The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 6

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

From Jerusalem to Bethlehem.
By F. J. ODENDANL.

My readers must not expect to hear of an actual
journey to these very renowned and to us.so dear
Scripture cities. Nothing would delight me more,
especially now during this festival season, than to be
able to take them all with me on an actual journey
from, Jerusalem to Bethlehem. This would be a
most delightful journey ; but I cannot offer you any-
thing like this.

To explain how the above title suggested itself
to me, let me tell you:

It was on a Thursday evening, lately passed, as
Isat in my room reading in Prof. Seiffarth’s chro-
nology the record of his calculations fixing the date
of the destruction of Jerusalem in the year 70, that
it came to my mind that this was Thursday even-
ing, the regular week service evening at Bethlehem
Chapel for our colored Lutheran brethren, and that
Ihad promised to attend. The clock pointed to ten
minutes after seven; no time to be lost, thought I,
* as service begins at seven thirty. So, after mark-

ing the passage I read.last at the word Jerusalem I
closed my book, and involuntarily the thought came
to my mind: ‘‘From Jerusalem to Bethlehem.’
_ Ireached Bethlehem Chapel in time, a few minutes
-before the bell rang.
_ As I stepped in, a middle-aged colored lady,
Mrs. Wilson, with a friendly smile and bright face,
approached me and whispered in my ear:
**Can you keep a secret?’?
“Oh, yes! I can,’ I replied.
‘*Now surely,’’ she'said, ‘‘can you?”’
*Oh, yes!”? I repeated, ‘‘just try me.’’
“‘Well,’’ she said, ‘‘I will.’?
So she informed me that certain members of the
congregation intended _to surprise their pastor, the

-Rey. J. Kossmann, and Mrs. Kossmann this even--

ing in commemoration of their tenth marriage an-
niversary. She asked me if I would like to par-
ticipate.
“Of course,’’? I replied, ‘‘with. pleasure.”
Then she requested me to see the pastor home
- under some excuse. !
After church service, which was well attended,
some forty adults being present who listened at-
tentively, I asked Rev. Kossmann if he had com-
pared certain Bible verses in the first book of Moses
which I had referred to him some days previous.
He replied that he had not yet found the time, but
if I would come with him he would do so then.
Mr. Wolf, the teacher of the Bethlehem parochial
- school, who stood near and was evidently in the

secret, stepped up and requested to be permitted
to join us, which was readily granted.

- When we reached the pastor’s residence we were
kindly received by Mrs. Kossmann, to whom I ex-
plained the lateness of our visit, it being then about
9.30 p. M.

The Bibles were brought, and while we com-
pared the passages, a knock at the door announced
visitors. In walked two colored gentlemen with a
large clothesbasket, covered. These were followed
by Mrs. Wilson (the arch conspiratress), Oliver Ha-
ger, Aaron and Mrs. Wiley, Miss Clay, Mrs. Smith,
Mrs. Bloom, Mrs. Camel, Mrs. Reed, Mrs. Rutledge,
Mrs. Jones, Mrs. Delvach, Miss Smith, Miss Bloom,
Miss Steele, Miss Wiley, Mr. Wilcox, Mr. Wiley,
Mr. Camel, Mr. Jones, Master Collins, and Master
Smith, until the two front rooms were packed with
visitors. All presented their compliments to the
bride and groom with an earnestness and fervor that
evidenced a warm heart and earnest Christian spirit
towards their pastor and his lady.

Then the basket was unpacked, one of the vis- *

itors explaining the usefulness of each article, until

“an endless quantity of tin-granite ware covered a

large table, which fairly groaned under the load.

It was a happy, joyful, and very respectful meet-
ing, and the time passed pleasantly and agreeably.
After a short while all the company were regaled
with an abundance of very palatable peach sher-
bet and excellent cakes, which in some mysterious
manner had also been spirited into the house. Later,
after much pleasant conversation, three hymns were

sung from memory: ‘‘All glory be to God on high,’- —

“Now thank we all our God,”’ and ‘‘Glory be to God
the Father.”’

After repeated further congratulations, the vis-
itors left the surprised pastoral couple to give them
an opportunity to recover from their surprise.

The readers would have been highly impressed
could they have seen the gentlemanly and ladylike

deportment and the Christian spirit which mani- a
fested itself, and they may rest assured that this. _

little impromptu assembly contained many a Lu- |.
theran heart which will join with them in fervent

prayer and thanksgiving for the gift of the Christ-
child.

This is my trip from Jerusalem to Bethlehem
which I enjoyed very much, and which I never |
shall forget, as it called to my memory the words of —

St. Peter: ‘‘Of'a truth I perceive that God is not a
respecter of persons, but in every nation he that

. feareth Him and worketh righteousness is accepted

with Him.”’
New Orleans, La., December 2, 1904.