July 18, 1902

A DAY OF REST IN
SOINTULA
New Song “To Sointula”A DAY OF REST IN SOINTULA
New Song “To Sointula”

July 8, 1902

Here in Sointula we have neither a church nor a bar. And amazingly well we are getting along without them. So that our friends in the tumults of the outside world would get a picture of our life here, I will tell them how we for example spent our latest day of rest. So far we have had every seventh day as the day of rest and everyone is free to spend it as they choose. After the discussions held during the “Creation Days” it has been decided, however, that in the future we shall have a six-day week. Malcolm Island would thus have a six-day week, a five-week month with 30 days. The five days left over from the 365 days of the year would be counted outside the actual months. Four days would be reserved for a celebration for every season and the fifth would be the annual Kalevan Kansa [People of Kaleva, KK] jubilee.

But as I said we are for the time being holding on to the Mosaic week although we know that it was apparently brought into use among the Christians against the teachings of Jesus and the customs of our early congenial spirits.

On Saturday evening most people had gone to the sauna and the 60 members of our camp had early gone to a peaceful sleep. It was therefore no wonder that after a chilly week the clear morning of the day of rest had everyone in a good mood. As soon as breakfast had been served in two sittings (moss [?], a piece of longed for fresh salmon, hot cakes and coffee), the meeting of the board of directors was held in the office of the Aika-paper (a tent where the president and doctor are staying).

When routine matters had been handled the president announced a general meeting (held outside sitting on logs arranged in a square-form). As soon as all the male members had gathered -the women were still busy with the morning chores- the president began the meeting. In his speech he talked about the major turn the KK is making, away from the evolution that has taken the present cultural-mankind to the brink of destruction. In the Helsinki Worker’s Association he had once stumbled across a claim that seemed to be the almighty truth. The correspondent of the Uusi Suometar-paper at that time used to suppress every bold reform proposition with this truth. The claim was: Each time one wishes to start making reforms one should remember three things which success depends on. The three things are: 1.money 2.money 3.money.The speaker told that he had listened to this sermon for a year before he got up to prove that it was thoroughly wrong. It is true that one needs three things to succeed in making reforms, but they are : 1.enthusiasm 2.enthusiasm 3.enthusiasm. He depended upon these three already as he was fighting for the Finnish workers and has relied on them in the cause of the KK. It is the spiritual powers that rule the world, it is there you have to start if you wish to accomplish something permanent. The craving for truth leads to thought, thought forms words and words become actual deeds. The deeds crystallize the thoughts into something concrete. The work that the listeners were carrying out on Malcolm Island is not solely work. It is the crystallization of the great, common thought that has turned the attention of thousands of enlightened citizens to Malcolm Island.

Since we had a congenial spirit (H. Hantula) all the way from N. Dakota among us, the speaker greeted him and asked him to stay as a guest of the KK until he was ready to tell his comrades in Dakota of the excellent facilities Malcolm Island offered – both in natural resources, good order and good spirit- for the success and great future of the KK.

Brother Martin Henrikson spoke some enthusiastic words of how we living on Malcolm Island had the duty to become model-citizens, so that where ever we went in the future we would be able to prove we know the light and spread the light.

Brother Hantula replied to the speeches with the shyness of a stranger saying that he who has grown used to contemplating matters by himself in the heart of vast farm-country gets confused when put in the middle of such a swarming family. He admitted, however, that he was delighted about the brotherly spirit on the island and was sure that the KK would soon overcome its financial obstacles.

A brother suggested then that the meeting be turned into a normal Speakers-society meeting which had been held here for a long time. His suggestion was accepted and Brother Laine, whose turn it was to become the chairman stepped forward. Kurikka (who in his turn will be the chairman next Sunday) was chosen as the secretary.

Kurikka introduced a subject for discussion: Should we already start translating chosen literature for Sunday meetings and would it be necessary to start an English language course as soon as possible, then going on to publish the course as a book? The subject awoke a lively discussion.

Everyone considered it necessary, but some thought it didn’t belong to the meeting, others thought we didn’t have the necessary resources yet. Some other doubts were also brought up. The discussion was, however, ended with the conclusion, that brother Kurikka should start working on the case right away. 

The matron got the next word with her dinner bell, so the meeting was brought to an end and we hurried to eat. In addition to clam soup and porridge there was salmon and roe to the great annoyance of those who didn’t fit into the first sitting. But as they were hungrily looking at those eating (for God knows there is appetite here!), they comforted themselves with the fact that patience is one of the finest features of the Finnish character.

After supper we hardly had time to soften our food sacks, when it was already time to gather in the hall, men and women all together. Matti Kurikka read a play he had written, The tower of Babel. It had once caused stomach aches for the Fennomanic Pharisees in Helsinki. The piece made a big impression on the listeners. It was hoped, that its allegoric content, where the writer foresees the fall of the society that the church has kept in darkness, would become well-known in larger circles.

Then a new song was sung:

To Sointula!
To Sointula, to Sointula
That is where my thoughts aspire
Wherever I set my thoughts
I see Home Bay looming
I see the shores of Malcolm Island

To Sointula, to Sointula
That is where my thoughts aspire
From the turmoil of the world
From the whirls of surging waves
My mind longs for a place of peace

To Sointula, to Sointula
That is where my thoughts aspire
The insecure will find their peace
On the lovely paths of ideals
Towards the haven of happiness

To Sointula, to Sointula
That is where my thoughts aspire
‘tis there we work among our brothers
The pearly string of mankind
Is woven there in harmony

Matti Kurikka

Brother Henrikson now took the word and expressed his joy for the happiness and contentment that he saw among the comrades. He complained, however, that we still didn’t know each other well enough. Quite a few of the comrades are taciturn Finns, who prefer listening to speaking.

This, however, keeps others from getting closer to them. Brother Kytö saw this as a natural phenomenon. Not knowing each other well enough kept our tongues tied. But time will open the knots.

Brother Kurikka spoke of the differences between human nature. Among human beings the same features are represented as among animals, only they are more versatile. We are only doing wrong, if we in every matter measure each other with the same standards. What to one person is the easiest and simplest thing in the world can demand a great effort from the other. Keeping their mouth shut is just as hard for someone as opening it is for the other. One is not able to get angry even if he wanted and the other can hardly keep their blood down every time they think someone has offended them.

It is only by examining the four different features of the human nature and their combinations that we can learn to know each other. The speaker quickly introduced some features and how they can even be seen in the human face. He didn’t get deeper into the topic because his intention is to make a thorough study of it among the brothers. Brother Rissanen performed some new KK-songs with brother J. Tanttari accompanying him on the violin.

When we finally left the hall the day had turned into a late evening and everyone of us started listening if the dinner bell would soon be ringing again. Later on we divided ourselves into smaller groups and discussed the chores of the coming week, read each others’ books and interpreted some meaningful dreams.I had already retired to my tent when from Home Bay, over the buzz of conversation from other tents, the clear voice of sister Maiju came ringing:

Oh how harmonious
Oh it is wonderful!
Now rejoice my dear ones,

Kaleva’s People!

Maaton Matti [Landless Matti]

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