THE OLDEST CHAPEL SERVANT 147 



of many feet had left ; then he walked across the 

 church to the vestry and ushered in the preacher. 

 A hush fell upon the crowded church, the last notes 

 from the organ died away, the missionary announced 

 the opening hymn, and the oldest chapel servant 

 took his seat among the others on the chapel 

 servant's bench. Five men there were, chapel 

 servants all. They seemed just ordinary men, such 

 men as you might see at any of the fishing camps or 

 hunting grounds where the Eskimos are wont to 

 gather, clad, all of them, in native garb of blanket 

 or of spotted sealskin ; men with faces browned by 

 constant wind and storm, and shaggy hair well 

 streaked with grey ; men middle aged or elderly, 

 with looks of dignity and thoughtfulness these were 

 the chapel servants. 



Their duties ? They are the men who keep the 

 house of God neat and tidy ; they sprinkle the sand 

 upon the floor to save the well-scrubbed boards from 

 the wetness of sodden and snow-covered boots ; they 

 clear the path to the door, and brush away the snow 

 that gathers on the window panes ; they ring the 

 bell when the time for meeting comes ; they are the 

 spokesmen for the people in the affairs of the 

 church ; they are the right-hand men of the mission- 

 ary in church and village ; they are the councillors 

 in matters of difficulty and the advisers in disputes ; 

 hunters and fishermen, all of them, they are an 

 example respected of all. And there are women 

 chapel servants too, quietly and meekly helping in 

 the tidying of the church, and going to and fro as 

 workers among the women and girls. And their 



