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This little book brings again into the sunlight some few records of the life and work of a very remarkable man. It seems fitting at this time to present in a popular form a glance at the life and work of Dr. Rand, as it will be fifty years on the twelfth of next November, since the work was organized, and Silas T. Rand appointed by the Commissioners at Halifax to his chosen field of labour among the Micmacs of the Maritime Provinces.

Many of the victories and defeats connected with this mission in which our fathers shared (or might have shared) have been forgotten; and, as we now gather what there is for us of encouragement and enjoyment in the records of that noble undertaking, we cannot but find stimulation and satisfaction in living over again, however imperfectly, the struggles and triumphs of one of our own heroes,—one who is certainly worthy of our highest appreciation. Only a small part of the available material will be used, as nobody is prepared to write a biography at present; and, even if someone could spend months among the Rand Manuscripts in the Libraries at Wellesley and Acadia, the occasion that calls this forth would have passed away before the work could be ready for the public.

This booklet does not pretend to be a biography; you may call it a Memorial, or even a Jubilee Souvenir, if you wish; but, kindly do not overlook the purpose for which it is issued:—In all seriousness allow it to call your attention to the stern fact that the Micmac Mission, while in progress was very much hindered by lack of Christian sympathy, and, since the faithful laborer was removed to his reward, no attempt has been made to carry on the work which was so manfully undertaken fifty years ago. And then, with these considerations, and the parting words of our Best Friend, fresh in your memory, ask yourself whether we to-day are any longer justified in repeating Cain’s impertinent question, or answering it in his own self-complacent way. Surely we know a better way to keep the jubilee of Dr. Rand’s splendid endeavour than either altogether to ignore the man and his work, or merely to feast our fancy upon the beautiful mythology of the Micmacs which he has given us as one of the incidents of his work. It is ours to build, if we will, on the broad foundation which he has laid; shall we not take advantage of this opportunity, and to do our share towards giving the people life. Let us realize the fact that until Silas T. Rand aroused our people fifty years ago, no Christian teaching had been attempted among the Micmacs except by Roman Catholic missionaries; and it is not enough that they had modified the mythology of the Micmacs,—in no other terms could the work be described which had been done before Dr. Rand began his campaign based upon an open Bible for every man, and a full and free salvation procured for us all through the atonement made by Jesus Christ. The Roman Catholic missionaries are to be honoured for their self-sacrificing work,—Dr. Rand and his supporters are to be highly honoured for their splendid endeavour,—but, while we honour those who so richly deserve this tardy tribute from us, let us remember that our duty to our fellowmen is not done by simply making additions to our stock of heroes and hero-worship. The hero is, after all, the conscientious toiler; he makes mistakes like other men; he may even err to a greater degree because he lives at higher pressure, but he is filled with his mission, and, whether he “succeed” or not, no moment of his life is lost.

After Dr. Rand had with great difficulty learned the Micmac language, and reduced it to written form, he translated for the people the New Testament, and Genesis, and the Psalms; and as he went about his work day by day, he kept adding to his literary labours, until he had at last completed a Grammar and a Dictionary, the latter of which is now published by the Canadian Government. He tramped ceaselessly from settlement to settlement, sharing to the fullest extent the wretchedness of the degenerate descendants of that once lordly race, as he laboured to make the Gospel Message plain to the sons of the forest. He met discouragement in every form; he received scant sympathy from his fellow-Christians, every step he took was most bitterly opposed by the Roman Catholic clergy, but he lived to rejoice in the work that brought fulness of life to a number of the people, and laid a broad foundation for future work, before he answered the summons that called him home to his reward.

J. S. C.

Kirklawn, P. E. I., October, 1899.