The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1929, Page 38

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38 THE LUTHERAN PIONEER.
Africa”; “The Negro in the Army” (by Captain Louisiana which, by the grace of God, has now
Reid); “The Negro as a Poet; “The Negro grown to considerable strength and size. Among the

and the Ministry’; “The Negro as an Educator” ;
“America’s Tenth Man.”

Although the author of the National Anthem,
James Weldon Johnson, sings: “Let our rejoicing
rise high as the listening skies,” because of “the
hope that the present has brought us,” in many the
poem awakens a feeling of sadness, which is height-
ened by its melody. Let the reader ponder some of
the lines: —

Stony the road we trod,
Bitter the chast’ning rod,
Felt in the days when hope unborn had died;
Yet with a steady beat
Have not our weary feet
Come to the place for which our fathers sighed?

We have come over a way that with tears has been
watered, ;
We have come, treading our path through the blood
of the slaughtered,
Out from the gloomy past,
Till now we stand at last
Where the white gleam of our bright star is cast.

The hymn closes with the prayer : —

God of our weary years,
God of our silent tears, ...
ig Keep ug forever in Thy path we pray.

Greensboro, N. C. Wm. H. Grarke.

How It Came About that Little Nellie
was Baptized.

1. Mary Gains Confidence.

It is a wonderful thing about those people who.

regularly and attentively hear and diligently read
God’s Word for the purpose’ of learning from its
holy pages. Not only are such people led to the
Savior, but they also grow from day to day in the
knowledge of Jesus Christ and often become the
pillars of Christian congregations. Of course, no
one can in any way make himself willing to hear
and read God’s Word or even do the least thing to-
ward coming to the Savior. That is God’s work
alone through His Word. Such wonderful work,
for which we shall nevermore be able to praise and
; eek God sufficiently, the Lord has performed

number of years among the colored
uithful - pioneers, there was organized

very first members of this congregation there was
also a woman who has proved a great blessing to the
congregation. We shall call her Mary because like
Mary, the sister of Martha, she sat at Jesus’ feet
and diligently listened to Jesus’ words whenever
God gave her the opportunity and because, like
Mary, the mother of Jesus, she pondered all the
sayings of Jesus in her heart.

At the time of the organization of the congrega-
tion, Mary was a woman of little means. To make
her living, she would work for a rich white family
from early in the morning until late at night. It
was already at this time that her trust in God shone
as a beautiful, bright jewel. Mr. Van Cluster, who
had hired Mary to be in the home with his sickly
wife and to prepare the meals, was a rich coffee-
dealer. One day in August, while Mr. Van Cluster
was in his office, as usual, the heavens became very
dark at midday. Mrs. Van Cluster, a very nervous
woman, noticed the ever-increasing darkness while
seated in her wheel-chair. She became very uneasy.
At length she could not restrain her fears any longer
and, while trembling as an aspen-leaf, called Mary
to her side and asked in a quivering voice: “What
does this mean? Mary, what does this mean? Will
there be a storm? O Mary, Mary, I cannot bear
this darkness!” But while Mrs. Van Cluster was
filled with fear, Mary feared not. Calmly she spoke
words of comfort to her mistress. “Don’t be afraid,
Mrs. Van Cluster,” she said, “only trust that God
can protect you no matter what may come.” But
there was no trust in God in the wealthy mistress.
She began to tremble only the more at the mention
of God’s name. Oh, how poor, so very poor, are also
the richest when they have no trust in God and con-
sequently cannot say with David and all Christians:
“Though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death, I will fear no evil; for Thou art with me;
Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me”!

When Mary noticed the paleness of her mistres’s
face and the trembling of her hands, she continued
trying to quiet her fears, saying: “Mrs. Van Cluster,
none of us deserves that God protect him; for we
all have sinned against Him. But it is as I have
learned from the Lutherans: Jesus, who is God’s
dear Son, became a man and took upon Himself the
punishment for all our sins; and if we believe this,

“God not only, for Jesus’ sake, wipes out all our sins,

but also accepts us as His dear children. Believe
that’ Jesus saved you; believe that’ your sins for
Jesus’ sake are all doreiven ; believe that you are