Winter Festivities 



for a night of gaiety. The table was uncere- 

 moniously turned out and a dance organized, 

 and then followed songs, recitations, and step 

 dances. It was astonishing how the hours sped 

 away, and the old couple declared that they should 

 look back with great pleasure to the surprise party. 

 Christmas, too, that season of peace on earth, 

 goodwill, and general rejoicing throughout 

 Christendom, was now upon us, and before de- 

 scribing our Christmas dinner it would seem 

 fitting to make some reference to what may be 

 called the spiritual life of the prairie. 



It may be frankly confessed at once that in the 



conventional sense, at any rate, this is at a low 



ebb. I am aware of the noble and self-denying 



! labours of many men sent out under the auspices 



I of the Archbishops' fund, as described in "The 



! Open Door," by Mr. Bickersteth, also of the 



i zealous work of those who may be termed the 



; apostles of the older Faith among the Indians and 



; others, and also of the strong efforts put forth by 



various other denominations ; but the fact remains 



' that settlement has run as far ahead of the conven- 



tional work of the Churches as it has of railroads. 



Besides this, the mere material pressure, the 



continual call for arduous and exacting labour 



in the subjugation of the new land, leaves little 



time for ordinary religious observances. 



195 



