The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 27

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THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

27

what is more, it threatens to punish those in author-
ity who fail to inflict it when necessary. — The
essay was received with thanks.

The afternoon sessions were devoted to an all-
around discussion of business matters pertaining to
the welfare of our parochial schools and Luther
College, and to ways and means of improving our
mission-work in general. It will, no doubt, be good
news to our readers to learn that Luther College
is steadily increasing its curriculum, or course of
study. The faculty is working hard to have this
institution accredited by the State of Louisiana in
the near future. Certainly united efforts in this
direction should be put forth on our part. In union
there is strength.

When ‘Conference had adjourned Tuesday eve-
ning, an informal meeting of our parochial school
teachers was called by Prof. O. Luecke, the new
president of Luther College, successor to Prof. H.
Meibohm. Professor Luecke revived the old subject
—long broached by Prof. A. Wiley and the under-
signed — of forming an Alumni Association of
Luther College. The chief purpose of this society
will be to interest itself in behalf of its alma mater
and to promote the interests of the institution in
the entire community. The Luther College Alumni
Association will be formally organized a few days
hence.

As stated above, weather conditions somewhat
handicapped us at this conference. Yet this in no
wise hindered our beloved in the faith of our Car-
rollton Mission from making us as comfortable as
possible during the noon recess, for which we are
truly grateful.

May the Lord of the harvest bless the small, but
willing membership of Carrollton, so that in due
time it will bring forth fruit an hundredfold! May
He also bless all of us, His humble servants, endow-
ing us with greater courage, greater zeal, greater

‘faith and making us ever — “ready to serve!” ”
W. B. SEEBERRY, JR.

A Missionary’s Christmas
in New Orleans.

The Editor lately asked all our missionaries in
the Colored Field for contributions. While no con-
tributions have come to date, many of the workers
have promised something in the future. However,
the Editor is obliged to retract the first statement
in the preceding sentence, for one of the workers,
a veteran, who looks back upon about eighteen years

of service, did send in a short story of how he spent
his Christmas. After telling the Editor that he
would like to oblige him with an article, but that
he knows nothing of interest to tell, he continues
thus : —

“Christmas passed in the usual way. Christmas
Eve we had our children’s celebration in Bethlehem.
The weather had been bad; it had been raining
nearly all day, and the attendance was cut down
considerably. On Christmas Day we had our
5.30 A.M. service again. That seems to be about
the only time the members of Bethlehem can at-
tend a Christmas service. During the day they
must work hard, for most of them are domestics.
So they come to church before they go to work.
On Christmas forenoon I for once did not have to
preach ‘somewhere,’ and I enjoyed the rare pleasure
of going to church with my children. In the after-
noon I went to the Tommy Lafon Old Folks’? Home
and told the old peopie there the Christmas story.
Some of the children from Bethlehem School were
to come and sing for the old people, but the bad
weather keptsthem away. Mr. Seeberry came along,
and the two of us sang a few of our Christmas
hymns for them. One of the old men responded
by singing some ‘old-time melodies’ for us. Strange
melodies they were, but in their strange way they
told the story of the Savior’s birth. In the evening
I went to Carrollton for the children’s celebration.
It had rained again and turned colder, and that
and Carrollton agree badly — mud and darkness
everywhere. Only a few of the children came for
the celebration. — That was Christmas of 1924.
And yet it was the same beautiful, blessed festival.
But from this you see that I am right when I say
that little of interest to our readers happens.”

Do our readers agree with the missionary? Do
they not find this simple paragraph very interest-
ing, a story of real human interest? The Editor
would like to mention the missionary’s name, so
that others might also tell him that he should keep
on sending in such items; but it would possibly be
a breach of trust to divulge the name of the brother.

: F. J. L.

od

Tne BIBLE In Curna.— We were surprised to

‘read a short time ago that about one-third of the

output of the great British and Foreign Bible So-

’ ciety is in China, where no less than three million

copies of the Bible and parts of it were distributed
in a year. About 450 colporteurs are employed,
whose aim it is to reach every province of the vast
republic.