The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1917, Page 14

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By Tession and prove themselves true followers of Jesus
in their daily life and conversation.

Missionary Hoover and his wife are also brought
a into continual contact with the native Dyaks, and
their Christian. influence upon them is becoming
more and more apparent from day to day. ‘These
Dyaks are one of the most degraded tribes of the
human family, and are largely unreached by mis-
* sionary effort. A Dyak maiden thinks as mueh
of heads as a white girl would of jewelry. ‘The
‘heads are handed down from father to son, and
i the rank and position of a Dyak is largely de-
ae pendent upon the number of heads he has in his
' possession. ‘The women incite the men to go on
head-hunting expeditions. <A story is told of a cer-
tain maiden who persuaded the young man to whom
she was engaged to go upon such a head-hunting
expedition, after he had decided to give up the
savage custom, by telling him that she would not
marry him until he had brought her the usual
tribute and proof of his prowess. Goaded by her
taunts, he went ont and soon returned with a num-
her of heads. ‘To her horror she saw that they were
the heads of her father, mother, brother, and a
f _ rival. What great cause for rejoicing it is to hear
ES that Missionary Hoover and his wife are having
considerable success in their work among these head-

I. J. L.

TEP? TES

ra Ee meek:

hunting Dyaks.

God Forsakes Not His Own.

ae

A Bayarian pastor, many years ago, once gave
two f/alers to.a poor man to help him on his way.
Tt was all the pastor had at the time.
after, this same pastor got into great financial
_ trouble. In his great-need he cried to the Lord,

_ “0 Lord, I once gave Thee two falers, and now
I am in great need of them!” Not long after he
_ had spoken this simple prayer, a messenger came
to him and‘brought him 200 guilders! Whence
“came this large sum of money? Why, from that
‘very same man to whom he had given the two
talers. © ‘This man had in some way heard of the
traits in which the pastor had gotten, and erati-

aa a well-paying posttan, to send the money:

id not fail to sing the Lord’s nye He
eae what the Psalmist writes:
pitieth his children, so the Lord Be
ear Him.” (Ps. 103, 18) BI. L

The Lutheran Pioneer.

Some years’

de liad impelled him, who had in the mean time .

“Ti ke :

. Master’s return. ‘They should never give way to an

The Lord’s Second Coming.

A German tourist relates the following inci-
dent: Several years ago I was wandering along
the shores of Lake Como, that most beautiful of
all the glorious lakes of Northern Ttaly, set like
bright diamonds in the Alpine diadem of that
country so rich in scenic splendors. My goal was
the picturesque Villa Arconati, which lies like a |}
veritable fairy castle, far removed from the world’s
noise and bustle, at the uttermost point of a long,
narrow peninsula projecting into the Jake, and
almost enclosing the wonderful Punta Balbianello.
When I reached the grounds of the castle, a friendly
old gardener opened the gate for me and led me
through the enchantingly situated garden.

“Tow long have you been here?”

“Twenty-four years.”

“And how often has the owner been here dur-
ing these twenty-four years?”

“Your times.”

“When was he here the last time?”

“Twelve years ago.”

“Never since then?”

“Never.”

“Does le never write to youu om

“No. 2?

“From whom, then, do you get your instrue-
tions ?”

“From his agent in Milan.”

“Toes not his agent come frequently?”

“Never.”

“Who, then, comes here?” : .

“YT am almost always MON) once in a
great while a tourist comes here.”

“But you keep this garden in such a fine con-
dition, and take such excellent care of all the
plants, just as wiongt you expected yous master
to come to-morrow.”

“To-day, sir, to-day,” was the prompt answer
of the faithful old gardener.

This answer of the old gardener made a deep
impression upon me at the time, and since then
I have often thought of it. Taithful to his trust,
he deemed it his duty’ to have his garden in proper
condition for his master’s inspection at all times.
Fvery day his thought was, not, “To-morrow the ~
master may come,” but, “To-day, sir, to-day.” —

True Christians ought to live like this faith-
ful old gardener, whose master was not at home.
They should strive to be always ready for their