The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 70

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740 The Lutheran Pioneer.
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smaller, and in every way so much less attractive,
that they were discarded. So the church voted to
postpone the building to a more convenient season.

After such an effort and failure, work invariably
goes hard. The church had set its hand to the plow
and had looked back. It had measured its task and
declined it: The season’s work dragged. ‘The ser-
mons lacked spirit. The congregation lacked en-
thusiasm. There grew a spirit of restlessness and
discontent that boded anything but good. :

Years before that there had gone out from that
church a missionary who was serving amid great

hardship and poverty in a remote part of the world. -

Letters from the home church were infrequent, and
tidings of the work were scant. But there came to
the missionary the news that the church at home
had voted to build. In the missionary’s pocket was

‘a dollar bill which he had taken ot from home and
had kept. It was the only money he had when the
news reached him. But he sat down and wrote a
letter full of good cheer. He rejoiced that the
church had undertaken so good a work, and he en-
closed his contribution — the dollar bill, and ex-
pressed his regret that it was not more.

It came to the pastor on a Saturday night, and
on Sunday morning he read the letter from the
pulpit. Then he asked, “Brethren, what shall I
do with this money ?” :

There was a.pause. Not a man there would
have been willing to send back word that the enter-
prise had been abandoned, and no one had any sug-
gestion as to any other use for the money.

’ At last one of the wealthiest members rose and
said, “I will give one thousand dollars for that bill,
and add it to my previous subscription to the build-
ing fund, which subscription I now renew.”

That was the beginning. The bill brought much
more than the thousand dollars. It renewed the
enterprise, which had almost perished; and the new
church was built.

Nor did the generous gifts made by the church
for its own work diminish its zeal for work outside,
but rather that zeal was increased; and the contri-
bution of the distant missionary was returned to
him in the years that followed much more than a
hundredfold. — Youth’s Companion.

SR a tip eel

Items from the Charlotte, N.C., District.

On the 27th of February, Mr. W. O. Hill, who
had been assisting with preaching and with teach-
ing the second department in St. Paul’s School, Te-

ceived a call from the Hon. Mission Board to take -
up active work in Yonkers, N.Y. During his eight
months’ stay in our midst Mr. Hill was very active,
and was not only liked by the members, but well
beloved by the children. He left with the best
wishes and sincere prayers of all.

On March 28, Rev. C. P. Thompson, who had
been in New Orleans as assistant to the different
missionaries, arrived at Charlotte and took up
Mr. Hill’s work.

St. Paul’s School closed May 24. ‘The teachers
and pupils had arranged an elaborate program. Al-
though the weather was very inclement, the church
was filled to its capacity by friends and patrons.

June 4, five children and two adulis were con-
firmed in St. Paul. On July 2, one lady was con-
firmed in Mount Zion.

On July 16, Rey. Carrington March, who grad-
uated from Immanuel College, was ordained and
installed in St. James at Southern Pines. Rev.
McDavid preached the ordination sermon from
1 Tim. 4, 16. The members and friends accorded
Rev. March a cordial welcome. He began active
work in school by assisting ‘Teacher Alston, and,
later on, taking full. charge of the school.

During the last week in July, Director Bakke
visited this circuit. He arrived at Charlotte on
July 27. He came to our city during a severe water
famine. Water was selling at 5 cents per gallon.
Neither drought nor hot weather daunted the aged
Director. He, in company with Rev. MceDiivid,
made a number of visits to distant parts of the
city. He was so much impressed with the western
suburb of Charlotte that he and the pastor sceured
a vacant chapel to begin a new station. On Sun-
day morning he went over to Meyersville, and after
the sermon made an. address. He was present at
the communion service in Charlotte, and at night
he held a formal visitation in St. Paul. During
the hour and a half that he spoke he was given the
undivided attention of his hearers. During his stay
at Charlotte he audited the books and urged the
members to be more liberal in their contributions.
On August 2, he was in Monroe, and the following
day in Southern Pines. .

On August 6, the Harvest Home and Mission
Festival was held in St. Paul.
preached at two services. The night service was
well attended. Collection, $20.56. The members
are having the front school cemented at a cost of
$50.00. .

On August 16, Teacher F. D. Alston was united

Rey. John Alston .