The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-09-09

heart beat with JOY If l discov-
err any Indian on my road, al
my fatigue is forgotten, ant
when their smiles greet me at &
distance | feel as if were in the
midst of my own family. This
was at Twin Lakes, Marshal
kCounty, Indiana. then known by
the Indians as "Chi-che-pe, Gu
ti-pe.
OF the chapel exercises he
gives the following interS sting
account. AT sunrise the first
peal was rung; then you might
see the savages moving along
the paths OF the forest and the
borders of the lakes When they
were assembled the second peal
was rung. The catechist then in
an animated manner gave the
substance of the sermon preach
ed the evening before; a chapter
OF the cateChiSm was read and
morning prayers were recited. |
then said mass, the congregation
sang a hymn to Our Lady after
which | preached my sermon, it
being translated as | proceeded
by a respectable French Lady -
years old. who has devoted her
self to the mission in the capac-
ity of interpreter. The sermon
was followed by pater and ave
The next thing was confession
| which lasted till evening and
sometimes was resumed after
supper. At sunset the natives
| again assembled for catechism,
followed by an exortation and
evening prayers which finished
with hymn to Our Lady. |
then gave them my benediction
the benediction of poor Ben
Jamin. Many practiced frequent
communion. In the first three
weeks of my pastorate | baptised
eighteen adults and blessed nine
marriages.
But all this while a heavy
grief lay at his heart. ~IIe knew
that his JOY was to be short liv-
ed; that his dear Indians" were
soon to be taken from HIM and
banished to the far west. In the
bitter anguish OF his soul he eX-
claimed: Il shall have to level
the altar and church to the
| ground, and bury the cross
which overshadow the tombs to
save them from proclamation. And
those Christian souls will pine
away, deprived OF those Sacra-
ments which they approached
with SO much ferver, and lam
gushing under an unknown sky
where |, their father, shall be
unable to follow them"
Characteristics of Father Petit.
From a sketch of the Catholic
| Missionaries of Northern Indi-
ana published in Ave Maria
many years ago, the following in
regard to Father Petit will be
of special interest in this connec-
ton:
"All agree in saying that an
interchangeable and burning zeal
| never was seen under more
graceful and amiable form than
in Rev Father Petit. We never
knew him, but after repeatedly
visiting his admirable mother
| and brothers in Rennes, we read
lily formed an idea of the lovely
and winning qualities of the dear
departed missionary.
HE had literally become a
sort OF idol among his beloved
savages, whose frankness and
childlike simplicity delighted
HIM. In writing OF them his style
reveals a freshness of sentiment,
of gladness and love almost
without parallel In 1888 he
writes as follows. Here am in
my church OF Che-chi-pe Quit
| Pc This was the Indian chapel
at Twin Lakes How | love my
children and delight in being
among them. The ferver and
simplicity that reigns among
them is most touching and adj
mirable. On New Years eve
was asleep on my mat when the
loud report of musketry made
me spring up, wide aawke; it is
easy to make ones toilet when
one sleeps on mat. | ran to my
door when in rushed a troop OF
ndianS-men, women and chill
dren. who kneeling around me
begged my blessing for the New
Year. Then with happy smiles
they all came forward to shake
hands. 1t was truly family fes.
ival.
| Nov my cherished place ot
residence is in my Indian village
| (Menominee VILLAGE Here
have a grand habitation built o.
entire logs, placed one above the
other; in more than one place we
can see daylight through the
walls. My fireplace is large
enough to contain a cord and q
| quarter of wood. have no car
| pet and the boards OF my floor
are SO slightly fastened that they
| Weld to the pressure OF the foot
like the keys OF the piano to the
musicians fingers
But he had soon the sad pros
pect OF seeing his Indian mission
| destroyed. The Governor of In
diana had ordered troops to be
raised to remove by force the In
dians under his CHARGE at Twin