The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 62

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62 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

tracked, and was walking the way that does not lead
to the heavenly Father’s home and heart. Some-
where a father is grieving over him, a mother is
distracted, and the heart of the great Redeemer is
saddened to tears.

If we had only been told sooner that he was in
town! Some one, somewhere, had been woefully
negligent in duty. Was it you, dear Leaguer?

Texas Hospice CoMMITTEE,
by Rev. W. C. GEISLER.

Texas District Bulletin.

Korean Marriage, Old Style.

This is‘the way in which the marriage of a son
is arranged in Korea, or Chosen. The father of the
marriageable son goes to a good friend and tells
him that he would like to see him act as a go-between
to find a wife for his offspring. Of course, he
promises the friend a reward for his good offices if
his efforts prove successful.

The friend then begins to look around for hand-
some girls of a marriageable age. As soon as he
finds one, he goes to the father of the girl and asks
if his daughter is to be had. If the answer is favor-
able, the go-between, with many words, tells the
father of the girl of the wonderful young man whom
he knows, of his good nature, his means, and of all
the other good things that may be said to his ad-
vantage. :

If the girl’s father seems impressed, the go-
between next asks how much money would buy the
girl and her outfit. Naturally, the father of the
young lady now has his say. He tells the go-between
how beautiful his daughter is, how many chances
she has to marry, and much else to show the go-
between what a jewel he has come to ask for his
patron.

Should the go-between’s report be favorable, the
next step in the proceedings is taken by the boy’s
mother, who goes to the young lady’s house to verify
the story of the go-between. If she is satisfied that
all is well, the man is called in again and sent to
arrange definitely for the price of the prospective
bride and wife. When a satisfactory price has
been arranged for, the fathers sign an engagement
contract.

Tio years come and go. Then the wedding-day
is finally set. In the mean time the young people
never see each other. In their modesty they will
turn their heads aside when they happen to meet
each other on the road or on the street. On the

wedding-day great feasts are prepared in the homes
of bridegroom and bride. The bridegroom then rides
to the bride’s home on a horse. After he has par-
taken of the feast, he mounts his horse once more
and rides home. Some little time after, the bride
follows the bridegroom in a chair, which is a box
on poles, carried by men. Having arrived at the
bridegroom’s home, they together partake of another
feast. And now they are manandwife. F.J.L.

He Couldn’t Stop.

In a Southern city lives a man who had never
given away any money in all his life, that is, noth-
ing beyond small change which he had in his pocket
when the collection plate was passed.

A representative of a mission board went to talk
with him about large possibilities of giving. He
approached him with fear and trembling, for his
prospective host was known among his friends to be
a man who would speak his mind on all occasions
rather candidly, and the mind that was in him at
that time was not a giving mind.

To the amazement of the board representative
the information which he gave concerning the need
and the opportunity in the mission-field was re-
ceived with an interest which seemed to increase as
he talked. When he presented the opportunity of
taking the full support of a missionary, to his great
amazement his host said that he would like to do
that, and forthwith wrote his check to cover the
entire amount necessary for the first year’s work.
That check was written ten years ago, and it has
been followed every year by many others. Recently
this man, who is now recognized as a generous donor,
said, “That man got me started, and I can’t stop.”

He has contributed liberally to a splendid new
church in a poor section of his own city, moved his
own membership to it, and is standing back of it
in every way. Lately he went into the great busi-
ness of giving mountain boys an education through
church schools. Already he has invested more than
$300,000 in the Lord’s work, since the writing of
that first check ten years ago, and now he is laying
plans to invest about $3,000,000 more in the Lord’s
work. He is trying to sell a sky-scraper, and a bank
which is housed in it, because he wishes to put the
proceeds from the sale into building Christian
characters. His own time and energy are being
devoted to the Christlike work. Under the process
the man himself has grown toward the full stature
of Christ. — Michigan Lutheran.