The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1900, Page 28

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The: Lutheran Pioneer.

The Outlook from the Editor’s Window.

WE are glad to see that at all the meetings of
the synods of the Synodical Conference some
time is devoted to our Colored Mission cause.
In a-report on the meeting of the Eastern
District of the Missouri Synod we read: ‘‘The
committee on negro missions presented its an-
nual report, showing encouraging progress in
the work, and a satisfactory financial con-
dition. There are 21 congregations in the
states of Louisiana, North Carolina, Missis-
sippi and Virginia. Rey. John C. Schmidt, a
missionary from Greensboro, N. C., made an
interesting address, in which he portrayed the
great drawbacks to which negro missions were
subjected, the hardships of the workers and
the prejudice against them, but assured his
hearers that the work was being crowned with
success, nothwithstanding the numerous ob-
stacles.”’

Durws the sessions of the Southern District
of the Missouri Synod in New Orleans many
delegates embraced the opportunity of attend-
ing services in one of our Colored Mission
Churches. One of them writes to us: ‘‘I was
surprised and rejoiced at seeing these staunch
colored Lutherans, and could say Amen to
the eloquent appeal made by our missionary,
Rey. Bakke, at one of the synodical sessions.
My visit to New Orleans has made me a friend
of mission work among the colored people of
_ the South. May God continue to bless the
work and sustain our dear missionaries in their
hard labor.’’

Tne French missionaries among the Bassuto
in South Africa report many touching proofs
of the great willingness to give to the Lord
on the part of these dusky Christians. The
veteran missionary Coilard, whose field is on
the Sambesi river, paid a visit to Moriah, the
oldest station in Bassuto Land. He preached
in the church to a large congregation and the
resident missionary announced a ‘‘silver’’ col-
lection for the benefit of the missions on the
Sambesi. Every Bassuto present responded
to the appeal ; $125 were found in the baskets,
allin silver; there was not a single copper or
nickel among the coins!

Here is an extract from the conversation
of a foreign missionary’s daughter with a
society young man (a church member) with
whom she was talking about missions. ‘‘You
are playing with the most tremendous in-
-terests that can/occupy the human mind. You
believe that millions of souls are perishing for
Jack of help that you could give, and you
spend your money. and your time and your
strength on luxurious nothings, and dole out
the paltry sums which you make by your play
to support the missionaries. You talk of sacri-
_ -ficel’” I wonder who among you knows: by
vexperience the first syllable of its meaning.
Jouyou think my father and mother do not
understand it?- What have they sacrificed?

No young lady of your set had a more lovely
home or choicer opportunities for culture than
my mother gave up to go to India. - And my
father put aside the most flattering opening
for making what you call a successful life and
went to that dark land.... ‘May parties,’ in-
deed! and ‘lawn fetes’ and creams and dances
and-sprites and nymphs to support that for
which the Lord Jesus Christ died on the cross!’

PUNISHING THE Gops.—In a Chinese vil-
lage, during a time-of drought, a missionary
saw a row of idols put in the hottest and
dustiest part of the road. He inquired the rea-
son, and the natives answered, ‘‘We prayed
our gods to send us rain, and they won’t;
so we have put them out to see how they like
the heat and dryness.’’ ‘‘The Hindus had
hired Brahmin priests to keep up their noisy
worship before the village idols, and fully ex-
pected abundant rain as the result of their
worship. But, after waiting for days and
weeks, they resolved to punish the gods who
had received costly offerings without bringing
them the looked-for blessing in return. In
some places they indignantly besmeared their
idols with mud, and closed up the entrance to
the temples with thorns. In others they filled
up the temples with water and blocked the
doors, so that the idols might shiver in the
cold water as a punishment for keeping their
fields dry.” On the other hand, it is said
of the Christians that their trust in God is
unshaken, and they continue.to offer their
prayers to the Lord.

Inpra’s Starvine Peorte. — Here are some
passages from an article in the Indian Maga-
zine, written by A. Rogers, and describing
what he saw recently in an out-of-the-way
part of India. ‘‘Numbers of women, with
children at their breasts vainly striving to
draw a little nourishment, surrounded me with
such cries as: ‘Sahib, I have had no food for
two days, and have no milk left for my child;
Sahib, I have no food for myself; how can I
produce nourishment for my starving child ?”
Children, with a blank look of stupefaction
through actual hunger, sat naked on the
ground, and helped each other in searching
for and scraping up grass seed from the dry
sand. I saw one boy, not eight years old,
who was the sole provider for himself and
two younger ones. The ribs of all could be
distinctly traced on their bodies, while their
legs and arms were like dried-up pieces of
stick. One blind man, terribly emaciated,
was led to my tent every day by a stick held
by a naked little girl of about four years of
age. Another, a miserable old woman, with
her gray hair floating in the wind, and with
no clothing but a loin cloth of rags, with her
bones almost protruding through her skin,
came and stood before’ the tent in’a dazed
state, and could not understand what I said
to her in her own language, but saw a small
silver coin I pressed into her hand, and look-
ing up into my eyes, threw her arms round

my neck, and with her héad leaning on my
chest sobbed aloud. I had to shut my tent
doors down to prevent them really mobbing
me in their despair, and, if I put my hand out
to drop a coin into some one’s hand who seemed
in a more pitiable state than others, fifty more
hands were thrust through the opening, and
I had to close every hand I put something into
for fear the money should be snatched out of
it by another starving wretch, as frequently
happened. And yet the patience of the poor
people was wonderful. When I was not actu-
ally giving away money, they would sit silent
for hours looking piteously at the tent to see
if I showed no signs of coming out or beckon-
ing to any of the worst cases to come forward.
The weather was bitterly cold in the morn-
ings, and they sat in the cold wind-shivering
with their naked bodies till the sun warmed
them. May I be preserved from seeing such
scenes of misery again.’’

Acknowledgment.

Received for colored missions of Rey. F. J. Lan-
kenau, Missionary, New Orleans, La., from Mount
Zion Congregation $25.00, and from St. Paul’s Con-
gregation 25.00; of Rev. J. Kossmann, Missionary,
from Bethlehem Congregation, New Orleans, La.,
25.00; of Rev. J.C. Schmidt, Missionary, from Grace
Congregation in Greensboro, N.C., 24.00.

A. C. BurGporrF, TZreas.

St. Louis, Mo., June 20, 1900.

Evangelical Lutheran Colored Churches,
NEw ORLEANS, ‘La.

EV. LUTH. ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL.
1625 Annette Str., between Claiborse and Derbigny.
Divine services: Sunday morning at 9% o'clock.
Sunday evening at 734 o'clock.
Wednesday evening at i% o'clock.
Sunday School: Sunday morning at 103 ofclock.
Adult catechumen class meets at 734 o’clock Tuesday

evening:
Singing School meets at 744 o'clock Friday cyening.

EV. LUTH. MOUNT ZION CHURCH.
Cor. S. Franklin and Thalia Strs.
Divine services: Sunday morning at 11 o'clock.
Sunday evening at 734 o'clock.
3 Thursday cvening at o’clock.
Sunday School: Sunday morning at 9% o'clock.
Adult ‘catechumen class mects at 734 o'clock Friday

evening.
Young Peoples’ Concordia Circle and Singing School
meet Wednesday evening at 74 o’clock

¥F. J. LANKENAD, Missionary.

EV. LUTH. BETHLEHEM OHAPEL.
: __ Cor. Washington Avenue and Dryades Str.
Divine services: Sunday evening at 734 o'clock.
Thursday evening at 714 o'clock.
Sunday School at 9% o'clock. d
Adult catechumen class every Tuesday at 734 o'clock ani
aftcr the divine service on Thursday evening. a
Choir practice at 714 o’clock on Tucsday cyening an
_ after divine service on Thursday even ng.
cixele for xoung a) nle meots at the school every Tacs-
jay evening at 734 o'clock. .
if E nf J. W. F. KossMANN, Missionary.

Ey. Luth. Holy Trinity Church.

Z Springfield, Ill.
Divine Services at half past 10 o’clock Sunday morning
5 and ee o.clock Bandey: evening.

anda; ool at 3 o'clock P. M. :
Oatechamen class meets Monday and Friday evenings.
Singing-school Tuesday evening.

ne
TERMS: ;
Tae LurneraN Pioneer is published monthly,
payable in advance. at the following rates,
included, to-wit:
10 Copies 5 a. 2.00
25 mame . 5.00
Club rates only allowed if all copies are t© be sen
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‘All business communications to be addressed
Boor onda ro blushing House,” St. ae oF de:
communications concerning the ;
partaient to be addressed to Prof. R. A. BuscHOrty
1 Concordia College, Fort Wayne,Ind. —