The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-07-13

zatiou; Of her superlativc confidence in
All omniprcscnt God; of her enthusiastic
devotion to the cause of the Indian mis-
sions; of her rcsolutc determination to
live or die at the post Of duty, the whole
audience was moved to tears.
All who at that moment saw and
heard the aged speaker could not but
admire the courage and Christian Gcvo-
ton that enabled and impelled those
servants Of the Lord Jesus to adventure
themselves into the midst of savagcry, to
sacrifice all the comforts Of civilization,
10 endure all manner Of hardship and
even death itself i'll order 10 amcliorate
the condition of the red man and be-
stow upon him the blessings of Christian
civilization and ultimately the gilt of
salvation.
In the year 1913 these missionaries
began their labors at Red and Cass lakes
and continued there eight years. Tie
aggregate results of this work ut these
mission posts were out Of all proportion
to what coald have been expected under
the circumstances. 1t was a grand SUE
cess through the blessing of God. In
1851 Mr.. Barnard came down the Red
river TO Pcmbina and thence to st.
Joseph when the first Presbyterian mis-
sion school was opened with IL few
pupils.
Mrs. Barnard's health continued to de-
cline. 1t was necessary for Mr.. Barnard
to take her to Fort Garry and the settle
ment of Scliirk in Manitoba for medical
treatment. The journey was performed
by cart. When no hope of life could be
held out and death was evidently fast
approaching, they set ont 10 return to st.
Joseph. Mrs. Barnard hoped TO live
l,ng enough to sec her poor children
once more, but this was denied. Wien
she could no longer endure the motion
of the cart, the tent WAS pitched and IL
messenger dispatched with all possible
haste across the plains to st. Joe to con-
vey her children to where she lay.
There she fought against death for many
long, weary hours. heightened out into
days of anguish, but the children delayed
their coming, she died without seeing
them. Net long afterwards the stricken
Barnard deserted Il speck on the horizon
of the distant plain; he suspected it
might he the messenger returning with
the children, and fastened forward 10
meet them. The elder, girl of eight,
said: Gather, how is my mother?"
The sad father replied: "llelen, your
mother is in heaven ooh y said the
child, "why could not God wait till got
there"
Nothing now remained but for Barnard
to return to Selkirk and bury his dead
wife, and, in the absence of another
minister, preached the funeral sermon
himself, and returned with his orphan
children TO the east.
Meanwhile, Mr.. d. L. Spencer and his
devoted wife were left in charge of the
work in st. Joseph. Now comes the
end. While Mr.. Barnard was absent III
the east, the Sioux became very violent
in the vicinity of st. Joe. Frequent
skirmishcs took place between them and
the half.brccds, in which the Indians
were usually defeated. One night Il
party Of the wary savagcs crcpt into the
outskirts Of the town, approached
,tcalthily the house of MIR. Spencer,
made II slight noise at the window to at
tract attention, wllereupon Mrs. Spencer,
who was up at the time attcndin; to the
wants Of an infant boy, drew the curtain
tsiGc to look out, when instantly the
indians fired several shots through the
,lass, one Of which passed through the
lcck of Mrs. Spencer, killing her on the
pot, the mothers life blood bathing the
acc of the baby boy. Spencer buried
lis nr.,tyrcd wife, took up his orphan
children and Started upon Il long, weary
Quincy across the wide wilderness for
lunic.
simultaneously Mr.. Barnard, WHO
olld not think of abandoning his In.
ian mission work, ate i having provided
IL asylum for his little ones, started to