The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1909, Page 92

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

‘The Christ-Child.

Behold, He comes in manner mild,

For unto us is born a Child,

Yet Son of God is He;

For unto us a Son is given

Who comes with all the might of heaven,
The Savior, Christ, to be.

ee  ————

An Indian Boy’s Christmas Day. -

His Indian name was Wa-se-wa, but at school,
a few miles from his home, he was given the name
Thomas. Te proved a bright and well-behaving
scholar, gaining the love of his teachers.

The day before Christmas, Thomas came to the
superintendent or director of the school, who, look-
ing up from his work, said, “Good morning,
Thomas; what can I do for you?”

“Good morning,” said Thomas, “I wish to visit
my mother to-morrow and spend Christmas day
with her over on the reservation.” -

“Ts your mother sick?” asked the director;
“why do you wish to go over to the reservation?
You know I do not like to have my boys visit

there. The Indians will be gambling and some
drinking, and I am sure you would not like to go
among them. Tell me why you wish to see your
mother, and maybe I can help you out.”

“My mother,’ said Thomas, “does not know

what Christmas is. She does not know that it is
the day that God gave His Son to the world as a
Savior, and that when Christmas comes we try to
do something to make others happy by giving
presents to them. I have saved the money I have
earned by working for the teachers, and have bought
things that I wish to give to my mother, and then
I will tell her about Christmas.”
- The director was impressed with the words of
the boy and the love for his mother. After think-
ing over the matter a few minutes, he said, “Well,
Thomas, I am glad that you have remembered your
mother, and to-morrow morning I will send my
team after her and she will remain with you for
two days.” ;

Christmas morning Thomas was looking eagerly
in the direction from which the team would come
that was to bring his mother. He soon saw it in
the distance. It came nearer and nearer and at
last stopped at the front gate. An Indian woman
was helped from the buggy. With a small bundle
in one hand and a staff in thé other, she went for-
ward to meet her son. She was old and feeble, her
sight was becoming dim, and as she came nearer
her boy, she hardly recognized the trim, neatly
dressed boy who three years before had left home
for school. But Thomas knew his mother, and as
he spoke to her in the half-forgotten Indian lan-
guage, she, too, knew her boy.

That Christmas Day was a day of .joy for
Thomas and his mother. When he had given her
the few presents which he had bought with his
hard-earned money, and had told her the Christmas
story of the Savior’s birth, the eyes of the mother
filled with tears as she said, “My son, I am glad
that you have called me here. Call others and tell
them the Christmas story, and it will make them
as happy as you have made your mother.”

Such was the Indian boy’s Christmas Day. It
was a day of blessing, both to him and to! his
mother.

Napoleonville, La.

Through the kindness of dear Christian friends
in Nebraska, who contributed so liberally toward
our bell-fund, we were able to dedicate our bell on