The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1890, Page 22

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22 The Lutheran Pioneer.

Slave Trade in Africa.

_ The April Century contains a paper on ‘The
Slave Trade in the Congo Basin’’ by one of
Stanley’s pioneer officers. We take the follow-
ing from a full and graphic description of ‘the
people and country: ‘‘The heart of Africa is
being rapidly depopulated in consequence of the
enormous death-roll caused by the barbarous
slavetrade. I found trading somewhat difficult,
as the standard of value in many places was
human life—human flesh. I have been asked
on several occasions to barter a man for a tusk
of ivory, and in one village the neighbors urged
me to leave one of my boat’s crew in exchange
for a goat. Upon the death of a chief a num-
“ ber of his slaves are selected to be sacrificed,
that their spirits may accompany him to the
next world. When a woman is to be sacrificed
she is adorned with bright metal bangs, her
toilet is carefully attended to, her hair neatly
plaited, and bright colored cloths are wrapped
around her. Hands are pinioned and her neck
¢ is passed through a noose of cord to await the
pleasure of the executioner. It often happens
that a little child becomes a victim by being
placed in the ‘grave alive, as a pillow for the
dead chief. These executions are perpetrated
in all the villages of the Upper Congo. The
small, unprotected villages are constantly at-
tacked by the powerful roving tribes, who kill
all the men who resist, and capture the rest to
be sold as slaves. These slaves are then taken
to the slave markets, and are treated with the
utmost cruelty, many of them dying of pure
starvation. A chief's ambition is to secure as
many slaves as possible. The slave trade of
to-day is almost entirely confined to Africa.
The slaves are caught and disposed of in that
continent, and the number shipped to Turkey
and other parts are few compared with the
enormous traffic carried on in the interior.
Stanley and Livingstone have testified to the
iniquity existing in the Eastern portion of
Equatorial Africa. In India we have an ex-
ample of what can be accomplished to put an
end to these inhuman and cruel practices; the
inhuman ceremonies of the suttee, car of
Juggernaut, infanticide and the secret society
of the Thugs have all been suppressed. The
opportunities for reaching the center of Africa
are yearly improving. The work for Africa’s
welfare so determinedly pursued by Livingstone
has been most nobly carried on by Stanley.’’
The good work of the missionaries of all de-
nominations has wrought a change in many
sections that was thought impossible a few years
ago. ‘The day is coming when “Princes shall
come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch
out her hands unto God. Sing unto God, ye
kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises unto the
Lord.”

we true Christian is like the sun, which
‘pursues its noiseless track and everywhere
eaves the effect of his beams in blessing upon
‘the world around him.—Luther.

aie Soak ee ew A

Despise not humble Beginnings. good and needy cause because you can only
give a little? Ifall in the Church who refuse
The fathers of the “Missouri Synod”? of our|to give because they can only give a little,
church Janded in Missouri in the early days of | would give that little, there would not be an
1839. Tey were strangers in a land where | empty treasury in the Church, and the Gospel
everything was strange. They settled in the] would go where it can not now be sent for lack
wilderness. They felled forests and lived on|of means. There is a wonderful power in the
browned corn-grains while they did so. Many |littles, especially when laid on God’s altar.
of them died of disease brought on by hard} Let me illustrate. A minister sent out 237
work and a climate filled with malaria. envelopes for a noble cause. OF these, 100
Their pastors also went into the forests, and|containing a noble offering were returned.
with their own hands felled trees and with | Suppose that each of the 137 not returned had
them built their “log college.” They had|come back with an average of ten cents in
been educated in the gymnasia (colleges) and|each, this would have added $13.70; more
the universities of Europe. They and their] than a little in the aggregate. Who, however
successors traveled through forests and over| much pressed, could not have given the ten
prairies, in towns and in country places, to|cents, especially when it was asked for Him
preach the Word to their countrymen. Their} who gave all for us? But a number to whom
pay, at first, generally was free lodging; although | these envelopes were sent were able to give
quite often they had to provide even this for] dollars instead of cents. Put the average at
themselves. In Chicago, in 1847, they united | 25 cents and the total swells to $34.50; put it
in organizing the German Evangelical Lutheran | at 50 cents and we have $69.00. Would this
Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States. not have been worth while? Realize the same
To-day this Synod consists of thirteen district | result from ten congregations and ten times ten
Synods, and is spread over all parts of the| would provide the opportunity, and we have
United States, from the Atlantic to the Pacific, | the splendid aggregate of $690.00. Oh, for the
from Canada to the Gulf of Mexico. For 1889] time when Christians will give from principle,
it reported nearly 1100 pastors, 1500 congre-| because they love Christ and His cause and
gations, and a communicant membership of | will no longer refuse to give because they love
280,000. the world more, or because they can only give
It has two theological seminaries, two col-}a little.—Selected.
leges, four pro-gymnasia, a teachers’ seminary,
and at least two high-schools or academies. In
these institutions there are 52 professors and Search the Scriptures.
1200 students, It has over 1100 parochial ;
schools, and in them it instructs about 100,000/~ +, many of us faithfully follow the in-

pupils each year. It has ten Orphans’ homes, junction, ‘‘Search the Scriptures’’? Most of
sndione HOE forthe Deaf’ and D umb. ae read them occasionally, Be of us read them
Le basitwo bostatalsiicr the care of the sick and daily; but how few really search them! Some
wounded, and two homes for the Aged and truths lie upon the surface, so that he who runs
be ie oe about 500 Home Missions, and may read; but many are not apparent at first
bined caer more smong he negroes 10 | ight that come out in a very clear light on
Illinois, Louisiana and Virginia, and eens more careful study. How often we hear the
phos ove wes Rublshes and pUPPOrS eight remark, ‘‘I have read that passage a score of
CRRA [ets scar aud ghias kay publications house times, but I never saw it in this light before.’’
that does a business of about $125,000 a year. | 4, who would get the most out of God’s Word,
The Young Lutheran. | must search for it; and he who searches dili-
———— gently and deeply will always be rewarded.
There are here inexhaustible mines of ore yet
to be revealed. You and I will never get our
share, unless we search for it.

—> —- 0-0 ee

The Power of Littles in Giving.

It is a great mistake, a wrong, not to give
to the cause of Christ, because one can only
give alittle. It means one of two things, either
that the one appealed to is indifferent, or else How Chinese Women pray.
that the pride of the heart is more worthy of
consideration than the cause of Christ is worthy| These poor souls think they are heard for
of help. How long will it be until God’s dear| their much speaking, and so they repeat the
children will learn that Christian giving is to|same words thousands of times. They take a
be a thing of principle, of love, of obedience to| piece of paper in one hand and a needle in the
God’s word, and not a thing of quantity! As|other, and then again and again they say, ‘‘O.
God has blessed us is the rule. If God has so|great Buddha! O great Buddha!”’ every time
blessed you that you can only give a little, is it | piercing the paper with the needle. Each hole
not # solemn, should it not be a glad duty to|stands for a prayer, and when the paper is full
give that little? Do men refuse to give to the | another is taken; and aftera while all these
world, to the gratification of the flesh when|papers are burned, to make the women sure
only a little is required? Why deny God’s| that Buddha is pleased with them.

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