Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-11
AMONG SCOTCH FIsHER-FoLK.
Missionary Work for Those Engaged
in Fisheries in Northern Islands.

4A4SoAOAdAy !" Va n AOA 44SSO 41A6 o6VN
in Fisheries in Northern Islands.
From the British Congregationalist.
An interesting part of our work at this
season is that which is done in behalf Of
the women and girls who come to Wick at
the fishing season to handle the herring.
They gather in great numbers from Orkney
and Shetland, from Stornoway and the
western seaboard, and from the fishing
ports lying along the shores Of the Moray
Firth. The ministers of the town cooperate
with the N. e. Coast Mission in organizing
meetings In the market place and on the
braes for the fishermen. and Saturday night
and Sunday are busy with effort in that d.
rection. The ladies' committee Of the mis-
sion carry on special meeting on Monday
night for the women and girls, one of the
ministers presiding. 1t Is a homely meeting;
the invited guests, sitting with bare heads
and shawls Of subdued color on their shoul-'
ders, speak only in whispers to each other
while the ladies Of the committee serve out
the tea. While the tea is in progress they
talk more freely to each other, and here and
there a low laugh rises above the murmur
of voices. If you listen fntently you will
hear soft voices sliding smoothly over the
rough gutturals of the Gaelic tongue, and,
turning to locate the sound, you find
group Of quiet-faced girls who smile at the
pleasant words Of a tall, dark-haired young
minister. That Is the deputy from the U.
F. Church of. Nigg, in the Black Isle, who
lights up their faces with the sound Of the
Gaelic tongue. They are in foreign land,
and cannot speak our tongue, and his words
are as the sound of the wind on the heather
The program Is as homely as the meeting
Nothing imposing Is expected; the ornate
effort passes without comment, and the i'm
promptu commonplace often hits the mark.
quiet talk from the chairman, Rev. A.
Drummond, as chairman of committee
opens the proceedings. The subject is Jesus
Christ and personal salvation; our need Of
Him and His care for US. They are not
come together to be amused, and the speak
err feels that a touch of humor helps nothing
and a funny story would insult his audience
brook by the way" and nothing else viii
satisfy. Then young lady sings a SOLO
The harmonium lies invitingly open, but
none offers to use it., for some in the au-
none can enjoy the sweet-voicced. singer
without it's aid. The solo is soft, tender
appeal to believe in Jesus to trust all in
the hands Of Jesus. Impassive faces lead
moved, but the swaying forms of some tell
of the thoughts within stirred by Miss Hen
dcrson's song. Now 1t is the turn of the
| Gaelic folk and Miss Mckenzie, Bible read
err, gives out psalm In the ancient tongue,
| and instantly the majority are strangers in
| the land. The leader talks for some time
| in Gaelic, reading and explaining the psalm.
| then the old-world melody strikes up, and
| minor one, with strange cadences at times
| that strike the ear as familiar, and again
| one loses 1t in a bewildering wealth OF
| eerpi-tones and grace-notes. Involuntarily
the tears start to the eyes as the soft
voices rise to the higher notes, and one
seems to hear the poignant keen OF the
coronach or the shria challenge OF the pi-
/ broch. To us there was no voice nor Ian
| guage," but we felt the keen longing Of the
| highland heart. AS we sat and listened we
added words. If forget thee, oh Jeru-
| salem. let my right hand forget its cum
| ming"
/ From the lone Smelling on the misty island,
Mountains divide and world Of seas,
But still hearts are true, our hearts are high
| land.
And in dreams We see the Hebrides.''
It takes long time to sing a Gaelic
psalm, az each line Ia chanted BY the lead