The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1889, Page 35

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

35

A Hindu Idol.

That is a hideous image which you see in our
picture. It isa Hindu idol worshiped by the
heathen in India. A missionary writes about
this idol: The people of Hindustan have very
many gods, and all of them would seem very
hideous images to you. I am sure it would
make you very sad to see the little boys and
girls bowing down to worship them. I want
to tell you about one which is found in every
Hindu school and worshiped daily by the chil-
dren. It’s name is Ganesha; and at the top
of every alphabet card or copy for writing,
the children see the words, “Shri Ganesha,”
which mean ‘‘The Blessed Ganesha.”

_ This god is always
represented with an
elephant’s head on a
very fat body, and as
having many hands.
He is often surrounded
by attendants, whose
business it is to keep
off the flies. Wouldn’t
we think any one
would know better
than to worship a god
who could not even
take care of himself?

Perhaps you would
like to know how this
god came to have an
elephant’s head. This
is the story they tell
about it. They say,
“One day his mother
went into her private
room, and told her son
to stand guard at the
door, and let no one
come in. Soon her
husband came, and
wanted to go in, but
Ganesha would not let
him. Then Shiva, the
father, was very angry, and cut off the boy’s
head. When the mother knew it, she was wild
with grief, and Shiva comforted her by the
promise that he would give the boy the head
of the first living thing which came along. It
happened that an elephant was the first living
thing to come. So Shiva cut off the head of
the elephant, placed it on the boy’s body, and
gave him back alive to his mother, saying,
‘See what a fine son you now have. The ele-
phant is the wisest of animals, and your son
shall be the god of wisdom.”

So, ever since, Ganesha has been worshiped
as the god of wisdom. Are not our children
glad that our Holy Book has no such silly

aaa

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. stories to tell?

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I x1xe that old Scotchman’s word, when he
was puzzled about a matter of duty and wanted
to end the debate: ‘Reach me the Bible; that
settles all.’” j

“Take no Thought of the Morrow.”

When John Koller, of the village of Helsen,
was obliged to sell all his property, because, in
that year of scarcity, 1847, he could pay neither
rent nor taxes, he went the day before with his
wife to church, as was his regular custom every
Sunday. He found abundant comfort in the
text. ‘Take no thought for the morrow,” and
in the words, “Your heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of all these things.”

On his return from the church, he walked
much consoled hy the side of his Margaret;
and the words in Matth. 8, 1, ‘‘When Jesus was
come down from the mount, great multitudes

followed him,’’ seemed also to apply: for he,

A HINDU IDOL.

too, followed his Saviour with faith and hope,
whose blessed words he had heard upon the
mountain where the little church stood. And
when Margaret entered for the last time on
Sunday the cottage, which, on the morrow
they were to turn their backs upon, and was
beginning to weep, he comforted her with the
words, ‘Take no thought for the morrow, for
your heavenly father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things.’ He spoke much to
her how, through God’s dispensation, they had
been reduced to poverty, how he had sent sick-
ness, the bad harvest, and the scarcity; and
argued that the Lord, who always kept his
word, would make all things turn out for the
best.

The next morning came the bailiff, and the
auctioneer with his hammer. An offer for the
property was made of 450 thalers.

“Will any one bid higher?”

stout walking stick in his hand, a knapsack on
his back, and the peace of God in his heart, who
stood before the cottage and had opened his
pocket-book, which was full of bank-notes. No
one bid higher, and the bargain was agreed
upon.””

“What is your name?”’

“That has nothing to do with the affair; I
have not bought the cottage for myself; but for
its former owner. I am a student, and was
passing through here on my journey to the uni-
versity. I saw these good people at church,
and I overheard enough of what was said by
them as they were walking home, to make in-
quiry of their neighbors; I saw the tears in this
woman’s eyes, and remarked, from the trem-
bling lips and clasped
hands of the man, that
he could pray. Five
hundred thalers will
not ruin me. I can
give them, and if I-
miss them, shall do
so willingly, if faithful
Christians have been
helped thereby.”

The poor Kollers
had no time to express
their thanks, for, be-
fore they had recov-
ered from their joy and
surprise, their deliy-
erer had vanished, and
they never saw him
again, but the more
fervently did they
thank God, who had

~ sent them’ this help.
The bailiff and auc-
fioneer went away,
and the good couple
remained in the cot-
tage they inherited
from their fathers.
Over the house door
they carved this’ in-
scription: ‘Take no thought for the morrow:
your heavenly father knoweth that ye have
need of all these things.”

—_——s +0 or oe

Care for the Poor.

During the siege of Magdeburg, in the year
1550, the support of 600 paupers devolved
upon the city. “Fearing that the siege would
continue too long and that the provisions might
fail, some advised the expulsion of these pau-
pers from the city. But Duke Albrecht of
Mansfeld would not consent to this measure,

and can be of more use to us with their prayers
and supplications than we can be to them with
our gifts.” :

Se ——

Tose who do not care for Christ’s members

“500 thalers!”? called a young lad with a, do not care for Christ. —

saying: ‘These people are also God’s children __