The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1891, Page 7

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Fr. he other day about the Sandwich Islands, | pa

The Lutheran Pioneer. 4

What Katie thought about Missions. ‘‘A missionary lady in Tungchow, China,
ei, said that she had just received the second pay-
“ The children, coming home from a meeting | ment of five dollars froma young ladies’ mis-
‘of their mission band, ran right to mamma’s|sionary society in Honolulu, and that it seems
‘room, where she and Aunt Fanny were sitting. | strange to think of missionary societies in the
“Mamma,” exclaimed Charlie, rushing in, | Sandwich Islands, when it is not a great many
“I took up the collection! As soon as we got| years since the first missionaries went there.”
there, Miss Howard asked me if I would do it, ‘«Some of the first missionary money cent to
and I said I would and I did.”’ Japan came from those Islands, didn’t it?’’

‘And I said my. little verses, and putin my} ‘‘ Yes.”’
two pennies,”’ said little Will. ‘‘Mamma,”’ asked Katie, ‘‘ where’s that so-

“And you, darling,” said his mamma, tak-|ciety where the children brought money to the
ing him on her lap and kissing him, ‘did you| very first meeting, and the teacher was sur-
say the verses nicely ?”’ prised? You read it to me you know.”

Will, nodding his curly head, said, ‘‘Yeth,| ‘That’s in South America. The children
‘ma’am.’’ had just learned about Jesus, and they wanted

“What did you do, Katie?” asked Aunt|to give money to send missionaries and Bibles
‘Fanny. to other children who hadn’t heard the Gospel.”’

“T said the poetry you taught me, about} ‘ Where'sMadagascar? Isitaheathen town?”
‘Tell it out among the heathen.’”’ inquired Charlie.

. .‘* What else was done?’’ asked mamma. ‘“‘It is a large island near Africa. It was

“Some of the big girls said a dialogue, and| heathen not many years ago, but is Christian
we had items—” Katie began. now.”

“ And Carrie Rich read a story abouta little} -‘‘Papa read something the other day about
girl that had a missionary meeting at home all | the people there giving missionary money.’”’
by herself,’ Charlie broke in, ‘‘and we sang,| ‘‘Yes,’’ said Aunt Fanny, “T heard him
and Miss Howard told us ever so much about|read it. It was that the native Christians of
the children in Japan, and gave us questions to | Madagascar have given more than a million
answer the next time. Then I took up the|dollars in the past ten years for the spread of
collection.’’ the Gospel.”’

“Tt was a good meetin’,”’ said Katie. “© And to think of those poor half-naked Fiji-,

“ Aunt Fanny, do you have missionary meet- | aus bringing their yearly missionary offering?”
ings in Philadelphia, where you live?”’ Charlie |said mamma.
asked. “Carrying it in their mouths, too,” said Aunt

“O yes, we have a good many,” replied Aunt | Fanny, laughing.

Fanny. ‘What do they do that for?’’ Charlie asked.

“Why, Charlie!’? exclaimed Katie, “of| ‘‘ Well, in the first place, they had no pocket-
course they have them there.” books, and no pockets to put them in if they

“Oh, yes!’” said Charlie. ‘Do they have|had them; then they generally have clubs or
them away out in the country?”’ something else in their hands; so they carry

“In many parts of the country they do,’’| the money in their mouths, to keep it safe.”
said Aunt Fanny, ‘‘and sometimes people goa| ‘‘ What are the clubs for?”
long way to attend them. Don’t youremem-| ‘‘They ‘use them in their games. You see
ber, Mary,’’ she said to the children’s mother, |they havea great many games, dances and
“hearing about that woman who traveled twenty | things of that kind. In the old heathen times,

miles on horseback, carrying her baby and ford-| when they killed and ate people—’’

ing a river, to go to a missionary meeting ?’’ “Ate people!’’ exclaimed Katie in horror.
“That was very different from leaving the} ‘‘Oh, yes. They used to be fearful. They

baby at home with Sarah, and only going two|ate people or buried them alive, and did dread-

squares,” said Katie. ful, horrible things, but the missionaries going
“Ts wonderful to think of the missionary | there and telling them about Jesus has changed

meetings in the different parts of the world,” |all that. Most of the people on the islands are

“T don’t think that’s a very nice way to take
up a collection,’’ said Charlie in a disgusted
tone.

“But I think it is very nice that as soon as
people stop being heathen they want to begin
to give missionary money,” said Katie. ‘‘Isn’t
it mamma?’’—Children’s Work: for Children.

> +o

A Martyr’s Confession.

In the year 1552, Dionysius Pelcquin was
imprisoned on account of his religion. When
asked what he would call the Holy Scriptures,
he answered:

“‘They are the infallible, certain and perfect
truth of God contained in the Old and New
Testaments, to which no man shall add to, nor
take away from, for nothing is omitted that is
necessary to our salvation. Therefore I hold
them to be the only rule of the Christian re-
ligion.”” Thereupon his questioner became very
angry and asked, Who told you they were the
Holy Scriptures, and how can you know it if
the Church has not assured you of it? Peloquin
knew very well that he meant the Romish
Church and for this reason replied: ‘‘Nochurch
need assure me of this; the Holy Spirit alone
assures me of this, and bears witness to my
heart and conscience, that the Scriptures are
the eternal truth, to which I am obedient, and
by which I desire to live and die. The Script-
ures do not need the testimony of the church,
for the church is founded on the doctrine of the ,
Prophets and Apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ,
as St. Paul testifies in his letter to the Ephesi-
ans.” Inasmuch as Peloquin continued in this
noble confession, he was burned alive Septem-
ber 4, 1553, but did not, to his last breath,
cease to implore God’s mercy.

—_——>+ oto >

What is the Tongue for?

“Since God made the tongue—and He never
makes anything in vain—we may be sure He
made it for some good purpose. What is it,
then?’’ asked a teacher one day of her class.

‘‘He made it that we may pray with it,’’
answered one boy.

“To sing with,” said another.
«To talk to people with,’’ said a third.
‘To recite our lessons with,”’ replied another.

said mamma. Christians. They have hundreds of churches| ‘Yes; and I will tell you what He did not
‘Qh, tell us about them!’ cried all the and schools, they keep Sunday, and have pray-| make it for. He did not make it for us to scold
children. ~ ers every morning and evening.’’ with, to lie with or toswear with. He did not

‘Well, just think for a moment of the ones ry societ
in our own country. Some are held in large “Yes. The missionaries encourage them to
Cities, some in small towns, and some away out|keep up all their innocent, harmless games,
in. country places. Sometimes they are in a and it is when they are having one of these
big church or hall, where there are hundreds | great celebrations that they hold their Sa
of people present, and sometimes they are in a) ary meetings. The missionary or oe t ®
little room, where there are only two or three native preachers sits under a tree, vi a oe
People. And now-a-days we hear about mis- beside him, and the peo coe ae
*l0nary meetings in lands which not long ago cloths, with garlands of leaves an Be

As the girls carrying banana leaves for
€re heathen lands. What was that you read Se ue Hegiths Sars ets

«And missionary societies,” suggested Katie. | mean that we should say unkind or foolish, in-

decent or impatient words with it. Now, boys,
think every time you use your tongues if you
are using them in the way God means you to.
Do good with your tongues, and notevil. Itis
one of the most useful members of the whole
body although it is so small. Please God with
it every day.”

————— —- eo ‘
Wuene the spirit of God dwells, there the
fruits of the Spirit, as opposed to those of the

anny??? money out of their mouths on the mat.” flesh, will make their appearance. *