# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1884_S40 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 40 The Lutheran Pioneer. —wlew—X—oOOSSSSS——S——soOOOOoOoooOoOo*oOoOoOoaoOo The Bible in Spain. A Minister of the gospel who resided for a time at Gibraltar, made several excursions into the Spanish territory for the purpose of dis- tributing a few Bibles and Testaments among the benighted people of that unhappy country. At one time he visited the house of a shoe- maker. He found this poor man greatly dis- satisfied with the existing state of things, and yet unable to see any door of hope. ‘‘Why do you not get the Bible and read that?”’ said the minister. ‘‘Ah!” replied the shoemaker, ‘I wish I could get it, but the priests take care that we poor Spaniards shall not have the Bible.’ ‘Well, now,”’ said the minister, ‘I know the risk I am running, and if the priests learn I am distributing copies of God’s word, I shall be murdered before I get back to Gib- raltar; but I think I can trust you. Would you really like a Bible to read?’’ ‘There is nothing I should like so much,” was the reply. A copy was then given to him, which he re- ceived with evident delight, and with many expressions of gratitude. On being asked if his friends who met with him during the week would also like copies, he declared that they would be highly prized, and diligently read, and he received several more books for their use. The minister gave him a few parting words of exhortation, told him where he might be found, and after distributing the remainder of his little volumes, reached Gibraltar in safety. Some weeks after this, the minister sat alone in hisroom. A Spanish peasant, dressed in his gay holiday attire, called at the house, and asked to see the minister. He was shown up into the minister's room. ‘‘Don’t you remem- ber me, sir?’’ was the exclamation of the Span- lard on perceiving he was not recognized; and on receiving a reply in the negative, he added, “Don’t you remember, sir, calling at the house of a shoemaker a few weeks ago, and leaving him some Bibles?’’ ‘*Yes,”’ replied the minister, “but I really did not recognize you again in your smart holiday dress.’’ The man then be- gan to tell what joy the Bibles had caused to himself and his friends, and that they met to read the word of God together, and that in the volume of truth they saw the true remedy for all the ills that afflicted their country. After the heartfelt expression of many thanks, the _ shoemaker concluded by saying, “‘As a mark of my gratitude for your coming at the risk of your own life to bring me the precious Bible, DT have brought you, sir, a pair of shoes, which ~ Ihope you will accept.” The shoes were found an excellent fit; and on the man’s being asked how he had guessed the size 20 accurately, he teplied, “‘I knew, sir, after you left my house, ‘hatlto pass over some soft clay, so I followed ot, which enabled me to make you the h I hope you will wear as a mark ide for the book you gave me.’” Inka, or Te parau na Inia (Luke, or The word of Luke), was the simultaneous reply, accom- il from your footprints I took the size of Longing for the Bible. A missionary writes: I have frequently seen thirty or forty canoes from distant parts of Eimes, or from some other island, lying along the beach; in each of which five or six persons had arrived, whose only errand was to procure copies of the Scriptures. For these many waited five or six weeks, while they were printing. Sometimes I have seen a canoe arrive, with six or ten persons, for books; who, when they have landed, have brought a large bundle of letters, perhaps thirty or forty, written on plantain leaves, and rolled up like a scroll. These let- ters had been written by individuals who were unable to come and apply personally for a book, and had, therefore, thus sent, in order to pro- cure a copy. One evening, about sunset, a canoe from Tahiti, with five men, arrived on this errand. They landed on the beach, low- ered their sail, and drawing their canoe on the sand, hastened to my native dwelling. I met them at the door, and asked them their errand. panied with the exhibition of the bamboo canes, filled with cocoa-nut oil, which they held up in their hands, and had brought as payment for the copies required. I told them I had none ready that night, but that if they would come on the morrow, I would give them as many as they needed; recommending them, in the mean- time, to go and lodge with some friend in the village. Twilight in the tropics is always short; it soon grew dark. I wished them good night, and afterwards retired to rest, supposing they had gone to sleep at the house of some friend; but on looking out of my window about day-|— break, I saw these five men lying alone on the ground on the outside of:my house, their only hed being some plaited cocoa-nut leaves, and their only covering the large native cloth they usually wear over their shoulders. I hastened out, and asked them if they had been there all night. They said they had. I then inquired why they did not, as I had directed them, go and lodge at some house, and come again. Their answer surprised and delighted me: they said, ‘‘We were afraid that, had we gone away, some one might have come before us this morn- ing, and have taken what books you had to spare, and then we should have been obliged to return without any; therefore, after you left us last night, we determined not to go away until we had procured the books.’? I called them into the printing office, and, as soon as I could put the sheets together, gave them each a copy. They then requested two copies more, one for a mother, and the other for a sister— for which they had brought payment. I gave these also. Each wrapped his hook up in a piece of white native cloth, put itinto his bosom, lieve, eating or drinking, or calling on any | person in the settlement, hastened to the beach, launched their canoe, hoisted their matting sail, and steered rejoicing to their native island. DER PILGER-KALENDER fiir 1885. wished me good morning, and without, I he- The Boy and the Scoffer. In the neighborhood of Hoddam Castle,. Dumfriesshire, Scotland, was at one time an old tower called the ‘Tower of Repentance.’’ How it obtained this name we are not told, but it is said that an English baronet walking near the castle, saw a shepherd boy reposing on the ground attentively engaged with a book. “What are you reading, my lad?’’ said the- titled dignitary. “The Bible, sir,’”’ replied the boy. “The Bible, indeed!’’ sneered the man. “Then you must be wiser than the parson. Can: you tell me the way to heaven?”’ “Yes, sir, I can,’’ replied the boy, who was by no means embarrassed by the mocking tone: of his assailant. yonder tower.’’ “You must go by way of The scoffer saw that the boy had learned thoroughly the lesson of his book, and, feeling the rebuke, walked on in silence. —— + <> Tue Bible hath God for its author, salvation for its end, and truth without any mixture of error for its matter.’’—John Locke. BOOK-TABLE. AMERIKANISCHER KALENDER fiir deutsche Luthe- raner auf das Jahr 1885. Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis, Mo. Price 10 cts. ABENDSCHULE-KALENDER fiir das christliche Haus Louis Lange Publishing Price 30 cts. Pilger Book auf das Jahr 1885. Company, St. Louis, Mo. Store, Reading, Pa. Price 10 cts. Evangelical Lutheran Colored Churches, New OR.LEans, La. EV. LUTH. ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL. 113 Annette Str, between Claiborne and Dirbigny. Divine services at 10 o’clock Sunday morning and at 74% o’clock Wednesday evening. Sunday School from 2 to 4. EV. LUTH. MT. ZION CHURCH. Cor. Franklin and Thalia Strs. Divine services at 7}4 Sunday evening and at 7}4 Thursday evening. Sunday School meets at 9 0’ clock. Adult catechumen cluss meets at 7144 Tuesday evening. N. J. Bakke, Missionary. St. Paul’s Colored Lutheran Church, Cor. Rock §- 12th Strs., Liltle Rock, Ark. Divine service Sunday evening at 714 0’ clock. Sunday School from i0—12. Catechumen class meets from 7—8 Werlnesday evening. Singing-school from S—9 Wednesday evening. TERMS: Tne LurHeran PIONEER is published monthly, payable in adyance at the following rates, postage included, to-wit: 1 Copy 25 10 Copies $2.00 25 v - 5.00 50 =“ - 9.00 . Club rates only allowed if all copies are to be sent to one address. All business communications to be addressed to “Luth. Concordia Publishing House,” M. GC. Bar- THEL, Agt., St, Louis, Mo. - All communications concerning the editorial de- partment to be addressed to Pror. R. A. BiscHoFF, mcordia College, Fort Wayne, Ind.