The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1885, Page 30

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30

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Woman in Africa.

The condition of woman in Africa is one of
debasing servitude, dark, superstitious and hope-
less bondage. All her life long she is owned,
the purchased property of husband, brother or
some male relative. ‘The only alternative to
obedience is the most cruel treatment. The
birth of a son brings honor to a father, but a
daughter is counted as so much wealth. At
any time after her birth he eagerly listens to
any proposal by which he may barter away
the new piece of property for articles of mer-
chandise or rum. The native heathen is too
proud and indolent to work enough to lay up
anything, so that he can not pay at once for
his purchase, and a few brief years are allowed
the little girl in her mother’s arms before the
man, who already has several wives, is able to
complete the dowry. From her earliest lispings
she is taught to say “‘my husband,” but never
grows into the true meaning of that word.

The native usually erects a bamboo hut, con-
sisting of one apartment for each of his wives;
but, if too indolent or poor for that, several
wives, with the children they may have, are
crowded into one hut. The quarreling and
strife ensuing are not easily imagined. One
can but wonder at the passiveness with which
the mother sees her child go through the same
process of misery that she did; but it must be
remembered that she has no more power to
saye her child than she had to save herself.

“The women of Africa are subjected to the
hardest and most degrading physical service.
When the time for gardening comes, which it
does twice in one year, no matter how weak
and frail she may be, she is obliged to go to
the forest, a mile or more from the town, and,
with a long knife, must cut the undergrowth
and branches, the heavy timber heing felled
by the men. She must set fire to the withered
vegetation, and, upon the uneven ground,
strewn with charred branches and heavy tim-
ber, lying where they fell, she plants, first
loosening the ground with her knife, the cas-
sava, corn, plantains and a few other things.
Whe the fresh, young vegetation would prove
tempting to the elephants, she must watch all
night, frightening them off, if they come near,
with a firebrand and shouting. When she re-
turns home in the morning, weary and worn,
carrying upon her back a load of wood, a heavy
jug of water or some produce of the garden,
rest and refreshment would be most accept-
able; but she must prepare a meal for her
master, receiving angry words, and sometimes
blows, if she fails to have it in ‘readiness.

_ If left a widow, the African woman passes
into the hands of some male relative of her
husband, no matter how reluctant she may be
to enter a second time into a forced marriage.

Sad and terrible is the sight of the lives of
these unloved and-uncared-for sisters, wives
‘and mothers of Africa! Hopeless, indeed,

‘would be sebin

GeTEO Ta

of our Saviour Jesus Christ, whose bright rays
alone can penetrate the dark degradation of
African women, and elevate them to Christian
womanhood.

= ee -

A Missionary’s Experience.

Upon one occasion Dr. Moffat experienced
a very narrow escape from a tiger and a ser-
pent. He says: ‘‘I had left the wagons, and
wandered to a distance among the coppice and
grassy openings in search of game. I had a
small double barrelled gun on my shoulder,
which was loaded with ball and small shot. An
antelope passed, at which I fired, and slowly
followed the course it took. After advancing
a short distance I saw a tiger cat staring at me
between the forked branches of a tree, behind
which his long spotted body was concealed,
twisting and turning his tail like a cat just
going to spring upon his prey. This I knew
was a critical moment, not having a ball or
shot in my gun. I moved about as if in search
of something in the grass, taking care to re-
treat at the same time. After getting, as I
thought, a suitable distance to turn ‘my back, I
moved somewhat more quickly, but, in my
anxiety to escape what was behind, I did not
see what was before, until startled by treading
on a large cobra de capello serpent asleep on
the grass. It instantly twined its body round
my leg—on which I had nothing but a pair of
thin trousers—when I leaped from the spot,
dragging the venomous and enraged reptile
after me; and, while in the act of throwing
itself into a position to bite, without turning
round, I threw my gun over my shoulder and
shot it. Taking it by the tail, I brought it to
my people at the wagons, who, on examining
the bags of poison, asserted that, had the creat-
ure bitten me, I could never have reached the
wagons. The serpent was six feet long.’’

Re

-Casting- all your Cares upon Him.

In the Summer of 1878, I descended the
Rhigi with one of the most faithful of the old
Swiss guides. Beyond the services of the day,
he gave me unconsciously a lesson for my life.
His first care was to put my wraps and other
burdens upon his shoulder. In doing this he
asked for all, but I chose to keep back a few
for special care. I soon found them no little
hindrance to the freedom of my movements;
but still I would not give them up until my
guide, returning to me where I sat resting a
moment, kindly but firmly demanded that I
should give up everything but my alpin stock.
Putting them with the utmost care upon his
shoulders, with a look of intense satisfaction he
again led the way. And now, in my freedom,
I found Icould make double speed, with double
safety. Then a voice spoke inwardly, ‘‘Ah,

foolish, willful heart, hast thou indeed given

up thy last burden? Thou hast no need to

in a flash, and then as I leaped lightly on from
rock to rock, down the steep mountain side, I
said within myself ‘‘and ever thus will I follow
Jesus my Guide, my Burden-bearer. I will
cast all my care upon Him, for He careth for
me.’’—Sarah I, Smiley.

Sharper Than a Two-edged Sword.

A steamboat captain was fond of ridiculing
the Scriptures and making fun of religion and
its professions. He was a confirmed infidel.
He took special delight in uttering his senti-
ments in the presence of ministers of the gospel.
On one of his trips, there was on board an ex-
cellent minister of Christ, who had the courage
to sit down and talk with this sceptic.

- The special subject of conversation was the
impossibility of miracles. The minister, after
patiently hearing him, said:

“Captain, did you ever read the New Testa-
ment?”’ .

“No; I can’t say I ever did.
parts of it.’’

“Will you promise me you will read it all
through, and then I'll discuss any subject on
which you have doubts?’”’

This was said in a kind, persuasive tone, and
the captain replied:

“T will.”’

The minister then went to his trunk and pre-
sented a copy of the New Testament to the cap-
tain, who again assured him that he would read
it all through.

Thus they parted. After some weeks, the
minister had occasion to travel on the same
boat, and soon sought out the captain, whose
countenance and manner were entirely changed.
After the warm greeting and salutation, the
minister inquired about his reading the book.

“Ah, sir!’ said he, ‘I had not read far be-
fore I felt I was a guilty sinner, and that I
needed just such a friend as Jesus, the Son of
God. I was.enabled to cry with the publican,
‘God, be merciful to me a sinner,’ and with the
blind beggar of Jericho, ‘Jesus, Son of David,
have mercy on me.’ And I can now trust in
that Jesus, and love him, whom I once de-
spised.’’

The joy of this minister of Christ can better
be imagined than described. The captain be-
came a devout Christian, and lived long to tell
to others, ‘‘what a dear Saviour he had found.”
—Sailor’s Magazine.

I’ve read

A New Creature.

A Scotch girl was converted. When asked
if her heart was changed, her beautiful answer
was, ‘Something I know is changed; it may
be the world, it may be my heart. There is
a great change somewhere, I am sure, for every-
thing is different from what it once was.” A
very apt commentary on the passage, ‘‘There-
fore if any man be in Christ he is a new creat-
ure; old things are passed away; behold, all

ae were it not for the Gospel carry them, nor even the right.” I saw it all|things are become new.”