22
THE LUTHER.AN PIONEER
who trust in Him. I could hn,·e told you this before because teacher told us." Tears of joy began to gather in the listener's eyes, and his heart shouted praises to God who had mo\"ed the Christians' hearts to support our missions and had made little Eliza a li ttle Christian and a missionary. With joy and praise filling his heart the missionary now gently tapped at the door. Hurriedly, as he noticed, - his eyes had by this t ime become accustomed to the darkness, - lit tle Eliza shoved the Bible History 11Dder her granny's pillow. Then Gralllly asked the missionary to come in. During the course of this visit t he missionary learned many more things, things that increased his joy. Little Eliza, so he was told, \"ery frequently had read stories to her grandmother from her Lutheran Bible History, and the old woman had always enjoyed hearing them. "That child and your Lutheran school," she would· say again and again, ''have been a real blessing to me. Once I knew nothing about Jesus, except that He died on the cross. But now I know that He died on the cross for me poor wretch and saved me from hell." Through all this the "forgotten house" has become an unforgotten one to all who have heard this story. May it remain unforgotten also to you, and at every remembrance of it fill your heart with gladness; for you have helped two precious bloodbought souls that lived in it to Jesus and on the way to heaven. Little Eliza is now baptized and confirmed and a faithful member of St. Paul's Lutheran Church. And her aged granny still thankfully thinks of the days when Jesus, the Light, arose in her heart and illumined it with the rays of His divine love. New Orleans, La. E. H. WILDGBUBE.
Peter's Denial. Peter was a little boy who attended one of the schools of our Colored Jiiissions. He was a fine chap and gave his teacher much joy by his willingness to learn and bis pleasing ways. He was particularly proud of his name, havil)g heard so much about the Apostle Peter in the Bible History lessons. In the Bible History lesson one day the teacher was telling bis pupils about the sufferings of Jesus; how Peter and James and John had been selected by the Lord to accompany Him farther into the shadows of the Garden of Gethsemane, while the other disciples waited at the entrance. At mention
of this incident, little P eter moved his head a little and looked around the room t o see if his fellowpupils had taken notice and were fu lly realizing the special favor shown to his namc-ake Peter. The teacher went on with t he story. When he told how Peter struck a man wHh his sword in order to help J esus, Peter's eyes blazed with pride, and he involuntarily cried out, "Good ior P eter I" As the lesson proceeded and the Savior, was captmed nud led nwny, Peter's face fl u hed with anger. "All the disciples forsook Ilim a nd fled," continued·the teacher. Peter rocked impatiently t o and fro. It could plainly be seen that he was perplexed at this remark of the teacher. H e was plainly concerned about bis namesake and hero P eter. What about him? Where was he ? Then came the terrible and shameful scenes in the house of the high priest, the trial, the blow on the check, and the final sentence. This was followed by the teacher's telling the children of the scourging of J esus at the pillar by Pilate's soldiers, His crowning with t horns, and all the degrading insults offered our Lord at every step of Ilis Passion. Very quietly the children listened t o t he S tory of stories; sadly and intently they listened. Only P eter let his feelings get the best of him, and he showed it, too. The tale of sorrows still wen t on. For the Inst time Pilate asked, ''What, then, shall I do with Jesus, which is called the Christ?" The Jews again cried, "Crucify Him ! Crucify Him I" No one spoke up for Jesus. Not a soul in that great multitude pleaded in Ilis behalf. Peter· could contain himself no longer; he sprang up and with an excited voice, regardless of everything and everybody there, "Teacher, where was Peter, where was Peter?" And then the teacher had to tell that story of Peter's pride and self-trust, bis sad denial of his Lord, ending with the well-known incidents of the crowing of the cock and Peter's bitter tears. Like Peter of old little Peter ,vas utterly cast down and silent, seemingly overwhelmed at the thqught of the Savior's abandonment and Peter's strange cownr~ice. Though it brought him great pain of heart, little Peter evidently learned the lesson that even the greatest of saints nre only weak human beings without the sustaining grace of the Lord; for little Peter was more subdued after that. He had become a more chastened follower of his Savior and plainly showed his desire to be His faithful disciple. Though he still bore the name of the great apostle with pride, this pride had become F. J. L. purified of much dross.
