The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1923, Page 37

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The Iutheran Pioneer.

37

languages now, Tamil and Malayalam, besides a
little in Telugu. When work will have been started
among Mohammedans, as we hope it will be this
year by commissioning Rey. Brux, a third vernac-
ular will be added, viz., Hindustani, the lingua
Franca of India. :

The Publicity Committee presented its schedule,
assigning articles for the different church-papers to
the brethren. We feel this to be a very important
part of our work, to which we are hardly doing
justice. ‘The editor of the ‘lamil church-paper,
called Salliasalchi (Witness of the ‘Truth), re-
ported, and asked for, more contributions. It was
also resolved to issue for the first time a wall calen-
dar for distribution among our members and friends.
This has now appeared in a neat cross-design with
the usual information in three languages.

In May last the first intersynodical conference
was held with the Ohio Synod missionaries, with
satisfactory results. It was resolved to accept the
invitation of the Ohio men to meet them in January,
1923, at Tirupahi, a station of the Ohio Synod mis-
sion. May God’bless this meeting!

Conference Sunday was spent out in the villages
with our Christians, who had arranged two joint
Thanksgiving-festivals at convenient centers. Ser-
mons were delivered by local and visiting brethren
in both Malayalam and Tamil, but the writer doubts
whether much of the latter was understood, since the
vernacular on the ‘Trivandrum side is Malayalam.
In the evening we rode out to Kovalam beach and
indulged in a little surf-riding — as far as the
sharks would allow. This is part of the so-called
“missionary coast,” since not far north of this point
Francis Xavier landed in 1543 and began Roman
Catholic mission-work.

This year the Portuguese in India have arranged
for a big festival in Goa, the Portuguese possession
on the west coast, somewhat south of Bombay.
Xavier’s body is being exposed to the pious (?)
pilgrims, who kiss his shrunken feet and look for
miracles to happen. Xavier’s fanaticism and devo-

‘tion to the Pope we do not want, but we ought to
hee his consuming zeal. May God grant us grace
o become burning and shining lights reflecting the
glory of Him who is the Light of the world, also
the Light of the Gentiles! G. Kurcnte.

'

War is needed is “senders” and “preachers”
(Rom. 10, 14—15); then there are sure’ to be
“hearers” and “believers.” — Jaffray.

The Prodigal Son.

lt was on a cold winter evening in the year of
1920. A student of the Keio University in Tokio
was pining on his weary bed of pain —the end of
a dissolute life. ‘True, he was by no means as bad
as his seducers; but his, or rather his father’s, for-
tune had been ample, and this had hastened his
ruin. Wicked friends had led him astray, and he
had willingly followed. Ilis father, displeased by
his poor reports and the large bills presented, had
once before ordered him home from school. But
when the son had shown true signs of repentance,
he had allowed him to return to Tokio. After this
all had gone along well for a time. But soon his
“good” companions joined him again, and “the last
state of that man was made worse than the first.”

Within a few weeks he had incurred a debt of
seven hundred yen ($350), besides having poisoned
his body by means of unmentionable vices. 'Tor-
tured in mind and body, he lay on his bed. None
of his former friends now came to comfort him.
Wild with despair, he resolved to end his misery
by committing suicide.

Late in the evening, however, he received a
visitor. It was a friend, this time a true one, a
student of the university, who had only lately be-
come a Christian. He at once realized the condition
of the patient and lost no time in telling him of
the beauties of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and of
its power to heal all his wounds. ‘To the sick man
this came as a message from heaven, as a light in
the darkness. He said with enkindled hope: —

“Tf what ‘you say is true, I will become a Chris-
tian at once. But it seems almost incomprehensible :
to me.”

“Rise and take courage; this very day you must
come with me to the “shimp’” (priest).

“No, I cannot go in this way; my whole body
is infected.”

“Very well, then we shall first go to the baths.”

The patient tried to conceal his pain, and reso-
lutely followed his friend. It was already after nine
o’clock, and when they came to the missionary’s
house, it was exactly eleven o’clock. ‘The missionary
had already retired. When he heard the noise at
the door, he turned on the light and asked what
was wanted.

- “This young man has sinned and is now almost
despairing; help him!” came the answer.

The missionary bade both enter, and soon the
gas-stove made the little room quite comfortable.