The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-31
a STORY OF COURAGE.

Not the least ndppy ol lHc iesoieS
of the Quebec tercentenary Is the re-
awakening of interest in the romance
of Infant Canada, both in that country
and in this one. 1t is story that Is
good to read, and for other reasons
than it's richness in the picturesque
and the active, a story OF, daring, OF
military proves, of adventure ana OF
unselfish devotion to a great cause, In
which figure for delectation and in
struction noblemen of France, ladies'
of high edgree. ecclesiastics before
whom a wide field for usefulness was
omen in their native land, all OF whom
eagerly renowned their homes and
associations to make New France the
perilous scene of their engrossing
labors.
Some sought the possibilities OF
trade; others desired to colonize: oth-
ers burned to carry to the aborfgines
the comforts and consultations OF re-
ligion; all made some sacrifices and
all faced death in several forms. They
went prepared for hardships and for
sufferings, and they came upon them
Those who escaped the sea faced the
natives: those who escaped the ma
tives experienced poverty and in many
cases starvation. But they did not
lose heart these French pioneers in
the New World-at least not for more
than a moment now and then. They
labored sturdily on, and have left as
their descendants of this present time
a great and growing race which gives
strength to the country in which 1t
abides and adds by it's industry to the
prosperity of the nation of which it Is
a part.
In exploration alone the French did
great work in Canada. The high
born and gently nurtured Champlain
not only laid the foundations of Que
bee the three hundredth anniversary
of which event has just now in par
ticular been celebrated, but he made a
marvellous journey across the coun-
try to the far waters of the Lakes of
the Hurons. traversing territory
very strange to him and successfully
making his unwelcome way among
people who looked upon him with dis
pleasure II not with luminosity. From
tenac went even farther afield, hoping
to find a water route to China. La
Sale discovered the central west and
showed the way to where are now Chi
cago. ST. Louis and New Orleans. De
Grosselier, son-in-law of that Abra-
ham Martin, who gave his name to
the Plains of Abraham, was in the
Hudson Bay country before the Hud-
son Bay company was chartered. lie
Verandyre was the first white man to
penetrate the Canadian northwest.
And along with these went heroic
women, some of them delicately nur-
tured ladies, who became either reli-
geuse or the heads of families in the
new land. 1t was heavy work that fell
to the lot of these, and amid great
dangers they did their duty we'll
Madame de la Peltrie, for example,
the first teacher; and Jeanne Nance,
who founded the first hospital; and
Marie de Incarnation, the first Que
bee nun: and Marguerite de Bourgeois,
who left ease and comfort to work
among the colonists; and Madeline de
Vercheres. who defeated the hostile
Indians when they besieged her in her
home These and other noble women
form very real part of the history
of Infant Canada, as do the Jesuit
missionaries who penetrated the will
derness to carry the gospel to the In
dams and suffered torture and death