The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1884, Page 40

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40

The Lutheran Pioneer.

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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.