The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1904, Page 15

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

15

News from Bethlehem Station, New
Orleans, La.

The day-school connected with this station has
been formed into a three-class school. The middle
class, formerly the first department, is taught by
the Rey. Wenzel, who is working with good success.
The “‘little ones’’ keep teacher Wolf a-moving all the
time, and it’s a delight to observe him among his
little, yet big flock. The new class, comprising the
higher grades and in charge of the missionary, is
domiciled in the vestry, which, for the present, has
been transformed into a regular schoolroom. This
room, though of fair size for its new purpose, is
almost filled. The other classes, too, are receiving
their share of new scholars, or of former scholars
who are now reentering. During the first days of
January no less than 17 were received. Both the
teachers and the congregation are delighted over the
prospects.

The Sunday school has been reorganized. The
force of teachers at present numbers 9. The new
arrangement has caused much enthusiasm among
the young teachers, as well as among the scholars.

‘Rev. Wenzel has organized a choir among the
young people confirmed in the church.

The ‘‘Willing Workers,” a society which aims
to aid the indigent, celebrated its first anniversary
on the 20th of January.

Two of Bethlehem’s young men are preparing
themselves as laborers in the Lord’s vineyard. They
are pursuing their studies at the new college (the
much-needed college building is yet to be erected)
conducted at present in the vestry of St. Paul’s
Chapel. 2 i

At the Christmas celebration the children de-
lighted the hearts of all attendants by their cheer-
ful singing and excellent answers to the questions
given them. J. KossMAnn.

——

Items from New Orleans.

St. Paul’s School now has three teachers. The
third teacher, M. L. Fuhrmann, was installed on
the first Sunday in January. At the time of this
writing we have over 250 pupils attending our
school, and we are beginning to feel sorely the need
of another building. The present school-building
was built to accommodate 200 children at most,
and so it must be plain that the present number
of pupils cannot be properly seated. Two of the
rooms are so crowded that the teachers actually
have no room to place desks for their own use.

The Mission Board has bought two lots adjoining
our St. Paul’s property, intending to build a college
on them, as soon as the necessary means are at
hand. If, now, the friends of our Mission would
come to the rescue, we could soon have a building
that would serve as a college and also afford us room
for one of our school-classes, thus relieving the
present congestion in our school.

The pastor of St. Paul’s is at present instructing
such pupils as are later on to become the students of
the college in the vestry of his church, and it is need-
less to say that pupils and instructor are anxiously
looking forward to the time when the college will be
completed. May God speed the day! L.

oe

God Must Have the Best.

A lady missionary visiting the home of a heathen
woman in India noticed that she was singularly un-
responsive to the Gospel invitations. Her attention
was attracted to a cradle in the room in which she
found two babes. She asked the mother if she was
not very happy in having two such beautiful chil-
dren. ‘‘I am not happy,” she said. ‘‘My god’is
angry with me. One of my babes is blind; and I
fear if I do not do something to appease my god,
he will send something worse upon me.”? The mis-
sionary tried to point her to the true God, but made
little impression. Returning some weeks later, she
went to the cradle and found only one babe in it,
and that the blind one. Inquiring, she learned that
the wretched mother had cast the other into the
Ganges River to appease the wrath of her angry
god. “If you must do such a dreadful thing,”’ she
asked, ‘‘why did you not throw the blind one in?”’
The mother said, ‘‘My god must have the best!”’

We, as Christians, may learn from this Hindoo

-mother a lesson that we all need: It is that, in all

things, the first and the best should be given to
God.— Ex.

ee

A Cheerful Giver.

Dr. Newton tells the story of a blind girl who
brought to her pastor a one-pound note as her offer-
ing for foreign missions. The pastor at first refused
to accept it, on the ground that it was too much for
one in her condition to give. Her answer, which re-
vealed the love that dwelt.in her heart and prompted
her gift, removed his hesitancy. ‘‘Please, sir,’’ she
said, ‘‘I can afford it better than the girls who can
see, for they are obliged to spend money for light
in the dark, long evenings; but I can make my
baskets without light, and I have saved this.”’