The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1904-09-07
HE Never Had a Kirk"


MATHEMATICIAN is reached by train Lavant, and by
stage from there and north for forty miles into
the BUSH This brings to the Madawaska River
and into settlement of Highland Scotch Presbyte-
rams and French Canadian Roman Catholics, just
such characters as Ralph Connor describes in his
Glengarry stories In bygone days the hills of Mata-
watchan were richly covered with timber but every
thing of value has hoated down the river, and the
farmers who have followed the lumbermen gain little
than the necessities OF life from the scanty soil
The dwellers of the city hardly imagine the
primitive conditions of life which prevail in these
back townships.
Immediately upon my arrival l set myself TO make
the acquaintance of my people, and in the of
my visiting entered the home of aged Scotch lady,
Mrs. McLaren AS travelled on foot, l more often
followed paths through bush and across fields than
the regular roads, and in making cut across country
10 reach the home of Mrs. McIaren l stumbled upon
the burying ground OF the settlement situated
that convenience OF access from any public road could
scarcely have been considered in selecting the site
Mrs. McLaren received me i'll her humble home with
the cordially characteristic of the community and
soon listening stories of the early days of the
settlement told in her sweet Scotch tongue
Hers the only Lowand family in the district
Ma, naW she answered emphaticay, when l asked
her if she had the Gaelic Am pure Scotch
[ mentioned the little cemetery through which [
had passed in reaching her home and remarked upon
its isolated situation and by way of explanation she
told me this story: She and her husband with their
only son, David, lad of sixteen were the first set
tiers in the district The township had not been sur
veyed and it not till the following summer that
a survey party sent i'll to mark out the country
This party remained few days in the neighborhood
OF the McLaren homestead, and the surveyor in
charge OF the party took great fancy to the boy
David, and determined to have his company for the
summer. TO every objection made by the parents he
had an answer and after adding his offer of good
wages his promise to leave man to work in the
boys place he carried his point and David went away
with the strangers After absence of three months
the party returned to complete their work near
Davids home, and the boy took advantage of this op
portunity to visit his parents. During the evening
they took him out to show him how the work of chop
ping and logging had progressed. The boy and his
rioher stood at one side of the clearing while the
father stepped off the open space. AS they stood
alone David told his mother how he had been read
ing his Bible every evening to the men of the parv
and expoundng the Word as well as he was able
and he had had much pleasure in doing this that
he mad made up his mind to be minister Ave -
answered his mother and whaurll your kirk be 20
Ihe boy laughed and pointed to a large elm tree
standing on little knoll in the clearing which his
father had spared in the general destruction "There
mother, he said "by yon big elm tree" Aye, but
was proud O him." she said, ''but All said naethin.
The next day David went away to rejon his party
and his parents him alive no more. He was
brought home, wrapped in his blanket dead In
crossing little lake raft which the party was using
hdd gone to pieces and in trying save the life OF
one of the others David himself was drowned As
his parents sat in their cabin their hearts pun1bed
by their sudden bereavement, his father asked
Where shall we lay him away" and his mother
answered, By yon big elm tree that's whaur ne said
his kirk gauin' tae be-"
There they buried him, and in after year, when
there were more settlers and other deaths his grave