The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1913, Page 85

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

ness just as your useless bell some day will be carted
away to some junk-pile in a back lot. Do you now
understand the lesson which your cracked bell
teaches? Do not, like the sham Christians, try to
deceive yourself and others by your external re-
ligiousness. Don’t pretend to be spiritually sound
when you know in your heart that you are cracked.
Your bell does not teach you that, but be in your
heart and life sincerely what you profess to be, a
genuine, unalloyed bell-metal Christian, serving the
Lord and your fellow-men unselfishly and cheerfully
unto death. ‘That’s the lesson.”

“Tt’s the truth, pastor, the whole truth, and
nothing but the truth,” said Frank.

From that time until recently Frank has been
ringing his cracked bell. Now it has been removed
from its lofty tower and replaced by a new one. The
new bell, which costs about $105.00, is a gift to the
congregation by Mrs. Mary C. Wright, the oldest
member of Mount Zion. Sister Wright is the only
member living who with Mr. Vix and the writer
bore the heat and burden of the pioneer days in
Sailors’ Home. Together with her husband and a
few others she came regularly to services, though
she had a long way to walk. She and Mrs. Mosely
were the fruits of the work in Sailors’ Home. She
cheered the pastor in his work when good cheer was
needed, and really was at a premium. She gave
liberally towards the renovation of the old pur-
chased church on Franklin and Thalia streets, and
helped to build and furnish the new church. A few
years ago she presented her church with a new altar
and an altar painting representing the Savior’s
Ascension, at a cost of $150.00. We trust that
Mother Wright is as generous in her contributions
towards other church purposes as in her donation
of altar and bell.

May she, together with the other good people
of Mount Zion, young and old, and strangers too,
follow the summons of the new bell that calls them
to come and worship the Lord in spirit and in truth.

N. J. BAKKE.

Mission at St. Peter's, N. C.

This year’s summer school at St. Peter’s wit-

nessed another successful session. As the writer
was told, the attendance this term surpassed all
others by a wide margin. The school opened its
doors July 14 with 18 little tots present. The fol-
lowing Monday morning the roll suddenly leaped
to 42. Since then it has reached 45.

From this we gain a conception that St. Peter’s
is a very fertile soil for the propagation of true
Lutheranism. Suffice it to say, as in many rural
places where Lutheran churches are erected, there
are county schools which seem to be an insurmount-
able barrier to the true success of our winter schools.
For where many foldless lambs could be indoctri-
nated and taught the true and only way to eternal
rest, they are hurled into these county schools there
to be lost sight of. Missionary Alston is bending
every effort for the promotion and support of gen-
uine Lutheranism here and in the adjoining villages.

May God bless him in his work, that he may
labor on with continued zeal. Such is my prayer.
God grant it! Tueo. J. Kina.

— .ee

Attention, Readers! -

If we mistake not, every member of a Socialist
local pays 25 cents each month by way of dues.
Nine-tenths of such income the Socialists of Mil-
waukee put into literature. Every Sunday morning
800 of their men go out at five o’clock in the mor-
ning and put Socialist periodicals and pamphlets
into the homes of the people.

Not far behind the Socialists are the Russellites

in the distribution of their literature. They almost ~

move heaven and earth to get their publications into
the homes of members of other churches, and the
rapid growth of Russellism shows that they are not
distributing’ their publications in vain.

In view of these facts, would it not yield rich
dividends if our pastors, teachers, and laymen would
work hard to put our literature into the homes of
our people? Is it not short-sightedness on our part
if we do not take advantage of every opportunity
to gain readers for our periodicals?

Concerning this matter one of our laymen writes
thus: “In the September meeting three years ago
I asked all the members of the church council, the
minister and teachers, each to take a list of names
of such people as are most convenient for them to
reach, and to ask each person on their lists to sub-
scribe at least to one church-paper, telling them what
a blessing it would be for them, their family, and
the whole congregation to have a church paper in
their homes.... When we took this matter up three

“years ago, we had 28 readers of the Lutheraner, to-

day we have 79. Then the PIoNEER was read in
6 families; to-day it is read in 30. At that time

there were 10 readers of the Missionstaube; to-day