1. In Heaven all the people
Are not hungry, are not sick;
They do not tell lies, do not become angry;
They do not become drunk, do not cry.
Jesus lives in Heaven,
Together with all good people.
2. There the people are not poor,
Have no sorrow, are not tired;
They do not die, are not wicked;
There is no darkness, no cold.
3. There the people live always;
There are many houses, and much singing;
There is father, mother and good children;
The street is of gold.
4. Jesus will give to the Indians,
If you are very good,
Everything you wish,
In Heaven, always.
We only extract, further, the literal translation of the Lord’s Prayer, some of the petitions of which seem to find admirable expression in this version, especially the “lead us not into temptation,” etc.:
“Our Father who lives in the Above, good thy name over everywhere. Good if thou become true Chief over all people. Good if thy mind is on the earth, as in the Above. Give to us during this day our food. Pity us for our wickedness, as we pity any man if he does evil to us. Not thou carry us to where evil is; but if evil find us, good thou help us conquer that evil. Truly all earth thy earth, and thou very strong, and thou truly very good, so we wish all this. Good so.”
It is no little task to make hymns for such a people out of such poor materials. Let it be understood that these are only hymns for the transition state, for Indians who can only remember a little, and who sing in English as soon as they have learned to read.
This little book is an interesting monument of missionary labor, and full of suggestion as to the manifold difficulties to be encountered in the attempt to Christianize the Indians of America.