242 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



this is in itself a sign of life. Again we see the real 

 state of people's hearts and shall be able to deal 

 with them, I trust, with more wisdom. Last, but 

 not least, the people are realizing that to follow 

 Christ means more than a mere assent to the truths 

 they hear." And yet once more, a few days later, 

 concerning the same matter we are told : " Some 

 of the heathen appear utterly ashamed of their vile 

 ways, and will not, therefore, come to our meetings. 

 Indeed we have had quite a thinning out of late. 

 I am waiting patiently and asking God for special 

 guidance." 



There was yet another instrument which Satan 

 used during this season, one which is always power- 

 ful, especially with barbarous peoples, i.e., drink. 

 One of the Europeans was greatly to blame for 

 having supplied it to the Eskimos. He, however, 

 promised Mr. Peck to be more careful in the future. 



The winter set in with unusual severity. The 

 journals speak continually of " storms raging," of 

 " a week of stormy weather," of gales, of heavy 

 snow and such like. 



From Sunday, November 10, to Sunday the i7th, 

 it was " a fearful week, wind blowing and snow 

 drifting. The people are in want, and spiritually, 

 there have been some discouraging events. On 

 November 19, we had our house banked up with 

 snow. A wall of some five feet thick and ten feet 

 high was built all round. This was the work of 



