The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1901, Page 44

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

The Outlook from the Editor’s Window.

Mission Amonc THE Dear. — Lutheran mis-
sion work among the deaf and dumb is carried
on in several of our large cities. The work
was recently begun also in Monroe, Mich., the
Rey. H. A. Bentrup, Superintendent of our
Deaf and Dumb Institute at North Detroit,
holding a service in that beautiful city on No-
vember 3d. Of those in attendance four had
in their time attended our Lutheran Deaf and
Dumb Institute. The services will be con-
tinued, the Rev. Bentrup intending to visit the
city oftener in the future.

Inrprisonep Missionaries.—A Lutheran mis-
sionary, formerly stationed at the Hermanns-
burg mission station, Bethany, but now a
prisoner in Pretoria, writes that six of the
Hermannsburg missionaries are at present
held as prisoners in Pretoria. Though the
missionaries were entirely neutral in the con-
flict now raging in South Africa, yet they were
not only robbed of their freedom, but the mis-
sionary work itself is forced to a standstill.
The letter closes with a heartfelt prayer for
peace. May the prayer be answered soon!

Romiso Surerstit1on. — Recently a pre-
tended relic of St. Anne was exposed by the
Romanists for nine days before the church of
St. Jean Baptiste in New York. ‘The news-
papers reported that great crowds came to
view the relic and to be cured of diseases.
Parents brought their crippled children, threw
aside their crutches, and led them away hob-
bling, distorted with pain at every step. Such
is Romish superstition. What a pity that
people should be taught to put their trust in
dead men’s bones rather than in the Lord
Jesus Christ!

Poor Girrs. —In China the girls are treated
with contempt by the family, the clan, and, in
fact, by the whole nation. A Chinese proverb
says, ‘‘A foolish son is much better than a wise
daughter,”’ and another one asserts, ‘‘A beau-
tiful daughter is of much less account than
a bowlegged son.’’ Popular opinion concern-
ing girls is so powerful that it deadens the
natural feelings of mothers. What the law
thinks of girls is shown by signboards, -put
up at the banks of rivers and ponds, bearing
the following inscription: ‘‘Girls dare not be
drowned here!’’ Female infants are killed in
such numbers that the authorities deemed it
___ Proper to have those signboards putup. How
be horrible is the cruelty of heathenism?

Biiteciscibax Sainr. —No class of people
are 60 influential or honored in Morocco as the
" Shereefs or lineal descendants of Mohammed.
One of these descendants is a saint. Instead
fied and imposing man, the saint is
are man, wearing 4 large red ‘‘fez,’’
cap, and for his outer garment the

coarse black cloak of the mountaineer, from
beneath which incongruously appeared a large
pair of high-topped boots of russet leather,
together with a pair of spurs. From his neck
was suspended a large iron-cased watch. Fur-
ther observation, with what was heard from
the people, demonstrated that the ‘‘holy man’’
was insane. A favorite occupation with him
is hacking down rose-bushes and shrubs, and
stripping young fruit trees of their branches.
He is an incessant smoker of keef—which is
a powerful narcotic—, a victim of the opium
habit, and is said to be fond of drink. Asa
climax to these vices, he is continually accom-
panied by three of his wives or concubines.
He gave one of the latter a terrible beating in
the street one morning, -and after recovering
his breath later, repeated the operation, using
a heavy cane for the purpose. Yet this poor
demented slave of lust and dissipation is es-
teemed a holy man, his garments are devoutly
kissed, and his blessing is sought. When he
dies it is quite likely that his tomb will be a
shrine to which hundreds will go for healing
or help. The heathen sit in darkness!

A Dark Picture. —That is a sad and dark
picture which a traveler gives us of the interior
of Brazil, where the Roman Catholic church
rules. He says: ‘‘Even a brief residence in
Brazil discloses in a very short time the five
great evils which blight this people, namely,
immorality, drunkenness, shiftlessness, igno-
rance, and superstition. Throughout Brazil,
a medical man meets with an incredibly large
number of persons with divers forms of secret
diseases. This gives evidence of the shock-
ingly low state of morality among the Bra-
zilians. The vilest sort of home-made rum,
known as caxaca, is found everywhere, even
if there is not another thing to be had. The
laziness and shiftlessness of the low-class
Brazilian is almost incredible. In a country
abounding with natural wealth the people
have absolutely nothing. The traveler who
attempts to pass through the interior, expect-
ing to buy his food on the way, stands a fair
chance of starving, for, instead of selling to
you, the people expect to borrow from you
whenever you make a landing. The last two
evils, ignorance and superstition, go hand
in hand, and it is frequently claimed that
the people of Roman Catholic countries are
charged with ignorance by Protestants from
motives arising out of religious prejudices,
and that the picture is generally overdrawn.
Critics of that sort ought to come to the in-
terior of Brazil. It is a good place in which
to study a people over whom the Roman Cath-
olic clergy has had undisputed sway for cen-
turies. There is a great deal of atheism among
the educated Brazilians, but they dare not pro-
fess it openly; fear and business interests
make them bow to the dictates of the Church,
though they secretly despise its shallow teach-
ings.’’—A wide door has been opened to the
Lutheran church for the preaching of the

Gospel in that neglected country. May God
bless our mission work in Brazil.
Dirrerent Hearers. —'‘Some folks,’’ said

an old colored deacon, ‘‘go to church with a
pitchfork; and they pitch a little piece of the
sermon at first one acquaintance and then
another, till there is none left for themselves,
and then they find fault with the preacher.
But I like to see folks take a rake with them
and draw up all the little bits that do them good
and take them home with them, and those who
do this always hear good sermons.”’

Mission Work ror Atit.—Some can go;
most can give; all can pray.

Acknowledgment.

Received for colored missions of Rev. K. Kretz-
schmar from Mount Zion Church in New Orleans,
La., $50.00; of Rev. F. J. Lankenau, from St. Paul’s
Church in New Orleans, La., 25.00; of Rev. J. Koss-
mann from Bethlehem Church in New Orleans, La.,
25.00; of Rev. J.C. Schmidt from Grace Church in
Greensboro, N. C., 12.00.

St. Louis, Mo., Oct. 15, 1901.

A. C. Buraporr, Treas.

Evangelical Lutheran Colored Churches,
New ORLEans, La.

EV. LUTH. ST. PAUL’S CHAPEL.
1625 Annette Str., between Olaiborne and Derbigny.
Divine services: Sunday morning at 94 o'clock.
Sunday evening at 734 o'clock.
Wednesday evening at 7 ,o°clock.
Sunday School: Sunday morning at 10% 0
ere catechumen class mects at 74 seolook “Tuesday

venin;
Singing 1g School meets at 7% o'clock Friday evoning.
¥. J. LANKENAU, Missionary.

EY. LUTH. MOUNT ZION OHUROH.
Cor. S. Franklin and Thalia Strs.
Divine services: Sunday morning oe 11 o'clock.
Sunday evenin; o’clock.
Thursday even i at o'clock.
Sunday School: Sunday morning at 934 o'clock.
Adult catechumen class meets at 734 o'clock Friday
evening.
Young g Peopl e’s Concordia Circle and tne lns, Schoo}
‘ednesday evening at 734 o'
KARL eS rear,

EV. LUTH. BETHLEHEM OHAPEL.
Cor. Washington Avenuc aes Dryades Str.

Divine services: puns evenin, at 74, o'clock.
nrsday ¢ evening at 74 o'clock.
Sunday School at 9

lock
Adult catechumen agora every Tuesday at 1% o’clock and
after the divine service on Thursday cvening.
Chole peactsag at 7 o'clock on aoneet ay ovening and
er divine service on Thursday even
Circle for Young People meets at the school every, Tues-
day evening at 734 o’clock.
J. W. F. Kos8MANN, Missionary,

Ey. Luth. Holy Trinity Church,

Springfield, Tu.
Divine services at half sper 10 orelock Sunday morning
Sunt and ace siclock pane ey event ing.
Cate oh Yi aentolana meets Monday and Friday evenings.
Singing-school Tuesday evening.
Senne eee _

TERMS:
Tue LuraeraN PIONEER is published monthly,
pay able in advance at the following rates, postage
luded, Bue

50 9.00
Club rates oie allowed if all copies are to be sent

2 Al ieee communications to be addressed to

“Qoncordia Publishing House,” Jefferaon Ave. and

Miam‘ Mo.
All Moe concerning rae the editorial de-

R. A. BiscHory,
ee oge, Fore Wayne, Lad.