The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1911, Page 91

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'The Lutheran Pioneer. 91

Christmas in Norway.

Speaking of Christmas in different countries,
a writer says: —

Christmas time is the great and joyous festive
time in Norway. ‘The thirteen days of Christmas-
tide are all feast days. For weeks the mother and
her daughters—who are without exception well
trained in housekeeping — are kept busy with bak-
ing. Well-to-do people fatten a calf or a sheep;
the plainer ones have in store dried or salt beef,
and sausage made of mutton and beef. The best
chinaware graces the festive board. i

On Christmas Eve everything’ must be ready.
The whole house is swept and garnished from garret
to cellar. ‘Che floor is strewn with white sand, fra-
grant juniper and balsam fir twigs. The best clothes
are put on, and the women wear old family jewelry.
At twilight the family gathers around the dinner

table. ‘Che housefather reads the Christmas liturgy’

and the Christmas gospel. Afterwards the steam-
ing dishes are brought in, and the Christmas dinner,
the pride of the mother, is done full justice. Inno-
cent merriment by the younger folks is smiled at,
or even joined in, by the elder. Burning candles
are placed at the windows. A flaring torch is held
over the heads of those who go to church for the

Holy Eve service. On Christmias morning the

mother or the eldest daughter wakens the other
members of the family by singing, “A Babe is. born
in Bethlehem, Bethlehem; Therefore rejoice, Jeru-
salem. Hallelujah!”

The well-known hospitality of the Norwegians
is seen in its best light at Christmas. Not only
neighbors and friends are made welcome at the
table, but beggars and tramps are asked to sit down
and eat heartily. Even the animals are given their
Christmas cheer. ‘The cattle, sheep, and pigs get
double measure of feed, and the horses are given
bread dipped in Yule-ale. The birds also are given
their share of the Christmas bounty. It is well

* known that the Norwegian farmer puts a sheaf of

barley or a bunch of oats on a pole for the birds
at Christmas time.

A Letter from Our Director of Missions.

Dear Coworker IN THE CAUSE OF CHRIST: —
Permit me to state briefly what has been done
for the negroes by our Church, what remains to be
done, and how our mission papers, Missionstaube
and the LurHeraN PIoNEER, may aid in the work.

For more than thirty years the Synodical Con-
ference of the Evangelical Lutheran Church has been
engaged in mission work among the negroes, and
the Lord has signally blest the labor, the prayers,
and the gifts of His servants. According to the
latest statistics, the work is being carried on with
more or less success in eight states. The largest
fields are in Louisiana and North Carolina. In the
two colleges are about 140 students, of whom many
are preparing for the service of the Church, as mis-
sionaries and teachers. In the schools there are
1500 children, who are daily instructed in the Word
of God according to the Confession of our Church.
2067 baptized members are under the spiritual care
of 26 missionary laborers, one half of whom are
negroes, educated at our seminaries.

But what are these among so many? There are
still about seven millions of churchless, Christless
negroes in our land, whom the Lord has placed at
our very doors for us to convert and save through
the Gospel in church and school: That we may be
able to do the work of the Lord entrusted to us,
more love for the work is needed, more fervent
prayer, more activity, more men, and more means.

By a strenuous effort to introduce the mentioned
papers into every. family belonging to the Synodical
Conference, the cause of Christ among the negroes
will be greatly aided and advanced. ‘These papers
will help to create and maintain love and interest
for the mission, and materially add to its revenues.

Will you not, as much as you possibly can,
cooperate with the Lord, with thousands of your
Lutheran fellow-Christians, and with the men in
the field in the upbuilding of the Savior’s kingdom
among the negroes? You can do so by soliciting
subscriptions for these excellent mission papers. If
you, together with a number of others in your con-
gregation, would devote only some spare moments
of your time to this work, the circulation might be
doubled by New Year. Try it, please!

Both papers bring, besides sound Lutheran edi-
torials, interesting news, accompanied with illus-
trations, from the mission fields of the Synodical
Conference at home and abroad, but particularly
from the Negro Mission. The terms of subscrip-
tion for one or more copies are found at the bottom
of the second column of the last page.

May the Lord speed you, crown your efforts with
success, and graciously reward you for what you
will do in behalf of our mission work!

Your colaborer in the Lord,
N. J. BAKKE.