The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1898, Page 7

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_ the last year of his life was embittered by

The Lutheran Pioneer. 7

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In 1716 he organized a seminary with eight
boys. ‘Then a public school which was well
patronized. The English government followed
his example, and began to establish more
schools. New mission stations were also es-
tablished from time to time, and the work
grew upon their hands.

Then the work was discouraged by a num-
ber of pastors in Denmark, who found fault
with it and withdrew their support. Ziegen-
balg labored on amid great privation. He
was a self-denying man, and cared but little
for life’s luxuries and pleasures. However,

to think of making his whistle a missionary
whistle. And, just as mama reminded him
again that his whistle was certainly making a
noise, whether he knew it or not, he slipped
around to the farthest corner of the box, and
quietly dropped it in, saying, as he did so,
“J wonder what a little Chinaman would do
if he had a whistle!”’

Nobody noticed Jamie’s donation. There
were so many necessary things to be thought
of and put in, that there was no time to be
given toa tin whistle; and so it slipped down
and down the corner until it reached the very
bottom of the box, where it rolled round and
round, in the tiny space it found, all the way
to China.

It took a long time for the box to get to
China, and if a box could feel, I am sure it
was glad a part of the time that it_was a box,
for it felt no sea-sickness. At length it landed
in the queerest sea-port town, where the roofs
of the houses were made of cane, and the
floors were of soft earth.

If the box could have seen inside one of
these houses, it would have stood still with
amazement, for suspended in the air were
huge fans, that, by some ingenious process,
were kept constantly swinging. But the box
only knew that it was being carried on and on.

The people of this town were very much
disappointed that the box was not for them.
They had received missionary boxes, and
knew the many useful and curious things they
contained; but the black markings on the

those who should have held up his hands.
On his death-bed he was happy. He said:
“Christ says: ‘Father, I will that where I am
there shall my servant be.’’? Then suddenly
opening wide his eyes he exclaimed: ‘‘Why
is it so bright before my eyes; it is even as
though the sun shone in them.’’ Then he be-
gan to sing, ‘‘Jesus, my Redeemer, lives,’’ and
in a few moments his soul had taken its de-
parture. He died at the early age of 36 years.
He labored in India thirteen years. At the
time of his death 450 heathen had been
brought to confess Christ.

Shortly afterwards Grundler, another faith-
ful workman in India, was called to his eter-
nal reward. However, 2 number of new men
arrived, among them being Benjamin Schultze.
This man was an untiring laborer, and a very
successful one. Among those who joined him
in his work were Christian Pressier and Chris-
topher Walther, both of whom proved to be
of untold value in the India field. _

In 1740 Fabricius left the Orphan’s Home
at Halle and sailed for India. He was a pious
and capable man, and, although he labored in
trying times in India, he ever remained faith-
ful to his Lord and to the mission. He died
at the age of eighty years, highly honored
and well beloved. In the time of these men
the mission in India prospered, and thousands
of heathen were brought to know their Lord
and Saviour. — Little Missionary.

to a mission farther inland.
The box was not put into a huge wagon,
such as little boys of our country are used to

last the cart was ready to start, how do you
think it was moved? Not by horses nor mules

to a strong rope attached to the front of the
cart, and pulled, while others walked in the
rear and took ‘‘turns’? at pushing. In this
way the box was carried over hills and across
plains, safe to the little missionary school for
which it was intended.

When the missionary box landed, what a
jumping and clapping of hands there was!
Little brown feet flew about almost too quickly
to be seen, while happy little voices chattered
English and Chinese in a way capable of puz-
zling even & Chinese laundryman. <

After everything else had been taken out of
the box, a little boy about the size of Jamie
saw the whistle.

‘At first he did not know what it was, but,
after sundry attempts, he found that it made
a noise. And now, to what possible use do
you think they put Jamie’s whistle?

¥or a long time this school had been in want
ofa bell. ‘he teacher had used several sub-
stitutes of her own invention, butnone of them
were far-sounding, and ultimately failed, often

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A Missionary Whistle.

There was nothing peculiar, says a pastor,
about this whistle, which we call a missionary
whistle, and which I am going to tell you
about. It was only a round bit of tin, look-
ing very much like a button, except that it
had a large hole‘in the centre, instead of sev-
eral small ones.

The whistle belonged to Jamie Reed, and
had been a source of annoyance to the older
members of the family for some time. On
this particular day it had been unusually an-
noying. It had filled Jamie’s mouth until his
cheeks bulged out; and not only this, but it
had emitted shrill cries until mama had de-
clared that, if it was not more quiet, she
would certainly have a nervous headache.

_ Mama was packing a missionary box this
afternoon, and this was how Jamie chanced

outside told that it belonged, not to them, but

seeing, but into the smallest two-wheeled cart
that ever carried so great a load ; for the cart
was completely filled with the box. When at

nor oxen, but by men. Several men held fast

putting herself and the school to great incon-
venience. So they used the whistle for a bell.

Therefore it came about that Jamie’s whistle
was duly installed as a missionary whistle; and
when the teachers of our towns would be heard
ringing a bell to call their pupils together, or

otherwise attract their attention, this teacher

blew Jamie’s whistle.

At last, one of the teachers wrote a letter
to the kind lady who sent the box, telling her
of the good it had done, and in the letter she
mentioned the whistle.

2-1 o> oo

Burying People Alive.

A missionary in Africa writes: Human sac-
rifices are offered at the grave of every free
person who dies. In a circle of four or five
miles from our station on the Congo, in
Africa, such sacrifices are of daily occurrence.
A neighbor of ours, a good well-meaning man,
was accused of sorcery and killed. After his
death the accuser confessed he had been mis-
taken. But the poor man’s life was gone.

On another occasion the wife of one of our
neighbors died. The day she died a man and
woman were put to death by her side in order
that she might not enter the spirit land alone.
Piece after piece of the person slain was wound
around the corpse till it was half as broad as
long. I heard that it was intended to kill two
more persons at her burial, and I resolyed to
protest against it. I found another missionary
to go with me, and we reached the place just
as the executioner carried the woman’s body
to the grave. ‘

At the end of the grave was the young man
who was to be slain, sitting with the corpse
upon his knee. He was to be buried alive
along with the dead. It was a sorrowful sight!
Both the persons to be killed were young,
strong, healthy, of good appearance, and they
wept bitterly at the prospect of such a death.

I took my place at the grave opposite the
executioner and tried to prevent the murders.
The headsman soon became restless and with-
drew, to the wonder of all. When I finished
my talk in one tongue, I used another and
tried to tell them how utterly wicked it all
was and that God who alone can give life
would bring punishment to every one who
thus tramples upon His commandments.

To these things one of the ruler’s friends
made answer: ‘‘Are those who are to be killed
your friends? Haven’t they been bought and
more than paid for!’ I repeated God’s com-
mand and warned them that they must pro-
tect both strangers and friends, white and
black, alike. Again we appealed to the heads-
man and again to the people, warning them
that we should hold them responsible.

Scarcely, however, had we turned our backs
when the ceremony went on, and the beating
of the tomtom a few moments later told us
that the grave had closed over living and dead
together. Since then seven others have been
sacrificed on that grave.

PRITZLAFF MEMORIAL LIBRARY
CONCORDIA SEMINARY
ST. LOUIS, MO,

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