# The Lutheran Pioneer_St. Louis_1929_S27
# Machine transcription, uncorrected — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

26

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

and some of the other short prayers she has learned
before they go to bed.

A little while ago her mother noticed that she
would slip away from home and be gone sometimes
for more than an hour. The mother thought to
whip her for so doing, but decided first to find out
just what she was doing. She followed her and
found out that she was visiting an old member who
has grown very slack. She was sitting with him,
telling him of what she had learned in Sunday-
school, of the Savior, and trying to get him to
promise to join her in going to the house of the
Lord. Her mother, finding her thus employed,
joined in and helped her to persuade the old man
to promise. Frances got the man out once since,
and she is still on the job. She wants some one to
tell her how one feels who has fallen away and who
never goes to the house of the Lord. . She told her
mother she is praying, and will continue to pray,
for this man, who is her neighbor.

Frances is very anxious to be confirmed, so that
she can join the others at the Lord’s Table. She is
counting the years until she will be old enough to
do so.

May the Lord keep her faithful unto the end
and bless the labors of her hands! F. D. Atston.

A Colored Boy’s Praise of Jesus.

At Mount Zion Evangelical Lutheran School
(Colored), New Orleans, La., about December 1,
1928, there was in progress the usual practising of
hymns and recitations for the children’s Christmas
service. The teacher of the upper grades, Mr. J.
Andrew Seraile, had expressed his concern about
finding suitable parts or pieces for some of the older
children. The following morning one of his pupils,
James Griffin (age thirteen, confirmed 1928), came
with the following poem, which he himself had com-
posed and which he offered to recite on Christmas
Eve : — ;

O think of Jesus and His love
When He came from heaven above
To rescue His wandering sheep
That they may in confidence sleep.

If it had not been for Him,

Then our light would be most dim;
O praise this wonderful Christ-child,
x io came to us humble and mild!

(0) ean God the Father, who sent His only
jon
To come and win the victory, which already
He hath done: '
He came to redeem us;
_ So give thanks to Him we must.

When Herod sought to take Christ’s life,

Then Joseph by night took the Christ-child
and his wife

Away from the blessed land of Israel

To where the Child grew and lived well.

The Christ-child was promised long ago,
Long, long before He reached within the
stable door.
Oh, didn’t He come to us with grace
When His humble birth took place?
0. W.L.

A Mother in Israel at Rest.

In one of our Colored Lutheran congregations
in New Orleans, Mount Zion, old Mother Redford
was laid to rest on Christmas Day, 1928. There

Mother Redford, Daughter, Granddaughter,
and Great-grandchildren.

was rejoicing in the midst of sorrow. The soul of
the deceased, we knew, was happy in heaven. The
bereaved were happy in the midst of tears because
of their mother’s blessed departure from this vale
of tears. The congregation and pastor were happy, ,
for here the Lord had shown again what He does
for those who believe in Him. ‘The letter received
by the pastor a few days later is a model of its
kind: —

-“DEAR PAstor : —

“The family of the late Ellen A. Redford wishes
to extend its thanks and appreciation to. you for the
kind attention shown by you to our dearly beloved

* mother in her last days of feebleness, in reading