# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1883_S30 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 30 The Lutheran Pioneer. Letter from New Orleans. DeEar PIONEER:—Since our last letter we have had ten accessions to the Mt. Zion church on Franklin Str. of whom six were of adult age. Among these were brother Jabers and wife, formerly of the Methodist-Episcopal per- suasion. For a number of years the brother served a congregation in that church, but on account of its unscriptural doctrines and prac- tices he severed his connection and came over to us being fully persuaded that the Ev. Luth. faith in all particulars is in accordance with Holy Scriptures. He is an amiable old gentle- ~ man, loved and esteemed by us all. Of the confirmation class only four could be received into the church. The remaining 5 were put back not so much for a lack of Christian knowledge as of Christian earnestness and deportment. During the months of April and May many - large congregations. were assembled in the church at the regular service. The pressing heat of June has caused a considerable decline. ‘Too hot’? is a very common cause for not ap- pearing in the house of God at the appointed service and congregational assemblages. . An- other confirmation class of adults has been formed but their irregular attendance delays their admittance. It affords us great joy to note that a large portion of the congregation visits these class meetings. Coming with a longing to increase in the knowledge of truth they will greatly profit by these instructions and not return home without a blessing. ‘‘For the Jaw of the Lord is perfect converting the soul: the testimony of the Lord is sure making wise the simple.’ But not only this, they en- courage those who are to be instructed and they cheer the missionary. We have a good deal of opposition to contend with. License preachers, -whose applications for offices in our church have been decidedly but friendly declined, are persuading our mem- bers with “‘good word and fair speeches,” to leave our church and join theirs. For this they certainly have no license. Their silly and groundless attacks on our church, its doctrine and practices have hitherto been ignored, but when they encourage men of ill repute, as it is supposed, to disturb our public worship, we have been forced to call on the city authorities for protection. One Sunday evening some four weeks ago a dozen or more men sneaked into the hall of the church and set up a roar like that of wild beasts, which, of course, struck the assembled congregation with terror. No sooner had the people recovered from the panic than the-roar was repeated, and this time with greater violence. As some of the brethren ap- peared on the scene, they made a retreat into the street and assailed the church with brick- bats. Since then two police officers have been stationed at the church every Sunday evening, and e reigns again. ~ - Our school roll for the last months called for 108 scholars. Of this number there was an average daily attendance of 80. Small-pox, the good news to his people long before they did. He would cry out: ‘My forefathers! Oh, why did the Christians not send them this word? They all died in darkness.’’ The Chief’s Iament comes to our ears from the foreign and home mission field and is a terrible reproach on many a Christian’s neglect of his mission duty. Every Christian ought certainly to labor earnestly for the spread of the kingdom of Christ, who thought it not too much to Jay down His life for us. And there is work for every one of us to do. Every Christian can at least uphold the hands of the laborers in the mission field by his prayers and with his means. And then, knowing that the fields are white unto the harvest and that the laborers are so few, ah! so few, it is our duty to see to it that laborers are prepared for their work and are sent out into the harvest field. May we all labor so earnestly for the spread of the Gospel that if such a wail as the Chief's - Jament comes to our ears it shal] not bring re- morse to our hearts for neglect of duty. May every one whom the Lord calls to labor in His which has been raging during winter and spring, has found its victims also among our scholars here. Several have succumbed to it; some are still smarting under the dreadful plague, a few have recovered and returned but their faces are so disfigured that they can hardly be recognized. Despite the small-pox the school has been in a flourishing condition. No less than 56 applicants have been denied ad- mittance. At the opening next September a rush for both our mission schools is expected, as the public schools, if opened at all, will not be reopened before November. The city school- fund is exhausted, and teachers have not been paid since March. The best opportunity for making two departments in each school thus presents itself. But itis feared that our means, too, are so reduced that the thought of appoint- ing two teachers for the Primary Departments must be abandoned. Our school festival this year was very inter- esting. Orleans Park was the place to which we resorted. On their route the children en- tertained the people with festive songs, which where greatly appreciated and applauded. The morning passed by agreeably with chatting, playing and lunching. In the afternoon a num- ber of our church-members, parents and friends of the children arrived. The visitors were en- tertained hy the children with humorous songs and declamation of select pieces, which they had committed to memory in the course of the year. One great feature of the day was the foot race, in which boys and girls took an equal part. Another interesting game was the shoe- hunting. A number of boys pulled off their shoes; these were mixed and piled up, thus making it a difficult task fora blindfolded hunter to find his shoes. The one that could first find them and put them on should be de- clared the winner. A circle was formed around the pile and at the word ‘‘go’’ the boys dived into the pile like ducks into a pond. The win- ners in these games were rewarded with prizes, such as: combination penholders, fans, albums, picture books and other articles, of little value in themselves, but highly prized by the win- ners, who no doubt will keep them for years to come as a token of that memorable day. May the Lord further bless our church and our school and establish the work of our hands; yea the work of our hands establish thou it. New Orleans, La., July 10th, 1883. Missionary. oe How to Stop a Man from Shouting. The following incident suggests a novel mode of stopping a man from shouting in church. In the early ministry of Bro. W., he and Bro. H. were conducting a meeting in which there was much religious interest. An old man gave expression to his joy by shouting, and continued it till it began to interrupt the services. Bro. W. said to Bro. H., ‘‘Go stop that old man’s noise.’?’ He went to him and spoke a few words, and the shouting man at once became quiet. Brother W. asked Brother H., ‘‘What did you say to the old man that quieted him so promptly?’’ Brother H. replied, “‘Z asked him for a dollar for foreign missions.’’ If there are no shouting Lutherans, there are at least many grumbling Lutherans upon whom. that novel mode might sometimes have a good effect. - 0 ee Perfect Peace. As Brownlow North Jay on his death-bed, he enjoyed, according to his own confession, ‘*nerfect peace.” To a bystander he said, ‘You are young, in good health, and with a prospect of rising in the army; I am dying, but if the Bible is true—and I know it is—I would not change places with you for all the world.”’