The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1898, Page 22

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22

The Lutheran Pioneer.

(For the LUTHERAN PIONEER.)

Doings and Happenings at Bethlehem,
New Orleans, La.

Bethlehem is jubilant on having lately re-
ceived a goodly number of new members.
A few Sundays ago three new adult members
were received of whom one, being as yet un-
baptized, was publicly baptized in the name
of the Triune God before being confirmed.
The services on this day were exceedingly
well attended, the chapel being, indeed, taxed
_to its utmost capacity. An actual count re-
vealed 167 worshipers present. The choir
under the direction of Mr. E. Rischow, ren-
dered on this occasion ‘‘Calvary,’’ by Rodney.
The altar was profusely decorated with cut
flowers, which abound in our clime, particu-
larly at this season of the year. After the
services the new members were
greeted and congratulated by
the older members and in every
way shown how welcome they
were and what joy their coming
to Christ caused in their fellow
Christians. All were one heart
and one soul. It, indeed, filled
one with anxious zeal for more
work in the Lord’s vineyard to
have attended the services and
to have witnessed the brotherly
love shown one another after the
services.

A few Sundays later the Lord
again added to our flock. Chil-
dren between the ages of about
7 to 13 years were the new-
comers to the Lord this time.
Ten children, all scholars at our
“Mission School,’’ were brought
to the Lord by holy baptism.
Through the school they became
acquainted with the Saviour who
laid down His life to save them from death;
through the school they came to a knowledge
of their ‘‘Good Shepherd,”’ and not being
baptized, they sincerely desired now to be
united with Him by the holy ordinance He in-
stituted for this purpose. Being of the ages,
as stated above, they were previously in-
structed more fully, and particularly concern-
ing holy baptism. When the hour of service
came (Jubilate, May 1), it was truly inspiring
and edifying to see the little Christians seated
before the altar of God, ready to renounce
Satan and all his works and to give them-
selves wholly to God and His service, ready
to be baptized, as the Lord had commanded,
and to receive by baptism, according to the
Lord’s promise, forgiveness of sin, life and
salvation. ‘The participation in this service
again was almost up to the limit of the chapel,
153 being present. To beautify the worship
the choir sang ‘‘Praise the Lord, all ye na-

_ tions,’ by Fiske. The sermon preached on the
" occasion showed forth who should be baptized
88 well as the benefits derived from baptism.

The following Sunday (Cantate, May 8), was
another day for rejoicing, for on it the chil-
dren’s class of catechumens was confirmed.
There were five in this class, though twenty-
three had all along attended the course of in-
structions.
permission of their parents for confirmation,
while four others will be confirmed with the
next class.
yet having been brought to Christ in baptism,

was publicly baptized and then confirmed to- |
gether with the class in the usual order. No}

fewer than 143 worshipers attended the serv-
ices on this night.
Mr. Rischow was able to have the choir beau-
tify this service, too, by an appropriate selec-
tion. After services these new members were
made to feel at home in their church by sin-
cere expressions of brotherhood and sister-

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The Tabernacle.

hood on part of the pastor, teacher, and mem-
bers of the church, just as had been done the
Sunday before to the newly baptized members.
The work of the Lord is progressing. Again
a class of adults is in the course of instruction,
in which the members evince deep interest.
Besides, there are a few children more to be
baptized, who could not be gotten ready for
Jubilate Sunday. And may the good and
gracious Lord keep in His grace all that He
hath brought to faith, and ever add more and
more immortal souls redeemed by His blood
to His kingdom, that His name may be glori-
fied by many and the praises of Jesus be heard
throughout the world. J. KossMAnn.

——s o-oo

Burial Customs in Central Africa.

Men of rank, after being attired with their
common aprons, are interred either sitting on
their benches or are enclosed in a kind of
coffin made from a hollow tree. As already
noticed in other tribes, the earth is not thrown

A number could not obtain the}

Of the five confirmed one, not|

By much patient practice |

on the corpse, which is placed in a niche in
the side of the grave. Like the Bongo, the
Niam-Niam bury their dead with a scrupulous
regard to the points of the compass; but com-
monly enough they reverse the rule which pre-
vails in the former tribe, the men being de-
posited with their faces towards the east, the
women towards the west. After the grave
has been well stamped down, a but is erected
over it, though, owing to its fragile character,
it rarely survives the weather or the annual
burning of the steppe pasture. A Wagogo
chief on dying, is washed — perhaps one of

the few times in the course of his existence’

that such a treat is vouchsafed his body—
and his corpse placed in an upright position
in a hollow tree, to which the people come
daily to mourn and pour beer and ashes on
the corpse, indulging themselves meanwhile
in a kind of wake. This ritual
goes on until the body is thor-
oughly decomposed, when it is
placed on a platform and exposed
to the effects of the weather,
which speedily reduces it to a
heap of bones. These are then
duly buried. At one time slaves
were sacrificed to heighten the
dignity of such occasions; butin
marked contrast with the elabo-
rate rites attending a great
man’s sepulture, the bodies of
commoners are thrown into the
nearest jungle, to be devoured
by beasts of the field and fowls
of the air. Commander Cameron,
from whom we glean these par-
ticulars, describes the burial of a
chief in Urua as accompanied
with practices almost unequaled
in the annals of savagery. The
first step taken when such a dig-
nitary expires is to divert the
course of a stream, and to dig an enormous
pit in its bed. This cavern is then lined with
living women. At one end a woman is placed
on her hands and knees, and upon her back
the corpse of the dead chief, covered with
beads and other ornaments, is seated, being
supported on each side by one of his wives,
while his second wife sits at his feet. The
earth is then shoveled in over living and dead
alike, all the women being buried alive except
the second wife, who is graciously permitted
the privilege of being slaughtered before the
huge grave is closed in. Finally, forty or fifty
slaves are killed, and their blood poured over
the sepulchre, after which the river is allowed
to resume its course. It is said that as many
as a hundred women have been buried with
one great chief, though smaller men have to
be sent to their long homes with only two or
three, and their grayes drenched with the

blood of as many slaves, while the vulgar herd.

haye to be content with solitary sepulchre, the
corpse being placed in a sitting posture, W
the right forefinger pointing heavenwards, just

with,