REV. T.L. RIGGS, OAHE, DAKOTA.
Early in the winter, I had a pleasant day of work regarding which I want to write you. It was the day appointed for the observance of the Lord's Supper at the out-station about ten miles from home, and as the river had not frozen over thoroughly, I thought it better to go down in the saddle rather than drive the cart. This made it impossible for Mrs. Riggs to accompany me as she sometimes does.
I brought out my saddle camp-pouches (small square cases that strap to the horn of the saddle) and emptied them of their camp furniture, and in these were placed the bread and wine and also the service for the communion. My pouches are so small that I could take but one glass and a little china pitcher for our service. Usually I am able to take a china plate as well, but this time there was no room.
I went early in the day, and after some little difficulty the river was safely crossed, though my poor horse, not being shod, fell upon the ice more than once. He was not hurt, however, and I followed the river shore down to the out-station which is on the west side of the river.
I found the people gathered, and we had a morning session of nearly two hours. It was rather a preparatory service, and I talked familiarly with those present, individually as well as collectively. There were three men and their wives who wished to be married. Seven applied for admission to church membership, and there were also several infants to be baptized.
After dismissing the morning gathering, I arranged for communion service. I had no plate, so I sent a boy to his home to get one. He returned saying they had none, and I sent him to another house, from which he returned saying he could not get in. Then I decided to use the best I had, which was the card-board back broken from a hymn book. This I covered with a napkin and it answered very nicely. I had not prepared for any applications for baptism and had to send for a bowl, instead of which a tin cup was brought just as we were ready to begin service.
After the opening of service, I first married the three couples, (one of these consisted of an old man and woman nearly seventy years old, both of them gray-headed). The applicants for Christian fellowship were asked to give some public expression of their faith and were received into membership and baptized together with the infants. We, also, at the close of the service elected a deacon, who holds office for two years, and then I talked to them regarding the duties of another year. When dismissed, all went to their homes. I, too, went to a house near by and drank some coffee, for by this time I was quite faint. After this I rode home, reaching there just as the family were separating from the tea-table.
It seems odd to speak of men and their wives coming to be married—it is meant that they are husbands and wives after the Dakota custom. When they come to understand Christian marriage, and especially if they desire to unite with the church, they ask to have the marriage solemnized in a Christian manner. Sometimes a man and woman who have several children, perhaps a baby in arms, present themselves for marriage.
It is required of married candidates for admission to the church, that they be married in a Christian way. This sometimes seems hard, as in a case which has been before our Oahe church for some time. A woman of fine character whom we believe to be a sincere Christian, desires to unite with the church. Her husband, who is a veritable heathen, refuses to marry her. He says he never has had another wife and does not intend to take one, but he is a Dakota and does not wish to adopt white people's ways. They have a large family of children, and the wife does not feel that it is best to separate from her husband, though she really desires to do her whole Christian duty. In such cases, this regulation seems hard, but in the early days of the Dakota Mission, anything else brought confusion and trouble into the church, and this method of action was decided upon.