The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1906, Page 54

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54

missionary meeting, and the teacher was surprised ?
You read it to me, you know.”

“That's in South America. The children had
just learned about Jesus, and they wanted to give
money to send missionaries and Bibles to other
children who hadn’t heard the Gospel.”

“Where’s Madagascar? Is it a heathen town?”
broke in Charlie.

“Tt is a large island near Africa. It was en-
tirely heathen not many years ago, but there are
many Christians there now.”

“Papa read something the other day about the
people there giving missionary money.”

“Yes,” said Aunt Fanny, “I heard him read it.
It was that the native Christians of Madagascar
have given more than a million dollars in ten years
for the spread of the Gospel.”

“And to think of those poor half-naked people
on the Fiji Islands bringing their yearly missionary
offering!” said mamma.

“Carrying it in their mouths, too,” said Aunt
Fanny, laughing.

“What do they do that for?” Charlie asked.

“Well, in the first place, they had no pocket-
books, and no pockets to put them in if they had
them; then they generally have clubs or something
else in their hands; so they carry their money-in
their mouths to keep it safe.”

“What are the clubs for?”

“They use them in their games. You see they
have a great many games and plays. In the old
heathen times, when they killed and ate people” —

“Ate people!” exclaimed Katie in horror. ©

“Oh, yes. They used to be fearful. ‘They ate
people or buried them alive, and did dreadful, hor-
rible things, but the missionaries going there and
preaching the Gospel has changed all that. Most
of the people there are now Christians. They have
hundreds of churches and schools, they keep Sun-
day, and haye prayers morning and eyening.”

“And missionary meetings,” suggested Katie.

“Yes, the missionaries encourage them to keep
up those games which are innocent and harmless,
and it is when they are having one of these great
celebrations that they hold their missionary meet-
ings. The missionary, or one of the native preach-
ers, sits under a tree, with a mat beside him, and
the people, dressed in native cloths, with garlands
of leaves and fringes of long grass, the girls carry-
ing banana leaves for parasols, come up in a pro-
cesssion and put the money out of their mouths on
the mat.”

‘The Lutheran Pioneer.

“T don’t think that’s a very nice way to take
up a collection,” said Charlie in a disgusted tone.

“But I think it is very nice that as soon as
people stop being heathen they want to begin to
give missionary money,” said Katie. “Isn’t it,
mamma?”

“Yes, my dear; and those people by their gifts
often put to shame many church people in Christian
lands. May God always give us, my children, open
hearts and open hands for mission work.”

“Amen!” said Aunt Fanny. Cc. W. C.

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Part of the Concern.

A clergyman on his way to a missionary meet-
ing overtook a boy, and asked him about the road,
and where he was going.

“Oh!” he said, “I’m going to the meeting to
hear about the missionaries.”

“Missionaries!” said the minister, “what do
you know about missionaries ?”

“Why,” said the boy, “I’m part of the concern.
I’ve got a missionary box, and I always go to the
missionary meeting.”

Every Christian should feel that he is “part of
the concern,” and that his work is-just as important
as that of any one else. Linch-pins are little
things; but, if they drop out, the wagon is very
likely to come to a standstill. Every pin and screw
should be in a working order, and every Christian
should be able to say, “I always go to the missionary
meeting. Why, I’m part of the concern !”

—————o2->—_______

The Shepherd’s Call.

Hear the loving Shepherd
Calling now to thee,
Sweetly He is calling,
“Wanderer, come to me!”

Listen while He’s pleading
Lovingly with thee.

He is speaking softly,
“Sinner, come to me!”

Turn not from Him coldly,
Open your heart’s door.

* Let the Savior enter;
Oft He’s knocked before.

Hark! the loving Shepherd
Gently pleads with thee,
“Wanderer, do not tarry!
Come, oh, come to me!”
ESTHER PETERSON.

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Sioa Mi ta Thinie: :

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