222 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



weeks after that there are gloomy reports of the 

 weather. " Blowing and drifting again. I could 

 not go far in the driving snow, but managed to 

 crawl into four Eskimo dwellings which were close 

 to our house, and speak a few words for the Saviour." 

 Again, on January 19, it is " a wild day. So 

 heavy was the storm that we could not gather the 

 people together, so we spent the day in study and 

 communion with God." 



Not only was this continuously stormy weather 

 a hindrance to the teaching of the people, but time 

 after time it prevented the fishing, and caused much 

 anxiety to the missionaries and great suffering from 

 hunger to the Eskimos. It is perhaps difficult for 

 us who dwell in the lands of regular sowing and 

 reaping to realize that we live in dependence upon 

 the promise of God that seed-time and harvest 

 should not cease. But if our lot were cast in the 

 icy lands above the latitude of 65, we should pro 

 bably put our hearts into the petition : " Give us 

 this day, and day by day, our daily bread." 



Who is proof, under the pressure of continued 

 gloom, against despondency ? Elijah was not ; 

 John the Baptist was not ; Timothy was not. Thus 

 we need not be surprised, but all our sympathy 

 should be awakened when we read : " From Sunday 

 the 20th to Saturday the 26th was a season of much 

 trial and deep spiritual conflict. We have had such 

 a number of wild days lately that our poor people 



