Page 25 - Letters of Rev. Norman MacLeod

ISSUE : Issue 13

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1976/6/1

for a morsel to eat, or a platefull to car? ry home. Altho' at the same time I have found it something tender for myself, to be the medium of conveying such a gift home from my good friends....we have now the commencement of the new potatoes; but the blight has spread too far to promise but a very inferior crop, even to the earliest planters in the Island; and late planting appears to be a complete failure. The other crops promised quite favorably before the present uncommon rain, which has continued already for a whole week, and is not over yet, by means of which the wheat, in parti? cular, begins to rust, and thereby con? siderably to suffer. Ihe Lord's hand is 'lifted up' in these steps of providence, tho' few consider his righteous intentions & warning. • But we enjoy great rest, at these times, in our religious concerns. All the name of ministers we have around us ap? pears to be, as it were, buried out of sight....iVhatever may be the consequence, we have overflowing meetings. Our new meet? ing house which we thought would be, for some years, half empty, is found already too small: tho' it contains seats for 1200 hearers, besides stairs & passages, which are, at times, overflowed.... There is a good degree of excitement among my own friends here, in favor of South Aus? tralia; if our Donald ivould encourage them; as there is still a free passage agency from all parts of britain to that new & extensive country. And altho' it is very unlikely that it will ever take place, yet I cannot shake myself from many stirring thoughts on the subject. I know, without hesitation, that it is a far more favorable country than this.. ..We enjoy more than ordinary rest at pre? sent, from religious open opposition, yet this calm results more from external res? traint & incapacity on the part of opposers than from any change of disposition or in? ternal principles; and therefore little to be depended upon by my family or friends, if I were once laid in the grave. In that case I would not choose this place (for) the fixed residence of any of my sincere adher? ents; if the Lord, in his good providence, would open for them a likely door of escape ....I cannot likewise, at times, avoid thinking that the Lord may have some parti? cular dispensation in reserve (thro') the circumstance of my dear son's random emi? gration to that distant, vastly extended, & unoccupied country; which is both mild and healthy, with many other advantages. St Ann's C.B. 27th June 1849 You would, of course, have heard that we have of late very satisfactory accounts from our dear son in that distant quarter; who eagerly invites his friends to the same mild and fruitful country. And as we are fondly, tho slowly, preparing for a removal, I cannot leave home....Indeed it is now a question to me whether I shall ever more see Pictou....I have thought to enclose my son's letter; but I cannot now lay my hand on it, as it is seldom in the house; for its information is so interest- ii' to all intending emigrants for that new Colony, that it is already in half tatters, by frequent perusal, from place to place.. ..it will take a year yet, at least, before we can think of being prepared;...To finish a vessel of the size of our frame, under existing circumstances, requires no little concern....all our best friends here are desirous of either accompanying or follow? ing us, if providence seconds their views; for otherwise I could never feel myself at .<''' sJS' NEWS