The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1883, Page 46

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46 . The Lutheran Pioneer.

were opened by the scholars, who sang hymns} Jessie was giving a finishing touch to her
and told us what they knew about Dr. Martin | tie, and just stepping into her parlor to see
Luther. The parents especially were surprised | that the fire was as a Christmas day one should
to hear what their children knew about the| be, when a knock resounded, making her start,
great Reformer. Thereupon an oration was} She did not wait for her maid to open the *
delivered on ‘‘ Zaither and the Lutheran Church,” | door, but upon doing so herself, saw before her
to which all listened attentively. Our Chapel }an aged man.
has not witnessed so large an audience for some} ‘‘Can this be my little Jessie?”’ said the vis-
time as had gathered in it on the night of the |itor; and she was soon in her father’s arms.
11th of November.— He had been traveling for years, and all at
May we ever praise and thank God for all} once had a desire to return to his native land.
the gracious gifts conferred upon the Church} He thought he would surprise them on Christ-
through His instrument—Dr. Martin Luther. | mas day, and so made his way to the little
FE. Memarnper. | village. As he passed the church he heard
Little Rock, Ark., Nov. 20. 1883. the strains ofa hymn which his wife had loved.
a When he went inside, for the first time for

Jessie’s Christmas. Text. many years, he caught sight of Jessie's text,
and the words had gone straight to his heart.

Great indeed was the joy in the little home
that Christmas day, for a soul had been saved.

Letter from Little Rock.

Dear PIONEER:—
‘Those were sad days in our mission school
— the 4th and 6th day of November. Little
Minnie Russell, who complained of a sore throat
on the previous Sunday, died on Sunday Nov.
4th. On Wednesday she played about, her
throat was seemingly in a healthy condition.
But a few days after this, little Minnie was
taken sick again. A physician was called, who
pronounced it a very dangerous case of diph-
theria. The greatest care was taken, but with-
out avail. Early on Sunday morning, after
bidding Papa and Mamma goof-bye, her pulse
ceased to beat, which the anxious parents had
watched hour by hour for the past day. An
awful shock it was to them. But what makes
the case a far more lamentable one is, that
Noah, little Minnie’s brother, was also taken
with the same dangerous sickness. When we
buried little Minnie on Sunday, Noah seemed
to be improving nicely, and we thought him to
be out of danger; but scarcely: had forty-eight
hours passed, when we had again met in the
same room under a still darker shadow of sor-
row, and this time to consign the remains of
little Noah to their last resting place on earth.
In two days the parents had lost their two lov-
ing and obedient children; the only two they
had. And our school has lost in them two dili-
gent, faithful and attentive scholars, who were
loved by all. Much do we regret their loss.
At Noah’s funeral the father told us, that he
cared to go to no other church than to the Lu-
theran, and he firmly believed, that had God
spared his life, he never would have separated
from us. We believe this too. He loved his
Catechism dearly and studied it diligently.—
Noah was nine and little Minnie seven years
ofage. God grant them a quiet sleep in their
lonely beds and on the last day a joyful resur-
rection unto life eternal. May He comfort the
deeply stricken parents, and may they in their
bereavement turn to Him, by whom they were
smitten. He hath smitten, He alone can heal.
Before we conclude we will briefly make
mention of a joyful day, a day that will long be
remembered by our congregation and school.
There are surely but few Lutheran congre-
gations, if any, who did not in this jubilee year
celebrate the four hundredth anniversary of Dr.
Martin Luther with thanks unto the Lord for
all good gifts which were bestowed upon us
through the instrumentality of this great man.
- And our congregation made no exception.
We also had our Luther jubilee. The Chapel
was beautifully and tastefully decorated with
evergreens and flowers for the occasion, and
some of our larger scholars spared no pains in
giving it very neat appearance. Special
mention may be made of the two beautiful bou-
quets on the altar, which we received of a kind
lady belonging to our sister congregation. A
large Luther picture was also fastened in the
center of the altar, and a lovely sight it was
that met the eyes of all visitors. The exercises

In a snug parlor a pale-faced young man was
bending over some crimson paper; near him,
busily engaged looking over an illuminated
Bible, sat his wife.

“‘We cannot do better than choose this one,
Willie,’’ she said; it meets the wants of all,
and seems to me so condescending of God to
reason with men: ‘Come now, and.let us reason | @ gentleman present related a very interesting
together, saith the Lord; though your sins be | incident.
as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow;| A little girl, about three years of age, was
though they be red like crimson, they shall be} very curious to know why Christmas greens

were used so much, and what they were in-

‘Yes, Jessie, we will make a Maltese cross, | tended to signify.
and put that invitation in crimson letters on| So Mr. L. told her the story of the Babe at
a white ground; some poor soul may see the|Bethlehem—of the Child whose name was
‘come,’ and find pardon and peace.”’ Jesus. :

Weeks passed away before the task was com-| The little questioner was just beginning to
pleted. On either side of the cross ‘‘No cross, | give voice to the music that was in her heart;
no crown”? were to be placed, and when Jessie | and, after Mr. L. had concluded the narrative,
looked at her husband’s work she sent up a hearty |she looked up in his face, and asked, ‘‘ Did
prayer that God would bless His own Word. | Jesus sing?”’

Christmas morning came, and you may be} Who would have supposed she would think

sure Willie and his wife were at the morning |of that? If you will look at Matthew 26, 30.
you will there find almost conclusive proofs

that Jesus sang with his disciples.

> e< or oe

“Did Jesus Sing?”’

At a gathering of children on Christmas day,

as wool.’”

service.

Many lovely wreaths adorned the church,
and beautiful designs showed that hands had| Is not that encouragement for us to sing?
been busy as well as brains, but no one had} Let us all sing—not with the understanding
once thought of texts, so Jessie’s Text alone | only, but with the heart also! _
was to be seen and read. ;

In a far-off corner (for the church was large
and crowded) sat an old man, evidently a Christmas in Ancient Times.
stranger. His eye rested continually on the
text. When the preacher began his sermon,} Baronius gives the following account of one
the old man turned his head towards him, and] of the earliest celebrations of Christmas of
hearing the words repeated from Isaiah 1, 18] which we have authentic record. He says:
(Jessie’s text), he looked anxious, and listened | ‘‘ While the persecution raged under Diocletian,
attentively. the tyrant, finding multitudes of Christians,

After the service, when the organ had sent| young ‘and old, met together to celebrate
forth joyful sounds, and every one had departed | Christ’s birth, commanded the church door to
but the vergers, this old man walked down the | be shut, and fire put in it, which reduced them
aisle and stood before the beautiful text. His|and the church to ashes.”
lips moved and his hands were locked together} This occurred at Nicomedia in the third cen-
—he looked like a picture with his aged brow| tury. And while we celebrate the birth of our
uncovered. Coming out of the vestry the pas- | Saviour with joy and gladness during the festive
tor saw him: Christmas season, it may increase our gratitude

‘I wonder who he is!’ said the pastor after | to God if we remember the sufferings of those
telling his wife. ‘He asked for Mr. Caper’s| early disciples of our Lord, who could neither
address, and seemed a gentlemanly old man, | worship nor celebrate His birth except at the
very care-worn too.’’ peril of persecution and death.

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