The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

A VERY CURIOUS PEOPLE " . . . and so it was thought that such a study would be useful to us, allowing us to get some first hand knowledge of the fruits of our labours as it were." The Reverend Bruce concluded: "So we'll begin next month ... if there are no objections?" The women of the Missionary Society of St. John's eyed him skeptically but there were no objections. What could you object to? On the surface the plan seemed sensible enough - to study through books the people being reached through the Church's missionary work. It should make these people seem more real and that seemed sensible but still. . . they'd have to wait and see. The readings began in January and started out innocently enough with a chapter entitled: "The Indian". It described the typical life of the Indian but it was soon evident that the author knew very little about Indian people in this part of the country. "The Indian in his ti-pi of buffalo skins leads a wild, free life", they read. Mrs. Banker snorted derisively. "I've known a pack of Indians in my time but I've never known one that lived in a ti-pi, never mind a buffalo skin ti-pi. And as for wild and free! Have you ever seen that Mrs. Angikanab who lives down by the tracks? Five kids and no husband! I've never been down that way when she wasn't washing clothes or chopping wood or hauling water. Wild and free! That women would give her eye-teeth to be wild and free!" Reverend Bruce poured a little oil on these troubled on these troubled waters. " Now, now, let's be fair. The writer may not be exactly up on his Indian knowledge but I'm sure he means well. Let's hear him out ladies!" A malevolent silence descended on the group and Mrs. Bryson continued reading. "To this harsh landscape comes the young missionary: devout, hardworking and utterly dedicated to his task of evangelization!" It was Mrs. Paske who spoke this time. "Well, he can't be writing about that young student minister who was here the summer before last. He never got out of bed before ten! The only thing he was utterly dedicated to was mealtime . . . never missed a one!" They nodded in agreement. "Perhaps", thought Bruce to himself, "The problem is this topic is a little too St. John's Anglican Church - 22