The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-04-18

The most familiar missionary hymn
is From Greenland's Icy Mountains
and yet there is scarcely any mission
field of which 50 little is popularity
known. One reason. and the princi-
pal one, perhaps, is that the great
American missionary boards are not
represented there, so the news of how
the gospel has warmed the hearts OF
the natives of the cold regions has
not been Systematically spread abroad
in our land. Yet Greenland and other
fields within the arctic circle. have
witnessed sublime heroism and tri-
umphs.
Climate apparently has little effect
upon hearts, however much it may tell
on bodies. We find the people of far
thest North as given to sins of the flesh
as the natives of the warmer climates.
The North and the South, and all that
lies between, need the gospel of Jesus
to purify mems hearts and eXalt their
living.
Much of the mssiona1 - work that is
done within the arctic circle is to
American home missions, for the va
ried important Christian enterprises
that are being carried on in Alaska are
all under the Stars and Stripes. Alaska
has been the scene of great missionary
successes and great missionary hero
isms. Until the coming of the mis-
SiOnarieS, the natives were a squalid,
treacherous, sensual lot, and life was.
not safe among them. Today there are
| native Alaskan preachers, college bred
in the United States, who are pro-
claiming the gospel to their fellow
cOuntrymen. The native population OF
Alaska may now be said to be civilized,
except as the white man has uncivil-
lied it by his rum, gambling and other
vices.
The northermost missionary station
in the world. and the lOneliest, is in
these United States of America. at
Point Barrow, Alaska. The Presby-
terrain missionary there is reached only
once year by whaling vessel.
Those of us who unconsciously look
upon missions as an enterprise of the
present generation may ponder such Il
statement as this The Moraviaus be-
gan missionary work on the western
coast of Greenland no less than 40
years ago. On March 3, 1900, the mis-
sion was formally closed, all the paganS
having been converted.
One of the most up-to-date mission
airy enterprises is conducted in good
part within the arctic circle, and min
listers to EsltimOs and fishermen. 1t is
the Deep-Sea mission of DR.. Wilfred
Grenfell, who is a former college attn
Iete, student under Sir Andrew
Clarke, the famous surgeon, and the
scion of distinguished English fam
lily. He has mission ships sailing along
the coast of Labrador, and hospitals
and stations ashore, where he minis
terS in variety of ways to the bodies
and souls of these people whose lives
are continuous hardships One of DR..
| GrenfelPs ships is practically Il floating
hospital, with staff of trained nurses
aboard.
Missionaries in the Eskimos found
| as one of their obstacles the fact that
the language contained no words with
which to express religious truth, 50
destitute of spiritual life were the peo-
pie.
Cumberland sound Eskimos meet in
a snow church. Let us hope that it is
not cold in the sense in which some
churches in warmer countries are ac-
cused of being cold.
Probably the work of Missionary
William Duncan, at New MetlakahtIa.
with the Indians whom he has taken To-
That island, after leading them out Of
gross saVagery, is nearer to the social
lists dream of an ideal community than
anything that can be found in tha
w eStern hemisphere. If any man ia
skeptical as to the results of missions
let him look at the New MetlakahtIa
community, under the American fac
and be convinced