The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 13

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

13-

Only a Little Heathen.

She was a very wretched little heathen, too, far
up in Alaska.
loved her; all regarded her as a burden and wished
she were out of the way.

Her parents were dead, and no one
l

Ter long, soft hair was

a tangled mat, her big dark eyes were generally
full of tears, her dark, smooth skin was dirty, and
on her half-starved little body hung her sole gar-
ment, a, ragged cotton frock.

Among all the people the teacher’s heart fixed
on this poor waif, and longed to rescue her. Well,

a er

soap; and then she cleaned and combed and braided
her long hair, and put on her a clean nightgown;
taught her a prayer. put her in a clean little bed,
and gave her a kiss. Next day the little heathen
was clothed in tidy garments, and began to learn
sewing and housewers, and her letters, and how to
be a good child. :

She was a very happy little Indian now, but
by and by there grew up in her childish: hearti a
great wish for an “American doll,” only a ‘little
doll, such as sells here for ten or fifteen cents, but
costs more in Alaska. She began saving her’ pen-

Native Stone Houses in:Palestine.

one Sunday some Indian who claimed power over
this little girl set her to cleaning fish while teach-
ing was going on, and just ont of reach of the
teacher’s. voice she cleaned salmon, and _plenteous
tears ran down and helped wash her fish as she
stood barefooted in the slush, the raw wind blowing
her ragged gown. Suddenly the teacher stood be-
side her. i :

“None of you love this child, no one wants her;
I claim her for mine. I will feed and clothe her,
and she shall go into my home, and not come to
your houses to live any more.” ;

So the Indians gave the child to the teacher.
The teacher took her home, put her in a tub of
warm water and scrubbed her clean with carbolic

nies to buy a doll. One hot summer day she picked
seven>or eight quarts of berries, for which some
one gave her ten cents. That afternoon at school
the lesson was about Christ, who “though He was
rich, yet for our’sakes became poor.” ‘This made
the little girl think. Before she went to bed, she
came to her teacher with her beautiful ten cents.
“Teacher, divide —Jesus half, me half?’ She
would wait a little longer for her “American doll,”
and give something to Jesus, “who loved us, and
gave Himself for us.” I am glad that when Christ-
mas came, this rescued child-heathen got two little
dolls on:the Christmas tree. In six months, this
little girl learned to speak English, to read her
English Testament,-to write her name, to sew pretty