The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 70

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70

person, as he enters, is expected to bow before these
idols. When his countrymen saw that Bardo did
not bow as he passed, they tried to force him to
worship the idols, but finding their efforts in vain,
they turned him out of their tents. :

One day a lama, or priest, in his rage beat him
severely on the head, which brought on violent
pains and a fever. The fever kept on for several
weeks, and he slowly wasted away. Pain in the
chest and a cough followed, so that poor Bardo
was brought very low.’ Fearing he would die, his
people began to talk of using some of their heathen-
ish ceremonies to save his life, but he would not
consent to this. They placed on the wall, opposite
to where he lay, some of their charms, that he might
look at them; but Bardo turned his back to the
wall, though he had to place himself in a painful
position, that his eyes might not behold the sinful
folly of his people. He also begged to be taken to
the missionaries.

On the morning of the day on which he died
he was asked, “Should you die now, where would
your soul go?”

“To heaven,” was‘his glad reply.

“In whom. do. you trust for salvation?”

“In Jesus Christ,” he said with great feeling.

He also said he was not afraid:to die; yet he
would rather live, if it were God’s will, that he
might honor and take care of his parents.

His breathing became softer, and, like one fall-
ing into a gentle slumber, he fell asleep in Jesus.
Thus died the first convert among the Mongolian
‘Tartars—one who may be said to have fallen a
martyr; for there is little doubt that the blows on
the head by the heathen priest were the chief cause
of his death. His schoolmates from the mission
school carried his body to the grave, where it rests
until Christ shall call it to life on the resurrection
morning. mi

”

A Missionary’s Restless Night.

A missionary in India, whilst on his preaching
tour, stayed over night at the home of a native
Christian in an Indian village. It was a restless
night for him as he tells us in the following:

_ “What a night that was! We had eaten and
had held family prayer, and I wanted to sleep;
for I was tired out. But there was no sleep for
me. JI had hardly lain down on the veranda when
the rain came down on-me; pat—pat! the rain
fel], in drops just on my nose. No matter how I

The Lutheran Pioneer.

stretched myself, there was no help. I had to look
for another place; but there was not much choice.
When I at last lay down again, the rain still came
down to the right and to the left. That was the
first disturber of rest.

“And then there was the pig-pen just next to
me. The animals were fighting like lions to get
a dry place. Of course, might was right. The big,
fat hogs would push and bite the little pigs, which
in their anxiety could find no rest and squealed
terribly whenever they were pushed ‘or bitten.
A wonderful music all through the night!

“Then there was a door which, opening and
closing, creaked so horribly that that noise alone
would have been sufficient to banish sleep. There
was no help. I had to listen!

“Then there was the sheep fold, in which were
many sheep with a severe cold and a terrible cough.
All through the night they did not quit sneezing
and coughing, to which was added the noise made
by the goats that became uneasy whenever one of
their young ones was out of sight.

“And last, but not least, there was the howling
and the barking of the dogs. Alas, there was no
end to it! When one stopped, another began. And
how those dogs in India can howl and bark!

“My readers can easily understand why I, after
such a night, rose very early in the morning and
was in time on the road, continuing my journey.”

Redeemed.

It is said that just before the Civil War in this
country a wealthy gentleman, who was walking the
streets of a Southern city, had his attention called
to a group of slaves about to be sold. One of them
was weeping bitterly, and when he asked her why
she was crying, she replied that she did not know
what kind of master was going to buy her, nor
where she was going. He said nothing more, but
when she was placed upon the block for sale, he bid
a higher price for her than any one in the crowd,
and she was knocked down to him as his property.
She was still weeping, because she did not know
him, nor where she was going, until he gently said,
“J did not buy you to make a slave of you, but to
set you free; go where you please.” She instantly
turned to him with the glad cry, “Let me go with
you, I will serve you all my life.”

Christ has redeemed us with His precious blood.
Let us gladly serve Him with all our powers!