours of eleven and twelve by a hor- 
 rible creature, grim and ghastly, who, unbidden, 
 would open the door of his room, walk, or 
 rather glide in, put its skeleton arms around him, 
 and its cold, bony face against his. The man 
 had begged his neighbors to come and sit with 
 him, and help him tide over the awful hour, but 
 they were all afraid and shunned his dwelling as 
 haunted. 
 
 He asked Dr. Abernethy if he would come 
 
DR. ABERNETHY AND THE GHOST 227 
 
 and stay with him one night. The doctor 
 readily consented, and the man was overjoyed. 
 The doctor came and sat with him, talked to 
 him about his health and his habits, asked him 
 to let him feel his arms, rolled up his sleeve, and 
 and was apparently diagnosing the case. He 
 then brought a basin of water, as if he was going 
 to sponge him. As the hour of eleven drew 
 near the patient got terribly excited, and began 
 to shudder. Just as the clock struck the man 
 uttered a scream. " There's the door opening, 
 it's coming in ; don't you see it ? " Abernethy, 
 with his lance, instantly bled him ; but so ex- 
 cited was the patient that he never felt it. The 
 blood flowed rapidly. In a few moments the 
 man calmed down, saying " It's not coming any 
 further to-night. Why ! it's going out again. 
 The door is closed." 
 
 Then for the first time he noticed that he 
 was bled. The doctor explained to him that the 
 cause of his seeing the spectre was the condition 
 of his blood, owing to his bibulous habits and 
 riotous living. He assured him there were two 
 ways in which he might escape seeing bogies — 
 
228 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 temperate living, or being bled every month. 
 The man, it is said, chose the latter. 
 ********* 
 
 One night, many years ago, a party of young 
 people were returning from a dance about 2 a.m. 
 The road was dark, being thickly wooded with 
 trees on both sides. The moon cast fitful beams 
 of light across the way, and the clouds rushing 
 across the heavens kept the shadows constantly 
 changing. There had been a funeral along 
 that road not long before, and as the young 
 people in silence passed along, ghostly stories of 
 the fireside came vividly to their minds. One 
 little group in advance of the others suddenly 
 stopped, and a thrill of horror passed through 
 the company, for at this exact spot a ghost had 
 some time before appeared, and just now did 
 they not see a strange sight and hear an in- 
 human sound resembling a long-drawn snore ? 
 
 It was in October, and the ditch at the side of 
 the road was filled with leaves that rustled to 
 the movements of the ghost. One lad more 
 venturesome than the rest dared to approach 
 the horrid thing. The leaves rustled, but more 
 
A LOVER'S ADVENTURE 229 
 
 closely still he approached, when suddenly what 
 appeared to be a huge living mountain arose 
 from the ditch, and rushed away with great 
 speed and clatter of hoofs. The crowd with 
 ghastly faces were riveted to the spot. Their 
 hair stood on end, as one of them afterwards 
 said, like "quills upon the back of the fretful 
 porcupine." After some time, however, it turned 
 out that the supposed ghost was only Donald 
 Urquhart's horse, which had strayed out of its 
 customary pasture field, and was enjoying a soft 
 
 warm bed upon the leaves in the ditch. 
 
 ** ******* 
 
 Mrs. A. died in Embro, and it was thought 
 necessary to have the burial as early as possible. 
 So the carpenter employed was obliged to work 
 all night in order to have the coffin ready in 
 
 time. It was the custom of James Mc , 
 
 when his day's work was over, to don his best 
 suit, and go courting a pretty girl who lived on 
 the other side of the common, as it was called. 
 The night in question was a dark one, and a 
 feeling of timidity crept over him as he passed 
 the carpenter's shop, where a tallow candle but 
 
230 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 dimly lighted the large place, yet showed the 
 long queer-shaped box on which the man was 
 working. The young man gave a few moments' 
 serious thought to the present state of the in- 
 tended occupant, but all feeling was quickly 
 dispelled by the smiles with which he was 
 greeted by his sweetheart. The hours passed 
 all too quickly, and it was very late when he 
 said good-bye for the last time that night, and 
 set out for home. The darkness had deepened. 
 There was that stretch of common between 
 him and the point he had to reach. The stroke 
 of the carpenter's hammer was the only sound 
 that broke the stillness, and it recalled the train 
 of thought which occupied him on his way out. 
 He walked cautiously, the greater part of the 
 way being marshy, and there was a pond which 
 must be avoided. Suddenly there was a fizz, 
 followed by a flash of light, which revealed to 
 him a tall object robed in white. Had there 
 been time for thought, it would have only con- 
 firmed the belief which he held that it was the 
 ghost of the woman whose coffin was being pre- 
 pared in the shop. He screamed and fell, but 
 
HALLOWEEN 231 
 
 quickly rising redoubled his speed, and reached 
 home in a sorry plight. Some mischievous boys 
 of the house where he payed his nocturnal visits 
 had planted a pole, thrown a sheet over it, and 
 lying in wait until his return, by means of a 
 squibb startled him and showed the ghost. 
 
 " If," writes a correspondent, "you do not believe 
 in ghosts after reading the record of pioneer life 
 in Zorra, then all I can say is, what is the use of 
 ghosts at all, if people are so perverse that they 
 will not believe in them ? " 
 ***** **** 
 
 I have seen nearly all the rites of the Scot- 
 tish Halloween, as described by Burns, enacted 
 in Zorra. The " burning of nuts," the " eating of 
 apples before the looking-glass," " going around 
 the straw-stack," "counting the furrows," " select- 
 ing the cabbage heads " and " throwing the clue " 
 were all familiar to the Zorra pioneers. 
 
 " Throwing the clue " consisted in stealing 
 away all alone into some dark and lonely place, 
 and there throwing behind some object such as 
 a brush heap, or great log, a ball of blue yarn, 
 and then winding it into a new ball off the old 
 
232 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 one. By and bye something will hold the thread ; 
 then the person was to ask " Who holds " ? and 
 from out of the darkness, an answer would come, 
 giving the full name of the future husband or 
 wife, as the case might be. The following in- 
 cident is said to have taken place; and if so, it 
 was an illustration of a prediction bringing about 
 its own fulfilment : 
 
 Archie McPherson was a hired lad, who with 
 a rough exterior had a large heart, which he had 
 set upon his master's beautiful daughter, Nellie ; 
 but his love was not reciprocated. Nellie had 
 other suitors whom she favored more than 
 Archie. But Archie, like other lovers, was rich in 
 resources. Somehow he learned that Nellie was 
 determined on Halloween to repair to a certain 
 lonely place, and throw the clue behind the 
 brush fence, and he determined to make the 
 most of the occasion. So during the day he 
 asked leave of his master to spend the evening 
 at a neighbor's, where a number of young 
 people were to assemble. This was, of course, 
 readily granted him. But instead of going 
 to the neighbor's, he hied away to the lonely 
 
A SNAKE STORY 233 
 
 spot aforesaid ; anxiously he waited there for a 
 long time. By and bye, however, he heard 
 light footsteps approaching, and soon he dis- 
 cerned through the brush, the handsome form of 
 his loved one. She drew out a small clue of 
 yarn, and then threw it to the very spot where 
 Archie was hiding in the darkness. He let it 
 turn round and round for some time, then firmly 
 held it fast " Who holds " ? said the girl in a 
 low trembling voice. Out of the darkness the 
 reply promptly came, " Archie McPherson." 
 Quickly the girl fled in great terror, and reached 
 her home pale and trembling. She kept the 
 secret to herself, but from that night Archie had 
 a vantage ground from which to lay siege to the 
 heart of Nellie. He was evidently predestined 
 to be her husband, and what was the use in 
 quarrelling with fate? In due time they be- 
 came husband and wife, and then Archie 
 McPherson explained to his spouse the mystery 
 of throwing the clue." 
 ***** **** 
 
 Our ancestors had some snake stories which 
 were at least aS' true as similar tales of modern 
 
234 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 times. There was the hoop-snake for instance. 
 " This here snake," Donald would say, " doesn't 
 travel like other snakes ; he has a sharp pointed 
 tail full of pizen, and when he wants to take 
 after a man or a critter, he takes the end of his 
 tail in his mouth, forms himself into a hoop, and 
 revolves after his victim at the rate of a mile a 
 minute. He can only travel, however, in a 
 straight line, and if a man will make a bee line 
 for a tree, and then duck sidewise, the snake 
 will strike his forked and pizened tail into the 
 tree, and the tree will die." 
 
 There was a popular belief that the female 
 snake swallowed her young ones in the presence 
 of danger, turning herself into a sort of animated 
 " dug-out " for their safety. 
 ♦ *** ♦ * *** 
 
 I think I hear some of my youthful readers 
 exclaim, " What a superstitious lot ! " But not so 
 fast. So long as we find multitudes in our own 
 day ready to believe the absurdities of spirit 
 mediums, fortune-tellers, miraculous healers, and 
 charlatans of every sort, we are not in a position 
 to throw stones at our ancestors. 
 
CHAPTER XV 
 PIONEER SCHOOLS AND SCHOOLMASTERS 
 
 " A man severe he was and stern to view, 
 I knew him well, and every truant knew." 
 
 — Goldsmith. 
 
 The people of Scotland have always been 
 noted for their love of learning. As early as 
 A.D. 563, St. Columba, hailing from the island 
 of lona, established a Christian college, from 
 which many missionary educators went forth. 
 John Knox instituted the parish schools of Scot- 
 land, and thus originated the system of popular 
 education now prevailing throughout the Eng- 
 lish-speaking world. Dr. Norman McLeod tells 
 us that when public schools were introduced 
 into the Highlands, such was the eagerness of 
 the people for knowledge that it was no uncom- 
 mon thing to see the grandsire and grandson 
 competing for the head of the same class. This 
 235 
 
236 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 being a national characteristic, we are not 
 surprised at the large number of Scotchmen who 
 occupy and have occupied positions as clergy- 
 men, statesmen, presidents, premiers, and edu- 
 cators in the United States and Canada. 
 
 This thirst for knowledge characterized the 
 pioneers of Zorra, and though they were poor, 
 and the district sparsely settled, from the very 
 beginning provision of some kind was made for 
 the education of the young. 
 
 The pioneer school-house was a very humble 
 affair. A log shanty, thirty feet by twenty-two, 
 cornered but not hewed, with chinks between 
 the logs, then moss, all plastered over with clay. 
 The roof consisted of rafters with poles laid 
 across, and for shingles, pieces of elm bark three 
 feet by four. The chimney was made of lath 
 covered with plaster, and served for heating, 
 ventilating, and lighting the little house. Of 
 course it frequently caught fire, but the boys, 
 by the free use of snow, were equal to the oc- 
 casion. There was but one small window in 
 each side. The furniture was in keeping with 
 the rest of the building. About four feet above 
 
THE PIONEER SCHOOL-HOUSE 237 
 
 the floor holes were bored into the logs of the 
 wall and pins driven in. Upon these were laid 
 rough basswood planks, three inches thick, and 
 the desk was complete. The teacher's desk was 
 somewhat more pretentious, being built on four 
 upright wooden pillars, and furnished with a 
 small drawer in which the dominie kept his taws, 
 switch, ruler, and other official equipments. The 
 grey goose furnished the pens, and the ink was 
 made from a solution of soft maple bark, diluted 
 with copperas. Sometimes this ink would freeze, 
 resulting in bursted bottles. To prevent this it 
 was not unusual to mix a little whiskey with the 
 ink ; for the whiskey of Zorra in those days, 
 though cheap, would not freeze like that alleged 
 to have been used by some poHticans in Muskoka 
 a few winters ago. 
 
 The paper used was coarse foolscap, unruled. 
 Each pupil had to do his own ruling ; and for 
 this purpose took with him to school, a ruler and 
 a piece of lead hammered out into the shape of 
 a pencil. Our first attempt at writing was 
 making " pot-hooks " and " trammels," which 
 mean the up and down strokes of the pen. 
 
238 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 After practising this for several weeks, we began 
 to write from " copy " set by the teacher. The 
 sentiment of the "copy" was always some 
 counsel, warning, or moral precept for the young ; 
 and as we had to write it carefully in every line 
 of the page, it could not fail to impress itself 
 upon the memory and to influence the life. I 
 ascribe no little importance to this factor in early 
 education. The duty of being on our guard 
 against evil companionship, and making the most 
 of life by every-day diligence, was constantly 
 inculcated by these head-lines set by the teacher. 
 Here are a few in illustration. I give them 
 alphabetically as they used to be given to us : — 
 
 "Avoid bad company or you will learn their ways." 
 "Be careful in the choice of companions.'' 
 "Choose your friends from among the wise and 
 good." 
 
 " Do not tell a lie to hide a fault." 
 
 ''Emulate the good and virtuous.'' 
 
 " Fame may be too dearly bought." 
 
 " Honor your father and mother." 
 
 " Let all your amusements be innocent." 
 
 " Omit no opportunity of acquiring knowledge." 
 
 " Perseverance overcomes difficulties." 
 
 " Truth is mighty and will prevail." 
 
 " Wisdom is more to be desired than riches." 
 
SCHOOL RHYMES 239 
 
 Being thus early taught by our teachers, we 
 naturally took to the scribbling of moral 
 rhymes on our books. Here are two or three : 
 
 " Steal not this book for fear of shame, 
 For here you see the owner's name ; 
 And God will say on that great day, 
 This is the book you stole away.'' 
 
 Or another version was this : 
 
 " Steal not this book, my honest friend. 
 For fear the gallows will be your end." 
 
 Here is very wise advice from an old school 
 
 song : 
 
 " Work while you work. 
 Play while you play, 
 That is the way 
 To be happy and gay." 
 
 While talking of writing in school, I may give 
 
 the following note which the boys and girls in 
 
 early years used to pass back and forth. Let 
 
 the reader try to make sense of it : 
 
 " Read see how me. 
 Down will I love 
 And you love you 
 Up and you as." 
 
 Here is a favorite school-boy rhyme, the 
 moral of which, however, may be doubtful. On 
 
240 PIONEER LIFE m ZORRA 
 
 the first page of the book is written in a good 
 
 round hand, the following: 
 
 " If my name you wish to see, 
 Turn to page sixty-three." 
 
 Innocent of any trick being played upon you, 
 
 you turn as directed, and here is what is 
 
 written : 
 
 " Since you've taken the trouble to look, 
 Turn to the page at the end of the book." 
 
 Your curiosity is now aroused, and again 
 
 you turn, only to get this rebuiif : 
 
 " Oh, you goose, you cannot find it, 
 Shut the book and never mind it." 
 
 The following constituted the usual pro- 
 gramme of studies : 
 
 1. Prayer by the teacher. 
 
 2. Reading the Bible. 
 
 3. Shorter Catechism questions. 
 
 4. The teacher making and mending quill 
 pens, while the scholars were busily occupied 
 with their studies, most of them writing. 
 
 4. The junior class reading and spelling such 
 words as b-a, ba ; c-a, ca ; d-a, da ; etc. 
 6. Reading New Testament. 
 
Early schools Mi 
 
 7. Class in English Reader. 
 
 8. Class in grammar ; the text-books being 
 Lennie or Murray. 
 
 9. Mayor's Spelling Book. 
 
 10. Arithmetic, the text-books being Daboll 
 or Gray. 
 
 In the very early days, there was really no 
 school system, that is, no provision made by 
 Government for the education of the young. 
 A few settlers clubbed together, raised money 
 enough to buy sufficient nails and a few panes 
 of glass ; then by means of " bees " the building 
 was erected. The teacher boarded round, stay- 
 ing a week or two with each family. No cer- 
 tificate of qualification was asked, and for his 
 services he received six or eight dollars a 
 month, which was raised by voluntary sub- 
 scription among those who had children to 
 send to school. The amount each man sub- 
 scribed was, of course, supposed to be in pro- 
 portion to the number of children he would 
 send. As some families were large and the 
 parents poor, the children would be sent to 
 school week about, so that all would learn a 
 j6 
 
242 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 little. Usually there would be in the school 
 during the winter months quite a few young 
 men and women about twenty years of age, 
 trying to pick up the knowledge denied them in 
 earlier years. In some localities,, for lack of 
 funds, the school was kept open only for six 
 months of the year. 
 
 By and bye something' more systematic was 
 attempted. The township was divided into 
 school sections and provision made for the 
 salary of the teachers by levying a certain rate- 
 fee on each pupil. This did not work well as it 
 discouraged attendance. At length Egerton 
 Ryerson introduced the " Free School " system. 
 This system, where adopted, did away with the 
 fee formerly charged, and provided for the ex- 
 penses of the schools by levying a tax on every 
 acre of land, occupied or unoccupied, within the 
 section. The adoption of this system was not 
 compulsory, but was left to be decided by a 
 majority of the electors regularly assembled at 
 the annual meeting. Long and loud was the 
 controversy between what was called the " Rate . 
 Bill " and the " Free School " system. But truth 
 
PRESENT AND PAST COMPARED 243 
 
 is mighty, and it prevailed in this case. Gradu- 
 ally, in spite of all opposition, the schools of 
 Zorra all became " Free ; " and the blessing can 
 scarcely be overestimated. It recognized the 
 value of education, and put it within the reach 
 of the poorest, and, as a result, all the children 
 received a good public school e;ducation. 
 
 Times change and we change with them, but 
 all changes are not improvements. Petty criti- 
 cisms of our present educational system are 
 cheap, and, of course, always possible, for noth- 
 ing human is perfect. We should appreciate the 
 good, but at the same time, not captiously but 
 faithfully, point out the weaknesses of the system. 
 To-day we have many more subjects on our 
 curriculum than our fathers had, we have better 
 organization, keener competition, and a multi- 
 tude of examinations. But does all this prove 
 the superiority of the present over the past ? Not 
 necessarily. Studying for a prize, or to pass an 
 examination, while very trying on the nerves, is 
 very doubtful education. Organization is only 
 machinery. 
 
 A man is not educated in proportion to the 
 
244 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 number of facts crammed into his memory, but 
 in proportion to the discipline he has received. 
 Real education, as the word implies, is " a draw- 
 ing out " of all man's faculties — physical, mental, 
 moral, and spiritual. It develops the whole man, 
 and builds up his character by broadening, 
 deepening, and bringing out in symmetry, har- 
 mony, and beauty, all his God-given faculties. 
 Such education depends, not so much upon 
 system, as upon a competent, careful, conscien- 
 tious teacher. The true test of education is not 
 the number of books a man has read, nor the 
 number of rules, dates, and facts with which his 
 memory piay be loaded, but the quality of 
 character wrought out by the discipline. Any 
 system of education which simply recognizes 
 the "here," and ignores the "hereafter" is not 
 good, either for the " here " or the " hereafter." 
 The development of the intellect alone will 
 never produce a high type of manhood. Nay, 
 more ; the training which ignores the moral and 
 spiritual, is not only defective, but dangerous : 
 it puts more power into the hands of those who 
 know not how to use it. The ignorant thief will 
 
WHAT IS EDUCATION? 245 
 
 steal a pig or a chicken, the educated thief will 
 steal a bank or a railroad. Lord Bacon was, at 
 once, the greatest and the meanest of mankind. 
 Aaron Burr had a greater intellect than George 
 Washington. The one was a cultured libertine, 
 the other a Christian hero. The memory of the 
 one brings a blush to the cheek of purity and 
 virtue, the memory of the other is the richest 
 heritage of a great nation. 
 
 The reader has already seen the prominence 
 given to the development of the religious and 
 moral as well as the intellectual faculties in the 
 pioneer schools. Are all the faculties of the 
 child so well developed in the schools to-day? 
 Is the Bible read and studied now as it was 
 then, and are those great moral principles which 
 lie at the very foundation of civilized society as 
 faithfully inculcated ? We fear not ; and the 
 result may be seen in the irreverence, the dis- 
 obedience, and general lawlessness which we see 
 in modern society. Is there no reason to fear 
 that the church itself is becoming superficial 
 rather than serious, sensational rather than 
 spiritual ? 
 
246 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 The teachers of those early days were for the 
 most part middle-aged men, earnest and faithful, 
 but " severe and stern," and knew little of the 
 thebry of teaching as understood to-day. In the 
 main they erred in applying themselves to the 
 repression of the evil in the pupil, rather than to 
 the development of the good. It is said of that 
 great teacher, Dr. Arnold, of Rugby, that his aim 
 in teaching was not so much to impart know- 
 ledge, as to impress upon his pupils a sense of 
 the value of knowledge, with a view of stimula- 
 ting them to seek it. The pioneer teachers were 
 far from being Arnolds, and yet their motives 
 and aims were undoubtedly good. They cer- 
 tainly did not in their ideals rise above their 
 environment ; and, like all others of that gen- 
 eration, they had strong faith in the efficacy of 
 corporal punishment. 
 
 The language not unfrequently used would 
 not be tolerated in any school to-day. It is re- 
 lated of a certain parent that when he threatened 
 to make his boy " smart " if the wrong-doing was 
 repeated, the youngster promptly retorted, 
 " You can't do it, papa. Teacher says I was 
 
TEACHING GRAMMAR 247 
 
 born stupid, and no power on earth can make 
 me smart. He says I came of a stupid family." 
 Tlie father afterwards settled it with that 
 teacher. 
 
 The method of teaching was exceedingly 
 mechanical. The pupil was taught to parse 
 a word, not by studying its relation to other 
 words, but simply by committing to memory a 
 list of " prepositions," " adverbs," " interjections," 
 etc. He knew that a certain word was a pre- 
 position because he had committed to memory a 
 list of prepositions, in which that word occurred ; 
 and so on with the other parts of speech. The 
 list of prepositions was of course very long, and 
 was a terror to young grammarians. It was ar- 
 ranged alphabetically ; first, the prepositions 
 beginning with "a," then those with "b," etc. 
 Here, for instance, is the list under " a " : — 
 " about, above, according to, across, after, against, 
 along, amidst, among, amongst, around, at, 
 athwart." Then came the "b" words — " bating, 
 before, behind, below, beneath, between, betwixt, 
 beyond, by," and so on with the c's, etc. 
 
 The list of adverbs was not even arranged 
 
248 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 alphabetically, but proceeded in this fashion : — 
 " So, no, not, nay, yea, yes, too, well, up, very, 
 forth, how, why, far, now, then, etc.'' 
 
 After this the interjections claimed their right 
 to be memorized ; but och ! och ! I forbear. 
 We used to think the long, dagger-like mark 
 after each one of them was put there to indicate 
 some murderous design. 
 
 The " taws " was a great institution in those 
 days. It was thought that the knowledge which 
 could not be crammed into the memory, or 
 reasoned into the head, could be whipped into 
 the fingers or the backbone. Pupils, girls as 
 well as boys, were flogged for being late, although 
 some of them came two miles through the woods, 
 climbing over logs, and wading through streams 
 to get to the school. They were flogged for 
 whispering in school, or for making pictures 
 on the slate, or not being able to recite correctly 
 such barbarous lists of the parts of speech as 
 above indicated. And worse than all, they were 
 flogged if they failed to recite correctly the 
 Shorter Catechism. Oh ! how the Presby- 
 teriaris envied the other denominations for their 
 
THE USE OF THE TAWS 249 
 
 privilege of exemption from the Catechism. It 
 was a premium put upon Methodism, and had 
 it been left to " us boys," all Zorra would be 
 Methodist to-day. 
 
 In preserving order the teacher watched all 
 the scholars with the eye of a detective, and soon 
 found out any scholar or scholars guilty of the 
 crime of whispering or talking. Instead of 
 coming down and remonstrating with the 
 offender, as the teacher of the present day would 
 do, he doubled up the " taws '' into a ball, and 
 sent it flying with unerring aim, carrying con- 
 sternation to the delinquents. Those to whom 
 this "fiery cross" came had immediately to 
 come up to the master's desk, each of them hold- 
 ing on to some portion of the detested " taws," 
 and there receive the castigation due to their 
 fault. A friend writes assuring me that the 
 hardening of the scholars' hands in this way was 
 one of the means of making the tug-of-war team 
 of Zorra so invincible. 
 
 The following amusing incident will perhaps 
 be remembered by some Zorra readers : A 
 teacher was accustomed to bring with him to 
 
2SO PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the sehool every morning two or three birches ; 
 but if these were not used up in the forenoon 
 they were invariably hidden by the boys during 
 the noon hour. There was a hole in the ceiling 
 right over the master's desk, and here the 
 switches were thrown. But the best of friends 
 must part ; and so the day came when the 
 teacher must say farewell to his scholars. Not- 
 withstanding his severity the teacher was a man 
 of warm feelings. So the boys, anticipating a 
 " scene " during the delivery of the farewell ad- 
 dress, had one of their number at noon go up the 
 hole, with the instruction that he was to collect all 
 the switches — the accumulation of years — and 
 at the proper time let them down. Late in the 
 afternoon the time arrived; the address began, 
 and the teacher, amid tears, was assuring the 
 scholars how much he loved them, when, lo, and 
 behold ! all of a sudden a whole avalanche of 
 switches came from above — tokens of affections. 
 The teacher was nonplussed, the scholars were 
 convulsed, and the school was dismissed without 
 hearing the peroration of the dominie's farewell. 
 There was no play ground attached to any of 
 
A FEELING RECOLLECTION 251 
 
 these school-houses; and so, frequently, the 
 bigger boys and girls would get into an adjoin- 
 ing pasture field to play baseball. (O yes, dear 
 reader, the girls of those primitive times would 
 play baseball and be none the worse of it.) 
 Going into the field to play was not prohibited, 
 but it was a strict rule that the scholars must 
 watch for the teacher's return at i p.m., ^nd be 
 in before him. This time, however, the young 
 people, some twenty-five in number, were so in- 
 terested in the game that they did not observe 
 the coming of the teacher. There was, of course, 
 no bell or signal of any kind, and it was some 
 five or ten minutes before the baseballers real- 
 ized that " school was in." They rushed in as 
 quickly as possible, but only to receive fifteen 
 strokes each from a heavy leather strap. When 
 the flogging was over, the teacher panted, but 
 his pride was assuaged, the majesty of law up- 
 held, and good (?) supposed to have been done. 
 The writer has a very feeling recollection of the 
 occasion. 
 
 A visitor to this school, examining a class of 
 little boys, asked the question : "How is leather 
 
252 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 made ? " The answer came promptly, " By tan- 
 ning." Question 2 — " How is tanning done ? " 
 Little lad's prompt answer — "You put it in a hole 
 and wallop it with a stick." He had learned 
 this method of tanning by observation and 
 experience. 
 
 I have spoken of the faithfulness of the pioneer 
 teachers ; their efficiency, however, in teaching 
 good English pronunciation was not so evi- 
 dent. Think of a Scotch teacher who had 
 never heard a word of French in his life, requir- 
 ing a class to repeat from memory the names of 
 the counties of Quebec Province! Let the 
 reader who knows something of French, imagine 
 such names as the following pronounced in the 
 most approved Gaelic fashion, with a flogging 
 as the penalty of failure : Charlevoix, Chicou- 
 timi, Bellechasse, Berthier, Portneuf, Nicolet, etc. 
 Such pronunciation reminds us of the mother 
 who boasted that her daughter made her " debut 
 with great eclat," putting a strong English 
 accent on the last syllable of the French words. 
 Some of the pupils of those early days have 
 
THEN AND NOW 253 
 
 found a long life too short to unlearn the innum- 
 erable mispronunciations acquired in school. 
 
 Let us not, however, be too severe on the 
 pioneer teachers. They were not, as a class, 
 cruel or vindictive. They were simply imbued 
 with the spirit of their times. Parents thought 
 that the future welfare of their boys demanded 
 that they be from time to time in a judicious 
 manner laid across the parent's knee, Corporal 
 punishment was inflicted in the army for the 
 most trifling breaches of discipline ; and in Eng- 
 land a boy was hung for stealing a handkerchief 
 worth five shillings. 
 
 After all, are there not boys to-day who would 
 rather suffer the strap and be done with it, than 
 endure all the modern substitutes for the old 
 flogging ? " We don't get licked," said a little 
 boy contemptuously, " but we get kep' in, and 
 stood up in comers, and locked out, and locked 
 in, and made to write one word a thousand times, 
 and scowled at, and jawed at, and that's worse." 
 
CHAPTER XVI 
 
 REV. DONALD MACKENZIE, THE PIONEER 
 PREACHER OF ZORRA 
 
 " Remote from towns he ran his godly race, 
 Nor e'er had changed, nor wished to change his place ; 
 Unskilful he to fawn, or seek for power 
 By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour." 
 
 — Goldsmith. 
 
 " His memory will long be cherished." Such 
 are the closing words of the Presbyterian 
 General Assembly's obituary notice of the Rev. 
 Donald Mackenzie. And we may add that so 
 long as life continues his memory will never 
 cease to emit a sweet fragrance in the hearts of 
 those whom, for so long a time, he counselled 
 and led. The pioneer character of his ministry, 
 its long duration, and its powerful influence over 
 a large section of country, all combine to make 
 it particularly interesting. The present sketch 
 254 
 
REV. DOXALD MAfKEXZTE 
 
 THP: PIONEKK l'KEA(.'nEK OK ZOKRA 
 
EARLY DAYS 255 
 
 must not be looked upon as even an attempt at 
 a biographical survey, but only as an imperfect 
 outline of the life of this good man. 
 
 Rev. Donald Mackenzie was born at Dores, 
 Inverness, Scotland, on the 28th of August, 1798, 
 just about one hundred years ago. Very early in 
 life he manifested a clear intellect, and when 
 only thirteen years of age he began to teach a 
 public school. Afterwards he completed a 
 thorough course of study at King's College, 
 Aberdeen. He studied also one session in 
 Edinburgh under the famous Dr. Chalmers ; 
 and often has the writer been thrilled as, along 
 with two or three others, seated in the quiet 
 parlor, he has listened to Mr. Mackenzie relating 
 sayings, incidents, and experiences connected 
 with the great disruption leader. We repeat a 
 single incident : " On one occasion," said Mr. 
 Mackenzie, " the students behaved rudely in the 
 class-room, and Dr. Chalmers administered a 
 sharp reproof This we endured unmoved, but 
 when next day the Doctor humbly apologized 
 to the class for having, as he said, lost his temper 
 the day before, we were all overcome with shame. 
 
256 PIONEER LIFE iN ZORRA 
 
 The thought of the great man apologizing to us 
 boys was harder to bear than any punishment 
 that could have been inflicted." The incident 
 reveals not merely the character of a noble 
 Christian, but the secret of success in a famous 
 teacher. 
 
 On the 23rd of December, 1833, at the request 
 of the Synod of Ross, and after much prayer 
 and serious consideration, he determined to come 
 to Canada as a missionary to his expatriated 
 countrymen. On April i6th, 1834, he was 
 ordained by the Presbytery of Dingwall in the 
 presence of the Synod of Ross. On this occa- 
 sion the famous Dr. MacDonald, known as " the 
 Apostle of the North," presided, and preached 
 from Acts xxii. 21, " Depart, for I will send thee 
 far hence unto the Gentiles." 
 
 On August 1 8th, 1834, he came to Zorra by 
 stage, and remained the first night at the house 
 of the late Squire Gordon. On Wednesday he 
 conducted the usual prayer meeting, and on Sab- 
 bath he preached two sermons, one in Gaelic and 
 the other in English. The hearts of the people 
 were greatly drawn to him, and they earnestly 
 
RENEWED CONSECRATION 257 
 
 pressed him to remain with them, but wishing 
 to do more missionary work, he proceeded 
 westward by way of London, St. Thomas, 
 Strathroy, Lobo, and Gwillimbury. Here he 
 met lonely but devoted little bands of High- 
 landers, and preached to them in their native 
 tongue the gospel they loved so dearly. To 
 him more than to any other man, Presby- 
 terianism owes its strength in this western sec- 
 tion of Ontario. 
 
 In June, 1835, he was inducted into the 
 pastoral charge of Zorra congregation. Prior to 
 this he had anew, and in the most solemn and 
 formal manner, dedicated himself to his God 
 and Saviour. Here are the words of this 
 consecration — words which for simplicity and 
 solemn power have seldom been equalled, and 
 perhaps never surpassed : 
 
 " I hang on Thee, O Thou Preserver of men 
 for every breath I draw, and for every thought 
 I think, for every purpose that rises in my 
 breast, and every action of my life. Therefore 
 in my own name and strength I disclaim enter- 
 ing into the covenant with so holy and great a 
 17 
 
2S8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 God as Thou art, but do bring with me a 
 glorious Surety, acknowledged by Thine own 
 sacred authority ; and in His strength I promise 
 at this date to be Thy servant in all time to 
 come, to obey Thy will so far as understood, to 
 declare it to others simply, faithfully, and 
 unmixed, so far as knowledge and strength 
 enable me to do. And do Thou, by Thy good 
 Spirit and grace, instruct, lead, sanctify, and 
 preserve me for every duty, trial, and event what- 
 soever in life, and prepare me for death, so that 
 whether living or dying I may be Thine in soul, 
 body, and spirit. 
 
 " In the name of the Father and the Son and 
 the Spirit, this first day of the year 1835. 
 
 "D. Mackenzie." 
 
 For thirty-eight years he was pastor, coun- 
 sellor, and friend to every individual in a larger 
 congregation than has ever fallen to the lot of 
 any other minister in the County of Oxford. 
 He was a man of splendid personal appearance, 
 tall, erect, and with kingly brow. His majesty 
 of manner and weight of bearing, as well as his 
 elevated tone of thought, were such that persons 
 
HIS STYLE IN THE PULPIT 259 
 
 who had no special reasons for approaching him, 
 never thought of doing so. Yet to those who 
 knew him well he was affable and social, and 
 could tell a story and join in a laugh equal to 
 any, His grave step and thoughtful air as he 
 walked to the pulpit, as well as his manner of 
 reading the Psalms and chapters and engaging 
 in prayer, was profoundly impressive. He left 
 no doubt on the minds of the worshippers that 
 he was fully alive to the realities with whiph 
 he was dealing. 
 
 He usually began his sermon with hesitancy, 
 and in a very low and feeble voice. As he pro- 
 ceeded his manner became more animated, his 
 matter intensely practical, and towards the close 
 of his discourse his voice not infrequently 
 swelled into a volume of the most touching and 
 impressive melody. Every faculty was kindled, 
 his countenance glowed, his eyes gleamed with 
 fire, the veins in his forehead and neck stood out 
 like whipcords, and his power was simply over- 
 whelming. I have on occasions observed a 
 breathless stillness pervading the assembly ; 
 
26o PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 each hearer bent forward in the posture of rapt 
 attention. 
 
 Who can ever forget the solemn appeals he 
 frequently made to the consciences of his hearers, 
 declaring that he had set life and death before 
 them ; that not a drop of their blood would be 
 found in his skirts on the " Great Day " ; and 
 that he took heaven and earth to witness 
 against despisers of " the truth as it is in Jesus ? " 
 As might be expected of one who so went forth 
 " bearing precious seed," he returned " bring- 
 ing sheaves with him." Mr. Mackenzie had 
 many seals given him of his ministry. It is said 
 we have two immortalities. One immortality 
 we carry to heaven, the other we leave behind 
 us on earth. Our deeds can never perish even 
 on earth. They shall live in the lives of others 
 for all time to come. And so though this 
 reverend father is here no more, he is not dead ; 
 he still lives. He lives in the lives and in the 
 work of thirty-eight ministers who, largely 
 through his instrumentality, were led to conse- 
 crate themselves to the preaching of the ever- 
 lasting gospel. And he lives in the lives of 
 
LAW AND GOSPEL 261 
 
 hundreds of men and women whose Christian 
 character he did so much to mould, and many 
 of whom occupy, or have occupied, positions of 
 influence in the various professions — medical, 
 legal, and educational. 
 
 Zorra has been highly favored in her ministers. 
 Mr. Mackenzie's successors in the sacred office 
 were Rev. Gustavus Munro, M.A., now of 
 Ridgetown, who for eighteen years carried 
 forward the work assigned him ; and Rev. G. C. 
 Patterson, M.A., the present pastor. Both these 
 men have proved themselves faithful and 
 efficient ; but none would be more ready than 
 they to testify that their success has been in no 
 small measure owing to the pioneer labors of 
 Rev. D. Mackenzie. He sowed and they 
 have reaped, and the day will come when both 
 sower and reaper shall rejoice together. 
 
 Once he observed to the writer, "When I 
 begin my sermon, I begin by preaching the law, 
 and then I bring in the gospel afterwards ; for," 
 he said, " it is like a woman who is sewing — she 
 cannot sew with thread alone ; she first sticks a 
 sharp needle through, and then draws the thread 
 
262 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 afterwards ; so," he observed, " does the Lord 
 with us ; He sends the sharp needle of convic- 
 tion, the needle of the law, into our hearts, and 
 pricks us in the heart, and He draws through 
 the long silken thread of consolation after- 
 wards." 
 
 Mr. Mackenzie would scarcely be ranked by 
 the schools as an orator, but he seldom failed to 
 clothe his thoughts in both Gaelic and English, 
 in keen, ringing, vigorous language. Warning 
 against bitterness and strife in the home, he 
 characterized the unchristian language some- 
 times used with the following Gaelic adjectives : 
 " Their words are," said he, " biorach, gobach, 
 loisg, toinnte, tarcuiseach, tarsuinn, teumach, aig 
 a bhord, air an teallaich, aig an dorus " ; which 
 may be translated as follows : " Their words are 
 piercing, scolding, scorching, twisted, contempt- 
 uous, cross, and stinging at the table, on the 
 hearth, and at the door." The Gaelic alliteration 
 cannot be brought, out in English, and this 
 greatly weakens the force of the words to the 
 English reader. 
 
 Some traits of Mr. Mackenzie's character 
 
MR. MACKENZIE AS A JUDGE 263 
 
 have already appeared in this book. In his 
 social intercourse with his people, while char- 
 acterized by dignified reserve, he always mani- 
 fested sturdy, practical common sense, and 
 never failed, even in trivial affairs, to make a 
 point for his Master. 
 
 Often was he called upon to act as arbiter 
 in some matter of dispute between two of his 
 parishioners, and seldom did he fail to bring 
 matters to a satisfactory conclusion. After 
 frank conversation, and then prayer, first by 
 Mr. Mackenzie, followed by each of the dis- 
 putants, the latter usually shook hands and 
 went home the best of friends. 
 
 A few illustrations may be given. One of 
 his parishioners happened to be greatly an- 
 noyed with his neighbor's pigs breaking into his 
 potato patch. Time and again he had driven 
 the pigs out, but as often they returned, for 
 pigs have proverbially short memories when 
 potatoes- are in question. At last he lost all 
 patience, and instead of driving the hogs out as 
 he had been accustomed to do, he went straight 
 to the owner of the hogSand belabored him 
 
264 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 most unmercifully. He was not, however, a 
 bad man, and his conscience was ill at ease for 
 what he had done. So, to put himself right, 
 he went to his minister and laid the whole case 
 before him. " Noo, " said Donald, " this is 
 what she pe did ; and what will my minister pe 
 thinkin' apout it?" " Well, Donald," replied Mr. 
 Mackenzie, "your conduct was good enough 
 for a Hielan'man, but very bad for a Christian." 
 It is needless to say there was no ambiguity 
 in this reproof to the keen religious perception 
 of Donald. 
 
 Another story may be given as a type of the 
 many humorous experiences of this eminent 
 pastor, arising from the defective knowledge of 
 English possessed by the majority of his par- 
 ishioners. In those days a "bank'd barn" was a 
 great rarity, and the farmer who possessed one 
 was usually quite elated over the fact. Sandy 
 
 M had just completed such an elegant 
 
 structure. One day he saw his pastot driving 
 by, and asked him if he would not come in and 
 see his grand new barn. " Certainly, " was the 
 prompt response. SoMr. Mackenzie was shown 
 
DEFECTIVE ENGLISH z6s 
 
 through the barn, while all its conveniences 
 and excellences were pointed out and explained 
 in detail. When taking leave, the minister ex- 
 pressed his sincere admiration of the barn, and 
 his satisfaction at seeing his friend getting along 
 so well in the world. " But, " added he, in a 
 a tone of warning, " Sandy, don't lean on your 
 barn." " Lean on her ! " cried Sandy, in amaze- 
 ment, "if all ta Hielan'mans in Zorra pe 
 leanin' on her she will not pe hurt." The 
 reader will observe how completely Sandy failed 
 to grasp the force of the English metaphor in 
 the word " lean." 
 
 Another well-known incident, illustrating a 
 similar defective English vocabulary, may here 
 be given. A young Highlander, known as Sheu- 
 mais dearg (Red James), while driving along the 
 rough road, just to the south of Embro, had 
 the misfortune to break his cart. Soon a num- 
 ber of the village gentry gathered around, when 
 the following dialogue took place : Highland 
 driver in despair — " Coot some of ta shentle- 
 mans gif her a nail ?" Wag in the crowd — 
 "Cha 'n ail." (Gaelic for "no").. Driver-- 
 
266 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " Aye, aye, you wass fery coot in ta joke, but 
 if she wass a braw shentlemans in a shiny hat, 
 an' an you wass an olt proken caart like her- 
 sel', she'll not pe said, ' cha 'n eil, ' she'll pe 
 gif you one whateffer." 
 
 Very early in his ministry, Mr. Mackenzie 
 was impressed with the evils of intemperance 
 and the duty of total abstinence for the sake of 
 others. This duty he rigorously practised him- 
 self, and earnestly sought, in the pulpit and out 
 of it, to persuade his people to do the same. 
 While frequently only partially successful, his 
 efforts in promoting sobriety among the people 
 were untiring. A few out of many cases are 
 here given in illustration : 
 
 Uisgebeatha (whiskey) was abundant in those 
 days. There were no less than three distilleries 
 in Embro, and consequently much drinking, as 
 we have already observed. Big John was on his 
 way home with a small barrel of whiskey in his 
 sleigh. To his great discomfiture, Mr. Macken- 
 zie met him, and seeing the barrel, at once 
 began to upbraid John for the evil he was doing 
 himself and others. Quite oblivious to the per- 
 
A TRICK UPON THE MINISTER 267 
 
 suasions of his pastor, Big John replied, "Na, 
 na, minister, she pe coot whiskey. We hef not 
 much in ta house, and we pe gif her to ta chilt- 
 ren wi' ta potatoes." 
 
 Not so guileless was another parishioner who 
 was accustomed to carry his whiskey home in a 
 small tin pail. Often had he been reproved. 
 This day he knew he would meet the minister, 
 and he formed a plan to get the better of him. 
 He filled his pail with milk, and marched for- 
 ward looking for his pastor. Sure enough they 
 soon met, and the Highlander at once assumed 
 an air of guilty fear. Of course Mr. Mackenzie 
 gave him a long and faithful lecture on the 
 evils of strong drink. To it all Donald listened, 
 cap in hand, and without a word of interrup- 
 tion to the close, when he replied as follows : 
 " Weel, minister, you was aye suspecting her- 
 sel' and she pe no guilty. This is gude drink," 
 and with this he removed the lid of his pail, ex- 
 hibiting to the minister, not the fiery liquid sus- 
 pected, but beautiful white milk. The minister 
 felt somewhat taken aback, but Donald looked 
 innocent, and for a long time chuckled over the 
 success of his trick. 
 
268 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 John McPhee was an industrious, honest 
 man, and very devoted to his church. Usually 
 he was kind to his wife and family, and was a 
 good provider. But occasionally he would give 
 way to his enemy, the drink. On these occa- 
 sions he would for a time completely desert his 
 home, and spend his whole time in and around 
 the village bar-room. It happened that at 
 one time there was in the hotel a very sick 
 man confined to his room. Mr. Mackenzie 
 made daily visits to the sick-room, spending an 
 hour or more there on each occasion. Day 
 after day the good man noticed John loafing 
 around the hotel ; so one day he called him aside 
 to give him a word of remonstrance. " John, " 
 said the minister, "I am very sorry to see you 
 here and in this condition. Do you not know 
 that you are injuring yourself and neglecting 
 your family ? Now go home like a Christian 
 man, and attend to your duties. " Thus far 
 John McPhee listened attentively, head un- 
 covered and cap in hand. But now it came his 
 turn to speak. " Aye, minister," said he, " I 
 confess I ha'e been taking a drap too much ; 
 
THE PIONEERS NOT INTEMPERATE 269 
 
 but I have a sair heart, and it's to droon my 
 trouble that I drink. It amaist braks m' heart 
 to see my ain minister, wham I respekit and 
 lovit, every day for a week or more, come to 
 this hoose, and spending his time drinking in a 
 bed-room. I have been trying to droon my 
 sorrow with a drappie now and then, but oh, 
 it's hard to bear! To see my beloved pastor 
 coming under the inflooence of the drink ! But 
 gin ye'll say naething aboot it I shall baud my 
 tongue, and we'll baith do better in the future. " 
 In after years Mr. Mackenzie told this story 
 with much glee. 
 
 Let it not be inferred from these few in- 
 stances that drunkenness prevailed to an un- 
 usual degree among the pioneer fathers. Such 
 an inference would be unjust. The fathers were, 
 as a class, industrious, sober, self-respecting. 
 Total abstinence did not, perhaps, prevail to the 
 same extent as to-day, but the bar-room treat- 
 ing and the bar-room loafing of to-day, were 
 almost unknown ; and intemperance was re- 
 garded as dishonoring to God, degrading to char- 
 acter, and destructive to both body and soul. 
 
270 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 The incidents we have given will indicate 
 the various duties . Mr. Mackenzie was called 
 upon to discharge for his parishioners in those 
 early times, and the extraordinary influence he 
 wielded over them. Perhaps no chieftain pos- 
 sessed such a mastery over the clans in the 
 days when the fiery cross or the wild pibroch 
 summoned to the field, as did this humble 
 minister of Christ for many years over the de- 
 voted Celts of Zorra. His work at the yearly 
 Communions, when the people assembled in 
 great multitudes from far and near to celebrate 
 the sacred ordinance, has been spoken of in 
 previous chapters. His sermons, in both Gaelic 
 and English, were plain, earnest, practical dis- 
 courses, dealing with the hearts and consciences 
 of his hearers ; and in his household visits and 
 catechising, he was indefatigable in his care 
 and instruction of the young. 
 
 No one could be long acquainted with Mr. 
 Mackenzie without being struck with his pro- 
 found experience of the Spirit's work, his clear 
 views of the doctrines of grace, and his life of 
 holy watchfulness and prayer. His religion 
 
TRIUMPHANT IN DEATH 271 
 
 was of a most healthy, practical type. Perhaps 
 never was he heard parading his assurance of 
 salvation, and never, so far as I remember, 
 have I heard him moaning and groaning over 
 his own corruptions. Frames and feelings 
 formed no part of the foundation of his faith. 
 His thoughts were with his Saviour and his 
 Saviour's work, and about these he loved much 
 to converse. 
 
 He died at Ingersoll on the 8th April, 1884, 
 in the 86th year of his age. 
 
 The stars shine brightest in the darkest night, 
 and the gold looks brighter for scouring. So 
 it was with this revered father. The time of 
 conflict was a time of conquest, and the time of 
 trial a time of triumph. Patiently he bore his 
 heavy affliction. And when the end came and 
 he was within sight of the celestial city, he felt 
 the pressure of the loving arms of Jesus about 
 him, and he triumphed gloriously. Being 
 asked for his dying testimony he whispered his 
 last utterance on earth, " Neither death nor 
 life * * * * can separate me from the 
 love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. " 
 
CHAPTER XVII 
 REV. LACHLAN McPHERSON OF WILLIAMS 
 
 " Brother thou wast mild and lovely, 
 Gentle as the summer breeze ; 
 Pleasant as the air of evening 
 When it floats among the trees." 
 
 Away back in the thirties, three young men, 
 all in the prime of life, started from the township 
 of Williams to attend the Communion in Zorra, a 
 distance of forty miles. For some time they 
 travelled by themselves, but, like Israel of old 
 going up to Jerusalem to attend the yearly feasts, 
 these young men went from strength to strength, 
 their number being constantly increased until 
 when they reached Zorra, the Jerusalem of 
 their day and country, there was a goodly 
 company of them. The Communion services 
 were greatly enjoyed by all the three, and now 
 they were on their return journey — quite a com- 
 272 
 
RICV. LA('HI>AX Ml I'llKKSdX OK WII.LIAMH 
 
A NOTABLE CONFERENCE 273 
 
 pany at first, but they soon began to separate, 
 each going his own way, until the original three 
 were left to pursue their journey alone as they 
 had begun it. Conversation was kept up at first, 
 but at length was dropped, and the three walked 
 in perfect silence for some time, until they came 
 to a resting place. This was a spring of water 
 by the roadside, bubbling up from a white pebbly 
 bottom, and gushing out from between the roots 
 of a great oak tree that had probably sheltered 
 it for many centuries. It was a lovely spot, 
 bestrewed with maguerites, dandelions, blue 
 flags, yellow daisies, white lilies, and the wild 
 roses delicately fair with their faint evanescent 
 odor. Here on a rough stone they all sat 
 down and slaked their thirst, while they satis- 
 fied their hunger with bannock bread, butter, 
 and crowdy, with which their hospitable Zorra 
 entertainers had furnished them on parting. 
 Still not a word was spoken ; all were silent. 
 At last one of them broke the spell by asking 
 the others : 
 
 " What are you thinking about ? " 
 " I was thinking," replied one, " that I would 
 iS 
 
274 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 sell my property in Williams and go to Zorra, 
 where I can get the gospel." 
 
 " And what are you thinking about?" was the 
 return question. 
 
 " My thought was different from yours ; I was 
 thinking how we could get the gospel to 
 Williams." 
 
 While sitting there under the shadow of the 
 great oak, and by the spring of water, they held 
 a counsel and the decision was that they would 
 begin by holding a prayer meeting, each in his 
 house by turns. One of them who was soon to 
 return to Zorra to teach school, was to be on 
 the lookout for some minister or probationer 
 who could be persuaded to come to Williams, 
 for as yet there was no settled minister there. 
 This latter was Lachlan McPherson, and the 
 result of the conference was that, when Rev- 
 Duncan McMillan came to visit his friend, Rev. 
 D. Mackenzie of Zorra, Mr. McPherson, who 
 was now teaching school in Embro, prevailed 
 upon him to visit Williams. Soon after he was 
 ordained and inducted as their first minister ; 
 and in this way the gospel was brought to this 
 
SUNSET 27s 
 
 important section of country. The other two 
 who took part in the conference were J. Mcintosh 
 and D. Fraser. After teaching in Embro for a 
 few years, and studying Latin and Greek with 
 the Rev. Mr. Mackenzie, Mr. McPherson took 
 a full course of theology in Knox College, To- 
 ronto. In 1849 he was settled as minister of 
 Williams, his first and only charge. Here he 
 labored with fidelity and success for thirty-four 
 years, when, owing to ill-health, he resigned, and 
 took a trip to Scotland, hoping to regain his 
 health; but in vain. In July, 1885, he wrote 
 from Inverness to his old and esteemed elder, 
 Mr. William Menzies, of Ailsa Craig, to come to 
 Scotland and take him and his wife back to 
 Canada, if only (as he said) " to die among his 
 dearest friends." He was too weak to under- 
 take the journey alone. Mr. Menzies says : " I 
 gladly responded to his most pathetic request, 
 and aided by a kind Providence, removed Mr. 
 and Mrs. McPherson, as they desired, to Ailsa 
 Craig." But health returned not. The cistern 
 was broken and the waters were too surely 
 ebbing away. He died in March, 1886, in the 
 
276 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 seventy-second year of his age. Mrs. McPherson 
 returned to Scotland in July following. 
 
 Mr. McPherson deserves a place in this volume 
 because of his intimate association with the 
 minister and people of Zorra, especially on their 
 Communion occasions. 
 
 In stature he was rather under the average 
 height ; in disposition he was grave and serious, 
 but very pleasant and never morose. His por- 
 trait appears at the beginning of this chapter, 
 and the artist, as if hy an unconscious inspir- 
 ation, has wonderfully succeeded in giving ex- 
 pression to the kind, benignant countenance of 
 Mr. McPherson, strikingly reminding one of the 
 well-known pictures of the sainted McCheyne. 
 There was nothing trifling or frivolous about 
 him, and yet he was perfectly free from every- 
 thing like affectation in his manners. He had 
 that dignity that so befits the servant of Christ, 
 and yet he answered to a remarkable degree 
 Paul's description of a Christian minister, " gen- 
 tle, apt to teach, patient, meek.'' 
 
 In the pulpit his manner of address was rather 
 slow, but earnest and solemn. His subject was 
 
MUCH PRAYER 277 
 
 always well studied out, and very orderly, every- 
 thing being in its proper place. Indeed, order- 
 liness was one of his characteristics in every 
 department of life ; his very penmanship was 
 model, every letter being perfectly formed. What 
 acontrast to the hieroglyphic penmanship of 
 some ministers ! He was a patient, conscien- 
 tious student ; and every week wrote out in full 
 two long sermons, one in Gaelic and the other in 
 English, but the manuscript was never brought 
 into the pulpit. 
 
 He was a man of much prayer, and this gave 
 mellowness and sweetness to his home life. 
 
 " When one who holds communion with the skies 
 Has filled his urn where those pure waters rise, 
 And once more mingles with us meaner things, 
 'Tis e'en as if an angel shook his wings ; 
 Immortal fragrance fills the circuit wide. 
 That tell us whence these treasures are supplied." 
 
 From the ivory palaces of meditation and 
 prayer he came forth to unfold the glory of the 
 Saviour, and to woo sinners for Him whom his 
 soul loved. The great leading doctrines of the 
 scriptures were expounded with singular clear- 
 ness, fidelity, and zeal. The atonement of the 
 
2 78 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Lord Jesus Christ ; the infinite merit of His 
 righteousness ; the necessity for the Spirit of 
 God to enlighten, convict, and save ; justification 
 by faith the only way of salvation ; the crown 
 rights of Immanuel, King of Zion and King of 
 Kings ; — these great doctrines, not " thundered" 
 but " poured out in gentle streams " by Lachlan 
 McPherson, were blessed by the powerful 
 demonstration of God the Spirit to the souls of 
 men, putting life into dry bones, and clothing 
 them with power and beauty. He had many 
 souls for his hire ; some in Zorra, but more in 
 Williams. And the unflinching maintenance, 
 and vigorous defence of these doctrines are 
 urgently demanded in our day when there is 
 such a strong tendency to formalism and world- 
 liness. 
 
 On the doctrine of the Headship of Christ 
 over the Church and over the Nations, he was 
 peculiarly sensitive lest the scripture standard 
 might be lowered. And when the Free Church 
 and the United Presbyterian Church were united 
 in 1 86 1, Lachlan McPherson and his devoted 
 people testified against the union, and refused to 
 
"SUAVITER ET FORTITER." 279 
 
 enter it. This is scarcely the place to discuss 
 the great practical importance of this doctrine ; 
 but just as its importance is appreciated and 
 maintained will the Church of Christ be free from 
 human excrescences in its polity and doctrines, 
 and Christ be recognized in our politics, from 
 which at present He seems to be excluded. 
 Afterwards, however, Mr. McPherson and his 
 people came into the united church, only to 
 leave it forever, along with his life-long friend, 
 John Ross of Brucefield, and their two elders, 
 when the larger union of 1875 was consum- 
 mated. The reasons will appear more fully in 
 our next chapter. 
 
 Strange that a man of such a mild and gentle 
 spirit should yet, Athanasius-like, stand out 
 alone against the action of all the ministers of 
 his church. But such a man was Lachlan 
 McPherson. He combined the lion and the 
 lamb. To him conscience was supreme, and its 
 behests he always obeyed at whatever cost. 
 Perhaps few men ever possessed at the same 
 time so much of the " suaviter" and the 
 " fortiter." 
 
28o PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 " Nor number, nor example, with him wrought 
 To swerve from truth, or change his constant mind, 
 Though smgle." 
 
 The following are a few specimens of Mr. 
 McPherson's pulpit utterances, for which I am 
 indebted to a correspondent who was, for many- 
 years, intimately associated with him in church 
 work. This correspondent writes : " The first 
 time I saw or heard Mr. McPherson was in the 
 summer of 1852, at the Communion in Brucefield. 
 His text was Isaiah 50: 10, ' Who is among you 
 that feareth the Lord, obeyeth the voice of 
 his servant, that walketh in darkness, and hath 
 no light? Let him trust in the name of the 
 Lord, and stay upon his God.' He raised the 
 question, Is it so that one who is trusting in 
 the name of the Lord, and obeying the voice of 
 His servant, can, nevertheless, be walking in 
 darkness and without light ? Yes, even such a 
 one can be in darkness ; but here is the remedy, 
 ' Let him trust in the Lord and stay upon his 
 God.'" 
 
 On one occasion in the same place, his text 
 was I Pet. 2: II, "Dearly beloved, I beseech 
 
GATHERED PEARLS 281 
 
 you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from 
 fleshly lusts which war against the soul." He 
 said, " War supposes killing ; and if you do not 
 kill your lusts, your lusts will kill you — they 
 will kill your soul." 
 
 At another time, preaching from Malachi 3 : 
 1 7, " And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of 
 hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels," 
 he said, " Some of them are not much like 
 jewels now ; they are jewels, but they are 
 diamonds in the rough." 
 
 At another time, preaching from 2 Cor. 6 : 
 17-18, "Wherefore come out from among 
 them, and be ye separate saith the Lord," etc., 
 he said, " You cannot coax the world to heaven, 
 it will not go with you one foot ; the best thing 
 that you can do for the world is to come out 
 and testify against it." 
 
 On Gal. 2 : 20, " Christ liveth in me," he 
 remarked, " Let Christ speak through your 
 mouth, and weep through your eyes, and smile 
 through your face ; let Him work with your 
 hands, and walk with your feet, and be tender 
 with your heart." 
 
282 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 At times his illustrations possessed great 
 force and beauty. Speaking of the believer's 
 peace, and its independence of external circum- 
 stances, he compared it to the still, mysterious 
 depths of ocekn, that are beyond the reach of 
 winds and waves. 
 
 Describing the natural blindness and folly of 
 the unrepentant sinner, he said, " Be not like 
 the foolish drunkard, who, staggering home one 
 night, saw his candle lit for him, and exclaimed, 
 ' two candles,' for his drunkenness made him see 
 double. ' I will blow out one,' and as he blew 
 it out, in a moment he was in the dark. Many 
 a man," said the preacher, " sees double through 
 the drunkenness of sin — he thinks he has one life 
 to sow his wild oats in, and then the last part of 
 life in which to turn to God ; so, like a fool, he 
 blows out the only candle that he has, and in 
 the dark he will have to lie down forever. 
 Haste thee, O traveller to eternity ! thou hast 
 but one sun, and if that sets, thou wilt never 
 reach thy home." 
 
 For Mr. McPherson we do not claim any 
 extraordinary gifts of intellect, but we do claim 
 
THE GOOD ALONE ARE GREAT 283 
 
 for him a rich endowment of that goodness 
 which only the Divine Spirit can impart. We 
 may not be able to say, " Tread lightly on his 
 ashes, ye men of genius, for he was your 
 kinsman ; " but we can say what is far better, 
 " Weed his grave clean, ye men of goodness, for 
 he was your brother." 
 
CHAPTER XVIII 
 
 JOHN ROSS OF BRUCEFIELD 
 
 " Erect before man, on his knees before God. " 
 
 The line which we have quoted above as 
 the motto of this chapter, describes as briefly 
 and clearly as words can do, the character of 
 Rev. John Ross of Brucefield. Such rever- 
 ence towards God, and such manliness to- 
 wards man have characterized few since the 
 days of John Knox. His devoted and schol- 
 arly widow has published in brief form a mem- 
 oir; and while excessive modesty has pre- 
 vented her putting some things so strongly 
 as they might be put, and constrained her to 
 omit many things well worth publishing, yet 
 the history of "The Man With the Book," 
 may be read with profit by all true Cana- 
 dians; and it can scarcely fail to inspire the 
 284 
 
IIKV. JOHX linSS OF ]iI!L'( KKIKLII 
 
FOND OF SPORT 285 
 
 reader to more earnest devotion, and a nobler 
 purpose in life. We trust it may prove one 
 element in developing in our land, and especi- 
 ally among Mr. Ross's Highland kinsmen, a 
 robust, God-fearing character. 
 
 The life of John Ross was distinguished, not 
 by striking events or by wonderful achieve- 
 ments, but by a holy, humble, consistent walk 
 with God ; and no Zorra minister has left so 
 deep and lasting an impression on all with 
 whom he came in contact. 
 
 John Ross was born in the famous little 
 village of Dornoch, Sutherlandshire, Scotland, 
 on the nth of November, 1821. When eight 
 years of age he came along with his father's 
 family to Zorra. The experiences and adven- 
 tures of his boyhood are well told by Mrs. Ross. 
 
 "He was," she tells us, "full of life and fun 
 and ambition, and very fond of athletic sports. 
 Whether it was a hard mathematical problem 
 or a school fight, a game of shinny or a tough 
 debate, he was always ready, and entered into 
 it with all his might. He who in manhood's 
 prime began to be known as " The Man With 
 
286 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the Book, " was not, in his earlier days, one of 
 those quiet and thoughtful lads, whose story 
 makes other boys feel that they were made of 
 different stuff from themselves. He was felt 
 by his companions to be a boy every inch of 
 him, and one with real and serious faults 
 besides." 
 
 One who has passed the allotted span of 
 years, but who is still an enthusiastic curler, 
 being recently asked by the writer, " Did you 
 know John Ross as a sport ?" 
 
 " I did to my cost. Look at that, " said he, 
 pointing to his mouth, which was minus a front 
 tooth, "John Ross did that with his shinny 
 stick — of course accidentally. And strange to 
 say, he, a few minutes afterwards, had the cor- 
 responding incisor knocked out in the same 
 way. At the Embro Re-union in '83, " con- 
 tinued the Woodstock man, " that is nearly fifty 
 years after this incident, I met Mr. Ross and 
 pointing to the vacancy in my jaw, I said, ' Do 
 you remember that?' In an instant he pointed 
 to a corresponding vacancy in his own mouth, 
 saying ' Do you remember that ? ' " 
 
HIS CONVERSION 287 
 
 But in his love of sport he did not forget that 
 he had a mind, a soul to care for. Even in 
 his boyhood he was a great student of the 
 Bible and a lover of Shakespeare. 
 
 His first teacher was Lachlan McPherson, 
 the subject of our last chapter. Mr. McPher- 
 son was not only a faithful teacher, but an earn- 
 est Christian, and his personal character and 
 conversation were a powerful means in leading 
 Mr. Ross into the way of life. The preaching 
 of Mr. Mackenzie, and more especially the 
 gospel proclaimed by Mr. Allan, were also in- 
 strumental in leading him into a clear know- 
 ledge of the way of salvation. How thorough 
 his conversion, and how clear his apprehension 
 of salvation through free grace, he himself tells 
 us. In a private letter written only a few years 
 before his death, he says : 
 
 " If I am born again, my spiritual birth took 
 the most pronounced anti- Roman form. I first 
 fled from God and from the gospel to which 
 my heart refused to bow, though I was still be- 
 lieving it. I fled on down to dark despair, and 
 for years refused to leave that loathsome dun- 
 
288 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 geon. At last, in my loathsome dungeon or 
 den, God gave me a sight of myself which made 
 me feel that there was not an eye among all 
 God's creatures that could endure to turn one 
 look upon such a man. With this sense of 
 overwhelming shame at its height, I sprang 
 over at one bound to God for covering, say- 
 ing, ' If thou wilt not look on me no creature 
 can. ' That one leap changed my relation and 
 attitude towards the universe. I fled from all 
 God's creatures to Himself as my hiding- 
 place. Freedom from human — say rather 
 creature — authority in all matters concerning 
 God and my soul is one characteristic of my 
 spiritual liberty to this day; and it had its birth 
 in that leap." 
 
 Soon after experiencing the wonderful 
 change he stood up for Jesus. A man with his 
 deep conviction and strong personality, could 
 not long remain hidden. Very beautiful, as 
 well as strong and lasting, was the affection 
 that at this time sprang up between the young 
 recruit and an esteemed elder of the church — 
 Mr. Alexander Murray. After the lapse of 
 
COLLEGE LIFE 289 
 
 nearly half a century, when the old elder was 
 on his death bed, Mr. Ross came from Bruce- 
 field to visit the friend and counsellor of his 
 youth, and the meeting was worthy of both 
 men. 
 
 The year 1844 was memorable for the disrup- 
 tion in the Church of Scotland. The following 
 year John Ross entered Knox College, having 
 studied Latin and Greek for some time with 
 Rev. Mr. Mackenzie. He soon became the most 
 conspicious figure in his class. His intellectual- 
 ity as well as his spirituality could not fail to 
 impress his fellow-students. 
 
 One of these, who now occupies the chair of 
 Systematic Theology in Knox College, thus 
 writes of him at that time : " He did not parade 
 his religion ; he spoke comparatively little of his 
 religious feelings and experiences; but no one 
 could come into close contact with him without 
 learning something of his deep spirituality and 
 profound earnestness. ^ ^ ^ His religion 
 was not a garment put on, but a life which mani- 
 fested itself ; and his character was so transpar- 
 ent, and the currents of his religious nature so 
 19 
 
290 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 strong that the spirit which reigned in him was 
 visible to all around him." 
 
 The writer has heard him repeat from mem- 
 ory with fluency, one Psalm after another in 
 Hebrew. On the occasion of his death all the 
 Professors and students of Knox College as- 
 sembled for the purpose of bearing testimony to 
 his intellectual and spiritual attainments. 
 
 After completing his college course he was 
 ordained to the gospel ministry on the 25th of 
 September, 185 1, over the congregation of 
 Brucefield, in the county of Huron. There he 
 continued to labor with great fidelity until the 
 end came on the 8th of March, 1887, in the 
 thirty-sixth year of his pastorate and in the 
 sixty-sixth of his life. And during these thirty- 
 six years he only missed one Sabbath that he 
 did not preach. 
 
 It is not easy to describe John Ross as a 
 preacher. Like many men of genius his habits 
 of study were irregular. There were times when 
 he spoke with much hesitation and difficulty ; 
 but there were other times when he enjoyed 
 great liberty in the pulpit, and his preaching was 
 
THE THREE REFORMATIONS 291 
 
 always doctrinal, evangelical, earnest. Never 
 was his pulpit a spiritual dormitory where all 
 creeds were equally true, and all forms of wor- 
 ship equally safe and equally sensible. 
 
 Who that has ever heard him can forget the 
 faithfulness and thoroughness with which he ex- 
 pounded God's law— its holiness, its spirituality, 
 its requirements ; or the fiery earnestness with 
 which he reproved sin and showed men their 
 danger, loss, ruin. But the great subject of his 
 preaching was Christ — Christ the prophet, the 
 priest, the king of his people. He gloried in the 
 Cross, and never wearied of speaking about the 
 precious blood of the Lamb. Perhaps his mind 
 ran chiefly on the kingship of Christ. 
 
 " What are the distinguishing characteristics 
 of the three Reformations?" said he. Then an- 
 swering his own question, he replied : 
 
 " In Germany Christ was lifted up as a 
 Priest, in Geneva as a Prophet, and in Scot- 
 land as a King. That is the glory of Scotland. 
 She has not only believed in Jesus Christ as 
 the all-sufficient Sacrifice and Advocate for 
 each individual soul, nor rested in him merely 
 
292 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 as the all-sufficient Instructor, revealing the 
 whole will of God for ecclesiastical, as well as 
 individual guidance ; but besides these two she 
 has had a fuller revelation of the glory of Jesus 
 Christ, she has seen him as her King. Ger- 
 many struck the keynote of the Reformation, 
 and preached faith, faith in the adequate work 
 of the Great High Priest. Geneva added to 
 the faith of Germany the knowledge that comes 
 from careful attention to the instructions of the 
 Prophet like unto Moses. But Scotland 
 added to the faith of one and the knowledge 
 of the other loyalty to a personal and glor- 
 ious King. Her's was a mighty step in ad- 
 vance." Our young people to-day, in sincerely 
 pledging themselves to "do whatsoever He 
 would have me to do, " are honoring this aspect 
 of our Lord's character. " Christian Citizen- 
 ship," of which we now justly hear so much, 
 is only the development of the truth, Christ 
 our King — our King in the political meeting 
 as well as the prayer meeting. 
 
 " You doubt," said John Ross, " if you are 
 Christians. But have you the impression of 
 
A WOODSTOCK INCIDENT 293 
 
 the King ? In some coins the impression is 
 dim, in others bright and clear, but in all it is 
 genuine. " 
 
 Some of my readers will recall Mr. Ross's 
 appearance in Woodstock, at the great fare- 
 well meeting to Dr. MacKay in 1881, on the 
 occasion of the missionary's leaving for For- 
 mosa. The meeting was held in the Central 
 Methodist church, it being the largest church 
 in the town. The place was packed from end 
 to end, there being, as was estimated, a con- 
 gregation of fifteen hundred persons present. 
 The chair was occupied by Rev. J. J. Hill, 
 rector of New St. Paul's church. 
 
 There were thirty or forty clergymen, and 
 many prominent laymen from all over the Pro- 
 vince, including Sir Oliver Mowat, now Premier 
 of Ontario. A good deal had been said about 
 the heathen, their degradation, and the duty of 
 the Church to them, when it became Mr. Ross's 
 turn to speak. Suddenly springing to his feet, 
 he took the audience completely by surprise. 
 His tall form, his clear, ringing voice, and his 
 strong Doric accent at once arrested the atten- 
 
294 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 tion of everybody. "What is the matter," he 
 cried, " with Formosa ? What is the matter with 
 China ? What is the matter with Canada ? 
 What is the matter with Oxford ? What is 
 the matter with Zorra? What is the matter 
 with Woodstock ? " These questions were put 
 with great dehberation and solemnity. At the 
 close of the last, he made a long pause, looked 
 round upon his audience, and then answered his 
 own questions with three short words, expressed 
 with an emphasis that was startling: "IT IS SIn!" 
 The younger and more superficial of his hearers, 
 of course, failed to catch the point, but experi- 
 enced Christians at once were impressed with the 
 deep theological and practical significance of the 
 answer. Bad as were the heathen, and sad as 
 was their condition, we ourselves were in the 
 same category with them, afflicted with the same 
 malady, and requiring the same physician. A 
 most important truth that cannot too frequently 
 be impressed upon the minds of Christian 
 workers. Much as we may plume ourselves 
 upon our superior knowledge and attainments, 
 it will be more tolerable for Sodom and Go- 
 
THE UNION OF 1875 295 
 
 morrah on a day of judgment than for the people 
 of Zorra, Woodstock, Canada, who reject Christ. 
 
 It will here be in place to explain, as briefly 
 as possible, John Ross's action in refusing to 
 enter the union of the Presbyterian Churches in 
 Canada in 1875 — an action regretted, profoundly 
 regretted by nearly all his friends, but con- 
 demned by none. 
 
 Prior to the year 1875 there were four Pres- 
 byterian Churches in this country. To the out- 
 ward observer these differed only in name. 
 The division was the result of importing into 
 Canada from the mother country controversies 
 concerning the proper relationship of Church 
 and State, which were of no practical importance 
 in this country. 
 
 In the above year these Churches agreed to 
 unite in one organization, to be called the 
 " Presbyterian Church in Canada." Into this 
 union, John Ross, together with his friend and 
 old teacher, Lachlan McPherson, and their 
 representative elders, four persons in all, de- 
 clined to enter, on the ground that they could 
 not do so " without betraying the integrity and 
 
296 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 interests of the truth of God, and the purity of 
 His worship." In particular, they objected to 
 any sanction being given to the use of the organ 
 in public worship, and they characterized the 
 basis of union as "exceedingly defective and 
 unsatisfactory in reference to the Headship of 
 Christ, both as regards His church and the 
 nations of the world." The importance of this 
 latter doctrine will be acknowledged by every 
 intelligent Bible student. This, however, is not 
 the place to discuss the necessity or propriety of 
 Mr. Ross's course. One thing is certain, Mr. Ross, 
 after much prayer and deliberation, was fully 
 convinced that he could not enter the union, 
 " except by such an act as that of Judas." The 
 behests of conscience must be obeyed, cost what 
 it would, and he dared to stand alone. 
 
 It was a time of sore trial to John Ross. With 
 his strong social nature, and his unabated loyalty 
 to the Presbyterian Church, it was like rending 
 his heartstrings to be ecclesiastically separated 
 from brethren he loved, and with whom he had 
 so pleasantly associated in Christian work for 
 many years. 
 
SEPARATE FROM HIS BRETHREN 297 
 
 But the trial must be endured. And John 
 Ross was both a Christian and a philosopher. 
 He had learned the very important lesson 
 that a man's happiness springs from within 
 and not from without ; that it is determined, 
 not by what a man has, but by what a man 
 is. And so even when the strong ties of 
 church relationship were broken, and he stood 
 apparently alone and unbefriended, he was 
 never gloomy or morose, but always bright, 
 cheerful, happy. Once, indeed, we are told, he 
 became discouraged ; he feared the effect his 
 attitude toward the union might have on his 
 ministerial brethren, association with whom he 
 prized so highly. But he received encourage- 
 ment from heaven in a way so peculiar to him- 
 self One bright winter afternoon he came out 
 of his study with his Bible open in his hand. 
 " Look at this, " he said to his wife, pointing 
 with his finger to part of the blessing pro- 
 nounced by Jacob on his son Joseph. " Bles- 
 sings * * * on the crown of the head of him 
 that was separate from his brethren, " 
 
298 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Yes, John Ross's life was a happy one to the 
 end in spite of his loneliness. 
 
 John Bunyan "'was separate from his breth- 
 ren," and spent twelve years as an outcast in 
 prison; but he lived in the sweetest peace, and 
 had glorious visions that will never die. 
 
 S. Rutherford " was separate from his breth- 
 ren," and confined a prisoner in Aberdeen 
 Castle, but his letters show us how happy he 
 was, and at the head of each letter he wrote 
 " Christ's Palace, Aberdeen." 
 
 David Livingstone " was separate from his 
 brethren. " Henry M. Stanley found him in the 
 heart of Africa surrounded by savage tribes, 
 where he had not seen a white face for many 
 years, in the midst of indescribable loneliness. 
 But the blessing of God was upon his head, 
 and the presence of Christ was so apparent in 
 his life, filling it with comfort and gladness, 
 and giving him a victory over outward difficul- 
 ties, that a few weeks of conversation and 
 association with him, transformed the infidel 
 Stanley into an earnest believer in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
THE MAN WITH THE BOOK 299 
 
 To John Ross the Word of God was precious, 
 and he searched it diligently to know God and 
 his Son Jesus Christ. His mind was illumined 
 by the Holy Spirit, and when suddenly a new 
 truth flashed upon his keen vision his whole soul 
 was stirred, his countenance glowed, and his 
 eyes beamed with very joy. 
 
 For many years he constantly carried his 
 Bible wherever he went, holding it in his 
 hand or under his arm ; and, after looking to 
 God for direction, he would open it, and as 
 his eye was guided to a text or passage, he 
 would give it to any with whom he conversed, 
 be he stranger or acquaintance. Wonderful 
 indeed, was the appropriateness of the passages 
 furnished him. Many, very many, who never 
 heard him in the pulpit, will have reason to bless 
 God to all eternity for the words spoken to them 
 by John Ross in a stage-coach, or at a railway 
 station, in the shop, on the street, or in the house. 
 This extraordinary method of personal dealing 
 with souls is a work which few have the cour- 
 age or the qualification to enter upon. But John 
 Ross did it faithfully, and in such a spirit of 
 
300 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 humility, and self-unconsciousness that seldom 
 was he rebuffed, even by the careless, the pro- 
 fane, the ungodly. 
 
 To illustrate his method of work I will quote 
 from a letter written by a Presbyterian minister. 
 He says : " During my college days I had the 
 pleasure of Mr. Ross's company coming from 
 Toronto to Zorra. He was going to his relatives 
 
 and I to visit my good friend Mr. . I felt 
 
 very much at home in his company. There was 
 nothing stiff or formal about his manner. He 
 conversed freely upon a variety of topics. 
 When we came to the Woodstock station, Mr. 
 Ross met a young man he knew and inquired 
 after his welfare. Then opening his Bible he 
 read a verse or two to the young man, gave a 
 word of advice, and then good-bye. Next we 
 went into a store to inquire if there was any 
 chance of a ride to Embro. The clerk could 
 tell us of none. Mr. Ross opened his Bible,, 
 read a verse to the clerk as he stood beside the 
 counter, gave him a word of advice and a good- 
 bye ; then we called to see his sister, who, with 
 her family, was living in Woodstock. We stayed 
 
I-D-O-L NOT I-D-L-E 301 
 
 only a few minutes. Mr. Ross called the children 
 around him, spoke to them, prayed with them, 
 said good-bye, and we started for Embro on 
 foot." 
 
 I have mentioned the wonderful adaptation of 
 the passages frequently given him for those 
 with whom he conversed. A young Presby- 
 terian minister had received a number of " calls " 
 within a comparatively short time, probably not 
 without his seeking them. Meeting him one 
 day on the street, John Ross as usual opened his 
 Bible, and the first passage his eye rested on 
 was Zech. 11 : 17, "Woe to the idol shepherd 
 that leaveth the flock," which he read to the 
 young preacher. 
 
 "I am not an idle shepherd, I hope I shall 
 never eat the bread of idleness in the Lord's 
 service," was the somewhat tart reply. 
 
 " It is not i-d-l-e," said Mr. Ross, " but i-d-o-1." 
 Then the young and popular brother saw the 
 point. 
 
 In company with a brother minister, he was 
 taking his horse out of an hotel stable in Strat- 
 ford. Parting with the hostler, he handed him 
 
302 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 his customary fee, read to him Luke 2: 7, 
 kindly adding, " Now John think of Him who 
 was born in a stable." 
 
 He visited Zorra a few months before his 
 death, and in company with Mr. Munro, the 
 pastor, called on a number of families. Of 
 course he took his Bible with him and read a 
 verse or passage in each home. 
 
 At the close of the day he observed to the 
 pastor, " Did you notice anything peculiar in the 
 passages of scripture the Lord gave me to-day ?" 
 
 " I did," was the reply, " they all had reference 
 to death, resurrection, and eternity." He at 
 once, in a most earnest way, said, " My brother, 
 depend on it the Lord is speaking to some one 
 to be ready, for He is coming soon. I never had 
 passages of that class recurring in the same way 
 but some of my friends were soon removed by 
 death." 
 
 " But can you," said the Zorra pastor, " make 
 the personal application ? " " No, I can not," 
 was Mr. Ross's reply; "it may be yourself or my- 
 self." He returned home, never again visited 
 
WONDERFUL PRESENTIMENT 303 
 
 Zorra, but a few months afterwards the Master 
 called him home. 
 
 It may also be mentioned that one of the 
 homes visited on this occasion, a few days after 
 the visit and the warning, experienced a very 
 sudden and painful bereavement. 
 
 The same minister writes me as follows : — 
 " Late in October, or about the first of Novem- 
 ber, 1873, I was assisting at a Communion 
 in Harrington, with the Rev. Daniel Gordon, 
 and Mr. Ross was also present. On one 
 of the Preparatory days, just as we were 
 taking our places at the dinner table, I men- 
 tioned that Dr. Candlish of Edinburgh was 
 dead. This was sad news to all present, and 
 Mr. Ross sprang to a bedroom close by, 
 exclaiming as he went, " Is Candlish dead ? " 
 He quickly returned with his diary, and called 
 our attention to the fact that about two months 
 previous to this he had written in it that God was 
 soon to take Dr. Candlish to his reward. All 
 present were curious to knovy how he arrived at 
 this conclusion ; and, in his own transparent and 
 child-like way, he explained to us how God had 
 
304 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 in His Word revealed this matter to him. 
 Sceptics may sneer, and infidels may deny, but 
 the fact is as above related ; and the witnesses 
 are still living, and can be produced any day in 
 court." 
 
 Let Zorra stand with head uncovered in 
 presence of John Ross, the ablest scholar, the 
 most profound theologian, and the most Biblical 
 preacher of all her sons. One who knew him 
 well writes, " As a teacher of theology, John 
 Ross would have been as able as Dr. Young 
 was as a teacher of philosophy." 
 
 Why then did no college ever officially 
 recognize his gifts? Why did no Presbytery 
 ever mention his name as Moderator of As- 
 sembly? Perhaps light may be thrown on 
 these questions by asking another, " Why did 
 England treat Charles Gordon, now of world- 
 wide fame, as she once did ? " When a man of 
 thirty Gordon had saved the Chinese Empire 
 from breaking up ; but on his return the Secre- 
 tary of State could only with great difficulty 
 recall his name, and knew absolutely nothing of 
 his work in China. 
 
The CLOsiisfG scene 305 
 
 Both Gordon and Ross were men of great 
 ability and piety. They both were men who 
 gave a high place to the Word of God, and to 
 prayer. They both possessed right kingly 
 hearts and hands. Both were mastered by a 
 great devotion to a noble purpose, and both 
 alike experienced the ingratitude of their fellow- 
 men. The lesson for Britain to learn is, to find 
 out such men as Charles Gordon, and place 
 them. The lesson for the Presbyterian Church 
 to learn is, to find out such men as the late John 
 Ross, and place them. 
 
 He died March 8th, 1887, in the thirty-fifth 
 year of his ministry, and in the sixty-fifth of his 
 age. And now 
 
 " He wears a truer crown 
 Than any wreath that we can weave him." 
 
 His dying testimony was just s,uch as we 
 might expect from his life. Confidently his 
 faith rested on the Word of God. Two lines 
 from a Psalm formed his death song : 
 
 " Surely that which concerneth me 
 The Lord will perfect make." 
 
 — Psalm cxxxviii. 8. 
 
3o6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Very tenderly and solemnly he bade farewell 
 to his weeping wife and children and loved ones 
 around his bed. His wife he referred to the 
 passage, " Thy Maker is thy Husband ; the 
 Lord of Hosts is His name ; and thy Redeemer 
 the Holy One of Israel ; the God of the whole 
 earth shall He be called." To his little daughter 
 Bessie, weeping in another room, with her heart 
 like to break, he sent the message, " Blessed be 
 the glory of the Lord from this place," and then 
 added the promise, " I will never leave thee ; I 
 will never forsake thee ! " Taking Maggie's 
 little hand in his, and looking at her, as one who 
 was there writes, with his heart in his eyes, he 
 said, " O, my little daughter Maggie, seek the 
 Lord Jesus Christ, and remember that He has 
 power to draw your heart right over to Himself" 
 Similar parting words he gave to each member 
 of his family, and then fell asleep like a wearied 
 child in its mother's arms. 
 
 The company that gathered to pay the last 
 tribute of respect was unprecedentedly large. 
 Eleven ministers representing Presbyterians, 
 
HE RESTS 307 
 
 Baptists, and Methodists were present, and all 
 felt that a prince in Israel had fallen. 
 
 " He being dead yet speaketh : " and though 
 we shall hear his faithful words, or enjoy his 
 fervent prayers no longer, his influence will live 
 forever in the hearts of many, and will be a con- 
 stant inspiration to a higher and nobler life. 
 
 " Sleep on, it is not by the years 
 We measure life when all is done — 
 Your task was big, your crown well won — 
 Sleep on, good-night, we say with tears." 
 
CHAPTER XIX 
 REV. DANIEL ALLAN OF NORTH EASTHOPE 
 
 " Uaniel — a man greatly beloved. " 
 
 — Dan. X. ii. 
 
 In the early forties, and for many years after, 
 no man was more welcome to the Zorra pulpit, 
 and to the Zorra homes, than Rev. Daniel 
 Allan of North Easthope, the intimate friend 
 and neighbor of Rev. D. Mackenzie, the Zorra 
 pastor. Especially on Communion occasions 
 were his services greatly enjoyed by all classes 
 of the people. 
 
 Daniel Allan was born 2Sth Sept., 1805, in 
 Fortrose, Scotland. He completed his educa- 
 tion in King's College, Aberdeen. While a 
 very young man he experienced a sudden and 
 remarkable change of heart under the ministry 
 of the Rev. Dr. MacDonald, the famous "Apostle 
 of the North." Before his conversion, he was 
 308 
 
ItKV. DAXIKL ALLAN (iK Nolt'l'H KASTIIOl'K 
 
HIS CONVERSION 309 
 
 for some time under deep conviction of sin. 
 The power, the justice, the holiness of God he 
 viewed with alarm. The terrors of the Lord 
 were upon him, but he was not allowed to 
 despair. Every Sabbath he travelled fifteen 
 miles over the hills to hear the great evangelical 
 preacher of the north ; and one day listening 
 with all the intensity of his awakened nature, 
 suddenly the light dawned upon him. In a 
 moment he saw that his salvation was through 
 the free grace of God, as manifested in the 
 atonement of Christ- There and then, sitting 
 in the church, he took Jesus Christ as his Sav- 
 iour, and entered into the full assurance of his 
 acceptance with God. His fears were all gone, 
 and a sweet peace filled his soul. It was like 
 a calm after thfe storm. The clouds parted and 
 the sun shone out gloriously. Great was his 
 alarm when awakened to a sense of his lost 
 condition as a sinner ; correspondingly great 
 was now his joy in the assurance that God was 
 his friend, and Jesus his brother. Speaking of 
 this experience to a friend many years after- 
 wards, he said: "Such was the overflow of my 
 
3IO PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 soul's joy on that wonderful Sabbath day, 
 that on my way home from the church, I could 
 scarcely refrain from speaking of it to the stones 
 and the trees on the roadside. " 
 
 He left Aberdeen, i6th August, 1836, and ar- 
 rived at Quebec on the 7th of October, following. 
 Coming west he received a joint call from the 
 united congregations of Woodstock and Strat- 
 ford, which he accepted, and was ordained at 
 Stratford on Thursday, 21st of November, 1838. 
 He was therefore the first Presbyterian min- 
 ister settled in Woodstock, although Rev. Mr. 
 Mackenzie, of Zorra, and Rev. Mr. Murray, of 
 Blenheim, held occasional services before '38. 
 Mr. Allan's labors were equally divided be- 
 tween Woodstock and Stratford, two weeks 
 being devoted to each field alternately, an ar- 
 rangement rendered necessary by the distance, 
 and the very bad state of the roads. Owing to 
 his impaired state of health, the resignation of 
 a portion of his charge soon became necessary ; 
 and on the isth of Aug., 1840, he was released 
 from his connection with the Woodstock con- 
 gregation, and he became the minister of Strat- 
 
GOOD HUMOR 311 
 
 ford and vicinity alone. In 1846, North East- 
 hope became a separate charge with Mr. Allan 
 as tlieir pastor; and in spite of many difficul- 
 ties and discouragements, erected what is sup- 
 posed to have been the iirst Presbyterian brick 
 church in Upper Canada, west of Toronto. 
 Here for thirty-eight years, more than a third 
 of a century, among a people devotedly at- 
 tached to him, he labored faithfully and with 
 great success. 
 
 In stature he was perhaps a little below the 
 medium size, with a slight frame, but compactly 
 put together and capable of great endurance. 
 His eyes clear and penetrating, very expressive 
 of the tender emotions of his heart, often filled 
 with tears as he pleaded with sinners. Like 
 many famous preachers, such as Dr. Arnot, 
 Dr. Guthrie, C. H. Spurgeon, and others, nature 
 had endowed him with a rich fund of humor. 
 This, mellowed and sanctified, gave tone and 
 charm to his discourses. In private life and 
 among Christian friends he was exuberantly 
 happy, jovial, and free, and his conversation 
 full of mother-wit and quaint humor. 
 
312 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 A minister thus writes of him : "Dianiel Allan 
 was a living delight to childhood, youth, and 
 age. His dignity as a gentleman was elevating, 
 his remarkable adaptation enabled him to in- 
 spire those of every age with high ideals. His 
 incisive, humorous utterances kept the atmos- 
 phere of the home of his host surcharged with 
 pleasant wit from the time of his arrival un- 
 til his departure. 
 
 " Mr. Allan's own home was a little world of 
 cultured minds and tender hearts, of Christian 
 charity and domestic love, of ideal tact and 
 exquisite refinement. The centre round which 
 mother, sons, and daughters moved was the 
 high-minded, pure-spirited, happy -hearted father. 
 Few men attained to such perfection in the 
 domestic virtues. He never lost sight of his 
 high and holy office with its weighty obliga- 
 tions, yet his family circle was his chief care 
 and delight. The sparkling humor that per- 
 vaded his conversation never allowed the home 
 to become a dull or dreary place." 
 
 The following will illustrate his original and 
 quaint mode of expression. Hearing of a faith- 
 
FAILINGS 313 
 
 ful minister of the gospel who was being per- 
 secuted by some of his people, Mr. Allan said : 
 " That is nothing strange. The world never 
 permits a man to rebuke her follies without re- 
 plying with a volley of mud. If she cannot 
 stop the man's mouth, she tries to blacken 
 his character." 
 
 One or two instances of his ready wit may 
 here be given. He was fond of his pipe, 
 and on one occasion, when enjoying a smoke 
 in one of the horse sheds standing by the 
 church, a young minister not noted for spirit- 
 uality, reproached him, "There you are again at 
 your idol." 
 
 "Yes," quickly responded the witty Mr. 
 Allan, " I am burning it ; have you done so with 
 yours ? " 
 
 "What," I think I hear some one saying, 
 " Mr. Allan smoking ? " Oh, yes, and he snuffed, 
 too. It was a fad of the time ; and there 
 are fads still. There are not many perfect 
 men, — or women either. It is related of a 
 noted revivalist, well-known in this country, 
 that he is an inveterate smoker, On one occa- 
 
314 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 sion a good Christian lady remonstrated with 
 him as follows : 
 
 " Mr. J , I'm so sorry you are a smoker. 
 
 If you did not smoke you would be a perfect 
 man." 
 
 " I don't want to be a perfect man, " was the 
 ready reply. 
 
 " Oh, dear, why not ? " 
 
 " Because," said the witty preacher, " I'd be 
 so lonesome. " 
 
 Mr. Allan had in his congregation a man 
 whose employment was to gather ashes for 
 the Stratford market. Unfortunately this man 
 was addicted to strong drink. His minister, 
 had repeatedly remonstrated with him, but 
 apparently to little purpose. One day Mr. Allan, 
 in company with a brother minister, was walk- 
 ing from North Easthope to Stratford to attend 
 a meeting of presbytery. Sitting on his load of 
 ashes the ash pedlar overtook the two ministers, 
 and the day being wet, the ashman had thrown 
 a sack or bag round his shoulders to protect 
 him from the rain. 
 
ALLAN AND MACKENZIE 315 
 
 Mr. Allan looked at him, bade him the time 
 of day, and then said : 
 
 " I am glad to see you in this condition. 
 You have at last listened to my advice." 
 
 " How is that ? " said the ashman. 
 
 " I see," was the quick response, " that you are 
 now sitting in sackcloth and ashes." 
 
 On another occasion in his presence, one 
 minister accused another of having used undue 
 influence to induce a family to change its church 
 relationship. The matter was referred to Mr. 
 Allan, who gave his judgment in these words, 
 " They used to hang sheep-stealers." 
 
 Mr. Allan and Mr. Mackenzie were as David 
 and Jonathan ; but on one occasion at least, Mr. 
 Allan displayed his wit and readiness at the 
 expense of his good brother, who seemed to 
 enjoy it no less than Mr. Allan himself On 
 one of the " Preparatory days," a hot summer 
 day, Mr. Mackenzie entered the vestry shortly 
 before service, poured water into a basin and 
 washed himself Just as he was in the act of 
 doing so, Mr. Allan entered, and Mr. Mackenzie 
 turning to him said : 
 
3i6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Mr. Allan, would it not refresh you to have a 
 wash this hot morning, before commencing ser- 
 vice ? 
 
 " No thank you," responded his friend, " it 
 was the Pharisees who were in the habit of 
 doing that sort of thing." 
 
 Mr. Mackenzie simply smiled and silently 
 ruminated over the joke, but, doubtless, waited 
 till his turn would come. 
 
 Let no one undervalue the importance of this 
 trait of character. Next to the sunlight of 
 heaven is a buoyant spirit and a bright, cheerful 
 face. 
 
 " Smile once in a while, 
 
 'Twill make your heart seem lighter, 
 Smile once in a while, 
 
 'Twill make your pathway brighter. 
 Life's a mirror ; if we smile, 
 
 Smiles come back to greet us— 
 If we're frowning all the while. 
 
 Frowns forever meet us. " 
 
 But this was only one aspect, and by no 
 means the most important aspect of Mr. Allan's 
 character. There was no frivolity or levity 
 about him. " It is only with God's children," 
 
SOLILOQUY 317 
 
 said he, " that I make merry. How could I jest 
 with the world, or sport with men on the brink 
 of a precipice ? " He was profoundly reverent. 
 The search-light in which he first saw his sin 
 and his Saviour never left him, but kept him 
 humble and adoring all his life. 
 
 Here is how a minister's wife writes of him : 
 " It was decidedly toward the sunset of his life. 
 He was with us during a Communion. He was 
 too frail in body to attend all the services, and 
 during the evening meetings he stayed at home, 
 lying for the most part on his back on the 
 sofa, his eyes closed. He was evidently thinking 
 very actively and intensely, a stage beyond 
 meditating. He was in the dining-room where 
 household duties called me back and forth, but 
 he seemed to be oblivious of my presence or 
 absence, pursuing his own thoughts, sometimes 
 audibly. At last I heard him going over it 
 somewhat in this way : " What an undertaking 
 to remove from me every stain of sin ; to restore 
 the image of God in me that had become the 
 image of Satan ; to work out in me the likeness 
 of the Lord Jesus Christ, so that I shall yet be 
 
3i8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 known by the resemblance as a young brother 
 of the Lord of Glory ! What an undertaking ! 
 But God has laid the task upon one who is 
 mighty, and He will do it, — ^yes. He will do it 
 gloriously before He is done with me." 
 
 Another sweet and characteristic word of his 
 may here be given. He was from home assist- 
 ing at Communion. It was the month of May. 
 There was on the dinner-table a magnificent 
 bouquet of lilacs. After all had sat down at the 
 table, Mr. Allan reached out his hand, and 
 almost reverently touched one of the outmost 
 clusters, saying with real reverence in his tone : 
 "Verily He (the Creator) hath taste." As 
 Hugh Millar said once, there was worship in 
 both words and manner. There was so much 
 more in it than simply the apprehending of the 
 beauty — it was "the holy and reverent use of 
 God's works." 
 
 He was a diligent student, and a classical 
 scholar beyond the ordinary. The writer has 
 seen his diary wholly written in Latin ; and he 
 coiild write letters to his ministerial brethren in 
 Latin, Greek, French, or Hebrew. He studied 
 
PERSONAL CHARACTERISTICS 319 
 
 Gaelic after coming to Canada, and he could 
 preach in it with fluency. In those pioneer days 
 grammar schools were few, and not many 
 parents could afford to send their children to 
 them. The work of preparing young men for 
 the colleges had to be done by the minister ; 
 and next to the late Rev. Mr. Robertson, of 
 Chesterfield, no minister in Oxford ever did so 
 much of this good work as the Rev. Daniel 
 Allan. But for all this work he never would 
 accept fee or reward. 
 
 Those who knew him most intimately speak 
 to this day with enthusiasm of the vigor of his 
 intellect, the force of his will, the brightness of 
 his wit, the honesty of his purpose, the warmth 
 of his friendship, the generosity of his heart, and 
 integrity and purity of his private life. 
 
 His preaching was clear and scriptural, fervent, 
 heart-searching, and instinct with life. It exhib- 
 ited characteristics that are not often found in 
 combination — it was both doctrinal and practical, 
 courageous and tender. The writer has seen 
 him overcome with emotion, and bursting into 
 tears even in his introduction ; and then before 
 
320 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the sermon was over he was roused to highest 
 pitch, and thundered forth in fiery sentences the 
 most scathing denunciation against the sins and 
 shams of the day. Sometimes he plead like a 
 mother tenderly pleading with her children ; at 
 other times his sentences fell like the blows of a 
 warrior ; never did Highlander wield broad- 
 sword with greater force than did this clansman 
 of Christ wield " the sword of the Spirit, which 
 is the Word of God." 
 
 No doubt his remarkable conversion at an 
 early age both moulded his character and gave 
 clearness and force to his pulpit ministrations. 
 It is hard, perhaps impossible, to communicate 
 through the printed page the electric effect upon 
 a large congregation, when Mr. Allan related 
 from Bunyan's " Holy War," the capture of 
 Mansoul by Prince Immanuel. " Diabolus from 
 within the city," said he, " strove hard to keep 
 him out, and it was a hard time for Mansoul. 
 But at last the place was taken, and the Prince 
 rode down the city streets in triumph, and the 
 liberated citizens welcomed him with all their 
 hearts, and the silver trumpets were sounding. 
 
CHARACTER OF HIS PREAcHiNG 321 
 
 and the flags were flying, and the bells of the 
 church towers rang out merry peals, for the 
 King of Glory had come. Up to the castle he 
 rode in triumph, and sat upon his throne, to be 
 henceforth the sole Lord and King of the city." 
 
 "That," said Mr. Allan, "is Christ entering 
 the soul of man ; Christ in your heart, swaying 
 His sceptre from the very centre of your being, 
 over every power and faculty, desire and resolve, 
 and bringing every thought ;into captivity to 
 Himself." It was, at any rate, a true type of 
 the preacher's own conversion and after-life. 
 
 " Many a night you kept me awake," said 
 Rev. Mr. Ross, the subject of our last sketch to 
 Mr. Allan years afterward. " The arrows from 
 your bow went right home, and they were so 
 barbed that it was impossible to draw them out 
 again. Once after service, as I was watching 
 you coming down from the pulpit, and one after 
 another speaking and shaking hands with you, 
 my own internal comment was, ' I would as soon 
 shake hands with the lightning.' " 
 
 But, perhaps, the most striking part of his 
 pulpit ministrations was his prayers. " I have 
 21 
 
322 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 heard," says one who sat under him for many 
 years, "others who could preach as well or better, 
 but I never heard one like Mr. Allan in prayer. 
 He spoke to God as a man speaks to his friend. 
 Such holy familiarity ! such simplicity ! such 
 fervor! From the beginning to the close you 
 felt you were in the divine presence.'' 
 
 Being accused of using too great familiarity in 
 prayer, he made reply, " May not a child be 
 familiar with his father ? " Just then the little 
 child of his reprover had clambered on her 
 father's knee, thrown her arms around his neck, 
 and was raining kisses on his cheek. 
 
 "Do you call that presumption?" said Mr. 
 Allan. "And does not the Spirit teach the 
 Lord's children to say, Abba Father?' " 
 
 He was an active worker in the temperance 
 cause, and did perhaps more than any one else 
 in bringing about in that district, the new and 
 better era when liquor ceased to be used at rais- 
 ings and " bees," and in the homes of the 
 people. 
 
 Mackenzie, McPherson, Ross, Allan — we have 
 now briefly looked at each. How different! 
 
A PIONEER QUARTETTE 323 
 
 Yet how like one another ! Different in personal 
 appearance, in temperament, in talent, in habit, 
 and in manner of address ; but all agreed in 
 rendering supreme, absolute authority to the 
 scriptures, and in rejecting every doctrine and 
 practice for which there could not in their judg- 
 ment be pointed out a " Thus saith the Lord." 
 They were all manly men who kept back noth- 
 ing that was profitable but each regarded him- 
 self 
 
 "A messenger of grace to guilty man." 
 
 Accuse them not, gentle reader, of bigotry or 
 intolerance, because they courageously opposed 
 some things that are now practised in the church. 
 They feared God rather than man ; and though 
 in judgment, they were like ourselves, human, 
 yet their heart was always right, and their pur- 
 pose true. According to their light and ability 
 they endeavored " to keep pure and entire all 
 such religious worship and ordinances as God 
 hath appointed in his Word." 
 
 Daniel Allan died at Goderich, December 
 loth, 1884. For some time he longed for the 
 hour of his departure, and when the Master 
 
324 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 came, he found his servant not merely resigned 
 but triumphant. 
 
 " Do you not hear the heavenly music ? " said 
 he to his wife at his bedside. 
 
 " Do you not see the Lord Jesus coming with 
 his chariot to take me home ? " These were his 
 last words. His remains, accompanied by a 
 number of friends, including his life-long friend, 
 John Ross, were taken to Guelph, where they 
 were interred to await the resurrection of the 
 just. His spirit is with God. 
 
 His name is as ointment poured forth. May 
 the consideration of his life inspire each reader 
 to a greater hatred of sin, a stronger faith in 
 God, a wider sympathy with our fellow-men, 
 and a more earnest desire to advance the Re- 
 deemer's Kingdom. 
 
IfKV. JOHN FUASKl;, M.A., OK THAiM KSFOISD 
 
CHAPTER XX 
 REV. JOHN FRASER, M.A., OF THAMESFORD 
 
 "We thank thee for the quiet rest thy servant taketh 
 
 now, 
 We thank thee for his blessedness and for his crowned 
 
 brow ; 
 For every patient step he trod in faithful following thee, 
 And for the good fight foughten well and won right 
 
 valiantly." 
 
 Rev. John Eraser's connection with Zorra 
 dates from a time much more modern than that 
 of the other ministers we have mentioned ; but 
 forty years ago he was a frequent visitor to the 
 district Communion occasions, and he was an 
 important factor in the upbuilding of the sturdy 
 Presbyterianism of that day. His commanding 
 figure, his stately bearing, his powerful voice, his 
 unctuous tone, his vigorous delivery, and his 
 impressive discourse will long be remembered. 
 
 He was a son of Mr. John Eraser, banker, of 
 335 
 
326 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Inverness, Scotland. His mother was a daughter 
 of Major Alpin Grant, of the Glenmoriston 
 Grants. He was born in Farintosh and was 
 baptized by the famous Doctor MacDonald, 
 " the Apostle of the North," for whose memory- 
 he had great veneration. Mr. Fraser studied in 
 Aberdeen, where he won high repute as a classi- 
 cal scholar, and graduated from King's College 
 there. His tastes were scholarly, and he had a 
 wide acquaintance with English and classical 
 literature. At that time the writer was a pupil in 
 the Woodstock Grammar School, taught by Mr. 
 Strauchon. Mr. Fraser visited the school, and 
 found some of us trying to translate a very diffi- 
 cult Latin sentence in Horace. He took up the 
 book, at once cleared the difficulty, leaving us 
 with this sound advice : " Gentlemen, study 
 thoroughly the Latin Grammar, and you can go 
 through such a passage as this like a horse 
 galloping." Here is a pointer for our young 
 students to-day ; study well your grammar, and 
 in every department of life remember how im- 
 portant that the foundation be well laid. 
 
 His special subject of study, however, was the 
 
AT THAMESFORD 327 
 
 Word of God ; and so proficient did he become 
 in that department of sacred learning that he 
 not only seemed able to repeat most of the 
 scriptures, but he had studied critically nearly 
 every portion of the Old and New Testaments. 
 It was a rare treat to hear him discourse in 
 private regarding the contents of one of the 
 books of the Bible, especially Paul's epistles. 
 
 Mr. Fraser came to this country in 1845 as 
 one of the pioneer missionaries of the Free 
 Church. His first charge was Melbourne, Que., 
 from which he passed successively to the follow- 
 ing charges in Ontario : Cornwall, St. Thomas, 
 Thamesford, Kincardine, and Indian Lands. 
 
 His induction into Thamesford was on 
 April 4th, 1859, and his resignation in July 
 1866. Prior to his settlement here, he taught 
 for some time the St. Thomas Grammar 
 School, at the same time supplying neighbor- 
 ing pulpits. For two years he thus preached 
 at Wallacetown, travelling each week, for the 
 most part on horseback, a distance of 36 miles, 
 and receiving for his work the little "copper" 
 
328 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 collection, which was frequently less than he 
 had to pay for his horse. 
 
 In the home, his life was very tender and 
 affectionate. " He was dearer to me, " writes a 
 member of his family, "than ever I made 
 known. I have read McCheyne, Paton, and 
 Drummond, but in the memory of my father I 
 find more to impress upon me the grand worth 
 of character and godliness than books could 
 ever teach. " 
 
 Concerning Mr. Eraser's social qualities, I will 
 quote at length from a letter by one of his 
 most intimate ministerial friends : 
 
 "We knew Mr. Fraser in both his public 
 capacity, and private conversation ; and much 
 as we appreciated his public ministrations in 
 pulpit, we enjoyed his private conversation still 
 more. For my part I do not expect again to 
 meet one whose practical knowledge of the 
 whole system of revealed truth was so com- 
 plete. His natural endowments, early re- 
 ligious training, culture, scholarship, and still 
 higher, the illumination of the Spirit enlighten- 
 ing and guiding him into all truth, — all com- 
 
SOCIAL QUALITIES 329 
 
 bined, qualified him for the glorious work in 
 which he spent his life and exhausted his 
 strength, although not unwillingly, above the 
 most, even of his fellow laborers in the Master's 
 vineyard. His simplicity and gentleness were 
 traits of character rarely to be met with. The 
 Christian manner in which he always spoke of 
 those who opposed him, or did him an 
 injury, or caused him trouble, was of the 
 highest order. I have more than once said to 
 my wife. I wonder will we see a minister like 
 Mr. Fraser any more ? The last time we had 
 the privilege of entertaining him, he was as 
 interesting as ever, although in delicate health. 
 His interest in the Bible, in the Church, in theol- 
 ogy, and in all pertaining to the salvation of 
 of souls, and the glory of God, and the honor of 
 his Master was unabated. Well do we remem- 
 ber how his pleasant face would beam with 
 celestial radiance, when a fresh religious idea, 
 or a new scripture view occupied his mind." 
 
 Mr. Fraser was a good platform speaker, 
 and frequently gave addresses on astronomy, 
 botany, etc., and while his subject may not al- 
 
330 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 ways have been studied with scientific accuracy, 
 his fine appearance, beautiful diction, and re- 
 markable fluency never failed to command 
 admiration. 
 
 But the pulpit was his throne. As observed, 
 his personal appearance was striking; he was 
 somewhat above the ordinary height, a florid 
 complexion, strong features, and a bearing 
 peculiarly solemn and dignified. As he en- 
 tered the pulpit and took his seat there could 
 sometimes be discerned on his countenance, 
 gloom and sadness as if the shadow of Sinai 
 were upon him ; at other times his countenance 
 was radiant with joy, indicating that the Great 
 King was giving him a royal message to the 
 people. " Amfac thusa mar a thog e shuilean}" 
 (Did you see how he raised his eyes ?) was an 
 expression not unfrequently heard from some of 
 the older portion of his hearers on their way 
 home from the church. 
 
 His preaching power did not by any means 
 show itself on all occasions. His wonderful 
 facility of speech- was a powerful temptation 
 to neglect that special preparation so necessary 
 
PULPIT UTTERANCES 331 
 
 to the gospel minister to-day. But when he 
 was at his best, and his theme the great cen- 
 tral truth of our religion, few could speak with 
 such eloquence and power. 
 
 "In the cross of Christ," said he, "justice 
 and mercy and all the attributes of the God of 
 glory met and kissed each other; justice raised 
 the flaming sword but the Mighty Shepherd 
 bore the stroke and paid the ransom price 
 and mercy triumphed. " 
 
 Preaching on John 12: 32, "And I, if I 
 be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men 
 unto me," he said : " As the lifeboat will attract 
 the sailor battling for his life amid the waves, 
 so long will the preaching of a crucified Saviour 
 draw men from their sins, to a high, pure, and 
 noble life. Other things may tickle the ear and 
 amuse the imagination, but only the preach- 
 ing of the cross brought home by the Spirit 
 of God, can change the heart, purify the life, 
 relieve the troubled conscience, and save the 
 soul. This is the only lever that will turn 
 the world upside down." 
 
 He knew the Highland heart as a musician 
 
332 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 knows his instrument, and could move his 
 hearers as the leaves are moved in a storm. 
 On Communion occasions what crowds flocked 
 to his ministrations ! The fact needed only 
 to be known that John Fraser was to preach, 
 and all classes, old and young, English and 
 Gaelic, would hasten to the place of meeting; 
 and all would be stirred into enthusiasm or 
 melted into sadness by the mighty power of 
 his eloquence. 
 
 He was equally at home in both languages. 
 Professor Blackie tells us that Gaelic is a 
 language which " few can speak and nobody 
 can spell." Mr. Fraser could both speak and 
 spell it well, and write it in penmanship of 
 such clearness and beauty, that the dullest 
 Sassenach could not mistake the letters. 
 
 Who that heard him will ever forget that 
 wonderful Communion Sabbath, when on the 
 hill-side in Dent's woods south of Embro, he 
 preached to an immense congregation, his 
 subject being " The last Judgment ? " Suddenly 
 the clouds gathered, there was a flash of 
 lightning, and then the roll of the distant 
 
A MEMORABLE SERMON 333 
 
 thunder. The preacher, with the tact and readi- 
 ness of the true orator, took the alarming com- 
 motions of nature around him to illustrate the 
 thunders and lightnings of an angry God 
 against his enemies on that " Great Day." As 
 he depicted with a full, rich voice, and in solemn 
 sentences, the terrors of the judgment day, and 
 called upon the stones and trees to witness that 
 he had set life and death before his hearers, the 
 impression was simply overwhelming. Sighs 
 and sobs and groans were heard throughout the 
 great congregation and many trembled as if the 
 judgment had actually come. 
 
 " Did you ever hear anything more powerful 
 than that, even from Dr. MacDonald himself? " 
 was the question put afterwards by an aged and 
 intelligent elder. 
 
 " That sermon will be for the fall or rising of 
 many in Zorra," said one. 
 
 " It will meet us again," said another. 
 
 In the church courts he seldom spoke, but 
 when he did speak, few men were listened to 
 with more respect. His anti-organ speech be- 
 fore the Synod in Montreal, on June 12th, 1868, 
 
334 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 during the debate on instrumental music, is 
 universally acknowledged to be one of the finest 
 dialectic efforts ever witnessed in any of the 
 church courts. The address as published in 
 pamphlet form is a classic worthy of preser- 
 vation. 
 
 I give some extracts from it here for two 
 reasons : First, because of the intrinsic merit of 
 these extracts ; and secondly, because they will 
 help to relieve the memory of John Fraser and 
 those ministers associated with him in opposi- 
 tion to the organ, from the unjust charge of 
 ignorance, narrowness or bigotry. None of 
 these men, so far as I know, took the ground that 
 the use of the organ in public worship was un- 
 scriptural. Mr. Fraser, I know, repudiated such 
 an argument. But they did take the ground 
 that neither the demands of God's Word, nor 
 the necessities of the church called for the use 
 of the organ in public worship, and that its intro- 
 duction was an innovation likely to disturb the 
 peace of the church, and do much harm. And 
 who will say that such an argument was not 
 tenable — that it was not consistent with breadth 
 
HIS ANTI-ORGAN SPEECH 335 
 
 of thought, spirituality of mind, and thorough 
 loyahy to the church. 
 
 But let us hear Mr. Fraser. In seconding the 
 motion against the introduction of organs and 
 hymns, he began as follows : " Nothing is more 
 out of place than the reflections which are cast 
 on Gaelic adherents of our church. Dislike of 
 these innovations is not a peculiarity of the 
 Highlanders ; and even if it were, is there a 
 heart in the Free Church of Scotland that does 
 not beat in unison with their feelings? They 
 feel strongly. It would be a wonder — perhaps 
 an unhappy indication — if they did not. It 
 would be, to me at least, the sign of an altered, 
 a declining loyalty to the church of their fathers 
 — of a declining piety. They love their church ; 
 they love her with an intense, a chivalrous affec- 
 tion. The very rocks and water-falls of their 
 native glens are holy for her sake. Cradled in 
 their northern hills, where Presbyterianism has 
 had for ages the whole field to itself, they know 
 no church but one ; and sad and untimely is the 
 legislation that would sorely aggrieve and alien- 
 ate the hearts of that faithful and ardent people 
 
336 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 by the'engraftment, in the face of their conscien- 
 tious protests, of a foreign element on the ser- 
 vice of our sanctuaries, against which the Presby- 
 terian sentiment of Scotland is so strong as to 
 be proverbial." .... 
 
 " Call it ignorance, if you will — or obstinacy, 
 or bigotry, or rustic prejudice, that our people 
 love their church with a devotion so deep, so 
 true, as that you are not able to bend it to an 
 acquiescence in changes which violate the sim- 
 plicity of a service enshrined by holy memories 
 in their fondest veneration. Is that a thing 
 to be deplored, to be treated with indignation, 
 to be held up for satire, for the taunts and acer- 
 bity of an oratorical invective ? " 
 
 Fear having been expressed that if the organ 
 was not introduced our young people would in 
 large numbers leave the church, Mr. Fraser, with 
 great warmth and power, replied as follows : 
 " It is argued that without the magic power of 
 instrumental music the great body of our young 
 people will fall away from the communion of the 
 church, attracted by the popular and splendid 
 entertainments of other denominations. This, 
 
WHAT THE CHURCH NEEDS 337 
 
 sir, if true, would be a dark prospect. But I do 
 not believe it. What ! do they mean to assure 
 us that the pulpits of our church are so deficient 
 in the great attributes of power and attractive- 
 ness as that we must be driven to the fantastic 
 expedient of an organ and orchestra in order to 
 keep our young people in steady adherence to 
 our cause ? Does Brownlow North need the 
 echoing harmonies of a pipe or chord when he 
 draws out to heaths and mountain hollows, the 
 tens of thousands that hang on the gospel sim- 
 plicity of his ministration ? Was it an organ 
 that filled the aisles of St. Peter's Church in 
 Dundee ; or was it the glowing earnestness of 
 Robert Murray McCheyne. 
 
 If we would have a devoted people — a happy, 
 living, vigorous church we must depend on an 
 influence of another character than the fine 
 music, or the flashing oratory that regales the 
 fancy, and wakes up the thrill of fleeting emo- 
 tional transport; we must rely on the purity of her 
 doctrines, the efficiency of her ordinances, and 
 the apostolic fervor of her pastors; on the descent 
 of a " power," and a " glory " that would make 
 22 
 
338 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 her tabernacles the birth-place of souls. It is 
 then that our people would love our Zion as 
 " the perfection of beauty," " their chiefest joy," 
 their " resting place," their " home." 
 
 One more extract must suffice. 
 
 Mr. Fraser closed his address as follows : 
 " Sir, I would pour out my prayer for the peace 
 of the church, that God would be gracious to us, 
 and quell the agitation that afflicts us. We are 
 called to do a great work, to lay the foundation 
 in this vast country of the Christianity of future 
 ages ; and we cannot do it but in the power, the 
 quiescence of fraternal unity. Our church is 
 feeble, it is the period of her infancy ; why 
 shatter her strength with questions that gender 
 strife rather than godly edifying ? The sound 
 of an iron tool was not heard when Solomon's 
 builders were busy on the temple ; it rose amid 
 silent and harmonious activity, a dwelling place 
 on earth for the God of peace." 
 
 In 1886 he retired from the active service of 
 the ministry ; but still, though physically infirm, 
 he continued to preach the gospel he loved so 
 well, travelling extensively east and west, visit- 
 
HIS DEATH 339 
 
 ing his old congregations and friends ; and 
 everywhere, in pubHc and in private, holding 
 forth the word of life. 
 
 For some time Mr. Fraser had been in feeble 
 health, and was seized with paralysis in the 
 house of Mr. Donald Morrison, Thamesford. 
 He was tenderly cared for, and Mr. Morrison 
 accompanied him to his home in Montreal, 
 where he lingered in much weakness for a short 
 time, and then departed this life on the early 
 morning of Sabbath, September 24th, 1893. 
 
 Where the angels veil their faces, where the 
 elders cast their crowns, where the weary are at 
 rest, where the everlasting song is sung — there 
 reposes the freed spirit of John Fraser. 
 
CHAPTER XXI 
 
 REV. WILLIAM MELDRUM OF HARRINGTON 
 
 " I would express him simple, grave, sincere ; 
 In doctrines uncorrupt ; in language plain ; 
 And plain in manner ; decent, solemn, chaste." 
 
 — COWPER. 
 
 Rev. William Meldrum's connection with 
 Zorra dates from the year 1857, when he was 
 inducted into the pastoral charge of Harrington 
 congregation. He belonged to an intensely 
 conservative school of thought, and few of the 
 pioneer ministers exhibited more distinctive 
 characteristics. The present brief sketch can 
 give these only in a brief outline. 
 
 He was born in the parish of Abernethy, 
 Morayshire, Scotland, in the year 1 806, and was 
 educated at Aberdeen College. On being 
 licensed as a minister of the gospel, he at once 
 received a call from a church near the home of 
 340 
 
l;l-:\-. WILLIAM MKLIlKl .Al n|.' ILVKIMMiTl i\ 
 
PUSLINCH, VAUGHAN, ZORRA 341 
 
 his childhood ; but he felt that America was to 
 be the field of his labors, and so he set his face 
 westward. Arriving in this country in 1839, he 
 was soon after ordained and inducted as pastor 
 of the congregations of Puslinch and Nas- 
 sagaweya, Ontario. 
 
 Here he labored for fifteen years ministering 
 the gospel, not only to his own people, but to 
 many others in the regions round about, 
 especially to the north and west. On these 
 journeys he was frequently accompanied by Dr. 
 Smellie, of Fergus, Dr. Gale, of Hamilton, and 
 Dr. Bayne, of Gait. From Puslinch he went to 
 Vaughan, in the county of York, where he 
 labored for four years. From Vaughan he 
 came, as we have observed, to the large and 
 important congregation of Harrington in Zorra. 
 
 Shortly before leaving Vaughan he met with 
 an accident in which his horse fell on him, 
 breaking three ribs, and severely bruising his 
 whole body. He was badly injured, although 
 with the persistance of th^ typical pioneer, he 
 preached regularly and attended to his pastoral 
 duties. At times the bruised blood would run 
 
342 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 from his legs to his feet, until he was forced to 
 preach sitting down, and the people placed a 
 high chair in the pulpit, with a rest for his feet. 
 He was often heard to say, with great delight, 
 that during all his ministry he had never missed 
 a Sabbath. Harrington was his last charge, 
 although he preached in vacant congregations 
 and mission fields until 1876, when he retired 
 from the active work of the ministry. 
 
 As a preacher, Mr. Meldrum spoke with a 
 strong Doric accent, and in his matter he was 
 deep, rather than broad. He knew nothing of 
 that liberality which makes no difference between 
 truth and error ; and although in private life 
 affable and genial, in his pulpit ministrations he 
 was stern and decided. On one occasion, hear- 
 ing a student preaching loose, incorrect doc- 
 trines, he rose at the close of the sermon, and to 
 the consternation of the congregation, unspar- 
 ingly denounced the utterances of the young 
 orator. 
 
 His style was exegetical, without any pretence 
 to being homiletical. On one occasion he 
 consulted some of his prominent members as 
 
THE GIFT OF PRAYER 343 
 
 to their preference for texts chosen in the 
 ordinary way, or for a continuous course from 
 some book of the Bible. Preference was 
 expressed for the latter ; and so Mr. Meldrum 
 went to work, and continuously preached from 
 Isaiah for several years, without giving any 
 signs of completing the book. Hearing that 
 some murmured he wondered how any one 
 could take exception to the course they had 
 preferred, and to which he had so faithfully 
 adhered ; but when a change was suggested he 
 willingly returned to preaching from texts 
 chosen in the usual way. 
 
 His illustrations were in accord with the 
 genius of the Gaelic rather than the English 
 language; and while considered chaste and 
 appropriate in the former, would occasionally 
 be condemned by the more exacting taste of 
 modern society. 
 
 He was remarkably specific and powerful 
 in prayer, and had great discernment in the 
 selection of words to suit the occasion and 
 circumstances, entering sympathetically into 
 the interests concerned. There were some 
 
344 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 rich scripture passages which he seldom failed 
 to repeat in his public prayers. Few of his 
 hearers can ever forget the solemnity with 
 which he slowly pronounced, in the most ap- 
 proved Gaelic fashion, "Thou magnifiest thy- 
 self above all that is written. Thou art a 
 terror to evil doers and a praise to them that 
 do well." In asking the blessing at the table, 
 often there would be a reference to some re- 
 mark just made by a member of the family or 
 visitor. 
 
 His observance of the Sabbath would have 
 pleased the strictest of the Puritans. It is re- 
 lated of a rural Scotchman that, when he re- 
 turned home after a visit to Edinburgh, he 
 said, " It was an a^vful sicht to see the people 
 sae happy on the Lord's day." It may be 
 that Mr. Meldrum would not have objected to 
 his children being happy on the Sabbath ; but 
 beyond contradiction, his ideas of happiness 
 were very different from theirs. There was a 
 fine spring of water about one hundred yards 
 from his house at Puslinch, and even in the 
 hottest weather in summer, only one pitcher 
 
THE CATECHISM 345 
 
 of water could be brought from it on the 
 Lord's day. 
 
 In his family he was kind and tender, and his 
 memory is lovingly cherished by his surviving 
 wife and children. And yet, according to our 
 more modern ideas, the discipline of that home 
 was somewhat severe. On the Sabbath, after 
 public services in both Gaelic and English, the 
 family returned to the manse and partook of 
 dinner. Then the table was cleared, and family 
 worship was observed, — making three times 
 each Sabbath. After this the Shorter Catechism 
 was repeated. The older ones had to go all 
 the way through, and the younger as far as 
 they had learned. Mr. Meldrum would some- 
 times close his eyes and seem to be asleep; 
 but the mistake of a single preposition or a 
 transposition of words would wake him up 
 with a suddenness that alarmed the erring 
 one. At other times he would walk the floor 
 while the recital was going on, carrying in 
 his hand a red cane with an iron head ; and 
 quite often a rap on the head of the one who 
 made the mistake was a painful reminder that 
 
346 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 contributed to accuracy. The family knew 
 that the iron head was harder and heavier 
 than he supposed. The children had to repeat 
 all the Psalms in metre, Paraphrases, and 
 Hymns bound with them. Very faithfully he 
 attended to the catechising and pastoral work 
 of the congregation. 
 
 Most of his travelling he did on horse-back, 
 dressed in white moleskin overalls, buttoned 
 along the sides from top to bottom, with about 
 twenty-five buttons on each side. These over- 
 alls were removed when the formalities of a 
 service were required. He always had a good 
 horse, and was allowed to be a superior judge 
 of horses. Although never guilty of horse- 
 racing, it was almost a passion with him to 
 show the young "Jehus" that a minister could 
 take delight in having a horse as speedy as 
 any on the road. 
 
 He was wonderfully methodical in his habits, 
 and kept an accurate account of every cent re- 
 ceived and expended. He carried the silver in 
 one pocket, and the coppers in another. He 
 always washed his face before his hands, as he 
 
"WOULD MAKE A GOOD WIFE" 347 
 
 preferred the clean water for his face. At 
 family worship the Old and New Testament 
 were read alternately night and morning. The 
 Psalms were sung from beginning to end, about 
 three verses at a time; no Paraphrase or Hymn 
 was allowed. For private reading Mr. Meldrum 
 had the whole Bible marked so as to include so 
 much for every day of the year, and to read the 
 whole every year. This regularity he observed 
 for many years. 
 
 When about forty years of age, he married 
 Miss Anna McLean, who was several years his 
 junior, and the most popular young lady mem- 
 ber of his church. Shortly before his marriage 
 a prominent gentleman from a neighboring city, 
 whose heart had been affected in the usual way 
 by meeting Miss McLean a few times, but whose 
 Scotch prudence counselled extreme caution, 
 referred the matter to Mr. Meldrum, lest any 
 mistake should be made in choosing a life 
 partner. Mr. Meldrum in unmistakable lan- 
 guage declared from his personal acquaintance 
 he had every confidence that the young lady 
 would make an excellent wife. The gentleman 
 
348 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 ever believed Mr. Meldrum sincere in the words 
 he then spoke. 
 
 Mrs. Meldruni by her characteristic wisdom, 
 prudence, and executive powers was a true help- 
 meet in congregational, financial, and family 
 cares. Their large family, distinguished for 
 their piety, as well as for intellectual and social 
 qualities, bear evidence to the strong powers 
 they inherited, and the vigorous discipline 
 through which they were nurtured. 
 
 He was an advanced temperance man, and 
 as far -back as 1852, the church records show 
 how faithfully he and his elders administered 
 the discipline of the Church in the matter of in- 
 temperance, as well as in sins against the fourth 
 commandment. 
 
 Mr. Meldrum was a man of high social quali- 
 ties, and nothing could be more delightful than 
 Christian fellowship between him and neighbor- 
 ing ministers. Indeed, it may be observed of 
 all the pioneer preachers of Zorra that they 
 lived in unbroken Christian love and unity. 
 These ministers exhibited great variety of gifts 
 and graces, and differed widely in their manner 
 
DWELLING IN UNITY 349 
 
 of presenting truth. Occasions occurred that 
 might have given rise to petty jealousy and un- 
 seemly rivalry, but grace prevented any appear- 
 ance of unbrotherliness. Dr. Kennedy, in his 
 book, " The Days of the Fathers in Ross-shire," 
 tells us of two Highland ministers. The name 
 of the one was Fraser, and that of the other 
 Porteous. Fraser preached largely the law, 
 seeking the awakening and conversion of sinners, 
 while Porteous excelled in preaching the consol- 
 ing doctrines of the gospel, directing his remarks 
 to the comforting of the broken-hearted and the 
 building up of God's people. Each was faithful 
 according to the gifts bestowed upon him ; but 
 Mr. Fraser's people complained that their min- 
 ister preached the law so exclusively, that those 
 who sought the bread of life must starve under 
 his ministry, and they began in considerable 
 numbers to forsake their own church and to 
 attend the ministry of Mr. Porteous. But Mr. 
 Porteous, being a Christian man and knowing 
 Mr. Fraser to be on the whole an excellent min- 
 ister, spoke to him about it. Meeting Mr. Fraser 
 at a funeral, he said to him, " It gives me, my 
 
3SO PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 dear brother, grief of heart, to see some of your 
 people in my church every Sabbath. My elders 
 tell me that those who come to us complain that 
 you preach almost entirely to the unconverted, 
 and that the ' poor in spirit ' can get no food for 
 their souls. "Now, my dear brother, if the Lord 
 gives it to you, I pray you not to withhold their 
 portion from the people of the Lord, which you 
 could dispense to them as I never could." 
 
 " My dear brother," was Mr. Fraser's striking 
 reply, " when my Master sent me forth to my 
 work, He gave me a quiver full of arrows, and He 
 ordered me to cast these arrows at the hearts of 
 His enemies till the quiver was empty. I have 
 been endeavoring to do so, but the quiver is not 
 empty yet. When the Lord sent you forth, He 
 gave you a cruise of oil, and His orders to you 
 were to pour the oil on the wounds of the broken- 
 hearted sinners till the cruise was empty. Your 
 cruise is no more empty than is my quiver. Let 
 us both then continue to act on our respective 
 orders, and as the blessing from on high shall 
 rest on our labors, I will be sending my hearers 
 
THE END 351 
 
 with wounded hearts to you, and you will be 
 sending them back to me rejoicing in the Lord." 
 
 This spirit of mutual confidence and kindness 
 strikingly characterized the pioneer preachers of 
 Zorra, and it is worthy of being recorded as an 
 example to the ministers and people of to-day. 
 
 After leaving Harrington, Mr. Meldrum 
 moved back to his old home in Puslinch. Here 
 he lived till his Master took him on the 19th 
 day of November, 1889, in the eighty-fourth 
 year of his age. The night before, he worshipped 
 with his family around his bed, he leading in 
 prayer, and one of his sons conducting the read- 
 ing and singing. He is buried at Puslinch, and 
 a prominent monument near the entrance of 
 the cemetery, reminds us of the enduring monu- 
 ment which the Christian life and work of this 
 pioneer minister have reared, not only in Pus- 
 linch, but in Zorra and other places throughout 
 Ontario. 
 
CHAPTER XXII 
 REV. DANIEL GORDON 
 
 " War a good warfare, holding faith and a good con- 
 science." 
 
 — I Tim. i. i8, 19. 
 
 Our series of pen sketches would be incom- 
 plete without a chapter on Rev. Daniel Gordon, 
 of Harrington. For though the period of his 
 labors scarcely dates back to what is commonly 
 known as pioneer days, yet in character and 
 work he formed the last but not the least of that 
 noble band of seven, who did so much to build 
 up a sturdy Presbyterianism, and to mould the 
 religious character of the people in this district. 
 
 Rev. Daniel Gordon was born at Tummel- 
 side, Perthshire, Scotland, on March 22nd, 1822. 
 On both sides of the house he was, as the Scotch 
 would say, '' weel connec'it." On the mother's 
 side the lineal descent can be traced to the 
 352 
 
MRS. G(JRDON 
 
liEV. DAMKL GOKDOX OK HAl'.IU.XGTOX 
 
HIS CONVERSION 353 
 
 celebrated Stuarts of Fincastle, and through 
 them to Mary Queen of Scots. 
 
 In the sixteenth year of his age, and while a 
 student at the Perth Academy, he was brought 
 to a saving knowledge of Christ through the 
 preaching of Rev. W. C. Burns, afterwards the 
 famous missionary to China. Burns was at 
 this time occupying, in Dundee, the pulpit of 
 Robert Murray McCheyne, who was sent by the 
 church on a mission of inquiry to the Jews in 
 Palestine. It was a time of mighty out-pouring 
 of the Spirit upon the people. At Kilsyth, 
 Dundee, Perth, and the regions round about, 
 great meetings were held from night to night, and 
 many souls were saved. " It pleased God," says 
 McCheyne (Memoir, p. 282), " to bring an 
 awfully solemn sense of divine things over the 
 minds of men. It was, indeed, the day of our 
 merciful visitation." 
 
 Mr. Gordon, the subject of our sketch, entered 
 fully into the spirit of the revival, and travelled 
 for a time, from place to place, with Mr. Burns ; 
 and although only sixteen years of age, assisted 
 in the good work. May we not in large measure 
 23 
 
354 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 trace the strong evangelical views of doctrine 
 and the fervor of delivery which have ever char- 
 acterized Mr. Gordon's ministry, to the powerful 
 spiritual impluse his nature received at the time 
 of his awakening ? 
 
 A letter he received at this time from Mr. 
 Burns is full of interest. It is dated, Dowally, 
 June i6th, 1841. In glowing language Mr. 
 Burns refers to the work of grace in which he 
 was engaged. After mentioning a number of 
 students he had met the Sabbath before, he 
 adds, " May Jehovah keep them and you and 
 me in the hollow of His nail-pierced hand, and 
 then we shall be safe, and shall shine as the 
 stars forever and ever. Oh, Daniel, keep near 
 to Christ ! Be like him whose name you bear. 
 The decree of a king could not keep him from 
 entering into his chamber, and with his window 
 open toward Jerusalem praying three times a 
 day ! Surely he had found his noonday season 
 of prayer precious, when he would not give up 
 even it to save himself from the jaws of the 
 lions ! May you find Jesus as sweet and as near 
 as he did, and be made fit through divine grace 
 
HE SAILS FOR CANADA 355 
 
 to serve Him even in the days of desolating 
 trials." What a prophetic significance it imparts 
 to these last words, when we remember that 
 within two years from the time they were 
 penned, the disruption of the Church of Scotland 
 took place. And was not the prayer of Burns 
 for Daniel Gordon wonderfully answered ? 
 Who that knows the character and work of 
 Gordon but will testify that even " the decree of 
 a king " could not prevent him worshipping and 
 serving his God ? 
 
 In 1840 Gordon entered Marshall College, 
 Aberdeen, and here completed his Arts course 
 in 1844. In 1845 he entered the Free Church 
 Assembly Hall, Aberdeen, where he studied 
 theology for three years. Then going to Edin- 
 burgh he studied for two years longer under 
 such professors as Buchanan, Cunningham, 
 Duncan, Candlish, and Fleming. 
 
 On July 1 2th, 1849, he was licensed by the 
 Presbytery of Dunkeld, and in the following 
 month he set sail for Canada. He came here 
 under the auspices of the Colonial Committee 
 of the Free Church of Scotland. 
 
3S6 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 Arriving in Montreal on September 27th, he 
 was, without delay, ordained by the Montreal 
 Presbytery to the work of the ministry. 
 
 For four years he labored as an ordained 
 missionary over all the eastern townships, his 
 centre of operations being Lingwick, Que. 
 Like many of of the pioneer missionaries, Mr. 
 Gordon abounded in labors and privations. 
 Long journeys, scanty fare, preaching twice 
 every day for weeks at a time, marrying, bap- 
 tizing, burying, settling disputes, healing divi- 
 sions, organizing congregations, counselling and 
 cheering, and attending to the temporal as well 
 as spiritual wants of immigrants — these were 
 among the things that demanded his constant 
 care. 
 
 In 1853, Mr. Gordon received a call to 
 Indian Lands, Glengarry, Ont., which he ac- 
 cepted. Besides looking after the spiritual 
 interests of Indian Lands, he had the pastoral 
 oversight of the large district of country now 
 represented by the congregations of Maxville, 
 Roxborough, Kenyon, and Apple Hill. The 
 country was in a very primitive condition, and 
 
HINDRANCES 357 
 
 the story is told of how, on one occasion, a bear 
 entered Mr. Gordon's log manse at Indian 
 Lands, and ate up a large share of the family's 
 provisions. 
 
 The first part of his ministry here was 
 greatly hindered by disputes between the Free 
 Church people and the adherents of the Old 
 Kirk, concerning the ownership of the church 
 property. Mr. Gordon, as representing the 
 Free Church party, was taken before the Court 
 of Queen's Bench. The trial took place before 
 Judge Day, and the the late Sandfield Mac- 
 donald was Mr. Gordon's lawyer. Like a 
 chieftain in the old feudal days, our friend 
 marched to Cornwall at the head of fifty stalwart 
 Highlandmen. He was charged with house- 
 breaking, because, contrary to the wishes of 
 half a dozen kirkmen, he had taken forcible 
 possession of the manse. To lose his case 
 meant imprisonment. But he and his friends 
 were triumphantly vindicated, and returned 
 home to engage in more congenial work than 
 going to law with brethren. 
 
 About this time also our friend was greatly 
 
3S8 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 annoyed by a preacher of the Plymouth per- 
 suasion. This man had already succeeded in 
 breaking up the congregations at Lochabber, 
 Lochiel, and Lachute; and he was now travelling 
 Glengarry, like Pat at Donnybrook Fair, chal- 
 lenging anyone to fight him. The people were 
 disturbed, and the faith of some was being 
 shaken. Mr. Gordon was no lover of contro- 
 versy, but he could not remain indifferent 
 while the armies of the living God were thus 
 daily defied. 
 
 He accepted the challenge. It was decided 
 to meet each evening for ten nights and dis- 
 cuss the disputed question under the ordinary 
 rules of debate. The first night came. At 
 least twelve hundred persons were present to 
 hear the combatants. We cannot go into 
 particulars. Suffice it to say that Mr. Gordon, 
 surrounded by his Glengarry Highlanders, 
 swept everything before him like a Western 
 tornado. The debate came to an end the first 
 evening, for the opponent never showed up 
 again. 
 
 After this, Mr. Gordon led the people in the 
 
TUt SPIRIT POURED OUt 359 
 
 erection of a large and beautiful church at 
 Indian Lands. His own people were liberal but 
 poor; and to raise the necessary funds he went 
 home to Scotland. His mission was cordially 
 commended to the sympathy and liberality of 
 the Scotch people, by such eminent men as 
 Dr. Guthrie, Dr. Duff, Dr. Candlish, Dr. Thom- 
 son and others. So commended, it was, as 
 might be expected, highly successful. 
 
 The opening of the new church was made 
 the occasion for earnest and persevering prayer 
 for an outpouring of the Spirit. These prayers 
 were heard ; and from 20th July, 1 864, till 
 August, 1865, "no twenty-four hours of the 
 whole year passed away that the walls of that 
 sacred house did not resound with the voice 
 of praise and prayer." Night after night the 
 place was packed. There were many enquirers. 
 Mr. Gordon took charge of the young men, 
 Mrs. Gordon looked after the young women, 
 and the elders talked with the old people. 
 Many were born again, and upwards of one 
 hundred were added to the church. Among 
 them were not a few who afterwards studied 
 
360 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 for the ministry and most of whom are still 
 living. The following names may be given: 
 Rev. Colon McKeracher, Rev. D. McKeracher, 
 Rev. D. McRae, of British Columbia; Rev. D. 
 B. McRae, of Collingwood; Rev. Mr. Beniiett, 
 of Montreal, Rev Mr. McGregor, and Rev. 
 James Stewart. 
 
 Mr. Gordon was inducted into the charge of 
 the Harrington congregation on July 4th, 1871. 
 Here for nineteen years he labored earnestly 
 and effectively, preaching three times each 
 Sabbath — first a Gaelic service, then imme- 
 diately after, an English service, and then 
 English service in the evening. For the first 
 eight years, the evening service was held one 
 Sabbath in the church, the next in Mr. Mc- 
 Lean's bush, east of the village, and the next 
 in Mr. Murray's orchard, to the west. These 
 outdoor meetings were largely attended, and 
 greatly enjoyed by preacher and people. Many 
 will long remember the powerful voice borne 
 on the still evening air, warning, pleading, ex- 
 horting with all fidelity and affection. 
 
 In stature, Mr. Gordon lacked less than an 
 
AS A PREACHER 361 
 
 inch of six feet, straight as a needle, and 
 miHtary in his bearing. His eyes, usually of 
 a soft, melting blue, sometimes in the pulpit 
 fairly blazed with excitement. 
 
 As a preacher he was sui generis and paid little 
 attention to the ordinary rules of homiletics. 
 He was a thorough Calvinist, seldom preaching 
 without keeping the distinctive Calvinistic doc- 
 trines prominently in the front. His oratory 
 was not the gentle, flowing stream, but the 
 rushing, roaring torrent. He frequently took 
 his manuscript or notes into the pulpit, but 
 after the first few minutes, he forgot all about 
 them. He was not what is usually called a 
 textual preacher, but he said many good things 
 and expressed many grand evangelical truths in 
 his sermon, and was regarded by his own people 
 as a good preacher. 
 
 He was practical to a fault. Once, preaching 
 on " Wheat and Chaff," he observed some of his 
 congregation listless. Suddenly he stopped and 
 shouted, " Wheat ! Wheat, $1.75 per bushel in 
 Stratford ! Instantly every eye was open and 
 every head raised. " Ah,'' said the preacher, I 
 
362 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 don't know what wheat is in Stratford, but I see 
 you all wake up when you hear about money ; 
 but when I offer you first class wheat out of 
 God's own granary, you are indifferent, and go 
 to sleep." Needless to say there were no more 
 sleepers that day. 
 
 In one of his congregations before coming to 
 Harrington, some of the people allowed their 
 dogs to accompany them to the church. This 
 was a great nuisance, and one morning when the 
 canines were present in great numbers, Mr. 
 Gordon, after announcing the text, said in a 
 calm, dispassionate, but firm tone, "In dealing 
 with this text we will first and foremost put out 
 the dogs." The thing was done as speedily as 
 possible, and a wholesome lesson taught Mr. 
 Gordon's Highlanders. 
 
 At another place some of the people were in 
 the habit of coming late to church, and what was 
 still more annoying to the preacher, the whole 
 congregation would turn round to see the late 
 comer. On one of these occasions Mr. Gordon 
 exclaimed, " Brethren, never mind turning 
 
ENCOUNTERS KING DODDS 363 
 
 round ; it's J. B and his new wife ; I mar- 
 ried them last Wednesday." 
 
 Preaching on Zacchseus he described him as 
 a " duine beag bronach cosmhuil ri Ian so " point- 
 ing to his light-weight precentor, (a weak little 
 man like John here). 
 
 Nature was to him an open book which he 
 loved to read. Once when attending the Gen- 
 eral Assembly at Winnepeg, he went with 
 others across the prairies. One day looking out 
 of the car window across the vast expanse, he 
 exclaimed, " It's all mine " (stretching out his 
 hand). When every eye in the car was upon 
 him, he said, " All things are yours," etc. 
 
 He held strong views on the temperance ques- 
 tion, and was not afraid to announce them. 
 When, in 1884, the Canadian Temperance Act 
 was being submitted in Oxford, Mr. Gordon 
 was among its foremost advocates. One night 
 the meeting was in Kintore church. Both 
 sides were announced to speak. E. King Dodds 
 appeared on behalf of the liquor men, to oppose 
 the measure. The church was packed full. 
 Many clergymen of different denominations 
 
364 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 were present. It was arranged that a number 
 of ministers would speak, then King Dodds 
 would reply, after which Mr. Gordon would 
 give the closing speech. He did, and the scene 
 will never be forgotten. He dealt with the 
 whiskey champion's pleas for licensed bar-rooms, 
 and as he went on depicting the domestic 
 brutality and destruction, temporal and eternal, 
 of the liquor traffic, he warmed up to his subject, 
 his eyes glared like a tiger's, his voice roared 
 like a lion's, his hands gesticulated like a mad- 
 man's. He fairly danced with excitement. 
 
 " My soul," exclaimed he, " abhors this traffic 
 in the bodies and souls of men ; God could not 
 be God if He didn't hate it, and there can be no 
 devil who doesn't love it. And shall we con- 
 tinue to license and protect it ? In behalf of 
 childhood and womanhood and manhood ; in 
 behalf of the gospel of Christ I appeal to you 
 my friends against this enemy of our race, this 
 demon of hell." 
 
 Under this terrific fire the liquor champion 
 cowered, and left the platform, and took his seat 
 near the door. But Mr. Gordon, still pouring 
 
A MANLY MAN 365 
 
 forth a torrent of denunciation, soon followed 
 him. The crowd cheered vociferously, and 
 King Dodds, concluding that under the circum- 
 stances absence of body was better than presence 
 of mind, quickly seized his hat and fled from 
 the building. But the excitement was too great 
 for Mr. Gordon, who suffered for weeks after 
 with nervous prostration. 
 
 Mr. Gordon has been described in one of our 
 church papers as " one of the manliest men that 
 ever served the Presbyterian Church in Canada." 
 " He could, and often did," continues the same 
 writer, " stand up alone for his convictions." 
 
 He was often called to contend earnestly for 
 the faith, but to a wonderful degree he was able 
 to eliminate offensive personalities from the dis- 
 cussion, and never did he emerge from the con- 
 test with besmirched garments. 
 
 The late Samuel Wilberforce, Lord Bishop of 
 Oxford, was a very learned ecclesiastic, and 
 quite a polemic. He was, however, a man of 
 polished manners, and very courtly address. 
 Indeed, many regarded him as too disposed to 
 say pleasant things, and so he came to be 
 
366 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 dubbed " Soapy Sam." One day he was the 
 guest in some great house, when a child, noways 
 awed by his greatness, ran up to him, and asked, 
 " Why do people call you ' Soapy Sam ? ' " 
 
 He took the question good-naturedly, and 
 placing the child on his knee, said, " I will tell 
 you, my darling. It is because I very often get 
 into hot water, but always come out clean ! " 
 So our friend, Mr. Gordon was frequently in hot 
 water, but we have never heard of an instance 
 when he did not come out clean. 
 
 Mr. Gordon, while faithful, was kind and 
 generous in dealing with offenders. John G., 
 an adherent of his congregation, was a victim of 
 strong drink. One day Mr. Gordon found him 
 lying drunk in the ditch. He took him up, 
 shook him well, asking him, " What brought you 
 here John? The drunken man made prompt 
 and correct answer, " Hic-hic — sin, Mr. Gordon, 
 sin." 
 
 On another occasion he found the same man 
 paralyzed with drink. He took him to the 
 manse, put him to bed, and next morning the 
 
HIS TENDERNESS 367 
 
 drunkard woke up amazed to find that he had 
 slept all night in his minister's house. 
 
 A poor girl, a member of his church, had been 
 betrayed ; but her betrayer made what repar- 
 ation was in his power by marrying her. How- 
 ever, both had to appear before the session. 
 There were a number of " Lachlan Campbells " 
 in that session. Many severe things were said, 
 and it was proposed to expel the guilty couple. 
 Mr. Gordon, for a time, listened in silence to all 
 the hard speeches ; but he could stand it no 
 longer, and with tears streaming down his 
 cheeks he sprang to his feet, stood by the poor 
 weeping woman, and shaking his fist defiantly 
 at his elders, exclaimed, " Let him that is with- 
 out sin cast the first stone at her." 
 
 In private life he was extremely warm- 
 hearted and loveable. A few weeks ago the 
 writer interviewed him at his present home in 
 London, Ont. I found him recovering from 
 severe illness, but bright and cheerful, rejoicing 
 in the Lord. He talked of Dr. Willis, the 
 keenest logician the Canadian Church has ever 
 had ; of Dr. Chalmers, the great Free Church 
 
368 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 leader in Scotland ; and of W. C. Burns, the 
 famous missionary, to whom under God he owed 
 his conversion. He spoke hopefully of the 
 Canadian Church to-day. Then he took down 
 his bagpipes, the gift to his father from the late 
 Duke of Gordon, and played with spirit that 
 pibroch that never fails to stir the Highland 
 heart — " Mackintosh's Lament." It was a fine 
 scene, not readily to be forgotten, the old man 
 approaching his four score years, buoyant as a 
 boy, and happy as if already by anticipation in 
 heaven. Before separating, we, on our knees, 
 commended each other to God and to the Word 
 of His grace. 
 
 In the portrait, at the beginning of this 
 chapter, Mrs. Gordon appears with her husband. 
 She is well entitled to this place for in the 
 highest sense she was his "better half" She 
 was a woman of excellent education and lofty 
 piety. Her quiet and pleasant manner, and the 
 kindly interest she took in the concerns of the 
 congregation endeared her very much to the 
 hearts of the people. The existence of " Gordon 
 Mission Bands " in the Presbyteries of Stratford, 
 
•MRS. GORDON 369 
 
 Paris, and other places will continue as monu- 
 ments to her memory. She belonged to a highly 
 intellectual family, including the late Robertson 
 Smith, Professor of Hebrew in Cambridge Col- 
 lege ; Rev. Andrew Murray, the author of so 
 many well-known works on the Christian life ; 
 Miss Robertson, a well-known author ; and her 
 own son Charles, an able minister and a brilliant 
 writer. 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Gordon were married at Sher- 
 brooke in 185 1, and until her death, in 1890, she 
 wrought to the limit of her strength, yea, and 
 beyond it, in doing the Lord's service — teaching 
 a Bible class that often had more than 100 mem- 
 bers in it, visiting the sick, relieving the poor. 
 She organized all the Presbyterian Auxiliaries of 
 the Women's Foreign Missionary Society in the 
 Stratford Presbytery, and many other auxiliaries 
 and mission bands throughout the country. 
 She will long be remembered. 
 
 24 
 
CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 PIONEER METHODISM IN ZORRA 
 
 " Give me one hundred preachers who fear nothing 
 but sin and desire nothing but God, and I care not a 
 straw whether they be clergymen or laymen ; they 
 alone will shake the gates of hell, and set up the king- 
 dom of heaven upon earth." — John Wesi-ey. 
 
 It was in the year 1823, early in the spring, 
 before the trees had burst into bud, or the 
 song of birds heard in the silent forest, that a 
 Methodist first set foot in Zorra. Not long 
 after came those brave pioneers, Robert Ford, 
 Wm. Land, Peter Alyea, Henry Larue, Barna- 
 bas Ford, David Ford, Isaac Burdick, Alex- 
 ander Sweet, John Gordon, Thomas Piper, 
 Grout, and Jacobs. A few years later Christo- 
 pher Williams, Ira Day, Benjamin Thornton, 
 Eldridge Gee, with their families, entered ; and 
 about the year 1 830, George H. Harris, Thomas 
 370 
 
CLASS MEETINGS 371 
 
 Couke, John Couke, John Wilkerson, Joshua 
 Youngs, Ralph Kent, Levi Warren, Horace 
 Dean, and John McDonald. They had come, 
 some from the land of heather, and some from 
 the United States, but all set bravely to work 
 to hew out for themselves homes in the wilds of 
 Zorra. 
 
 Their religion they brought with them, and 
 morning and night the Bible was read and 
 the Wesleyan Hymns were sung with as much 
 fervor as in the days, when, in the old land, 
 John Wesley held sway over the multitude. 
 
 Once in two weeks, the circuit minister ar- 
 rived, and service was held in school-houses, 
 dwelling-houses, or even in barns, where logs 
 cut and rolled there for the purpose, made sub- 
 stantial, if not very comfortable seats. Besides 
 these fortnightly meetings the scattered Meth- 
 odist families would, on stated Sunday after- 
 noons, join in a "love feast," followed by a class 
 meeting, at which one of the class leaders 
 presided. 
 
 On one of these occasions, a young man, a 
 stranger to the ways of Methodism, was pre- 
 
372 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 sent. The good woman who sat next to him at 
 the head of the class, was of an emotional 
 temperament. When addressed by the leader 
 she burst into tears and answered his kindly 
 questioning only with sobs. The young man, 
 expecting that his turn would come next, and 
 fearful lest he might be expected to follow his 
 neighbor's example, became visibly embar- 
 rassed. His confusion increased when the 
 leader, turning to him, gravely enquired of him 
 how he felt. Blushing violently, the youth 
 stammered forth, " Very well, thank you, sir ; 
 how are you? " 
 
 The difficulties under which the minister 
 labored few now can realize. The circuit em- 
 braced a district extending from Ingersoll to St. 
 Marys — towns which were then in size scarcely 
 worthy of a name, and the only approaches to 
 which were by Indian trails. A circuit of about 
 forty miles, he covered in two weeks, preaching 
 usually in two places in one day. In his saddle- 
 bags he carried Bibles, Testaments, hymn books, 
 and such other books as "The Memoirs of Dr. 
 Adam Clarke" and "Guide to Truth," which 
 
FIRST METHODIST PREACHERS 373 
 
 he sold or gave to people along the way. His 
 was a life of hardship and self-denial. His 
 salary of twelve dollars a month admitted of 
 few luxuries, and neither man nor horse fared 
 sumptuously on such food as the settler could 
 provide. During the cold weather the minister 
 slept rolled in a home-spun blanket in front of 
 the log fire of his cabin ; the one room of which 
 served as parlor, kitchen, and bedroom for the 
 entire family; but during the summer months 
 his nights were spent in the hay mow in the 
 barn, where, with the stars gleaming through 
 chinks in the roof, and often with the four- 
 footed beasts of the field for company, he slept 
 the sleep which only the toilers of earth can 
 know. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Corson was the pioneer Methodist 
 preacher of Zorra. A man of Pauline type, 
 he counted it no hardship to journey from 
 dawn till dark in the bitter cold of a Canadian 
 winter, making his way through unbroken 
 country, often with no path but a forest "blaze," 
 that he might speak a few words of cheer to the 
 
374 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 handful of people eagerly awaiting him at his 
 next appointment. 
 
 Following Mr. Corson, came Rev. Edmund 
 Stoney, a faithful preacher, in whose earnest 
 nature ran a quaint vein of humor. "What do 
 you think," he enquired once of one of his 
 hearers, " of that old prophet in Bethel, right 
 where the wicked king Jeroboam had estab- 
 lished the worship of the golden calf, and never 
 opened his mouth against it. He was an old 
 backslider. But the death of the good prophet 
 from Judah, caused by the old Bethel prophet 
 lying to him, may have brought him to re- 
 pentance." It was an attractive way of telling 
 the story. 
 
 Rev. Mr. Armstrong, the third regular minister, 
 was of a deeply spiritual mind. Often the con- 
 gregation waited within, while he, outside on his 
 knees, pleaded for the Spirit's presence, without 
 which he could never preach. Then when his 
 prayer was answered and he re-entered the build- 
 ing, it is said that none could listen unmoved as, 
 with his heart burning with love to God and 
 man, and his face all aglow with the very light 
 
THOMAS BROWN 375 
 
 of heaven, he told the story of Jesus and His 
 love. 
 
 He was succeeded by Rev. Mr. Pettit, and 
 later Rev. Mr. Holtby, Rev. Mr. Gray, Rev. Mr. 
 Wakefield, Rev. Mr. Kennedy, had in turn 
 charge of the circuit. 
 
 Zealously as these devoted Christians worked, 
 so large was the field and so scattered the 
 people that little could have been accomplished 
 had it not been for the help given by the local 
 preachers, or class leaders as they were more 
 familiarly called. Prominent among these was 
 Thomas Brown, of East Nissouri. His was a 
 peculiarly joyful nature, ever living on Pisgah's 
 height, and commonly known as " Great Heart." 
 At the love-feast, it is said, his voice was always 
 raised in thanksgiving. He was a universal 
 favorite, and so successful was he as a preacher 
 that at length he was ordained- After his death 
 a memoir of his life was published in book 
 form. 
 
 Another highly esteemed class leader was 
 George H. Harris. He was specially gifted with 
 the Spirit, and this appeared in his prayers. It is 
 
376 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 said by one who can recall his teaching that 
 " at prayer meeting he seemed to be in the 
 immediate presence of the Holy One and to lift 
 others with him." 
 
 Frequently on the Sabbath, Mr. Harris 
 preached on the i6th line, East Zorra, riding in 
 one day the entire distance there and back to 
 his home, a distance of about forty miles. Once 
 when asked by a friend if he did not feel the 
 journey wearisome, " Long ! " he exclaimed, " I 
 never find it so ; I spend the time in prayer and 
 meditation, and the distance seems as nothing." 
 
 Other local preachers were Isaac Burdick, 
 John Symons, Horace Dean (who afterwards 
 entered the ministry), Alexander Nasmyth. The 
 latter while serving his country as one of the 
 Edinburgh militia in England during the 
 Napoleonic war, owed his conversion, under 
 God's grace, to the preaching of a Methodist lay- 
 man, who was the sergeant-major of another regi- 
 ment. An extract from a biographical sketch of 
 Mr. Nasmyth, written by Rev. Matthew Holtby, 
 which appeared at the time of his death in the 
 (Christian Guafdiati of Pecember, 1846, gives 
 
ALEXANDER NASMYTH 377 
 
 some conception of the spirit of Methodism as 
 evinced in its early followers : 
 
 "About fourteen years ago, he emigrated 
 from Scotland to this country and settled at 
 Embro. He invited the Methodist people to his 
 place. A small class was formed of which he was 
 the leader ; every Sabbath he held a meeting 
 among the society and others, and read, sang, and 
 prayed, and made such remarks as he thought 
 likely to be useful ; and these services were 
 rendered a blessing to his hearers. He had re- 
 markably clear views of truth, a ready utter- 
 ance and a concise, pointed manner of expres- 
 sion. Few, indeed, could remain unmoved 
 while, with a heart flaming with love to God and 
 man, he would pray them " in Christ's stead, be 
 ye reconciled to God." Influenced by this great 
 principle, love, he was a stranger to sectarian 
 bigotry ; he was constant in his attendance on 
 the means of grace in the Presbyterian Church, 
 of which he was a member to the day of his 
 death. He was a man of much prayer, and his 
 stated times of private retirement were indeed 
 times of refreshing." 
 
378 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 His house was a home for the preachers who 
 travelled the circuit. 
 
 There were other influences at work at the same 
 time, moulding the character of the rising genera- 
 tion. One of the first, if not the first school teacher 
 in Zorra, Miss Nancy Brink, was an earnest, act- 
 ive young Christian, a member of the Methodist 
 Church, who, in the year 1824, taught in a log 
 school-house on the side-line south of where 
 Embro now stands. She would at times, after 
 school hours, plead with tears for her pupils to 
 come to the Saviour. A hoary-headed man of 
 God, still living says : " My first religious con- 
 victions were through her influence. 
 
 During a religious revival which was due 
 chiefly to the labors of Horace Dean, the girls 
 and young women who had been converted and 
 who were attending the day school south of 
 Embro, where the meetings were held, would go 
 at the noon recess down the hill to the edge of 
 the woods, and there hold a prayer meeting. 
 
 With rare exceptions, the Methodists were on 
 terms of only cool friendship with their Presby- 
 terian brethren. Between the two denomina- 
 
RELIGIOUS RIVALRY 379 
 
 tions there existed a certain rivalry which often 
 made itself apparent at unexpected times, and 
 sometimes under rather amusing circumstances. 
 
 Among the Lowland Scotch who came to 
 Zorra in the early thirties was a pious, liberal- 
 minded Wesleyan, who, in order that he and his 
 family might enjoy regular church privileges, 
 united with the Presbyterians, and became a 
 zealous worker in that church, although at the 
 same time actively employ-ed, as opportunity 
 offered, in supporting Methodism. The Presby- 
 terians viewed this course of action with silent 
 disapprobation for some time. Finally one of 
 the elders, also a Lowland Scotchman, decided 
 to put an end to this state of affairs. Cautiously 
 he approached the subject, " We've been think- 
 in', sir, a good time back o' makin' you an 
 
 elder, Mr. , but," with an ominous shake of 
 
 the head, " if so be that you become one, it'll na 
 do to be encouragin' they Methody folk aroun'. 
 Maun, maun," in a sudden burst of indignation, 
 " they're na fit for the like o' you ! " 
 
 A Methodist minister found occasion once 
 to reprove his people for their irregular attend- 
 
38o PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 ance at divine service. Unconsciously he paid a 
 tribute to Presbyterianism. "You want the 
 gospel peddled to your firesides," he said, 
 "while the Presbyterians, who don't claim to 
 have half of your religion, will walk ten miles to 
 listen to their dry preachers." 
 
 Dating from the visit of Rev. W. C. Burns to 
 Zorra, this feeling of rivalry gradually disap- 
 peared, until now perfect friendship and harmony 
 exist between the two denominations. 
 
 Slowly the little band of Methodists increased 
 in numbers. Other names, such as Father 
 Allan, John Adams, John F. Matheson, John 
 McCombs, the Rusts, Hallacks, and Dixons 
 were added to the roll. 
 
 For many years the old school-house at 
 Cody's Corners was . used as a meeting-place. 
 Three services. Episcopal Methodist, Wesleyan, 
 and Baptist, were held each Sunday. 
 
 There was one of these early preachers who, 
 although not a Methodist, but a Baptist, must 
 not be overlooked here. This was " Father 
 Beardsall," as he was commonly called. He was 
 a man of strong personality, and great devoted- 
 
METHODISM IN EMBRO 381 
 
 ness to his work. His home was south of 
 Ingersoll, but for twenty years he drove regu- 
 larly to Cody's Corners, and preached, with no 
 reward but the consciousness of doing his duty 
 and seeing the Lord's blessing upon his labors. 
 
 On one memorable occasion. Rev. Mr. Calla- 
 more, an Episcopal Methodist, was drawn into 
 a controversy with Elder Wilson of the Baptist 
 denomination. For three days the subject of 
 infant or adult baptism was debated in the 
 meeting-house, while people of all denominations 
 flocked to hear the disputants, many travelling 
 considerable distances. 
 
 The Wesleyans were the first to enter Embro, 
 meeting in the school-house which was situated 
 very near the site of the present building ; after- 
 wards meeting in the Temperance Hall, the 
 upper storey of a frame building, situated on the 
 corner of Commissioner and Argyle Streets. 
 
 In 1854 the Episcopal Methodists erected the 
 first Methodist chapel in the township. It 
 stood on the summit of the hill south of Embro, 
 a little frame building capable of holding not 
 more than two hundred people, but it repre- 
 
382 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 sented the loving toil of many days. Twenty 
 years later a comfortable brick church was 
 erected in the village, and the old building was 
 removed. The cemetery which surrounded the 
 little frame chapel is still occasionally used for 
 the interment of some aged member of a family, 
 whose desire it was to be placed beside the 
 honored dead of long ago. The hillock with 
 its many marble slabs with quaint inscriptions, 
 sometimes overgrown with moss or hidden by 
 the roses which have clambered over them, is a 
 place of interest to visitors to the village. 
 
 In the month of February, 1856, Rev. Mr. 
 Huntsburgher, who had come to Embro during 
 the previous year, began a series of revival ser- 
 vices in the Youngsville school-house. The 
 whole township became interested, and it was 
 soon found necessary to change the place of 
 meeting to Embro, where for six weeks services 
 were held. A number of the Presbyterian elders 
 joined heartily in the work, and many people of 
 all denominations experienced a change of heart. 
 
 Among these were the late Joseph Laycock 
 and wife, parents of the Rev. John Laycock, now 
 
A GOOD RECORD 383 
 
 actively engaged in Christian work as a minister 
 of the Methodist Church in the North-west 
 Territories. 
 
 The above short and necessarily imperfect 
 sketch of " Pioneer Methodism in Zorra " will 
 show that while this Church was not, for evident 
 reasons, the strongest numerically, yet she was 
 the first to enter the field ; and to-day she can 
 point with laudable pride to her brave men and 
 women who " loved God and feared sin, and set 
 up the kingdom of heaven " in Zorra. 
 
CHAPTER XXIV 
 
 ZORRA'S FAMOUS MISSIONARY 
 {Rev. George Leslie Mackay, D. D.) 
 
 " In these deserts let me labor, 
 
 On these mountains let me tell, 
 
 How He died— the blessed Saviour, 
 
 To redeem a world from hell." 
 
 One of Zorra's sons effected a revolution in 
 the Presbyterian Church of Canada. In the year 
 1854, Dr. Alex. Duff visited this continent, and 
 the result of his burning eloquence was the ap- 
 pointment of a committee for the establishment 
 of an independent Canadian foreign mission, in 
 connection with the western section of the Pres- 
 byterian Church. In the eastern section they had 
 already been aroused to action by Dr. Geddie, 
 and had begun work in the New Hebrides. But 
 a foreign mission committee and a foreign mis- 
 sion are not identical. Sixteen years had passed 
 384 
 
I!KV. (i. L. MAt'KAY, 1)11. 
 
 (ZIIHIIa's l'-A.M(ll's MISSIUXAKV) 
 
OFFERS TO BE A MISSIONARY 385 
 
 before they found the first foreign missionary. 
 Several attempts were made without success. 
 On three occasions calls were extended to 
 ministers whose Presbyteries refused to release 
 them from their congregations. 
 
 In 1 87 1 the Church had just one ordained 
 missionary, the Rev. James Nisbet, laboring 
 amongst the Indians at Prince Albert. It is 
 not surprising that the Foreign Mission Com- 
 mittee felt somewhat depressed, and so ex- 
 pressed themselves to the Synod. 
 
 But the turning point came. In June, 1855, 
 the members of the Committee had agreed to 
 hold a concert of prayer every Saturday even- 
 ing, and through the Record to invite the co- 
 operation of others, in seeking a blessing up- 
 on their work. These prayers were about to 
 be answered. 
 
 George Leslie Mackay, son of God-fearing 
 parents in Zorra, who had just completed his 
 theological course in Princeton Seminary, N. J., 
 offered his services to the Committee. His 
 mind was made up that his life should be 
 spent among the heathen ; but before apply- 
 
 25 
 
386 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 ng elsewhere, he felt it to be his duty- to 
 seek the patronage of his own Canadian 
 Church, and, if possible, lead the Canadian 
 Church into more aggressive work. The offer 
 was accepted, and it was agreed, after a good 
 deal of correspondence, that he should go to 
 labor amongst the Chinese in Forpiosa. 
 
 The English Presbyterian Church had be- 
 gun work in southern Formosa in 1863, and 
 they cordially invited the Canadian Church to 
 co-operate with them in that island. The pro- 
 posal was favorably entertained, but the Com- 
 mittee wisely left the final decision to the mis- 
 sionary when he arrived in the field. Strong 
 inducements were offered to settle at Swa- 
 tow, but Mr. Mackay resolved first to see 
 Formosa. He visited the Southern Mission 
 and then, accompanied by two of the mission- 
 aries, Dr. Dickson and the Rev. Hugh Ritchie, 
 he visited Tamsui in the north, and there, on 
 the 9th March, 1872, decided, with the full con- 
 sent of his companions, to plant the standard 
 of the Cross. Thus began the first foreign 
 mission of the western section of the Presby- 
 
FIRST FOREIGN MISSION 387 
 
 terian Church ; with it began a revival of for- 
 eign mission interest, resulting in steadily in- 
 creasing contributions, enlargement of the staff, 
 and expansion of the work. 
 
 Dr. Mackay is below the average height, 
 broad-shouldered, deep-chested, without super- 
 fluous flesh, of swarthy complexion, and has an 
 eye that never falls in the presence of danger. 
 Highland blood without alloy flows through his 
 veins. Under excitement his Celtic fire leaps into 
 flame, and his intensity is contagious. Audi- 
 ences are swayed and mastered by his fei-vid 
 eloquence, and sometimes angered by his fear- 
 less and direct denunciation of selfish disobedi- 
 ence to his Master's last command. 
 
 Immediately after his appointment he spent 
 some months visiting congregations in the inter- 
 ests of his work. The reception was not inspir- 
 ing. He afterwards spoke of that period as the 
 glacial age of the Presbyterian Church. Ten 
 years after he returned, and his reception was 
 enthusiastic. Immense audiences thronged to 
 hear him. The Church had somewhat awakened 
 to the importance of the work and to her new 
 
388 PIONEER LIFE liSf ZORRA 
 
 responsibility. This was largely due to the 
 story he had to tell. His mission was remark- 
 ably successful. His thrilling letters had been 
 read with intense interest. The narrative of his 
 work had been read and repeated and com- 
 mented upon in the pulpit and by the fireside. 
 The Church only knew him by name and longed 
 to hear and see the man whom God had so 
 signally honored. Fears were sometimes ex- 
 pressed lest the bodily presence might not sus- 
 tain the enchantment of distance. All such 
 fears were disappointed. He came and con- 
 quered, and returned to Formosa a greater hero 
 than when he had arrived. 
 
 One of the surprises to his friends on this 
 visit was that he had been able to keep himself 
 abreast of the times in literature and science. 
 He had collected what is regarded as one of the 
 best museums in the orient, and is himself 
 accounted an authority on the geological and 
 ethnological history of the island. Attention was 
 given to these subjects both to keep his own 
 mind in health and as a part of the educational 
 equipment of his students. It was on the occa- 
 
THE SECRET OF~ HIS SUCCESS 389 
 
 sion of this visit, and in recognition of his work 
 and attainments in scholarship, that the Senate 
 of Queen's College conferred upon him the de- 
 gree of Doctor of Divinity. Not always is that 
 distinction so worthily bestowed. 
 
 Not primarily, however, .in temperament or 
 health, or scholarship does his success lie. He 
 was born and reared in a home in which the 
 Bible was reverently read as a message from 
 God to man, and Mackay has ever regarded it as 
 such. What is written there is to him the Word 
 of God. " Go ye into all the world " was a direct 
 command to him from the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 and as such he obeyed. With as much confi- 
 dence did he accept the assurance that in going 
 forth the Lord would go with him and would 
 supply all his need. The simplicity of that faith 
 appeared when travelling across the continent 
 of America in his first outward journey. There 
 were no through tickets with such other facilities 
 for travel as are common now. He had to deal 
 with different railway companies and seek as he 
 could to secure such special privileges as were 
 granted. But when asked for his credentials he 
 
390 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 had none, and naturally turned to his Bible, on the 
 fly-leaf of which was an inscription indicating that 
 he was a missionary on his way to China. That 
 was accepted and the privilege granted. In 
 hours of loneliness by sea and by land, or in the 
 midst of a Chinese mob, he turned with the same 
 composure and simplicity of faith to the promise. 
 "God is our refuge and strength." He had 
 gone forth at the Lord's command, how could 
 the promise fail ? It seemed as impossible as 
 that the sun should fail to rise. His Highland 
 loyalty to the Word of God had never been 
 shaken in either cottage or church or college by 
 any of the doubtful and doubt producing dis- 
 cussions of recent scholarship. 
 
 To the faithful discipline of the humble 
 Christian home in Zorra, may in no small mea- 
 sure be traced the human side of the wonder- 
 ful work which God hath wrought in Formosa. 
 
 The island is liable to be visited at certain 
 seasons of the year with a deadly malarial 
 fever, and the natives often succumb in a 
 few hours. Dr. Mackay has suffered much 
 from it, and has, indeed, been frequently at 
 
LEARNING CHINESE 391 
 
 death's door ; but his iron constitution, along 
 with indomitable strength of will, has enabled 
 him thus far to withstand this implacable foe. 
 
 The story of Dr. Mackay acquiring a know- 
 ledge of a difficult foreign language is very 
 interesting. After several vain attempts, he 
 one day saw a dozen boys herding water-buf- 
 falo and made advances to them. They at first 
 fled. The second approach was more successful. 
 On the third day they stood their ground, 
 examined his watch, clothes, and hands, and 
 were ever after friends. He spent with them 
 four or five hours a day, and learned from 
 them more of the language than in any other 
 way. In five months he attempted his first 
 sermon in Chinese, from the text, "What must 
 I do to be saved ?" Several of these boys were 
 afterwards converted, and one became a stu- 
 dent and preacher. 
 
 The only house available had been intended 
 for a stable. It was on the side of a hill, and 
 through it streams of water flowed when the 
 rains fell. Here he slept and studied, dined and 
 received callers, who were uncomfortably num- 
 
392 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 erous. The haughty Hterati who, in China as 
 sometimes elsewhere, imagine they have ex- 
 hausted the stores of knowledge, would strut 
 into his room, look around with a curl on the 
 lip, take up the Bible or other book, look at it, 
 cast it on the ground with a grunt of contempt, 
 and strut out again. Pride comes before a fall. 
 Soon these same men ventured into a discussion, 
 and bye-and-bye discovered that there were 
 some things after all they did not know. 
 
 Amongst the many visitors came a young 
 man of more than ordinary intelligence who 
 asked many questions. He returned bringing 
 others with him for discussion, and finally ac- 
 knowledged himself a believer in the new doc- 
 trine. Dr. Mackay, anticipating the advantage 
 to himself and his mission of securing the 
 allegiance of a young man of character and 
 ability, had prayed, and in A Hoa the prayer 
 was answered. 
 
 The second Sabbath of February, 1873, is a 
 day of tender memory. It was but a year after 
 he had landed in Tamsui, yet five men boldly de- 
 clared themselves in the face of an angry mob, 
 
FIRST COMMUNION 393 
 
 and were received by baptism into the Chris- 
 tian Church. The following Sabbath, for the 
 first time, the Lord's Table was spread in north 
 Formosa. It was also the first time the mis- 
 sionary presided at such a service ; and to the 
 new converts it was a solemn and mysterious 
 performance. When the warrant for the or- 
 dinance was read, after the Scottish fashion, one 
 of the converts broke down completely, sobbing 
 out, " I am unworthy, I am unworthy." He 
 retired for a season, and after some time 
 alone, he returned and partook of the sacred 
 emblems. 
 
 With the blessing of God upon the faithful 
 labors of the missionary, and those associated 
 with him, the churches multiplied, until there 
 were over sixty in all, with a native pastor in 
 charge of each. "The taking of Bang-Kah," 
 as related in " From Far Formosa," is one of 
 the most thrilling missionary stories on record. 
 
 In 1884 trouble arose between the French and 
 Chinese in Tonquin. The result was that For- 
 mosa was attacked, and Tamsui and Kelung 
 bombarded. It was a time of great anxiety on 
 
394 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 the part of the missionaries. Every foreigner 
 was suspected of being in league with the 
 French. All Christians were, of course, supposed 
 to be allied with the missionary. Torture and 
 death were threatened against all converts. 
 Chinese soldiers ground their long knives in the 
 presence of Christians, and sometimes brandished 
 them over the heads of the children, and swore 
 that they would all be cut to pieces when the 
 first barbarian shot was fired. The first shot 
 was fired, and destruction of chapels, torture of 
 Christians, and looting of property began. At 
 Sin-tiam the mob entered the chapel, found the 
 Communion roll, and marked every member as 
 a victim. Thirty-six families at that once pros- 
 perous station were left homeless and penniless. 
 At Tamsui, during the bombardment. Dr. 
 Mackay was asked to go aboard a Brit- 
 ish man-of-war which had sailed into the 
 harbour for the protection of British subjects. 
 This he declined to do, preferring, if need be, to 
 suffer with his students and converts. After the 
 war, representations were made to the Chinese 
 Commander-in-chief as to the losses of mission 
 
NATIVE TEACHERS 395 
 
 property, and without delay or investigation an 
 indemnity of ten thousand Mexican dollars was 
 paid. At Sin-tiam and elsewhere better churches 
 were erected than those destroyed, and the 
 people said, " What fools we were to destroy the 
 old chapels. Look, now the chapel towers 
 above our temple. It is larger than the one we 
 destroyed. If we touch this one, he will build 
 a bigger one. We cannot stop the barbarian 
 missionary." 
 
 The policy of the mission from the beginning 
 has been to train a native minister. The greatest 
 work in a mission is not the conversion of a few 
 souls. It is rather the organization of a church, 
 an agency that will go on converting souls long 
 after the missionary has ceased his labors. 
 
 At Tamsui a college was built with funds 
 contributed by friends in Oxford, his native 
 county, and is for that reason called " Oxford 
 College." Alongside of it is another building of 
 the same dimensions for the education of women. 
 
 Dr. Mackay never visited stations alone. He 
 was always accompanied by a number of 
 students, who were taught by the way ; and 
 
396 PIONEER LIFE IR ZORRA 
 
 thus long before college buildings were erected, 
 academic work was done. Theory and practice 
 went hand in hand. They cultivated in the 
 chapels the art of communicating the truths 
 learned in their peripatetic classes. 
 
 In the girls' school women of all ages were 
 taught, some becoming Bible women, others 
 workers at home, and others the wives of elders 
 and preachers, each in her own way making a 
 contribution to the cause. 
 
 The experiences of the French invasion were 
 repeated in the recent Japanese war. The 
 enemy took advantage of the opportunity for 
 persecution and plunder. Many Christians fled 
 and many were slain, and the mission was 
 greatly reduced in numbers. The rebels not 
 only harassed the Japanese, but, as heartless 
 robbers, captured defenceless Formosans, who 
 had to be ransomed by friends or were tor- 
 tured to death. The stations where mission 
 work was not disturbed, were few indeed. In 
 the year 1897, there were 436 deaths and 227 
 removals elewhere. 
 
 These trying times were succeeded by the 
 
IDENTIFIED WITH FORMOSA 397 
 
 bubonic plague, which appeared for the first 
 time in Formosa. Locusts also appeared for 
 the first time, aud what is nearly as uncommon, 
 a drought that threatened starvation to many. 
 In 1898 much loss and hardship were sustained 
 by typhoons which completely carried away 
 two chapels ; three were utterly ruined, and 
 sixteen greatly damaged. There was much 
 loss of life through these various causes. The 
 mission has been tried as by fire during nearly 
 the whole of its history, but the missionary 
 does not retain the word "discouragement" 
 in his vocabulary. 
 
 This is amongst the most interesting and 
 noticeable of modern missions, and the name 
 of George Leslie Mackay will be enrolled as a 
 devoted and successful missionary, who has 
 completely identified himself with his work and 
 with the people for whose salvation he labors. 
 His wife is a Chinese lady who has proved a 
 true helpmeet. His two daughters are married 
 to two Chinese preachers. All his interests 
 are centred in Formosa and there will he end 
 his days. " He that loseth his life, saveth it," 
 is for such the amplest reward. 
 
CHAPTER XXV 
 
 WHAT SHALL THE HARVEST BE? 
 
 " Men, my brothers, men the workers, ever reaping 
 something new : 
 That which they have done but earnest of the things 
 that they shall do." —Tennyson. 
 
 The task I undertook is now nearly accom- 
 plished. I lay down the pen with mingled 
 feelings of disappointment and gratitude, — 
 disappointment because of the many imperfec- 
 tions of my work, and gratitude that I have 
 been enabled, during fragments of time snatched 
 from a busy pastorate, to speak some kind 
 words concerning good men and women to 
 whom we owe very much. The work has been 
 to me a very delightful one, causing me, in a 
 sense, to live over again the days 
 
 " When hearts were light as ony feather, 
 Free frae sorrow, care and strife ; 
 Before the clouds began to gather 
 That dim the noon-tide sky of life." 
 
 398 
 
FORWARD ! 399 
 
 The memory of the pioneers of Zorra is worthy 
 of being cherished ; the reader of the foregoing 
 chapters, will, I think, agree with me that these 
 humble toilers of the forest, though possessed of 
 little wealth or learning, yet knew their Bible, 
 cherished true love to God and a genuine sym- 
 pathy for one another ; and in laying the found- 
 ations of society in this new land, showed mar- 
 vellous industry, patience, perseverance. They 
 have bequeathed to us sound minds and healthy 
 bodies, a rich country, and a good hope through 
 grace. 
 
 But we must not live in the past. Our eyes 
 
 were not put in the back of our heads, that we 
 
 might be always looking backwards. Last 
 
 summer's sunshine will not paint the flowers of 
 
 this summer. We cannot live on memories. 
 
 The nobility of our fathers will not necessarily 
 
 make us noble. Changing Longfellow a little 
 
 I would say : — 
 
 " Lives ot good men all remind us 
 We can make our lives sublime." 
 
 And this is especially true when the good are 
 united to us by nature and by grace, and we 
 
400 PIONEER LIFE IN ZORRA 
 
 have their example and their prayers to encour- 
 age us. Shall we prove ourselves the worthy 
 sons of noble sires ? They died in the hope that 
 we would fill their places : shall not their hope 
 be realized in fact ? 
 
 What shall the harvest be? What will be 
 the record of the next seventy or eighty years ? 
 Will the future be worthy of the past ? As a 
 new country we have great opportunities and 
 great responsibilities. We are laying the found- 
 ation of what will yet be a magnificent edifice ? 
 Shall we not do our work well ? To change the 
 figure : — We stand almost at the fountain-head, 
 and can direct the stream. That stream shall 
 one day be a mighty river. Shall it be foul or 
 clear ? To drop all figure : — Canada will 
 develop ; and the question that should concern 
 us most is, shall she develop along moral lines ? 
 Will the Home, the Church, the School, the 
 Sabbath, continue to have the same warm place 
 in the affections of the generations yet to come 
 that they had in the hearts of our pioneer 
 fathers ? If so we fear not the future. Happy 
 is the people whose God is the Lord.