The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1925, Page 178

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178

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

Help Us to Serve You Well!

The months of December, January, and
February are the busiest of the year for our
Subscription Department.

In order that we may be able to give satis-
factory and uninterrupted service, we request
that those whose subscriptions expire in the
course of these months renew them at least
THIRTY DAYS in advance of the expiration
date shown on the address label.

When ordering, please observe the follow-
ing: —

a) State PLAINLY name of subscriber and
EXACT address.

b) In each instance state name of publi-
cation (we issue 20 periodicals).

c) State whether subscription is NEW or
TO BE RENEWED.

d) In case of renewals state DATE OF EX-
PIRATION of old subscription. (Consult ad-
dress label.)

e) If new, give date for BEGINNING /of
new subscription.

f) In case of change of post-office state

. both the old and the new address.

g) If possible and convenient, order
through .your pastor, teacher, or the sub-
scription agent of your congregation.

NOTE. — Agents will please write for our
NEW subscription blanks.

CONCORDIA PUBLISHING HOUSE,
St. Louis, Mo.

“‘Christ, the Savior, is Born.”

We love the story of the Babe that came
Into the world to save our fallen race
From sin and death and earn for us a place
With God on high. What Jesus’ blessed name
Proclaims He did.. To spread His glorious fame
And help the world, let us make known His grace,
By which was remedied our desp’rate case
When on the cross He bore both guilt and shame.
But now let us beneath the radiant tree
The carols sing of merry Christmastide
And pray the heav’n-born Child: “With us abide!
Because we can do nothing without Thee.
For Thy meek rule forever in us find
A throne established, Lover of mankind!”

H. Osternvus.

Reclaiming Christ’s Heritage.

XII.
THE SMALLER PACIFIC ISLAND GROUPS.
Melanesia.

Melanesia, the Black Islands, comprises several -
groups that are famous in missionary history.
Among these the Fiji Islands and the New Heb-
Tides are the best known. 5

: ‘Tue Frst Isuanps.

This group of islands lies 1,000 miles north of
New Zealand and has a total population of some-
what more than 115,000. The Fijians are among
the most intelligent of the Pacific Islanders, but
prior to the coming of the Gospel they were among
the most brutish and licentions members of the
human race. Probably the world never saw a more

. atrocious and degraded people than they were.

Cannibalism was a national custom among them,
and the person who had eaten the greatest number
of human beings was accounted highest among
them. One chief, for example, was proud to be
able to boast of the fact that he had been able to
set up almost 900 stones as memorials of so many
human beings whom he had devoured.

The Gospel was first brought to the Tijis by
natives of the Zonga Islands, which lie about 300
miles to the east of the Fiji Islands. These people
of Tonga had been brought to Christ by the English
Wesleyans. The native pioneer witnesses from
Tonga were followed by several» English mission-
aries. Their first reception was most unfriendly,
but so powerful was the working of the Spirit
through the Word that already within the first
year almost 300 Fijians accepted Christ. Several
years later James Calvert came to the Fijis, and
after only a few months’ labor on the Island of Ono
he was able to baptize 200 persons. From Lakemba,
the first island reached by the Gospel, and Ono the

John Williams.