The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1905, Page 39

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

39

A Retrospect.

III.

Among my Sunday school class in Sailors’ Home
at New Orleans I had a little fellow whose name, I
think, was Charley Brown, about five or six years
old. He was a bright little boy, very attentive and
diligent at his lessons, and had a good memory, and
sang well.

One Sunday Charley was missing; he had always
been very regular, and we had commenced without
him. I asked his playmates where Charley was, but
they could not tell. While we were singing I no-
ticed some of the scholars’ eyes were attracted to
the door opening. I looked and saw part of a curly
head, and one white eye peeping around the door
post. When we had concluded the hymn, I stepped
to the door, and there was Charley. When I asked
him why he did not come in, he looked at me, and
then cast his eyes down over himself as if to say,
“Look at me! How can I come in in this con-
dition?’’? And sure enough, the little fellow stood
there almost nude, wearing his pants only. ‘‘Why,
Charley,” said I, “where are yourclothes?”” “Mother
hid them,’’*he replied, ‘‘because I should not come
to Sunday school.”’ “And would you like to come?”’
I asked him. He nodded his head very rapidly
several times. So I took him by the hand, seated
him in his class, and he was so happy. It was a
strange sight to see the little fellow sitting among
his classmates with his bare shoulders, arms, and
feet, but he was so happy that his little face beamed
like a sunflower.

What finally became of him I cannot say. His
mother moved from the neighborhood, and I never
heard of him since. He must now be a man of 30
to 35 years of age. I feel almost convinced that he
never forgot his Sunday school in the old Sailors’
Home, and that he grew up a good Christian and,
consequently, a good man; he certainly made a
good start in that direction.

Shortly after this incident the Mission station,
by instruction of the Board at St. Louis, was re-
moved to a more favorable locality, on Thalia and
Franklin streets, where an old church building was
purchased. This is one block south and about fifteen
blocks west from the old Sailors’ Home, but only
one or perhaps two of the original attendants of the
meetings and Sunday school remained after the re-
moval. The change, however, was of great benefit
to the Mission which is carried on among a better
and more stable element. The river element, such
as prevailed in Sailors’ Home, .is transient, moving

hither and thither from time to time, and therefore
promises very little, if any, lasting results. I visited
the location of Sailors’? Home a few days since. The
old building was demolished completely some ten
years or more ago, and a rice mill built on the site.
This took fire and burned down totally, and nothing
is left of it but the vacant lot; but all around it and
in the immediate neighborhood are the immense
freight buildings and cotton yards of the Illinois
Central Railroad.

From such humble beginnings the Mission has
grown to fair proportions. At the Claibourn station
is Rev. Lankenau, with a church membership of
267 souls, a Sunday school of 277 children, and a
day school of 275 children in three classes. At this
station the collections in the past year amounted to
$661.00, of which $375.00 were sent to the treasurer
of our Mission Board at St. Louis.

The station at Thalia street, Rev. Kretzschmar,
Pastor, has a membership of 195 souls, a Sunday
school of 200 children, and a day school of 198 pu-
pils in two classes. $486.00 were collected in the
past year; $340.00 were remitted to the Board at
St. Louis.

At Dryades and Washington is a third station in
charge of Rev. Kossmann. It has a membership of
196 souls, a Sunday school of 154 children, and a,
day school of 153 pupils in three classes. This con-
gregation also, as well as the others, has regular
collections and contributes regularly to our Mission
treasury. In the past year the collections amounted
to $569.00. To the Mission treasurer at St. Louis
$347.00 were remitted.

Certainly, God’s blessings have attended the
earnest efforts of the Synodical Conference and its
missionaries. Much of the good done can now al-
ready be seen; much will, no doubt, yet be seen
long after the present workers are gone to their
heavenly rest. But most of all shall we see the
fruit of our mission work on that great harvest day
when Christ will come in glory and gather the wheat
into His heavenly garner.

Let no one despise our Colored Mission. It is
just such work as this that carries with it the greatest
blessings of God, our Saviour, ‘‘who will have all
men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge
of the truth.’? Color cuts no figure here, but the
soul of every man of any color belongs to God, be-
cause He created it, and because He redeemed it
through the blood of His only-begotten Son, regard-
less of any color or condition in life.

May God continue to bless our Mission among
the colored people! F.J. 0.