The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1887, Page 18

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18 The Lutheran Pioneer.

(For the ‘‘Lutheran Pioneer. ’’)

{ Dora C. Johnson. 7

in this work and zealously and ably labored
among the lambs of Christ until her health had
become so much impaired that she was no
longer able to come. But when the treacherous
disease, phthisis, had already taken hold upon
her and she was already much weaker than we
thought, she continued coming to the house of
God to have her soul fed with the bread of life.
And when in the beginning of January the
celebration of the Lord’s supper was announced
she again came, though the weather was highly
unfavorable to her, and her trembling and totter-
ing knees were hardly able to support her frail
and infirm body. This was her last visit to
the church. The disease rapidly wasting her
strength, she was confined to the house and
during the last weeks also to the bed. As long
as she was able to sit up she pored over the
pages of probably an entire volume of the
‘“‘Lutheran Witness,’’ and diligently read in
the larger catechism together with the Bible
and the ‘Little Treasure of Prayers.’’? Owing
to her faithfulness to the Lutheran church she
had some severe trials to go through even
during her illness. But having for a whole
year stood with us as the only adult member
of our church and having borne all the trials
and tempests that were upon us during this
time, the Lord, who redeemed and cleansed
her with his blood, gave her strength to bear
up also amidst these sore afflictions. Being on
her last day asked, whether she was prepared
to die in the faith she had confessed, she an-
swered, that she wanted to meet her Judge in
the Lutheran faith. Soon after we had left
her, she asked her husband not to leave the
house anymore, as this would be an important
night to her. Some time after this she again
called him and requested him to raise her up
as she desired to put on her new dress. Then
already the angels were- at her bedside, for it
was but a few moments later that they wafted
her spirit heavenward, where her Saviour stood _
ready to clothe her with the white raiment prepared
for the worshipers before his throne. God.
had graciously answered our last prayer. With-
out a struggle, she peacefully departed this life.

On the following day we sang a hymn and
offered up a prayer at the house of mourning,
whence the mortal remains of the deceased were
conveyed to the Trinity church. Besides those
who had followed the funeral from the house
to pay their last tribute of respect to the de-
ceased, quite a number of others had assembled
at the church, so that the services were attended
by as aeny. as the structure could comfortably
contain. ‘The funeral rites at the church hay-
ing been completed, we attended the remains
to the cemetery where they were laid away to
rest until the golden resurrection morn.

How keenly we feel the loss of this loved
one and how untimely it seems to our foolish
judgment may be left unsaid; but knowing
that our loss is her gain, we will not begrudge
her the happiness she now enjoys, but praise
God’s mercy towards her and ask him to let
us meet her in the everlasting and _ blissful
mansions above.

May the Lord wipe away the tears and heal
the wounded heart of the surviving husband,
and open his eyes that he may see the truth
and purity of the faith and doctrine, in which
his beloved wife so cheerfully died. May He
also according to his gracious promises take
under his protecting care the little ones who
are not old enough to know and mourn the loss
of a dear mother.

New Orleans, La., March 28, 1887. ;
Avaust B.

.. Letter from New Orleans.

DEAR PIONEER :— Se 5
Our mission has sustained a sore bereavement

through the loss of Mrs. Dora Cynthia Johnson
whose death occurred on the 24th instant. Hay-
ing been the pioneer of our church in Carrollton
and having proved herself a consistent, faithful
adherent to it, we think it meet to dedicate a
column of the PronEER to her memory.

The deceased was a native of Virginia. The
manner in which our gracious Saviour led her
to the knowledge of his pure and saving word
may indeed be termed a wonderful one. Havy-
ing lost her mother in the early years of her
childhood, she was given over to the care of
people who educated her in the faith of the
Quakers. At the age of eighteen, however,
we meet her in Boston, a convert to the Baptist
church, in the faith of which she was also bap-
tized. Later the providence of God led her to
New York, where she connected herself with
a Presbyterian church. Having there been
joined in holy matrimony with her surviving
husband, she was after some years called upon
to follow him to a little village, situated a few
miles above New Orleans, where she resided
until she finally made her home in Carrollton.
At both the Jatter places the Methodists and
Baptists made repeated attempts to draw her
into their communion, but as she could not
reconcile herself to the noisy and—to say the
least—at times disorderly conduct carried on
in these churches, the exertions of her friends
proved fruitless. When we announced the open-
Ing of our church, she was among the worship-
ers, and so highly delighted was she with the
services of the Lutheran church that she at once
resolved to become a member of it.’ The under-
signed, who accidentally met her at the fence
of a neighboring property, conversing with
another lady, being informed of her purpose,
immediately requested her to appoint a day on
which he might come to give her an exposition
of the Lutheran tenets. During our visits to
her we found that she had but a very’limited
understanding of sin. Certainly she joined in
the common confession: ‘‘I am a sinner,’’ but
to convince her, that she had transgressed and
was daily transgressing every one of God’s
commandments was no easy matter. At length,
however, the word of God proved its enlighten-
ing power and caused her not only to see her-
self in all the abomination of human corrupt-
ness, but also to receive with hearty joy the
tidings of Christ’s bloody passion andisacrificial
death for her sins. ever would she go on
until she had fully grasped the meaning of the
doctrine set before her, but having once com-
prehended a doctrine and seen that the Script-
ure teaches it, she would reverently bow to
its authority, and it was a day of rejoicing to
her as well as to your humble servant when
on the 11th day of July 1886, she was admitted
to membership in our church by the solemn
rite of confirmation, her two younger children
having already on the Sunday previous been
received into the covenant of grace through
the regenerating waters of Baptism.

Having come to a knowledge of the truth
and purity of the Lutheran doctrines, or their
strict conformity to the Holy Scriptures, it was
her greatest desire that others might be led
into our church also; and whenever she could,
she was sure to bring others with her to our
services. But her work for the church of
Christ was not confined to that only. When
our Sunday Schoo) last fall had increased to
such a number, that we could no longer attend
to it as we desired, she also took an active part

It may interest your readers to learn that
our Missionaries have started two new stations
in this city. A highly respected colored family
in the Garden-District where the new Chapel
is to be erected has kindly placed its parlor at
the disposal of Pastor Burgdorf for divine ser-
vices. This family has occasionally worshiped
with the Mt. Zion congregation, their children
being pupils of that school. We appreciate the
kindness of this family. It is an expression of
rateful acknowledgement for what the Evang.
ethers Church is doing for the christian
education of their children, and they together
with others look forward with joyful expecta-
tion to the time when a Lutheran Church and
school will be established in their neighborhood.
The temporary hospitality which they give to
a Lutheran Missionary will, we are sure, be
amply rewarded. He comes to them with a
Gospel free from obnoxious human admixtures;
and through that Gospel the blessed Savior
himself makes his entrance into their home
with the offers of salvation. For wherever
His name is recorded in truth and purity there
he will come and bless.

Another family in another part of the city
has gratuitously opened its doors to the under-
signed. On the 13th of February the first
sermon was delivered in their cottage. This
family formerly lived in the vicinity of Mt. Zion
Church, the grandmother being baptized and
confirmed theré some years ago. Since the
family removed from the neighborhood she
could no longer attend her church and the
Missionary was called on to administer to her
the means of grace at her home. The neigh-
bors were invited to these services and the
attendance has varied from 5 to 17 persons,
mostly adults without any churchly connection.

It is too early to express an opinion as to the
rospects of our Mission in tliv-e new fields.
The undertaking is a small one and under pres-
ent circumstances much good can not be ex-
pected to result from it. Yet it is no mere
experiment. Being djvinely convinced of our
calling and of the ripeness of these fields for
the Gospel of Christ, we have come to stay.
Oppositions and prejudices we will meet with
here as elsewhere, but we have thoroughly
made up our mind to face them, and by the
ce and help of God turn our enemies into
riends.

How long we are to aespeae upon the hospi-
tality of these families to the detriment of our
Mission work is left to our fellow christians to
determine. If we had a proper house of wor-
ship to which we could invite the people, a
small congregation would soon be gathered and
a Sunday School organized. Therefore come
to our help, christian friends, come to our help
quickly. Let every one be aroused to a sense
of his duty and be stirred up to greater activity
in the work of our Colored Mission, so as to
encourage the missionaries in the field and to
make it possible for other laborers to he sent
out and thus aid in building up the Lutheran

Zion among our F'reedmen.—
The cause and glory, dearest Lord,
Are Thine, not ours—do Thou afford

Us help and strength and constancy;
We ever put our trust in Thee.

New Orleans, La., March 28, 1887.
e aay é Missionary.