The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1916, Page 67

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

67

Our New Chapel in Atlanta.

Why, here you are! Glad to see you! ‘rain’s
a bit late, as usual, eh? Got your card yesterday,
and was glad that you decided to stop over to
see me. Have had such good fortune several times
lately. Three or four men have stopped over in
Atlanta during their business trips. They weren’t
sorry, either. But let’s go home.

Here’s our car! — Wasn’t that a shocking loss
for our brethren in Mansura? I intended to let
you hear from me in the Pioneer about that time,
but decided to let attention center around Mansura.
Isn’t it great the way our people responded to their
call for help? But then, we of St. Mark’s weren’t
a bit surprised at that. See how nicely they came
to our assistance. Just wait until we get home,
and I’ll show you the prettiest little church in the
— but we get off here.

See it there up the street? This house here
back of the church is where I boarded before I —
er— but don’t you think that pearl gray looks rich
with the white trimmings? — No, it looks that
large, but really is only 2044 feet on this tower
side and 2040 feet on the other. The tower is
§ feet square and 32 high. Yes, it is solidly built;
81 pillars under the building. Before you go in,
look at that cross on the tower. You know what
that means; real Lutheran-like, isn’t it? And just
think, that silent cross is a visible message over
a distance of more than a mile to the left.

But before we go in, let’s step to this side
a second; I want you to look at our old school-
building. Don’t you think it looks rather “shabby”
next to the pretty church? So do I. Rev. Wisler,
a member of the Board, was down here recently,
as you may have learned from the PIONEER; and
he and I planned a way to fix it up so that it will
harmonize more with the church. We can have
the whole thing fixed up neatly for about $200.
I believe that our people will help us raise that
amount of money.—I should ask them? Yes,
I believe I will. Would you, perhaps, like to start
‘the “flow” with a fiye or ten? All right, T’ll ex-
pect to hear from you as soon as you get home
again. Thanks for the encouragement!

We had two services’on the day of dedication.
Pastor John McDavid, of Charlotte, N. C., was
with us on that happy day, and his fine preaching
did much to increase and intensify our joy and
happiness. And we had fine attendances to listen
to Pastor McDavid’s forceful preaching. — But let
us go in now!

Cheerful, you say? Yes, quite so, — these four
windows on each side and that large one in the
front. And then, too, we are going to get some
“windowphanie” to make the front windows look
like stained glass.— Yes, I think that slightly
arched ceiling looks fine. That will be very help-
ful in producing a neat effect when we stain our
walls. — No, no! no wind blowing through our
assembled midst next winter! Our heater will sit
right in front of that chimney in the rear right-
hand corner. You see, that will at the same time
heat up my little vestry behind it.— Notice how
that door from the vestry leads right to the altar?
— Altar pretty? Oh, yes, I should say so! Rev.

‘St. Mark's Chapel, Atlanta, Ga.

Meyer, of Schumm, O., and his kind congregation
gave it to us. A beautiful painting of the cruci-
fixion on it, too. And see how dark everything is
about! I think that altar and picture add greatly
to the air of sacredness about our chapel. — You’re
tight, that little table, which we use for a pulpit,
does look a bit out of place or, at least, awkward,
with everything else so uniform. Does any congre-
gation in your city own an old, but serviceable pul-
pit and lectern, or is one willing to buy us new ones?
— Of course, we’re going to stain the altar over;
it?s oak, you see, while the rest of our woodwork
is mahogany.

_ So you’ve already heard that our pews were
provided by Rev. C. Wissfeldt, of River Grove, Ill.?
Fine! Glad such news spreads abroad. Yes, he
got the money from several Ladies’ Aid Societies.
That was a fine idea, I think. And mind you, in