The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 15

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The Lutheran

‘Pioneer.

15

Items from New Orleans.

Not only our congregations, but also our schools
for colored children are in a very prosperous con-
dition. ‘Their influence is felt in even wider circles
than that of our churches, and white and colored
alike speak well of them. Why, in the mouths of
many even Mount Zion Church does not go by its
right name, nor by the name of “Lutheran,” but
usually by the name of “Mr. Vix’s church,” said
Mr. Vix being the principal of the school connected
with the church. This influence and popularity of
the schools would not be possible if it were not for
the great numbers of children reached by them.
It is true, many of the children, though passing
through the schools, never join the congregations,
relatives and friends discouraging them from doing
so, or other unfortunate circumstances being re-
sponsible. But it is equally true that hundreds of
them remain Lutherans at heart, though not in
name, and to their dying day the Gospel truths
received in our schools remain alive within them
and become the means of their final salvation. Many
of them, graduates of schools in years gone by, are
now sending their children to the same desks at
which they themselves in childhood received their
spiritual and secular education.

Our three schools have an enrollment at present
of close upon 600 children, taxing the buildings to
almost their full capacity. (If we had three more
schools of the same size in the city, we should
quickly find’G00 more children to fill them.)

Nine instructors, including one of the pastors,
the Rey. J. Kossmann, two colored teachers, Mr. N.
Seeberry and Miss Edna Walters, and one student
from the Seminary at St. Louis, Mr. E. Gross, are
working hard to maintain the classes in their present
prosperous condition.

Luther College also, under the leadership of
Rey. Lankenau, who is assisted by Prof. R. A. Wilde
and Mr. E. Gross, is enjoying a very prosperous
year. The student body numbers 43 boys and girls,
12 of whom are graduates of Mount Zion School and
2 having passed through Bethlehem School.

On Christmas Eve the usual Christmas celebra-
tions were held, the three churches, even Mount
Zion with its capacity of between three and four
hundred, being packed to the doors. Any Lutheran,
no matter whence he had come, would have felt
perfectly at home with the beautiful familiar Christ-
mas melodies, old, but ever new, the Christmas
story related by youthful voices, the decorated and

illuminated trees, and the little bags of sweets pre-
sented to the children.

May the God who so abundantly blessed our
schools and their teachers in the past year continue
to prosper this corner of His kingdom for the sake
of the Christ-child and His love!

K. KrerzscHar.

————__ - e-e— --—

NOTES AND ITEMS.

Cuantorrr, N. C.— At the close of the past
year, sorrow entered the home of the Rev. J. Me-
David, our missionary at Charlotte. On Decem-
ber 30 the little son Albert departed this life, aged
+ years, 1 month, and 22 days. On January 2, the
funeral services were held in the home, conducted
by the Rev. J. Ph. Schmidt, of Concord. May
God comfort the sorrowing parents and give them
strength to say: “The Lord gave, and the Lord hath
taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Concorp, N. C.—Since October of the past
year our missionary, the Rev. J. Ph. Schmidt, has
also charge of the school at Concord, Teacher Pers-
son having accepted a call to Granite City, Ill., after
having faithfully served our mission for several
years. The school will soon again be supplied with
a teacher, so that the missionary can devote more
time to the congregation and other mission work.

Ar Rest. — A friend in New York writes: We
recently lost some warm mission friends here in
New York. The Rey. A. E. Frey, who departed
this life November 23, 1905, at all times took a
great interest in all mission work. He was a very
active friend of ‘our Colored Mission from its very
beginning and a valuable member of our Foreign
Mission Board. To awaken greater interest in the
work of missions, he, some years ago, published a
very interesting’ mission paper and also the biogra-
phies of several noted missionaries. — In the death
of the Rev. S. Keyl, who departed this life Decem-
ber 15, 1905, a very busy and useful life was ended.
He was for many years our untiring and successful
emigrant missionary in New York City, faithfully
caring for the bodily and spiritual welfare of the
strangers that landed on our shore. Thousands will
thankfully remember the kind missionary who was
ever ready to help them in their time of need.

“Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from
henceforth; yea, saith the Spirit, that -they may
rest from their labors; and their works do follow
them,” Rey. 14, 13.