# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1897_S48 # Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration) 48 The Lutheran Pioneer. ‘The Outlook from the Editor’s Window. —lIr is the custom of William II, Emperor of Germany, on the afternoon before Christ- mas, to saunter forth in civilian dress, en- tirely unattended and well provided with new gold and silver pieces. Last Christmas eve he left the palace at Potsdam at about two o’clock, first visiting the park of Sans Souci, to give each workman from two to ten marks. He then walked into the city of Potsdam to distribute money, but only among working people. He knows well how to distinguish the classes, for a seeming workman, who, however, was a professional guide, approached with hat in hand but received nothing. On his way to a neighboring village his majesty encountered a woman drawing a cart assisted by a dog. He endeavored to detain the es- tablishment and was roundly abused by the peasant woman. The Emperor quietly said, What is the matter, don’t you want a Christ- mas present? at the same time handing her five marks. When presently some oflicers in- formed her of the identity of her benefactor, she ran after him to implore his pardon and properly to thank him. © Many pretty little stories are told of the Emperor’s benefactions to poorer people. On one occasion he was walking behind two seafaring men and over- heard how one of them lamented that he could not buy some necessary winter apparel for the girl who was soon to become his wife. The Emperor, who was unknown to the sailor lad, invited him into a store, where he purchased the much-desired articles, saying, ‘‘When your bride wears these, let her think of her Emperor.’” —Tue missionary ship, ‘‘John Williams,” on leaving ‘Sydney, carried out 50 tons of building materials for a chapel to be erected at Malua, in Samoa, at a cost of $5000, all subscribed by the Samoan native Christians. This is an evidence of liberality and the mis- sionary spirit on the part of Christian con- yerts among the heathen. It is one example of many showing that those raised up from heathenism within a single generation may be led not only to support their own pastors and churches, but also to send forth the Gospel for the enlightenment of other heathen people. The shipment included also 40 cases of Bibles for Savage Island and a large consignment of books for New Guinea in the Motu language, printed in Sydney. —Tne Greenlanders are stupid, and mis- sionary work among them was most trying. At first they would disturb the missionaries when holding service, and steal their food and papers. ‘They were filthy. The Eskimo mother licked her child instead of washing it. At last one named Kayarnak was won for Christ. His life underwent a great change when he became a Christian, and this led others ‘to listen to the missionaries; for they, too, wanted to be changed. Kayarnak be- came a teacher, and even taught the mis- sionaries their language, and helped them to translate the Bible. —Iws the early and cruelest days of West Indian slavery Moravian missionaries found it impossible to reach the slaves, so separated were they in sympathy from the ruling classes. At length two consecrated men said: ‘‘We will go to the plantations, and work and toil under the lash, so as to get close in feeling to those we would instruct.’ So they left their homes, sold themselves as slaves, and lived in a company of slaves, to get close to the hearts of slaves. Gladly the slaves heard them, because they had thus humbled them- selves to their condition. —Do rou remember how missions began in Japan?