The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1915, Page 70

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70

The Lutheran Pioneer.

winter we are called upon to crowd a stove in also.
Of course, those near the stove are then almost
roasted, while the others suffer from wild winds
blowing through nothing-proof walls. These are
not plastered, but only here and there covered with
old boards. By the way, last Sunday when I went
to open the door for the day, I found that the door
had graciously spared me that trouble by tearing
itself loose from its rotted hold; it Jay over one
of the rear benches!

Excuse the digression. — Back of the little annex
our well is to be found. We have a splendid well,
it is true, but the fact that we must have wells
shows a sore need, viz., a decent water-system. You
will realize what the sanitary conditions are in our
community. There is much sickness in the neigh-
borhood, but one is surprised that there is not more.
This part of the city glories in the name of Pitts-
burgh, and would readily remind you of “Smoke-
town” in Pennsylvania, for a workshop of the
Southern Railroad sends forth volumes of thick
smoke which is by no means pleasant. It is: easily
seen also that this section is settled chiefly by the
poorer people, who are making a low start in life.
And it is here that our work is being done. We
have acquired a piece of property, 100 by 100 feet,
situated on a corner, a fine location for a church
and school. All we need to erect a fine building,
which could be fitted out with a basement for
school purposes, is about $1,000 to $1,200. Our
school especially will be a grand success this year,
and it is for that reason that we should like to be
well prepared for this necessity.

Can you help us, or, rather, will you help us?
Wouldn’t it be grand evidence of your good Chris-
tian spirit if, let us say, at Christmas I could give
you a totally different story with pretty new illus-
trations? It is our intention to build either in
September or October; will you give us, perhaps, $2?
There is no doubt, we must have such a building,
and it now rests with our good Lutheran Christians
whether or not we will ‘have it.

Apropos, I am, after all, not so sorry that this
article was delayed; if it had not been, you could
not have read what follows. Last week my mother
in New York sent me a letter that shows what
true Christianity will move one to do. An old
lady, well known to me, who wishes, however, to
remain unhonored, visited her, and expressed her
desire to do something for St. Mark’s. She herself
is poor, and can hardly give from her own purse.

“Through my mother she. requests that I send her

heard them exclaim, “Isn’t it wonderful!

-a little writing which she could use to collect money

for this congregation. What do you think of that?
Not only is necessity the mother of invention, but
it seems that willingness is more so. ‘This old lady
is by no means forced to do what she proposes; she
is willing, and therefore her poverty leaves her un-
dismayed. Verily, with such Christians in our
Church I promise to meet you again at Christmas
with an account of rejoicing rather than lamenta-

tions.
Your humble servant,
Carn Stow.

After the Sermon.

“A number of ladies were going home after the
service. ‘The topic of their conversation was the
sermon they had just heard. “The pastor spoke
very powerfully to-day,” said one of the ladies.
Said another lady, “And the way he pictured cer-
tain sins, it wasn’t a very difficult task to tell
whom he meant.” After this last remark a lively
discussion arose as to whom certain portions of the
sermon had been aimed at.

One of the ladies in the group had been silent
throughout the whole conversation. ‘Turning to
her, one of the others asked her, “Whom, do you
think, did the pastor mean when he said so and
so?” “T thought,” the lady answered, “that J go
lo church for myself.”

Ts that what you go to church for?

Jesus Only.

While laboring at his great painting of the
Lord’s Supper, the celebrated painter Leonardo da
Vinci had but one purpose in view — of so painting

‘the figure of Jesus that the eye of every beholder

of the picture would be drawn to it. But in one
corner of the painting was a small ship, upon which
he had devoted three weeks of toil. When the pic-
ture was completed, and the people flocked to sce it,
he noticed that they crowded around that corner of
the painting where he had put the tiny ship. He
That
shows what a great painter he is!”

That same evening, after everybody had gone,
Leonardo took his brush, and with one stroke de-
stroyed that ship. “Never shall anybody in the
future direct his admiration upon any other object
than upon Jesus only.” So spoke the great painter.