The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1918, Page 85

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The Lutheran Pioneer.

85

then come back to-morrow, if nurse gives her con-
sent?”

“Son, Vl stay right here till you are asleep,
and Ill certainly come again to see you to-morrow.
Here comes the nurse now.”

Once more a sweet smile came to the young
soldier’s lips as his well hand crept out from he-
neath the cover, and grasping his pastor’s hand, he
said, “God bless the good old church back home that
sent you tome. And, oh, pastor, have they a Service
_ Flag hanging in the church at home?”

“Yes, indeed, we have. And we have a star on
it for you. ‘Twenty-five stars are on our flag, and
every time we meet for service, we ask God to bless
those for whom these stars are there.”

“God bless the church back home;
for the stars they have put into the flag;
for sending you to us!”

The exhausted boy relapsed into silence. Soon
his deep breathing told the nurse and pastor that
he was fast asleep.

The Red Cross pastor stayed there for a long
‘time, holding the hand of the boy in his own.
Though weary from a long day’s work in the base
hospital, he was happy to think that he had met one

bless them
bless them

Sof his boys, and had been able to bring good cheer

— where it was so much needed.

In his heart was the
sweet echo of the boy’s words, “God bless the church
back home for sending you to me!”

The pulse of the boy was growing stronger. It
was as though the strong pulse of the well man had
imparted some of his strength to the wounded boy.
The nurse came and felt his wrist.
pastor. You have saved his life. He will be much
stronger when you come to-morrow.”

The boy stirred in his sleep. He moved his lips.
They heard him murmur, “God bless - the church
back home!”

And as the Red Cross pastor went on his way,

he also said, “God bless the church back home for
letting me come here! . If I do no more than I have
done, my labor was well repaid in having been able
to bring life and comfort to this one boy.”

_ Items of Interest from the Colored
Mission-Field.

Sprinerietp, Int.— From the parish paper
published by the Holy Trinity Church of Spring-
field, Ill. (Rey. Herbert C. Claus, pastor), we glean
the following items: On October 20th Trinity cele-

“He is better, .

brated its annual mission-festival, and we under-
stand that the collection lifted was largely intended
to help on the work in our promising Alabama field.
— Pastor George Schmidt, the former pastor of
Trinity, but now the superintendent of schools and ~
buildings for our Mission in Alabama, recently paid
his old parish a visit. — Trinity has a well-attended
Bible Class connected with its Sunday-school.
These Bible Classes should be everywhere established
in our congregations, and, when once existing, all
our confirmed should take advantage of the oppor-
tunity offered them to get better acquainted with
the Bible under the guidance of a competent leader.

Sr. Louis, Mo. — Grace Lutheran Colored Con-
gregation commemorated its fifteenth anniversary
on October 27th. We understand that every member
aimed to bring at least a dollar on that day as a spe-
cial thank-offering. We hope that this active con-
gregation may be able in the not too distant future
to have a chapel of its own in which-to worship. The
present’ building, used for church and school pur-
poses, is wholly inadequate and unsuitable for the
purposes for which it is used. The good ladies of
our white congregations:in St. Louis have formed
a society, “The Lutheran Ladies’ Aid for Colored
Mission,” whose special and first aim is to help se-
cure for our Grace Congregation a suitable place of
worship. Each member of the society pays not less
than 10 cents a month into the treasury: While this
sum is small, yet we understand that these Christian
ladies have already gathered a: goodly sum, and a
church for our Colored mission congregation: in
St. Louis is now much nearer an actuality than it
was when the society was founded. Many: drops will
finally fill the biggest bueket. Who will give a drop
to fill this bucket? Will you?

Our ALABAatA Mission ScHoors. — Superin-
tendent Schmidt reports that at the end of Septem-
ber a teaching force of thirteen was working in ten
different schools in, our Alabama field. At Rose
Bud, Oak Hill, and Midway the schools have each
two teachers, while the schools at Tinela, Vreden-
burgh, Buena Vista, Possum Bend, Tilden, Nyland,
and Kingston have each one teacher. Three of the ~
missionaries are teaching school, besides doing pas- |
toral work— Pastors Berger, Carter, and March. —
At the end of September the schools were attended
mostly by primary children, since the older boys and
girls were helping their parents in the fields, which
bore excellent crops this year. By this time probably
more than 1,000 scholars are pa our ten
mission-schools in Alabama.