The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1927, Page 138

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138

I inquired of my kind heathen hostess about her
children, and particularly if she had girls.

“Do you know,” she said to the others, as if she
were telling a bit of odd news, “they say the Chris-
tians don’t drown their girls.”

I learned with sorrow this morning that a grad-
uate of a girls’ school had come home to this village
and had gone back to the heathen practise of her
wicked heathen mother, gambling, smoking, and
reading foul literature. I am sure this very rarely
happens. But if we had to live in this atmosphere
alone six months, would every one of us remain
steadfast? We ought to have done something for
that heathen mother before the girl got back under
her influence. When the girl’s betrothed learned of
her conduct, he beat his breast in rage, had a
hemorrhage, and died within a month.

These things sound like scareheads from some
very yellow journal. They are only observations
from real China during the last three days — real
China, where the Gospel has no grip. It isn’t all
just like this, but heathenism, as I have seen it, is
all just as hopeless, just as conscienceless, as this.
And I cannot believe the Church has yet the faintest
hint of how black and how tremendous the problem
of the heathen world, the problem of any one
heathen village, is.

But the very blackness of the background makes
our Christians stand out in radiant contrast.
Clement came home Saturday from the next town
to Dai Ngie, saying that he thought the preacher
there was rather light-weight.

“Does he worship idols?” I asked.

He looked at me in astonishment. “Why, no;
I have no reason to think he worships idols.”

“Does he drown his baby girls? Because if he
lives in this region and doesn’t worship idols nor
drown his baby girls, I think he’s a saint.”

It is indeed a murky outlook! But the Church
is a sturdy craft, and our Captain knows what He
is doing, and we’re coming through!

Items of Missionary Interest.
By the Eprror.

Inner Missions in San Francisco Bay District. —
The churches of the Synodical Conference in the
San Francisco Bay District have been doing very
_ gratifying inner mission work for several years past.

The missionary is assisted in his work by a dea-
coness. Work is regularly done at twelve public
and private institutions and, as occasion demands,

THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.

at eight others. In the course of a year the two
workers have had almost 3,000 interviews, con-
ducted 249 services and more than sixty other meet-
ings. By means of the religious services they
reached over 12,000 persons. In their work the
missionary and his assistant found no less than
458 Lutherans.

St. Philip’s, St. Louis. — Last May St. Philip’s
was able to dedicate its new chapel. Since then
there have been many encouraging happenings in
connection with this mission. During the past five
months the Bible class has received ninety-seven
new members, making a total of 157! The mis-
sionary has received in this period, by confirmation
and baptism, thirty-six adults and twelve children.
A new class for adults was begun last month. May
God continue His blessings !

Mount Calvary, Kannapolis, N.C. — Since the
beginning of the year Mount Calvary received ten
new members.

St. Mark’s, Atlanta, Ga. — Several weeks ago
robbers broke into the church and stole Rev. John
Alston’s robe. This act leaves our missionary with-
out a robe. Could a brother in the ministry help
him out of his troubles by sending him a discarded
gown? Rey. John Alston’s address is 1011 McDaniel
Street, Atlanta, Ga. — The pastor writes that Mrs.
Morris, some weeks ago, entertained the whole con-
gregation most hospitably in honor of a number of
out-of-town guests. It shows a fine spirit when
members like to be in one another’s company. No
doubt, the early Christians were. far more in one
another’s company than are we Christians of to-day.

Free Soil, Mich. — Six years ago Pastor Storm
called into being a mission among the colored people
near Free Soil. Under God’s gracious blessings the
mission grew. The humble log church out in the
Jack Pines has become too small to hold the grow-
ing congregation. This has induced ‘he colored
congregation and its friends to build a new and
more commodious chapel in the village proper.
This new church will be dedicated just about the
time our readers will read this item. The writer
of these lines was asked to speak upon this happy
occasion, but other duties prevented him from doing
what he.so very much would like to have done. May

.God continue to bless this mission and bountifully

repay Pastor Storm for his work of love!

Buffalo, N. Y. — The work in Buffalo is prosper-
ing. Superintendent Wind is conducting services
regularly, Sunday-school and Saturday-school, are
regularly held, Bible and catechetical: classes are