,illustration3 ',thou queen of the      
,roses of ,saron1 art thou   holding    
court in thy temple of beauty8' ,page   
#baf4       ,a ,tale    ,,of ,,the      
,,kloster    ,a ,romance of the ,german 
,mystics       of the ,cocalico    ,by  
,,brother ,,jabez   ,illustrations by   
,,frank ,,mckernan    ,oh1 blessed      
solitary life1   ,where all creation    
silence keeps6   ,who thus himself to   
,god can yield   ,that he ne'er from him
 strays1   ,hath to the highest goal    
attained1   ,and can without vexation   
live4   ,faith1 toleration1 love1 and   
hope1   ,these all have come to his     
support4      --,,johann ,,conrad       
,,beissel4 ,translation     from the    
,german by ,julius ,friedrich           
,sachse1 ,litt4 ,d4    ,,philadelphia   
,griffith  ,rowland ,press   #aijd      
,,copyrighted #aijd ,,by    ,,ulysses   
,s4 ,,koons    ,published ,december1    
#aijd    ,from the ,press of the        
,american ,baptist ,publication ,society
    ,,to ,,the ,,memory ,,of    ,my     

,mother    ,,this ,,story ,,of ,,the    
,,little ,,band   ,,of ,,brothers ,,and 
,,sisters   ,,of ,,the ,,kloster   ,,is 
,,lovingly ,,dedicated                  
,,introduction   ,a great ,new ,england 
historian has said that ,the colony of  
,pennsylvania was not only more         
heterogeneous in population than any of 
the others1 but it actually was the     
principal center of distribution of the 
non-,english population from the        
seaboard to the ,allegheny ,mountains4  
,all of the population of the           
,carolinas1 as well as in ,virginia and 
,maryland1 entered the country by way of
 ,pennsylvania1 and this migration was  
so great1 both in its physical          
dimensions and in the political and     
social effects which it wrought1 that   
,pennsylvania acquires a special        
interest as the temporary tarrying place
 and distributing center for so much    
that we now call characteristically     
,american4#a    #a ,dutch and ,quaker   
,settlements4 ,john ,fiske4  ,it is     

undoubtedly true that into none of the  
other colonies did there flow such a    
tide of ,german immigration1 bringing   
with it many a hardy ,swiss and ,french 
,huguenot refugee from the ,palatinate1 
along the lower ,rhine4  ,up to the     
,revolution there were more ,germans in 
,pennsylvania than in all the other     
colonies together4 ,benjamin ,franklin1 
it is well known1 feared that the ,state
 might become a ,german province4 ,among
 the causes of this resistless tide of  
immigration were3 ,religious zeal1      
fostered by the teachings of ,william   
,penn and ,george ,fox and their        
followers1 and ,penn's far-sighted      
pledge of tolerance as to liberty of    
worship1 sectarian ambition1 escape from
 religious persecution1 and bad         
government4  ,especially were the       
first-comers inspired by religious zeal1
 and it was to this that such old       
settlements as ,bethlehem and           
,germantown and ,ephrata owe their      
founding4 ,later1 when the tide rose to 

a thousand ,german immigrants a month1 a
 great majority came with the simple    
desire to earn a livelihood in peace and
 safety--a desire played upon by the    
glib-tongued1 unscrupulous land agents  
of that day so successfully1 that       
shipload after shipload of              
poverty-stricken ,german peasantry1     
enduring uncomplainingly the sufferings 
and hardships of hunger1 thirst1 and    
foetid air of the crowded hold and      
consequent ship-fever1 poured into the  
port of ,philadelphia and immediately   
took the oath of allegiance4  ,quaint   
and curious names they had1 as is       
evidenced by many an ancient            
shipmaster's list--patronymics          
indicative of trade1 occupation1        
profession1 personal characteristics1   
nicknames1 names that by a slow but sure
 process of anglization have lost much  
of their humor and flavor1 and are now  
so changed in spelling and sound as     
hardly to be recognized in their        
original form4  ,but with all the fears 

of pauperism and disease and racial     
deterioration and establishment of      
inimical foreign institutions1 this mass
 of crude1 uncouth peasantry1 with their
 unpronounceable names1 besides bearing 
the brunt of ,indian depredation and    
massacre during the ,french and ,indian 
wars1 became the ancestry of perhaps not
 less than one-third of the population  
of ,pennsylvania to-day4  ,beneath the  
unpromising exterior of these peasants  
were firmly fixed the virtues that give 
strength and stability1 if not mercurial
 brilliancy--piety1 industry1 patience1 
thrift1 peaceful dispositions1 and      
intense love of home4 ,the men were     
homemakers2 the women were homekeepers4 
,devoted tillers of the soil1 politics  
and business had few charms for them4   
,although in such counties as ,bucks1   
,lehigh1 ,lancaster1 ,dauphin1          
,northampton1 ,york1 ,carbon1 and       
,monroe1 there are many communities     
inhabited almost entirely by            
,pennsylvania-,germans1 still retaining 

their peculiar dialect1 nevertheless    
their ,german church service and ,german
 newspapers are rapidly becoming things 
of the past4  ,the present generation of
 ,pennsylvania-,germans is going to the 
public schools1 normal schools1 and     
colleges1 and in other respects is      
becoming thoroughly ,english2 for       
however strongly the more conservative  
ones may cling to the old habits and    
traditions1 it is true that ere long    
,pennsylvania-,german and such things as
 ,pennsylvania-,german singing schools1 
,fstnacht festivities1 frolics1 and     
vendues1 will be matters of tradition4  
,perhaps no phase of their history is   
more interesting than that of their     
early religious experiences4 ,in no     
other of the ,american colonies were    
there at such an early date so many     
altars raised to the various            
faiths--orthodox1 sectarian1 mystic1 and
 separatist1 ,lutheran1 ,moravian1      
,quaker1 ,mennonite1 ,dunker1 ,seventh  
,dayer1 and ,new ,mooner4 ,but though   

differing in creed and tenet1 and       
frequently hurling at each other their  
broadsides1 as their controversial      
pamphlets were called1 all these sects  
were conspicuous for their thrift1      
industry1 and religious devotion2 for   
though many of their beliefs were       
extremely mystical and1 showed every    
vagary of pietism1 one great fundamental
 idea inspired and possessed these      
people1 namely1 to live in the utmost   
simplicity of habit1 manner and speech1 
garb and diet1 in strict conformity with
 the practices of the early church1 and 
as close as possible to their ,lord and 
,master1 to whose service their lives   
were consecrated4 ,it is because of this
 idea conscientiously lived out that    
this ,commonwealth is so greatly        
indebted to them4  ,the author has      
selected as a type the ,kloster at      
,ephrata 7a name fragrant with biblical 
suggestiveness71 the founder of which1  
,conrad ,beissel1 was a strong1         
intensely earnest1 impetuous religious  

leader1 who in a few years gathered     
about him a number of zealous men and   
women1 some of them of considerable     
learning4 ,in less than a decade there  
arose a semi-monastic community which   
developed into a religious1 educational1
 commercial1 and industrial settlement  
that at an early date set up in that    
far-away wilderness1 many miles distant 
from the chief city of the province1 the
 third printing press in the colony1 and
 the first to print with both ,german   
and ,english type4  ,the little town1 or
 mountain borough1 of ,ephrata lies     
about eighteen miles southwest from the 
flourishing city of ,reading and not    
more than thirteen miles northeast of   
,lancaster1 with its memory of the      
,continental ,congress1 in the rich1    
fertile valley of the ,cocalico in the  
northern part of ,lancaster ,county4    
,the ,ephrata of the present day1       
numbering possibly three thousand       
inhabitants1 is situated at the foot of 
the gentle northwestern slope of the    

,ephrata ,mountains4 ,a broad main      
street that easily ascends toward the   
southeast leads up close to the ,ephrata
 ,mountain ,springs1 a famous resort in 
the days before the war of the          
,rebellion4 ,but directing one's way in 
the opposite direction1 leaving the     
little town with its banks and hotels   
and industrial establishments1 the      
unfailing accompaniments of these       
prosaic1 unsentimental days1 the wide1  
ancient thoroughfare leads              
northwestward1 the business features    
giving way to the neat1 pleasant1       
comfortable homes so characteristic of  
the ,pennsylvania-,germans4 ,the houses1
 with the peculiar feature of their     
gable ends toward the side instead of   
facing the street1 are well set back in 
the grassy yards enriched with glorious 
dahlias in crimson and gold and ivory   
white1 purple asters1 bright geraniums1 
flaunting hollyhocks1 and all the other 
well-beloved1 old-fashioned favorites1  
while from the opulent garden in the    

rear1 most likely a magnificent         
sunflower in solitary gorgeousness turns
 his dark1 golden-fringed eye to his god
 of fire and light1 now and then the    
whisper of some truant breeze swaying   
the stately head of the ardent devotee  
into a half-wistful glance out over the 
dusty road4  ,but neither these nor the 
spacious front porch1 with its luxurious
 trellised vines and the inviting       
benches before the front door1 receive  
more than an admiring and half-envious  
glance1 and are left behind as the road 
passes over the arches of the old stone 
bridge that spans the ,cocalico1 flowing
 along the northwestern edge of the     
town4 ,in the angle formed by the       
northern bank of the stream and the     
southern side of the turnpike road1 but 
a short distance beyond the point of the
 angle where the road leaves the bridge1
 lie the ,kloster grounds1 formerly     
known as ,the ,settlement of the        
,solitary 7,lager der ,einsamen71 but   
now locally referred to as ,the         

,kloster1 a full and excellent          
description of which is contained in    
,the ,german ,sectarians of             
,pennsylvania1 by ,julius ,friedrich    
,sachse1 ,,litt4 ,d41 in which he has1  
after years of patient labor given us a 
most admirable1 critical1 and legendary 
history of the ,ephrata ,kloster4       
,within the confines of this out of the 
way nook the author has placed the      
personages of this romance1 which he    
fondly hopes may be of interest not only
 to ,pennsylvania-,germans1 but to all  
who delight in a story which is only a  
story4 ,over a century and a half has   
elapsed since the ,sisterhood and       
,brotherhood were in the zenith of their
 little world1 and it were well-nigh    
impossible to reproduce at this late day
 with absolute fidelity such matters as 
dress1 customs1 manners and habits1     
religious rites and ceremonies2 and yet1
 thanks to the exhaustive investigations
 of ,mr4 ,sachse and others1 the author 
has been able to pattern forth in the   

warp and woof of this tale more or less 
distinctly1 considerable that relates to
 the homely architecture1 the cloistral 
life1 worship1 rites1 ceremonies1 and   
beliefs of these peculiar but devoted1  
plain-living1 high-thinking ,sisters and
 ,brothers4  ,to reproduce their speech1
 even if possible1 were of course sadly 
out of place at this day2 for the       
,german1 even of the early settlers1 was
 represented by such various dialects as
 ,swabian1 ,wrtemberger1 ,bavarian1     
,swiss1 ,hessian1 ,palatinate1 and      
others2 and though these were all       
,german dialects1 yet since those days  
there has been such a copious infusion  
of ,english words1 that to-day          
,pennsylvania-,german1 though it is     
still1 in the articulation of its bones 
and its general form and spirit1 the    
tongue of the ,rhine country1#b is none 
the less neither ,german nor ,english1  
but a hybrid1 non-descript jargon1#c at 
best an ,americanized dialect of the    
,german1 but a dialect able to produce  

beautiful flowers in the fields of lyric
 poetry under the cultivation of such as
 ,harbaugh1 ,hark1 ,zimmerman1 ,zeigler1
 ,fisher1 ,grumbine1 and others4    #b  
,the ,pennsylvania-,german ,dialect1 by 
,lee ,l4 ,grumbine1 ,esq4    #c ,ibid4  
,pennsylvania-,german being a dialect   
not of the almost universal ,english    
tongue but of the ,german1 and what is  
especially to the point1 a fast         
declining dialect with but a small      
remnant who can speak and understand it 
in the vernacular1 the author feels not 
only that he should by employing this   
dialect address himself to an           
exceedingly small audience1 but might1  
moreover1 justly incur the charge of    
pedantry and affectation4  ,thus while  
it is true that the greater number of   
the ,sisters and ,brothers of the       
,kloster were ,germans and spoke the    
mother tongue in their daily            
intercourse1 yet after all language is  
only the means of conveying ideas1      
thoughts1 and these we know have a      

language understood by all4  ,moreover1 
this volume is not presented from the   
standpoint of the antiquarian or        
philologist4 ,the ,brothers and ,sisters
 of ,ephrata1 though celibates1 sworn to
 the love of the celestial ,eve and the 
heavenly ,bridegroom1 were none the less
 flesh and flood1 subject to the same   
passions and temptations as the men and 
women of the present day4 ,they too had 
eyes1 hands1 organs1 dimensions1 senses1
 affections1 passions1 and were fed with
 the same food1 hurt with the same      
weapons1 subject to the same diseases1  
warmed and cooled by the same winter and
 summer4 ,in a word1 they were men and  
women of like passions with ourselves4  
,it is of such men and women the author 
writes2 men and women unused to the     
courtliness of state1 unskilled in the  
hollowness of vain compliment1 untutored
 in the frippery and polish of          
artificial society1 unacquainted with   
the insincerity and diplomacy of the    
wider world1 removed from kith and kin  

and thrown upon their own resources     
among strangers and amid new            
surroundings4#d    #d ,grumbine4  ,the  
author1 that he may not be held to have 
drawn too deeply from his neighbor's    
well1 fully acknowledges his great      
indebtedness to his friend1 ,mr4        
,sachse4 ,indeed1 to do exact justice1  
it must be said that this volume        
contains nothing more than a romance    
wound about the facts1 incidents1       
traditions1 and descriptions1 taken by  
the author from the ,german ,sectarians1
 with the kind permission of ,mr4       
,sachse4  ,acknowledgment of            
indebtedness should also be made to     
,rev4 ,j4 ,max ,hark and ,hon4 ,samuel  
,w4 ,pennypacker1 ,governor of          
,pennsylvania1 for the use of           
translations1 portions of which are     
prefixed to ,chapters ,,xv4 and ,,xix4  
,it should also be added that the       
initial letters used through the book1  
as well as the design on the cover1 are 
made from reproductions of pen-work     

drawings executed by the ,ephrata       
,sisterhood4      ,,the ,,author4       
,,contents    ,,chapter                 
,,page       ,i4 ,,flight ,,from ,,the  
,,world                   #a      ,,ii4 
,,peter ,,the ,,hermit                  
#aj     ,,iii4 ,,sonnlein               
#ba      ,,iv4 ,,we ,,leave ,,the       
,,hermitage                 #cj         
,v4 ,,ephrata                           
#dj      ,,vi4 ,,concerning ,,taxation  
#ea     ,,vii4 ,,the ,,right ,,prevails 
#fi    ,,viii4 ,,our ,,first ,,loss     
#gg      ,,ix4 ,a ,,love ,,feast        
#hf       ,x4 ,,the ,,brotherhood ,,of  
,,zion                #id      ,,xi4    
,,brother ,,agonius ,,and ,,his         
,,prophecy      #ajh     ,,xii4 ,,sister
 ,,bernice ,,is ,,comforted             
#abg    ,,xiii4 ,,the ,,comet ,,and     
,,brother ,,alburtus        #ace        
,,xiv4 ,,our ,,sister ,,leaves ,,us     
#adf      ,,xv4 ,,the ,,great ,,comet   
#aee      ,,xvi4 ,a ,,far ,,journey     
#afe     ,,xvii4 ,,in ,a ,,strange      

,,land                    #agf          
,,xviii4 ,,sonnlein ,,cometh ,,to       
,,man',s ,,estate      #aic      ,,xix4 
,,when ,,hearts ,,are ,,young           
#bjg       ,,xx4 ,,sister ,,genoveva    
,,is ,,gone              #bbc           
,,xxi4 ,,brother ,,alburtus             
#bce     ,,xxii4 ,,sonnlein ,,taketh    
,,the ,,ordeal           #bdi           
,,xxiii4 ,a ,,midnight ,,visit          
#bfe     ,,xxiv4 ,,mine ,,enemy',s      
,,hiding-,,place            #bha        
,,xxv4 ,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,witch   
#bie     ,,xxvi4 ,,the ,,twain ,,are    
,,made ,,one               #cje         
,,xxvii4 ,,retrospect                   
#cbd     ,,chapter ,i  ,,flight ,,from  
,,the ,,world      ,happy the man who   
has the town escaped2     ,to him the   
whistling trees1 the murmuring brooks1  
,the shining pebbles1 preach            
,virtue's and wisdom's lore4      ,the  
whispering grove a holy temple is       
,to him1 where ,god draws nigher to his 
soul2     ,each verdant sod a shrine1   

,whereby he kneels to heaven4           
--,ludwig ,heinrich ,christoph ,hlty4   
,for a clearer understanding of what ,i 
have here written in the fond desire    
that there may be those who delight in a
 tale simply told1 even though it be of 
my brothers and sisters who lived their 
quiet1 peaceful lives1 with now and     
then1 'tis true1 a jarring note1        
consecrated to their faith1 in the      
solitude of a new-world wilderness1 ,i  
must set forth1 without weariness to the
 reader1 ,i hope1 somewhat of the humble
 pilgrim whose now old and time-worn    
hands pen these lines4  ,i1 ,johann     
,peter ,mller1 son of a reformed        
minister1 under the inspection of ,kreis
 ,kaiserslautern1 was born in the year  
#agaj1 at ,altzborn ,oberamt            
,kaiserslautern in the ,palatinate1     
studied at ,heidelberg1 matriculated    
#agbe at that university and in my      
twentieth year volunteered in response  
to the urgent calls for clergymen from  
the province of ,pennsylvania4  ,leaving

 my beloved father and mother and       
,vaterland in the summer of #agcj1 ,i   
floated on a raft down the ,rhine to    
,rotterdam1 embarking there for ,america
 on the good ship ,thistle1 and after a 
long1 uneventful voyage arrived at      
,philadelphia1 ,august #bh1 #agcj1      
taking the oath of allegiance the       
following day1 which oath ,i am proud to
 say ,i have always kept4 ,almost       
immediately upon my arrival ,i applied  
to the ,rev4 ,jedediah ,andrews1 for    
ordination1 pastor of the ,first        
,presbyterian ,church in ,philadelphia4 
,after asking me a great many questions 
he advised me to apply to the synod4    
,this excellent advice was acted upon so
 promptly that in three weeks after my  
arrival the notes of the synod recorded1
 ,it is agreed by the synod that ,mr4   
,john ,peter ,miller1 a ,dutch          
probationer lately come over1 be left to
 the care of the presbytery of          
,philadelphia to settle him in the work 
of the ministry4  ,in pursuance of this 

resolution the presbytery appointed     
three ministers to examine me for       
entrance upon my holy office1 and what  
they required of me is best shown by a  
minute of the meeting where ,i came     
under ,tryals and after a previous ,test
 of his ability in ,prayer1 ,examining  
him in the ,languages1 he read his      
sermon and ,exegesis on ye              
,justification and ,various suitable    
questions on ye ,arts and ,sciences1    
officially ,theology and out of         
,scripture4  ,briefly1 the presbytery   
licensed me as a candidate to preach the
 gospel where ,providence may give him  
opportunity and call1 and for four years
 after my ordination to the ministry ,i 
preached the word1 during which period  
,i received much assistance from ,conrad
 ,weiser1 one of my church officers1 who
 for years was consulted by both the    
civil and military authorities in times 
of need and danger1 he being an         
efficient ,indian interpreter to the    
government4  ,i officiated among my     

countrymen in ,philadelphia and         
,germantown1 and in the ,skippack       
,valley1 besides visiting the more      
widely scattered congregation in the    
province4 ,i was also called upon to    
take regular charge of the ,tulpehocken 
,church1 together with the ,union       
,congregation of the ,lutheran and      
,reformed which had been formed by the  
,germans living in the valley of the    
,cocalico and the ,bucherthal4 ,this    
region was almost wholly settled by     
those of the ,lutheran and ,reformed    
faiths1 the circuit being known as the  
,canestoga congregation4 ,ere long a    
church for the ,united ,congregation was
 built about six miles northeast of     
,ephrata on a commanding hill beyond the
 ,bucherthal1 the ,moden ,crik 7,muddy  
,creek7 ,church4  ,having preached to   
mine own people for several years1 ,i   
quit the ministry and returned to       
private life1 not1 however1 without much
 prayer and meditation2 for about that  
time the ,ephrata community was in its  

infancy4 ,i had never had much          
inclination to join it1 because of the  
reproach and contempt which lay against 
the community by the orthodox churches  
of the province2 but my inward conductor
 brought me to that dilemma1 either to  
be a member of this new institution or  
consent to my own damnation4 ,i chose   
the first1 and received baptism into the
 congregation in ,may of #agce1 together
 with ,conrad ,weiser and a number of   
families from the ,union ,church4 ,we   
were baptized by ,conrad ,beissel1 whose
 inspired eloquence had finally         
prevailed upon me to take this step4  ,i
 did not much differ from a poor        
criminal under sentence of death when ,i
 was led into the water4 ,however1 the  
,lord our ,god did strengthen me when ,i
 came into the water1 and then ,i in a  
solemn manner renounced my life with all
 its prerogatives1 without reservation1 
and ,i have found1 in all my long life1 
that all this was put into the divine   
records1 for he hath never failed to    

assist me in times of need1 and these   
have been many4  ,but much wrath and    
indignation was engendered against us by
 our baptism4 ,we were called seceders1 
rebels1 ,beisselianer2 others said we   
had been deluded by the witchcraft and  
sorcery of ,beissel2 still others said  
that our conversion was the work of the 
,evil ,one2 others were for bringing    
civil action against us2 but in all the 
noise and smoke of this great tumult1   
,brother ,weiser successfully prevented 
any charges being brought against us4   
,pastor ,boehm1 my old ,skippack rival1 
hath kindly said of me in this matter in
 his report to the ,amsterdam ,synod3   
,this ,miller at the same time drew the 
,tulpehocken church to himself1 against 
whose false spirit ,i frequently warned 
them2 but they continued to adhere to   
him like misguided1 silly people4       
,finally1 the fraud against which ,i    
warned them so honestly and continuously
 has come to light1 and this ,miller    
publicly went over to the dissolute     

,seventh-day ,tumpler sect1 and had     
himself baptized ,tumplerwise in the    
,canestoka1 in the month of ,april1     
#agce4 ,he took out ten families1       
,reformed and ,lutheran1 from the       
,tulpehocken congregation1 who did as he
 did4  ,may the ,lord forgive him for   
his narrow sneer as ,i have long ago1   
for it hath ever been my rule not to    
bear spite or malice1 no matter how     
grievous the injury1 knowing full well  
that what the ,roman philosopher hath   
said is true1 and that is1 ,malice      
drinks one-half of its own poison4      
,brother ,weiser1 ,i regret to say1 did 
not possess himself of the same spirit2 
but on the contrary always resented     
every insult1 and it is still current   
among us that shortly after he left the 
,kloster in later years to accept a     
justice's commission offered him by     
,governor ,thomas1 our ,brother ,weiser1
 while riding the road to ,reading1 met 
the ,reformed pastor of the ,cocalico1  
on his nag4 ,brother ,weiser1 foolishly 

forgetting the spirit of humility of the
 ,kloster1 cried out to the pastor that 
he surely must think himself above his  
,lord whom he professed to serve4 ,asked
 for an explanation1 ,brother ,weiser   
replied that where an ass was good      
enough for the ,saviour it should be    
good enough for his followers1 to which 
came the quick rejoinder that this was  
perfectly true1 but as ,governor ,thomas
 had appointed all the asses as         
justices1 people were forced to ride    
upon horses4  ,within two days after our
 baptism1 and in order that we might cut
 ourselves entirely loose from our      
former mode of life and thought1 we     
determined that all books which were now
 considered libri heretici1 such as the 
,heidelberg ,catechism1 ,luther's       
,catechism1 the ,psalter1 and ,arndt's  
,paradies ,grtlein1 should be utterly   
consumed by fire4 ,in short1 all        
devotional literature of the old faith  
not in accord with our new departure1 we
 gathered from the various families that

 had been converted1 and not a few from 
mine own little library1 and upon the   
appointed day ,brother ,weiser and the  
converts and myself assembled at the    
little cabin of ,brother ,fiedler1 and  
there solemnly condemned the pernicious 
volumes to be burned4  ,the ,paradies   
,grtlein1 however1 had a peculiar       
sanctity attached to it by the ,german  
settlers2 for it was firmly believed    
that it was protected by ,divine        
interposition from both fire and flood4 
,i had heard1 even in my boyhood days1  
many a story of the miraculous          
preservation of this book4 ,some present
 objected to its being included1 for    
surely the ,lord would save it4 ,others1
 as ardent in their new faith as they   
had been in the old1 no more honored the
 book as sacred1 but were now firmly    
convinced that as its immunity hitherto 
had been from the ,evil ,one1 the       
greater the reason it must be destroyed 
with the others4  ,the brush heap was   
accordingly prepared in front of        

,brother ,fiedler's cabin4 ,each of the 
participants gathered up an armful of   
the doomed volumes1 and at the word     
filed out of the little doorway headed  
by myself1 followed by the schoolmaster4
 ,arriving at the brush heap it was soon
 set afire1 and the various books were  
solemnly consigned to the flames by     
,brother ,weiser and the schoolmaster   
and others1 with the solemn invocation  
,thus perish all priestcraft6 ,afterward
 the ashes were scattered to the four   
winds1 and we departed feeling that we  
had thus cut ourselves off from the     
faith of our forefathers and had this   
day taken a step pregnant with glorious 
promise for the future4  ,it was said   
the next day1 and ,i firmly believe this
 was an invention of our enemies1 that  
one of ,brother ,fiedler's family found 
among the now cold ashes the little     
,paradies ,grtlein1 a trifle charred on 
the edges1 the leather cover shriveled  
and blackened1 the clasps almost burned 
to a crisp1 but the leaves still holding

 together1 and not a page of the print  
in the slightest impaired4 ,its         
preservation soon became noised abroad1 
and was greatly used as an argument     
against us by those who opposed our     
step4 ,as for me1 despite the many      
foolish and malicious charges that have 
been made against my soundness of mind  
for taking part in this thing 7which ,i 
defend on the ground of necessity and   
possibly due somewhat to youthful zeal7 
,i never believed that the book had been
 saved but for the reason that when it  
was thrown into the pyre it was tightly 
clasped and by chance fell to one side  
of the flames1 and as ,i have often     
noted paper tightly pressed together    
yields but grudgingly to the flames4    
,many good people1 however1 believed the
 miracle story and feared extreme       
punishment for condemning such a sacred 
volume to destruction1 and the demand   
became so great for the book that an    
edition was later printed by            
,christopher ,sauer1 of ,germantown2 but

 strange to say not one of his great    
output was able to withstand either fire
 or flood when it came into contact with
 these elements4     ,,chapter ,,ii     
,,peter ,,the ,,hermit      ,where ,i   
may sit and rightly spell     ,of every 
star that heaven doth shew1     ,and    
every herb that sips the dew2     ,till 
old experience do attain     ,to        
something like poetic strain4     ,these
 pleasures1 ,melancholy1 give3     ,and 
,i with thee will choose to live4       
--,il ,penseroso4   ,within a few weeks 
after the events already narrated1      
,brother ,beissel made another visit to 
,dulpehackin with the intention of      
forming the converts into a new         
congregation1 with myself as leader4    
,when this proposal was made to me1 ,i  
requested over night for reflection and 
prayer4 ,in my zeal ,i had thought my   
recent baptism had cleansed and purified
 me from all fleshly lusts and from all 
such heaven-separating vanities as pride
 and ambition2 but that night witnessed 

within me such a struggle between evil  
ambition on the one hand1 and the desire
 to surrender myself completely to my   
,maker on the other1 as ,i shall never  
forget4  ,to be elder of the as yet     
little band of followers of ,brother    
,beissel1 what might it not lead to8    
,for ,i doubted not at the time but that
 the little band would eventually grow  
into a large congregation whose         
influence should be far-reaching4 ,like 
the mustard seed it might grow and      
increase until the whole world were     
living as one grand1 consecrated        
sisterhood and brotherhood4  ,some such 
splendid temptation the ,evil ,one      
dangled before my eyes during that long 
night1 but with the dawning my mind     
became clearer and the last star had    
just closed its eyes when ,i felt       
stealing over me a feeling of sureness  
that ,i would do what was right1 and    
with that ,i felt myself pervaded with a
 sense of ineffable peace4  ,when       
,brother ,beissel saw me in the morning1

 anxious for my reply1 ,i told him ,i   
must decline his offer as ,i intended to
 withdraw into the solitudes and live   
unmolested from the frailties and       
follies of the world4  ,he acquiesced   
with a cheerfulness which ,i confess    
hurt the remnant of pride in me and     
which1 ,i fear1 hath ever been          
imperfectly suppressed1 for ,i had hoped
 he would show his appreciation of me   
and what ,i was able to do by expressing
 at least some regret4 ,but that pride  
is ever the forerunner of a fall is1    
indeed1 true1 and my chagrin was not    
relieved any upon ,brother ,beissel's   
calmly announcing1 as if it had all been
 prearranged1 that he would appoint as  
teacher1 or elder1 of the congregation1 
,bro4 ,michael ,wohlforth1 whom ,i knew 
and respected for his sturdy love of our
 cause1 but who1 by reason of the       
infirmity of a harsh tongue and violent 
temper--and ,i regret to say it1 though 
in charity--was not too well fitted for 
an office that requireth a gentle       

tongue1 there being1 as human flesh is  
made up1 a limit even to ,christian     
forbearance4  ,at that time1 in ,may1   
#agce1 the ,solitary ,brethren and      
,sisters had dispersed in the wilderness
 of ,conestogas1 each for himself1 as   
hermits1 and ,i1 following that same    
way1 did set up my hermitage in         
,dulpehackin1 at the foot of a mountain1
 on a limpid stream2 and that they who  
in these days live in their large1      
comfortable houses may know what the    
hermits' homes were like1 ,i shall set  
forth how my own little hut1 or cabin1  
was built1 as a great many cabins of the
 first settlers were after the same     
pattern4  ,these be the dimensions of   
the proper model1 which ,i set down in  
all particularity1 so that if there be  
of my readers who ever take themselves  
to a life of solitude they may know how 
the true hermit should be housed1 for ,i
 know there be many that have not this  
knowledge and thus are in exceeding     
danger of running after some vulgar     

variation of the ideal model3 ,length1  
twenty-five feet2 breadth1 twenty feet2 
height under joist1 eight feet six      
inches4 ,the measurements must be no    
more1 no less4 ,the door should open    
toward the south to catch the sun1 and  
above the doorway must be a small       
overhead piece1 or porch1 six feet from 
floor to ceiling4 ,as ,i was fully six  
feet1 if not more1 my head and my pride 
received at first many a hard knock     
whenever ,i forgot that a hermit1 at    
least if he be tall1 must not walk with 
too haughty a stride4 ,for the          
foundation we1 my faithful adherents and
 myself1 took four large stones1 as flat
 and even as we could find1 about a foot
 thick1 and laid them for the corners1  
so that the floors of our huts would be 
clear from the damp ground2 but1 and    
this was not so desirable1 not only the 
smaller wild animals would creep        
underneath1 but occasionally some       
straying serpent would stick its        
repulsive head out at me and make me    

regret that a hermit's hut must needs   
offer such attractions to these         
monsters4  ,upon the stone foundations  
the ground logs were laid4 ,these were  
notched at the ends and fastened with   
hickory pins4 ,smaller logs inserted    
into these longer ones formed the floor 
joists1 though in most cases a solid log
 floor was laid4 ,the cabin was then    
raised upon the ground joists1 the logs 
being run upon skids by the help of     
wooden forks1 the corners of the logs   
being notched so as to bring them as    
close together as possible4 ,in this    
work ,i could not give much help1 for   
this notching and fitting together was  
done by experienced ones1 called the    
axe1 or cornermen4 ,the less experienced
 of us carried the logs and ran them up 
into place1 the doors and windows not   
being cut until all the logs were       
resting snug and secure in their places4
 ,but with all the care in fitting the  
logs closely1 there were cracks and     
crevices that had to be filled with a   

mixture of loam and dry grass1 so that  
the cabin might be proof against rain or
 snow and not give too draughty         
ventilation4 ,for the rafters we took   
chestnut saplings1 hewn flat on the top1
 and these were usually covered with    
shingles of flat oak1 although it       
sometimes occurred that a temporary     
thatch or sod roof had to serve until   
the oak shingles were prepared4 ,last of
 all came the fireplaces and chimneys4  
,both of these were built of loam and   
stones outside1 at one end of the cabin4
 ,thus from the simple materials that   
lay at our hands and feet--the trees1   
the stones1 and the earth--our cabins   
were built1 and though small and        
insignificant as the worldly-wise       
consider things1 were not too small to  
hold heads and hearts that thought and  
throbbed greatly for ,god and man4 ,no  
iron was used1 for as at ,ephrata1 when 
it came to be organized into a          
community1 we ever regarded iron as an  
evil metal4 ,the temple of ,solomon was 

built wholly without iron1 and according
 to the ,rosicrucians1 from whom we had 
learned much concerning the mysteries of
 the ,infinite1 we were taught that no  
dwelling or building consecrated to the 
,almighty could have iron in it1 as that
 metal was the emblem of darkness and   
destruction--nay1 of the ,evil ,one     
himself4  ,my little hut1 so securely   
built1 is still there1 as are the old   
trees in the orchard ,i planted in those
 early days4 ,sometimes in later life1  
when even the ,kloster wore upon me1 ,i 
have resorted to this sequestered spot1 
quietly and unbeknown to the others1    
there to renew my faith and strength by 
undisturbed communion with ,god1 reading
 and pondering with never lessening     
delight upon this little page out of his
 wonderful book of nature1 for it was a 
lovely nook1 an ideal retreat4 ,the     
little ,mhlbach1 clear and cold and     
sparkling and pure as the water of life1
 came dancing joyously down the dale1   
kissing many a wild flower looking at   

its mirrored sweetness as it hung over  
the bushy brink4 ,many a time have ,i   
wandered along its wooded sides1        
drinking in1 in all its fullness and    
completeness1 the solemnity1 the holy   
stillness of the long aisles of stately 
pine and heavy fir and balsam1 with     
their fragrant odors rising from this   
woodland temple like incense toward     
heaven4  ,the only sounds that broke the
 stillness were the murmurous song of   
the stream1 the chirp of insects1 and   
now and then the choiring of the        
feathered songsters of these delightful 
glades4 ,such was the incomparable spot 
selected by me1 now a recluse1 for my   
probation and retirement1 and here ,i   
fondly imagined ,i might live in        
beatific and solitary communion with    
,him2 but ,i see now that this blissful 
idleness was not to be mine2 for his    
service means more than a mere folding  
of the hands and pious meditation and   
contemplation of his beauty1 his        
goodness1 and his mercy4  ,here ,i lived

 in all the simplicity that seemed to me
 best comported with the life of a      
hermit4 ,my bodily wants1 though oft    
clamorous1 displeasing me much as       
showing how close ,i still was to earth1
 had to be content with exceeding       
little2 my little cabin sheltered me    
from storms--a hard bench to sleep on1 a
 long cloak of most humble make and     
material to form my covering2 for drink1
 the pure water from a near-by spring1  
varied sometimes by acorn coffee2 and   
for bread and meat1 a bread made from   
acorn flour4  ,there may be those who   
care to know how this acorn coffee and  
acorn bread were made1 not only by me1  
but by ,brother ,beissel and others who 
were leading lives of solitude2 and lest
 some think we were utterly daft in     
relying upon this for sustenance1 it may
 be said that it was not original with  
us2 but we were taught that from the    
earliest days of man the oak1 wherever  
it grew1 furnished him both meat and    
drink from the acorn and contained all  

that was necessary for his nourishment4 
,for making bread the acorns were first 
soaked in water1 or steamed1 to free the
 bitterness2 they were then dried and   
ground into meal which was afterward    
worked up in the usual manner4 ,this    
bread1 which we in ,german called       
,eichelbrod1 had as much sustenance as  
,pumpernickel 7a favorite bread among   
the ,german peasants71 but was wont to  
occasion more trouble for the digestion4
  ,as a substitute for coffee the       
largest and soundest acorns were        
selected1 only the thoroughly ripe ones 
being used4 ,they were then hulled and  
taken out of their cups1 cut into       
quarters and scalded with boiling water1
 after which they were drained and      
allowed to cool4 ,after being placed in 
a bake oven until they were thoroughly  
dry1 they were finally roasted and      
ground1 in which state they were ready  
for use4  ,to make acorn coffee we would
 take about a drachm of the grindings   
for every three cups of boiling water1  

which we poured over the powdered acorns
 and boiled for about ten minutes4 ,i   
must confess ,i never cared very much   
for this concoction for it lacked both  
the taste and gentle stimulation of the 
regular coffee4 ,this acorn coffee was  
accredited with wonderful medicinal and 
mystical properties and was supposed to 
drive all hereditary taint or distemper 
from the system4 ,indeed1 even now it is
 frequently given to children afflicted 
with scrofula4 ,i recollect that        
afterward in the early days of our      
community life at ,ephrata there came to
 us one ,jean ,franois ,regnier1 a      
,french-,switzer1 whom we regarded as a 
visionary1 as he claimed to have been   
awakened in his seventh year and        
professed great holiness4 ,he was the   
special apostle of the acorn diet1 not  
only claiming it to be good for food and
 as a substitute for coffee1 but he also
 made a sort of vinegar from acorns and 
an excellent sort of whiskey which we   
used only in illness1 but never as a    

drink1 for our community never permitted
 the use of strong liquors to corrupt   
the body and inflame the imagination4   
,brother ,regnier also made a sort of   
,analeptikum1 or tonic1 to be used after
 any serious illness4 ,for this purpose 
the acorns were to be buried when the   
moon was in a certain quarter1 ,i forget
 which1 until they had lost their       
bitterness1 after which they were dried1
 roasted1 and powdered and mixed with   
sugar and certain aromatic herbs4  ,for 
myself ,i never could see much in this  
acorn diet1 for ,i grieve to say that   
all my life ,i have had a most          
unpriestly appetite4 ,i fear ,i was     
never made for scanty fare4 ,be this as 
it may1 ,i know that the ,rosicrucians  
taught that the oak furnished the first 
food for mankind1 the acorn being the   
meat and the honey-dew 7,honigmth7 the  
drink4 ,the ,rosicrucians also taught   
that the rustle of the foliage of the   
oak denoted the presence of the ,deity  
and even at ,ephrata the ,zionitic      

,brethren were wont to wander in the    
forest and appeal to the oracles of the 
oak1 as the ,druids had done in ,britain
 hundreds of years before4 ,it was also 
fully believed that when the time of the
 complete restoration of brotherly love 
should come there would come with it the
 primeval simplicity1 when man's entire 
sustenance would be drawn from the oak4 
,all these things were exceedingly      
difficult for me to believe1 and ,i was 
even suspected of heresy because ,i     
could not subscribe to these extravagant
 beliefs4  ,thus housed and fed ,i hoped
 to live out my days2 but how utterly   
foolish is the boasted wisdom and       
foresight of man2 for how true it is    
that we never know what a day may bring 
forth6 ,when ,i went to my rest one     
night not many days after my retirement 
to this spot ,i had no thought but that 
here in this quiet1 peaceful retreat1   
far away from the distracting cares and 
temptations of a gain-seeking1          
pleasure-loving world1 ,i should live a 

calm1 serene life1 consecrated by daily 
communion with ,him who filled it4  ,in 
this mind1 while above the roof of my   
hut the night glowed with stars1 sown by
 my ,creator as thickly over the blue   
fields of heaven as the husbandman      
scatters his seed across his broad      
acres1 ,i sank into sweet1 refreshing1  
dreamless sleep2 and yet not wholly     
dreamless1 for it seemed to me1 far in  
the night1 ,i heard a light footstep    
near and saw a woman's form filling the 
doorway that stood open as was my habit1
 night and day1 and then ,i thought ,i  
heard a cry--the cry of a child--but    
which to my sleep-deadened ears was also
 like unto the scream of some wild      
creature of the dense mountain forest   
behind my hut2 for ,i often heard such  
cries and occasionally detected the     
stealthy footsteps of the wild beasts   
that prowled near my dwelling1 under the
 dark mantle of night2 but dream or no  
dream1 ,i heard nothing more and slept  
on undisturbed until the light of the   

dawn shining through the doorway bade me
 arise4     ,,chapter ,,iii  ,,sonnlein 
,and when the sun begins to fling       
,his flaring beams1 me1 ,goddess1 bring 
,to archd walks of twilight groves4     
,and shadows brown1 that ,sylvan loves1 
,of pine1 or monumental oak1     ,where 
the rude axe with heavd stroke     ,was 
never heard the nymphs to daunt1     ,or
 fright them from their hallowed haunt  
,there1 in close covert1 by some brook1 
,where no profaner eye may look1        
,hide me from day's garish eye4         
--,il ,penseroso4   ,the dawn was still 
blushing at the greeting of the sun     
when1 as usual1 ,i took my way with     
bowed head to an old monarch pine1 my   
altar1 to greet the day with prayer4    
,absorbed in pious meditations ,i knelt 
down2 but just as ,i was closing my     
eyes1 ,i felt something lightly strike1 
or push1 my knee4 ,still unheeding ,i   
knelt1 when a more vigorous push made me
 turn to see what venturesome creature  
had the temerity to disturb my          

adorations4 ,i shall never forget the   
bewilderment that encompassed me when ,i
 beheld beside me1 lying at the foot of 
the old pine1 the form of a child1      
almost covered with leaves and cones4   
,but this little visitant1 of earth or  
heaven1 child or cherub--,i scarce could
 believe mine own senses6 ,in truth1 ,i 
know not how long ,i knelt there1 mouth 
agape1 eyes wide open and hands         
outstretched4 ,but finally ,i recovered 
myself sufficiently to see that miracle 
or no miracle1 the being was a reality4 
,and then brushing aside the leaves ,i  
scrutinized the little foundling more   
closely2 for sleeping it was1 as sweetly
 and trustfully as if in the            
,mutterchen's arms1 instead of on the   
hard bosom of mother earth with a       
wilderness about it4 ,the little head   
with its tangled mass of dark1 silky    
hair was resting against a large1       
sheltering root that reached out from   
the base of the pine1 in a broad1 tender
 arm-like curve about the babe4         

,recently dried tears had furrowed the  
not over-clean face1 flushed with sleep1
 with grimy little water courses4 ,a    
stained and tattered white baby cloak   
afforded scanty covering for the child2 
for beneath the frayed edges extended   
the poor1 tiny1 wayworn feet1 which1    
like the chubby hands1 were torn and    
scratched with thorns1 filling my soul  
with pity1 and with indignation at the  
wretch who could thus desert an innocent
 child2 and my wrath was not diminished 
when ,i felt that hair and face and     
hands and feet were damp with dew4      
,illustration3 ,in truth ,i know not how
 long ,i knelt there4 ,page #bb4  ,and  
yet the dear stranger slept on so       
unconscious of such trifling things as  
dew and hard1 earthen cradle1 ,i could  
not find the will to awaken the little  
one4 ,instead1 ,i turned again toward   
the east and raising mine eyes to ,him  
,i implored and beseeched him1 with all 
the power ,i could put into my petition1
 to guide and direct me in the care and 

conduct of this lost1 orphaned one2 for 
somehow--,i never knew why--,i accepted 
the idea unhesitatingly that this child 
had come into my life to be a part of it
 to the end of my days4 ,my prayer      
ended1 ,i saw that my charge still      
slept4 ,i quietly sat down on a rock    
near by and watched and waited for the  
awakening4  ,how long ,i sat ,i know    
not1 motionless as to body but of a     
verity sadly puzzled in mind as to how  
the child came there and what ,i should 
do with it in my hermit life amid such  
wild surroundings4 ,from the leafy      
coverts about me came the calls and the 
chattering of the birds greeting the    
morn with such lusty will ,i was almost 
minded to join in1 but wisely refrained 
lest my heavy voice arouse the sleeper  
and mayhap drive far from me the        
cheerful songsters4 ,a saucy red        
squirrel with waving1 rearward plume    
came down the old pine1 stopping now and
 then to bark defiance at sleeper and   
watcher4 ,still nearer the red rover    

came1 his proud plume fairly quivering  
with excitement4 ,once he rushed down in
 a burst of half-hearted confidence1    
coming almost to my feet1 looking up at 
me as though challenging to mortal      
combat--and then with might and main he 
scampered back again1 his long tail     
almost brushing the face of the little  
slumberer1 as the bold tree-dweller     
rushed far up into the branches of the  
pine1 as if he never again would be so  
rash and heedless4  ,at last1 however1  
the little form at the foot of the tree 
moved uneasily and the yawnings and     
twistings showed that the awakening had 
come2 and so it had4 ,the little one sat
 up rubbing its eyes and blinking and   
winking1 when suddenly it saw me and    
then such a full-lunged cry burst forth 
as drove the red squirrel in precipitate
 flight far into the depths of the      
forest and also drove me into a state   
verging upon imbecility2 for verily ,i  
knew not what to do4 ,the more ,i tried 
to soothe the child1 the louder it      

yelled and truly my patience was tried  
most sorely4 ,but ,i have since learned 
that the cry of a healthy child1 however
 lusty1 does not last long and so after 
many rubbings of the eyes and gradually 
subsiding sobs1 and sundry sniffs1 the  
little wanderer took out of my large1   
awkward hands the pretty wild flower ,i 
had plucked1 and actually laughed as the
 big1 dark eyes looked trustfully into  
mine4  ,i asked it in ,german to tell me
 its name--where was the ,mutterchen8   
but the big eyes grew bigger still and a
 quivering of the underlip warned me ,i 
was only frightening the poor child4 ,if
 not ,german1 surely ,english1 and again
 ,i asked1 and this time in ,english1   
,what is thy name8 ,my little visitor   
looked at me gravely and then as if     
surprised that ,i should not know1      
said--a trifle crossly1 ,i thought--what
 sounded to me like ,tass4 ,tass what8  
,i insisted gently1 but he only replied 
more firmly as he rose to his feet      
holding on to my hand1 ,no ,tass ,wot1  

,tass6 ,and then as if a great thought  
had come to him he said proudly1 ,me    
gone be man some day2 me find faver4    
,very well1 ',tass1' where's            
,mutterchen--,i mean mother1 mamma8 ,but
 the mention of mamma was too much for  
the over-burdened little heart and      
flinging himself into my arms1 his tiny 
hands clasping my neck1 he cried as if  
he never would be consoled again4 ,but  
,i did the only thing ,i could do1 let  
him cry2 and ,i have since learned that 
it is an excellent thing not only for   
the tiny folk1 when troubles press      
heavily on their little souls1 but even 
for us larger children to cry it out and
 have done with it4  ,but when he was   
through crying for the time at least for
 his mamma1 another problem stared me in
 the face like some hungry beast2 for   
the poor child cried over and over with 
irritating persistence1 ,me wants sumfin
 to eat2 and me hungry2 or ,me want     
watta1 or ,me want mik4 ,the watta ,i   
readily interpreted was water1 which was

 soon supplied to him from the fresh1   
sweet product of the spring in the rear 
of my hut2 but what mik meant ,i could  
not for some time decide2 for ,i did not
 recollect that ,i had ever heard such a
 word in ,german1 or ,english1 or       
,latin1 or ,greek1 or ,hebrew1 or any   
other language4 ,at last it struck me it
 was an ,english baby word for milk4    
,but ,i hardly knew how to get him that1
 since ,i kept no cows or goats4 ,in    
short1 in my hermit's life ,i never saw 
any milk and ,i could not run the risk  
of destroying the child's stomach with  
my acorn coffee2 yet ,i did not know how
 to get him the milk1 for which he cried
 incessantly4 ,it was some distance to  
the nearest clearing where ,i could     
procure milk and it was much too far for
 him to walk1 and indeed1 rather far for
 me to carry him4 ,moreover1 ,i did not 
care as yet to introduce him to the     
simple-minded but suspicious settlers1  
for ,i knew full well what a harvest of 
insults and taunts ,i should reap from  

my enemies who had not gone out with me 
should ,i suddenly appear with this     
little boy4  ,but if ,i could not take  
him along ,i did not see how ,i could   
leave him behind4 ,however1 ,i took him 
into my hut1 and for the first time it  
seemed bare and cold and cheerless4 ,i  
ventured a small piece of a loaf of     
acorn bread on which my teeth had been  
paying penance for over a week4 ,he ate 
the hard dry crust as though it had been
 the choicest morsel and then calmly    
announced that he wanted moe4  ,merciful
 ,father1 thought ,i1 where am ,i to    
find food for this little glutton8 as ,i
 respected his request by handing him   
such a generous portion of the loaf as  
,i thought would surely keep him quiet  
for the rest of the day4  ,it was       
evident ,i must take account of his     
appetite1 and leaving him in the hut1   
closing the door behind me and fastening
 it so1 as ,i thought1 that such a small
 child could not open it1 ,i marched    
forth to the nearest settler's1 to one  

of the families that had followed me in 
my baptism by ,brother ,beissel4  ,after
 loading me up with ,swartzbrod1 a rough
 sort of rye bread1 but exceedingly     
wholesome1 and with a small crock of    
apple butter and some smoked meat of the
 pig1 besides giving me a jug of fresh  
milk1 the good sister remarked with that
 inquisitive hunger for news that is    
ever present in the lonely dwellers of  
the wilderness1 whether ,i had company1 
because ,i took so much more than usual4
  ,in my confusion1 ,i hurriedly said   
,nay1 but recollecting ,i must not lie1 
,i shouted back as ,i started off       
rapidly1 ,yea1 a little1 not much1      
leaving the good sister staring at my   
retreating form as though she greatly   
feared much piety had made me mad4  ,as 
,i approached the clearing1 burdened    
with my rich cargo--even to this day ,i 
smile when ,i think how eager and       
anxious ,i was to get back and find that
 boy safe--,i saw that the door of my   
hut was wide open4 ,i fairly gasped with

 apprehension4 ,had he been spirited    
away as mysteriously as he had come8 ,i 
rushed into the cabin letting my load   
fairly fall from me as ,i looked about  
everywhere and into the most foolish    
places for this strange child4 ,then out
 again and to the old pine where ,i had 
first found him2 but he was not there2  
back again toward the hut1 my heart in  
my throat1 ,i went1 but how joy         
possessed my soul when hearing a        
gurgling and a bubbling and a laughing  
and crowing behind me ,i turned about   
like a flash and there sat the blessed  
rogue1 his bare legs and feet swinging  
and splashing1 kicking up and down1 in  
my spring4  ,when he saw me he looked up
 with such a glad knowledge of me that  
,i forgot to scold him for his vandalism
 and catching him in my arms ,i carried 
him crowing and kicking to the hut1     
where he filled himself so full with    
milk and ment and the fresh rye bread   
that ,i was greatly alarmed immediately 
lest he might become ill from his       

gorging2 but he minded it not in the    
least and ere many hours had gone by was
 clamoring for more1 so that ,i doubted 
not the rest of my hermit life would be 
spent in making trips to the settlements
 for something to eat for this hungry   
mannikin4  ,indeed1 ,i should like to   
tell of all his bright ways and the     
wonderful things he would say all during
 the remaining summer we lived here in  
this lonely spot4 ,at first he often    
cried for mamma1 but gradually he seemed
 to forget her and greatly delighted me 
by calling me faver1 which in later     
years he changed to the more            
affectionate ,vaterchen4 ,i tried almost
 every day for a long while to get him  
to tell me his name1 but beyond assuring
 me it was ,tass1 ,i never could learn  
anything4 ,at first1 ,i called him      
,shnlein1 but soon after1 upon          
reflecting that he was ,english and not 
,german1 it seemed but just that ,i     
should make his name at least half in   
his mother tongue1 and this ,i did by   

calling him ,sonnlein1 for a precious   
little son he was to me4  ,the cloak ,i 
preserved most carefully hoping that    
some day it might help me find my boy's 
parents2 especially did ,i care to keep 
it because ,i had noticed worked on it  
in pretty red letters the initials ,c4  
,s41 but beyond this there was          
absolutely nothing about the cloak or   
any of the child's clothing in which ,i 
found him1 to tell who he was or whence 
he came2 nor did any reports come as to 
any lost child1 so that ,i was confirmed
 in my first belief that he was mine for
 the rest of my days4     ,,chapter ,,iv
  ,,we ,,leave ,,the ,,hermitage        
,in all thy ways acknowledge him1 and he
 shall direct     thy paths4            
--,bible4   ,thus our souls came closer 
and closer to each other1 day after day1
 and grew into a love that bound us     
together as one for life4 ,it seemed as 
though the father and mother love he had
 lost were all given to me2 for children
 must turn their love toward somebody or

 something1 as surely as the rivers run 
to the sea whence they come4 ,as for me1
 ,i doubt not that the love which is in 
every man1 more or less1 saint or       
sinner1 turned me so strongly toward    
this pretty little fellow1 with all his 
taking ways1 as if he had been my own   
flesh and blood4  ,in this sweet        
companionship we drank in together the  
springtime splendor all about us1 when  
the brook flashed bright as silver and  
the wooded hill in the rear of my hut   
was gay with the songs of the little    
birds1 their delicate harmonies         
frequently emphasized by the harsh      
cawing of the crows flying in a thin    
line overhead1 while from the deep      
recesses of the forest came now and then
 the long drum call of some proud       
partridge calling to himself with lordly
 air1 so ,i imagined1 his numerous      
wives1 or1 perchance1 bidding indignant 
defiance to some intruding brother      
partridge4  ,but the glory of the spring
 soon merged into the glowing beauty of 

summer1 and all too soon for me and     
,sonnlein1 who like the birds and the   
beasts were ever out of doors1 came the 
fall1 with its magnificent coloring of  
hill and woods2 but none the less the   
shortening days and the keen air were   
portentous of the dying year and the    
cold1 dreary winter that ere long would 
shut us off still more from my followers
 from whose visits ,i received such     
great comfort and delight4  ,but the    
inevitable1 inquisitive mischief makers 
also came all too frequently1 and these1
 especially they that held me as a      
heretic1 presuming on my meekness of    
temper could find no sneer or taunt or  
insult too mean not only for me but even
 for my innocent boy1 who the malicious 
ones pretended to believe was a child of
 mine and some nameless woman's4  ,had  
my persecutors known how my soul raged  
within me1 the chains of my will being  
scarce stout enough to hold my wrath1   
when they thus insulted ,sonnlein and   
spat even on him as being the devil's   

spawn1 just as they oft spat on me1 they
 had not been so bold2 for though ,i    
always have had the heart of a priest my
 ,maker saw fit to give me the strength 
and stature of a warrior1 so that it had
 been no great task for me to pick up my
 tormentors bodily and hurl them        
headlong into the brook--and at times ,i
 wondered whether ,i had not been       
justified had ,i done so4 ,but my wise  
father had early impressed on me that   
any weakling can resent injury1 while   
only a truly great nature can forgive2  
that the more we learn to forgive1 the  
more we grow like ,him who suffered     
everything and forgave all4 ,so in all  
the afflictions mine enemies heaped upon
 me1 especially through my boy1 the     
chains1 ,i rejoice to say1 always held1 
though greatly strained1 and instead of 
revenging myself ,i merely uttered an   
inward prayer for my tormentors1 and in 
the long years allotted to me--so       
wonderful is ,god's wisdom--it hath     
fallen to me more than once that they   

who treated me so vilely came to see the
 error of their ways and were glad      
thereafter to hold me in their esteem   
and friendship4 ,truly1 time and loving 
patience conquer all evil4  ,as the fall
 advanced ,i found though ,i had left   
the world1 the world had not left me1   
and the melancholy temptations which    
troubled me every day did prognosticate 
to me misery and afflictions1 so that   
,sonnlein not infrequently seeing me in 
this gloomy state would confide to his  
playmates1 the birds and flowers1 that  
,i was cross4 ,indeed1 ,i came to the   
conclusion that under the pretense of   
holiness1 ,i was doing nothing but      
nourishing my own selfishness1 and ,i   
knew full well that selfishness cometh  
only from the ,evil ,one4  ,but while ,i
 was in this state matters were shaping 
themselves for my redemption from this  
narrow1 hermit's life2 for when ,i      
withdrew from the world a number of     
brethren and sisters were living the    
solitary life dispersed in the          

wilderness of the ,canestogues2 but     
strangely enough and yet perhaps not so 
strange--for the right human heart      
leaneth toward the companionship of     
others--during the summer a camp was    
laid out for all the ,solitary at the   
very spot where now the ,kloster stands1
 and where at that time ,brother        
,beissel1 the leader of the hermits1    
among whom were the four ,eckerling     
brothers1 lived down in the meadow1 near
 a spring1 and nigh the ,cocalico1 which
 name hath its ancestry from the ,indian
 ,hoch-,hale-kung1 meaning the den of   
serpents1 for that the low lands along  
this stream were infested with water    
snakes4  ,the little camp on the        
,cocalico grew rapidly1 accessions      
coming from many directions4 ,the       
,germantown ,dunkers after the death of 
their patriarch1 ,alexander ,mack1 a    
veritable saint1 sent no less than      
seventeen members4 ,others came from    
,falkner ,swamp1 from ,oley and         
elsewhere1 so that the settlement soon  

grew into large proportions4 ,but for   
all these good people there was no cabin
 or house large enough for the holding  
of worship1 as the little hermit huts   
were barely big enough for their own    
occupants4 ,the largest building within 
the ,lager was a cabin built against the
 hillside1 wherefore this cabin was     
called the ,berghaus 7,hill-house72 but 
even this was too small to hold the love
 feasts and the meetings4  ,while       
matters were thus progressing on the    
,cocalico1 ,i was greatly surprised one 
morning1 just as day was breaking1 to   
see ,brother ,beissel coming toward my  
hut1 ,sonnlein for a wonder being still 
asleep4 ,as he saw me1 he hastened      
forward with his gentlest smile2 for    
though he could be as stern and         
forbidding as ,jove1 our brother could1 
when it pleased him1 use all the wiles  
and arts of ,mercurius2 so that1 though 
,i have ever been loth to suspect others
 of aught ill1 ,i could not help        
wondering what new thing was on foot for

 tempting me4  ,surely1 my dear brother1
 ,i marvel not that thou preferrest this
 paradise to our mean little place on   
the ,cocalico1 he said2 for he always   
affected great humility1 even though    
with all his godly zeal he was          
exceedingly proud and stubborn and often
 harsh and violent4  ,paradise it may   
be1 ,i replied quietly1 and yet every   
earthly paradise hath its serpent to    
lead the sons of ,adam into sin4  ,thou 
meanest the child8 he insinuated4  ,nay1
 not the child1 ,i repeated with        
unbecoming heat4 ,were it not for his   
dear companionship ,i had been unable   
long ago to remain apart from the world4
  ,it is verily true the hermit life    
hath its temptations and tribulations1  
remarked ,brother ,beissel1 so quietly  
,i should not have suspected anything   
had it not been he was watching my face 
closely all the while4 ,but with all my 
simplicity ,i was not such an utter     
stranger to his dissimulation that he   
could wind me about his fingers like    

wax4  ,so1 ,i merely responded1 it hath1
 verily4  ,after a few minutes1 during  
which he coughed lightly a few times and
 scratched the ground with his stick1 he
 inquired indifferently1 ,hast heard of 
our change on the ,cocalico8  ,naught   
much1 ,i replied1 also indifferently1   
being determined to make him come to the
 point1 if it took all day1 for ,i knew 
he had something at heart which in good 
time ,i should hear4  ,hast heard we    
have almost completed a large building  
where our ,brothers and ,sisters may    
worship8 he inquired4  ,i have heard so1
 ,i made answer1 still with seeming     
indifference4  ,and then he paused even 
longer than before and scratched the    
earth thoughtfully1 neither of us saying
 a word4 ,then he resumed as though     
partly speaking to himself and partly to
 me3 ,this house which we have erected  
to the glory of ,god we have called     
,kedar1 'the house of sorrowfulness'2   
after another pause1 it containeth a    
hall for the meetings and likewise still

 larger halls furnished for holding the 
love feasts4 ,there are also a number of
 ,kammers intended for the ,solitary1   
after the manner of the early ,greek    
,church4  ,ye have built wisely1 ,i     
said1 still quietly4  ,then the longest 
pause of all1 at the end of which he    
placed his hands meekly across his      
breast1 saying to me as he turned about 
to leave3 ,when thou art minded to leave
 thy hermit's life1 we shall give thee  
welcome at ,ephrata4  ,he had actually  
proceeded1 but slowly as if in deep     
thought1 almost beyond the farther      
boundary of my little orchard1 when he  
turned about gravely and came back again
 like one who had forgotten something4  
,now1 thought ,i1 shall ,i see the      
kernel of the nut he hath been cracking2
 for ,i had not stirred1 knowing he     
would return1 and as he came toward me  
he said1 watching me closely3 ,our good 
,brother ,michael ,wohlforth exhorteth  
the ,solitary with exceeding harshness  
and violence4  ,still they should heed  

him for ,i hear he is a godly man1 ,i   
replied4  ,but ,brother ,weiser and his 
followers can no longer bear ,brother   
,michael ,wohlforth's temper4  ,a little
 temper will not hurt the ,solitary4    
,but ,brother ,wohlforth hath been      
recalled as teacher1 continued ,brother 
,beissel4  ,there be many among you to  
take his place1 ,i assured him4  ,nay1  
not so many1 for upon the recalling of  
,brother ,wohlforth1 he was succeeded by
 ,brother ,emanuel ,eckerling4  ,a      
worthy man1 ,i said strongly4  ,but he  
preacheth too long2 sometimes he        
discourseth even six hours without a    
stop4  ,surely he is of most excellent  
zeal1 ,i murmured1 smiling inwardly4    
,the ,solitary incline to think six     
hours be too long even for preaching1   
said ,brother ,beissel doubtfully4  ,six
 hours' preaching doth seem of rather   
great length1 ,i admitted2 still an     
eloquent man maketh the time fly on     
swift wings4  ,but our good ,brother    
,emanuel is not eloquent4 ,before he    

hath spoken half an hour1 most of the   
,solitary be asleep1 so that this thing 
is a great disgrace to us4  ,surely the 
,brethren are not so rude and ungodly8  
,i asked innocently4  ,yea1 ,i grieve   
that he too was recalled1 and now we    
have no one that seemeth suitable4      
,thou hast forgotten thyself1 ,i        
reminded him4  ,but he felt not the     
point4 ,instead he blurted out as ,i    
liked better to hear him1 forgetting all
 his serpent's slyness--which ,i dislike
 greatly in man or woman--,we want thee1
 ,brother ,miller4 ,the ,solitary all   
want thee4 ,we must have thee4 ,i am    
enjoined not to return without thee4    
,brother ,beissel could be just as      
outspoken as he could be insinuating4   
,what sayest thou8  ,doth the invitation
 extend to the child8 said ,i pointing  
to my boy who had by this time come out 
to me and was hanging shyly to my hand1 
and looking with no great favor upon    
,brother ,beissel4  ,if needs be he come
 with thee1 the invitation extends to   

him1 he replied1 although ,i thought    
reluctantly4  ,then we come1 ,i promised
 him1 whereupon our brother turned to   
say ,good-bye1 but the strange feeling  
between ,sonnlein and ,brother ,beissel1
 for some reason or other never wholly  
left either4  ,but even though ,i had   
chosen with so little hesitation to cast
 my lot and ,sonnlein's with our        
,brothers and ,sisters at ,ephrata1 ,i  
found that my hermit's life1 with all   
its lack of companionship and           
intercourse with kindred souls was after
 all very dear to me1 so that ,i was    
almost resolved to recall my promise2   
but in my bewilderment ,i turned to ,him
 for help and guidance1 and after long  
and earnest prayer it became clear to me
 it was my duty that ,sonnlein and ,i   
join ourselves to ,brother ,beissel and 
his followers4  ,the simple preparations
 for our departure were soon made4 ,my  
hut and the little garden adjoining and 
my apple orchard were consigned to the  
care of one of my nearest adherents1 and

 in a few days after ,brother ,beissel's
 visit1 ,sonnlein and ,i1 my back loaded
 with my books1 among them a number of  
volumes on the law1 of which science ,i 
have been all my life an eager student1 
started out together sorrowfully enough 
for ,brother ,klopf's cabin1 where he   
and his household1 as well as ,conrad   
,weiser and ,hans ,michael ,miller and  
their families1 and several men and     
women were gathered waiting for me and  
,sonnlein4  ,a brief season of the      
morning was spent in praise and prayer1 
after which we solemnly proceeded on    
foot--except ,sonnlein1 who had to be   
carried much of the way on our backs--to
 ,ephrata1 and by evening we were in the
 welcoming folds of the little community
 of which ,sonnlein and ,i and most of  
the ,dulpehackin converts became an     
abiding part4     ,,chapter ,v          
,,ephrata      ,that we may lead a quiet
 and peaceful life in all godliness     
and honesty4          --,new ,testament4
   ,in this wise ,sonnlein and ,i came  

to ,ephrata1 the fruitful1 or like      
,bethlehem of ,judea1 the ,house of     
,bread1 and in this beautiful1 peaceful 
camp1 whose narrow domains embraced the 
rich1 green meadows along the northern  
banks of the gentle ,cocalico and the   
higher ground1 named by us ,mount       
,sinai1 rising from the meadows1        
,sonnlein and ,i were destined to learn1
 after the long lapse of years1 the     
mystery of his coming to me4 ,surely1   
then1 ,i may look for forgiveness if at 
times ,i delay my story to tell somewhat
 of the manner of our life with the rest
 of the ,solitary in this little        
forest-hidden corner of our large world4
  ,when our little party arrived at     
,ephrata1 we received a grave but none  
the less soul-satisfying welcome2 but as
 the ,solitary always had great regard  
for the value of time1 we new-comers1   
without waiting to be bid1 at once added
 our labors toward the completion of    
,kedar1 which though by now was under   
roof1 was unprepared for its sacred     

purposes4  ,i fear no contradiction when
 ,i state that this structure was       
different from anything then to be found
 in the ,new ,world4 ,as in the building
 of our cabins1 there was no iron       
whatever used in the construction of    
,kedar4 ,the material used was the      
timber we cut from the trees in the     
forest about us4 ,the spaces between the
 framework and the floor joists were    
filled with wet clay from the banks of  
the ,cocalico and cut grass from the    
meadow1 the sides then being coated with
 a thin layer of lime prepared from the 
rocks near by4 ,this filling was a      
peculiarity also of all our large later 
structures and had the advantage that it
 made the house warm in winter and cool 
in summer1 and what was also exceedingly
 desirable1 this filling was impervious 
to vermin4 ,incredible as it may seem1  
even our fireplaces and chimneys were   
built of wood and lined with this       
mixture4  ,in height1 ,kedar was of     
three stories1 of which the chief one   

was in the middle4 ,this contained the  
,saal1 or meeting room1 as well as the  
rooms necessary for holding the agapae1 
or love feasts4 ,the first story1 or    
ground floor1 was divided off into small
 rooms or cells called ,kammern1 for the
 ,solitary4 ,these cells were so        
exceedingly small that the ,solitary had
 barely room to turn about though there 
was but one ,solitary to each ,kammer4  
,the white walls1 in their symbolism of 
heavenly purity1 were utterly bare of   
ornament4 ,there were no paintings or   
pictures1 magnificent or otherwise2 in  
their stead the occupant of his narrow  
cell had but to look out of the only    
window1 glass and small1 and soothe his 
longing by gazing on a most glorious    
picture of rich meadow1 sparkling       
stream1 waving forests1 dim1 distant    
mountains1 and blue sky above1 all      
painted and framed for us by ,infinite  
power and love4 ,the only furniture was 
the hard1 narrow1 wooden bench that ran 
at a right angle along the length and   

the adjacent width1 and on these        
religiously uncomfortable beds1 with    
their flesh-mortifying wooden blocks for
 pillows1 the ,solitary1 after their    
daily toil1 could sleep1 unvexed by     
troublesome consciences1 with such peace
 and refreshing as many a king in all   
his idle luxury might well envy4 ,the   
only mitigation against the chilling    
winter was our daily dress and the heat 
that sometimes drifted in to us from the
 fire-place in the little hall at the   
end of the narrow corridors leading into
 the ,kammern4  ,the uppermost story of 
,kedar was given to the spiritual       
virgins who had pledged themselves to a 
communal life4 ,shortly after1 the      
ground floor was handed over to the     
strictest of the single ,brethren for a 
similar purpose1 these being ,brothers  
,wohlforth1 ,meyle1 ,just1 and ,theonis1
 while two of the ,eckerlings1 ,israel  
and ,gabriel1 as well as ,brother       
,kalckglser and ,sonnlein and myself1 as
 being the most important in the        

community1 outside of ,brother ,beissel1
 who occupied his little cabin in the   
meadow1 were quartered in the ,berghaus4
  ,even before ,kedar was wholly        
finished1 ,nachtmetten1 or night        
meetings1 were instituted by the        
,solitary4 ,these were religious        
meetings held every midnight2 for it was
 at that hour the great ,judge was      
expected to come4 ,at first they lasted 
four hours from midnight1 but as this   
allowed so little time for necessary    
rest1 two hours were held sufficient4   
,it was arranged that the ,brethren     
should hold their devotions first at    
these night meetings and after they had 
filed out of the ,saal the ,sisters     
would enter for their hour of prayer2   
but this was soon changed so that the   
midnight prayers were held jointly4     
,this arrangement soon gave rise to such
 gossip and scandal among the enemies of
 our community that ,brother ,beissel   
exhorted the ,brothers and ,sisters to  
pray earnestly that these evil-minded   

ones might still their tongues2 but     
though we prayed earnestly and in all   
faith these gossiping tongues were      
something even prayer and faith could   
not stop and so after these joint       
meetings had continued a few months our 
good ,brother ,sigmund ,landert proposed
 to ,brother ,beissel that ,kedar should
 be kept exclusively as a ,sister       
,house1 in which event ,brother ,landert
 promised he would out of the wealth    
,god had vouchsafed him1 build a house  
adjoining ,kedar1 the new structure to  
be used exclusively for assembly        
purposes1 provided1 however1 that he and
 his two daughters be received into the 
settlement4  ,though ,brother ,beissel  
objected at first1 matters so arranged  
themselves finally that through the     
generosity and devotion of ,brother     
,landert and another ,brother1 ,hermann 
,zinn1 a large edifice was constructed  
on the hillside1 the ,bethaus1 ,house of
 ,prayer4 ,besides the large ,saal for  
joint meetings and public worship there 

were ample room for the love feasts1 and
 at the time of the completion of the   
,bethaus the ,saal was the largest and  
most imposing room for public worship in
 the province4 ,at one end1 toward the  
east of the ,saal1 was a raised platform
 for the gray-bearded fathers1 while on 
either side of the length of the ,saal  
ran the ,por-kirchen1 or galleries for  
the ,solitary1 the ,brothers sitting on 
one side and the ,sisters on the other4 
,the body1 or main floor of the ,saal1  
was for the secular members1 or         
householders1 as we called them2 for be 
it known our community was not composed 
entirely of ,brothers and ,sisters      
pledged to lives of celibacy1 but in    
addition to these we had a large number 
of members from the country round about 
us1 husbands and wives and their        
children1 who believed as we did1 that  
the ,seventh ,day was the true ,lord's  
,day1 and who differed from us in belief
 in this only that they practised not   
celibacy4  ,the ,bethaus1 like ,kedar1  

was built entirely of wood1 and clay and
 grass for the filling1 the walls inside
 being made snowy white with lime1 the  
only decoration being a number of       
proverbs and sentences of ,scripture    
written in ornamental ,german           
characters1 in script1 known as         
,fracturschrift1 which became famous far
 and wide for its beauty1 and even now1 
after the passage of over half a        
century1 these proverbs and sentences   
remain on the walls of our              
meeting-houses as clear and beautiful as
 the day they were first written4  ,upon
 the completion of the ,bethaus1 the    
,brethren who had been quartered on the 
ground floor of ,kedar were again       
relegated to the cabins and henceforth  
,kedar was handed over to the           
,sisterhood1 and the ,saal upon the     
second floor now became the chapel of   
the ,order of the ,spiritual ,virgins1  
and from that time on1 while the night  
meetings of the ,sisters were held in   
the ,saal of ,kedar1 the ,brethren held 

their meetings in the ,saal of the      
,bethaus for a number of years4  ,thus1 
these buildings were the foundation for 
a more perfect communal life and in     
pursuance of which all the provisions   
were delivered to the ,sisters in their 
kitchen1 who daily prepared a supper for
 the entire settlement1 in the large    
dining hall1 the ,brothers and ,sisters 
divided from each other by a screen1    
everything being done in order and      
reverence according to the leading of   
the ,holy ,ghost4  ,about this time too 
occurred the first1 so far as ,i know1  
of those mysterious manifestations that 
for so many years were a great          
bewilderment and anxiety not so much to 
the rest of the community as to me1 for 
that with rare exceptions it chanced ,i 
must be the chief witness of the doings 
of this strange being that so long      
harassed us4  ,even before ,kedar was   
fully completed--being1 however1 far    
enough advanced for dedication to its   
glorious purposes--,brother ,beissel    

made great preparations for a general   
love feast2 and ,einlader1 or inviters1 
were sent throughout the province1      
especially among all the ,german        
,baptists and ,english ,sabbatarians1   
requesting them to participate in the   
dedicatory services4 ,as the time       
approached1 ample preparations were made
 for a great multitude2 for from all the
 reports brought unto us by our         
messengers we could not doubt but that  
there would be a great gathering in our 
humble little community to take part in 
the dedication1 and to this day--and ,i 
like not to be considered               
superstitious--,i cannot account for the
 failure of the dedication other than   
through this mysterious influence2 for  
as a matter of fact but few strangers   
presented themselves1 the only exception
 being that quite a number of ,english  
,sabbatarians from the ,french ,creek   
visited us and took an active part in   
the exercises4  ,but not only were we   
greatly depressed by the failure of the 

invited ones to come and add to the     
glory of the occasion their presence and
 their praise and prayer1 but the night 
preceding the love feast was exceedingly
 dark and cloudy4 ,moreover1 as the     
darkness grew the clouds seemed to      
gather heavier and heavier overhead1 so 
that toward midnight the gloom and      
depression were almost overpowering1 so 
much so that about an hour before       
midnight1 ,sonnlein being sound asleep1 
,i arose--so unaccountably disturbed and
 troubled ,i could not sleep--and made  
my way1 why or how ,i know not1 for ,i  
seemed almost as one walking in his     
sleep1 toward the cabin where ,brother  
,beissel was slumbering down in the     
meadow4 ,suddenly1 although ,i saw not  
his little hut1 ,i heard a howl like one
 in pain coming from the direction where
 ,i knew our brother's hut should be4   
,then another cry as in pain and a sound
 as if some one were beating another    
with great force and violence4 ,i rushed
 blindly on in the darkness stumbling   

and floundering until ere ,i knew it ,i 
had run up against what with feeling    
around ,i found to be a hut4 ,from      
within came moans and groans but the    
beating had ceased while with the       
moaning and groaning were mingled a sort
 of snarling and growling and muttering 
as of some wild beast4 ,i had just      
reached the doorway1 the door being wide
 open1 when suddenly there rushed out a 
something which as it passed struck me a
 most violent blow across the eyes      
fairly staggering me so that all ,i     
could do was to make a wild clutch at   
the beast1 or fiend1 that was now       
speeding away leaving a trail of        
snarlings and growlings and cacklings   
such as human being could scarce make4  
,recovering from the smarting blow over 
my eyes1 ,i groped my way inside only to
 hear ,brother ,beissel say feebly1 ,art
 come again1 thou ,prince of ,darkness1 
to persecute me8  ',tis not the ,prince 
of ,darkness1 brother2 whatever hath    
been here hath fled2 'tis ,brother      

,miller1 whereupon with all his bravery 
he leaned against me for support1       
seeming to find great comfort in my     
being there4  ,surely the ,evil ,one    
hath troubled me most sorely this night1
 said our leader more strongly now4     
,but ,i smell not brimstone or fire1    
brother2 dost thou8 ,i asked4  ,nay1 but
 ,i tell thee 'twas the foul fiend      
himself2 most grievously did he beat me 
with his long tail4  ,with his tail1    
brother--surely thou meanest not that8  
,i protested4  ,but ,i tell thee        
,beelzebub took his tail in his claws   
and beat me4 ,did ,i not see him in all 
the darkness1 lift his forked tail on   
high and bring it down on me2 and all   
the while he spat and snarled as though 
he were about to rend me asunder4  ,why 
didst not cross thyself8  ,the foul one 
came so sudden4 ,i verily believe he    
rose up through the floor4 ,i heard him 
not open the door and ,i sleep lightly4 
,yet thy door was open wide when ,i     
found thy hut2 and if 'twas the devil1  

he left not the way thou sayest he came2
 for devil or beast as it rushed out the
 door1 this evil thing struck me across 
the face so it still burneth4  ',twas   
the ,prince of ,evil1 still persisted   
,brother ,beissel2 full well he seeth   
how we are shaking the walls of his foul
 kingdom4 ,he thinketh to terrify us all
 by assailing me1 your leader1 and even 
in the darkness of the cabin ,i could   
see our commander straighten himself up 
as though he feared not a legion of     
devils1 and in truth1 ,brother ,beissel 
feared neither man nor devil1 and ,i    
know now that it was my brother's       
undaunted will and courage more than    
aught else that ever gave him such sway 
over my gentler1 cowardly nature4       
,knowing he was firm in his belief ,i   
cared not to dispute with him then that 
,i thought it might not be the ,evil    
,one2 but that1 perhaps1 some wild      
animal had strayed into his hut or else 
some of our enemies had taken this dark 
night for an opportunity to beat him1 it

 being well known that among the ,german
 settlers were those who were greatly   
incensed at our leader for that the     
wives of some of them had left their    
homes and joined the spiritual virgins2 
and1 indeed1 there were those who upon  
hearing of the matter the next day      
declared that no doubt our leader had   
been persecuted by some one of our      
unfriendly neighbors4 ,but most of the  
,solitary were just as firm in the      
belief which our leader unhesitatingly  
proclaimed1 that the ,prince of         
,darkness1 being greatly exercised with 
our inroads into his kingdom had sought 
our leader in person1 thinking no doubt 
to terrify him from further fighting    
against the powers of sin4 ,be that as  
it may1 while ,i at the time hardly knew
 which side to join with1 ,i myself felt
 certain in later years that our        
community in the person of ,brother     
,beissel had received the first         
manifestation of that evil influence ,i 
had such good cause to dread for so many

 years4     ,,chapter ,,vi  ,,concerning
 ,,taxation      ,e'en if a vicious man 
were like a leaky vat1     ,that wastes 
what it receives1 pour in1 for all that6
     ,if vat and man are not in too     
decrepit plight4     ,keep pouring in   
thy gifts4 ,how soon a crack soaks      
tight4          --,lessing4   ,and now1 
early in the year #agcg1 occurred a     
matter which hath been held up against  
our community as a great reproach2 for  
by reason of this thing1 which ,i shall 
set out fully1 hewing to the line1      
caring not whither the chips may fall1  
we were regarded by many who were       
ignorant of the truth1 as disturbers of 
the peace2 others accusing us of being  
misers1 while still others went so far  
in their condemnation as to hold us     
guilty of nothing less than treason4    
,the whole trouble arose out of what was
 known as the ,single ,men's ,tax1 our  
province having passed an ,act some     
twelve years prior to our first         
introduction to it1 providing that those

 single men whose estates shall not be  
rated at fifty pounds1 they shall be    
assessed after the rate of three        
shillings a head upon a tax of one penny
 per pound1 both for poor rates and city
 and county levies4  ,there were then1  
as before and ever since1 those who had 
no regard for the sanctity of religion1 
no appreciation for what religion       
preserves better than all our courts and
 justices1 namely1 the safety and       
security of the ,state4 ,for1 let it be 
known to our credit1 though we like not 
to boast of ourselves1 we on the        
,cocalico did not spend all our time in 
pious devotions and speculations upon   
the mysteries of the infinite4 ,hard    
manual labor marked much of our lives1  
and ,i glory to say that this labor was 
not for ourselves alone4 ,up to this    
time1 indeed1 works of charity had been 
our chief occupation4 ,canestogues was  
then a great wilderness1 but a          
wilderness into which many a poor       
,german settler came to cut out of the  

deep woods a little clearing for his    
grain1 and to build a log cabin he could
 call his home4 ,these poverty-stricken 
brethren from the ,vaterland often      
called upon us to assist them in        
building houses for them4 ,to these     
calls we always responded1 and for many 
a summer we were kept continually       
employed in hard carpenter's work1 so   
that by this too great consideration for
 the needs of our poor neighbors our own
 poverty was so increased that we wanted
 even things necessary for life4  ,not  
only did we build their homes and help  
them till the soil1 but we also bestowed
 such great care on our lands in the    
plowing1 sowing1 and reaping1 that we   
often were blessed with such rich       
harvests that out of our bounty we      
supplied the poor for miles around with 
grain and flour1 when their own crops1  
through inexperience1 or improvidence1  
or rust1 or drought1 had failed4        
,substantial assistance was never       
refused to such as needed it4 ,the      

,solitary1 whether sister or brother1   
always imbued with ,god's priceless gift
 of charity1 were swift of foot to all  
calls of mercy and humanity4 ,in the    
early days of our ,kloster life we would
 not employ any four-footed animals to  
do our heavy work1 thinking it          
unchristian to put on them what we      
should ourselves bear2 and thus all our 
hauling and carrying and plowing was    
done by our own hands and feet and with 
our own backs4 ,i recall full well how  
the ,brethren and the ,sisters1 instead 
of mules and oxen1 pulled the plows     
through the hard soil of our fields for 
the planting and sowing4 ,our life being
 orderly and systematic1 we had time for
 devotions1 and for work1 and for       
charity1 each receiving its due         
proportion1 but the greater proportion  
falling to works of charity and         
benevolence4 ,indeed1 this was the chief
 reason1 and not because of any foolish 
superstitions1 that the greater part of 
our devotions were held at night4  ,but 

though we lived in this primitive manner
 of the early ,christians and did all   
these works of charity1 yet there was a 
number of persons who appreciated not   
our charity1 or our stern but simple    
piety1 and the hardships of our mode of 
life4  ,such was the township constable1
 who1 hungry for his worldly fees1 was  
bent upon making the ,brethren pay this 
,single ,men's ,tax4 ,with this purpose 
the worthy dignitary1 much swollen with 
the importance of his high office1      
descended upon us one day1 as a chicken 
hawk swoops down upon some unsuspecting 
domestic fowl1 and with a loud voice and
 boisterous manner demanded that we pay 
the tax1 all the while shaking his head 
and holding his nose in the air as if he
 already scented the fees that would    
fill his rapacious pockets4  ,his       
coming1 and more his loud1 gruff manner1
 threw great consternation into our     
hitherto peaceful camp4 ,brother ,martin
 at first sight of the fat              
impressiveness of the bloated form of   

the constable1 and on hearing his loud  
voice of command1 shrank behind me and  
whispered timidly1 ,is't the king come  
for his tax8  ,king6 thou simple one6 ,i
 scowled at him1 ,king's fool1 more     
like6 for ,i did not much admire the    
overbearing airs of this unmannerly tax 
collector1 who1 like many another of his
 stripe1 evidently thought because we   
were a plain1 simple folk1 we were      
easily frightened by the show of any    
authority of the law1 especially when   
emphasized by bulk and big voice in the 
representative4 ,but our bawling officer
 soon found that while we were ever a   
law-abiding people1 not seeking to      
quarrel with any one1 yet we were not   
accustomed to hide in terror every time 
the law appeared2 so instead of rushing 
forth in great haste with our taxes in  
our hands and beseeching the collector  
to accept them and leave us in peace1   
,brother ,beissel1 unheeding the        
constable's commands to hurry up and not
 delay him1 summoned all the ,solitary  

,brethren to the ,saal to have our views
 in the matter4 ,and at once there were 
formed two opposing parties2 one1 headed
 by ,brother ,weiser--or ,brother ,enoch
 as was his cloistral name--arguing that
 it was just and right to pay unto ,csar
 his tribute as commanded by ,scripture1
 and counseling that the tax be paid and
 thus all trouble be avoided4 ,the      
contrary party1 of which ,i was the     
chosen head1 contended the assessments  
should not be paid1 because by our      
manner of life we were entitled to      
immunity from all taxation4 ,and to     
support this ,i reminded my brethren    
that in the ,eastern countries monks and
 hermits paid no taxes1 it being a      
matter of well-known history that when  
the monks and hermits collected by their
 labors every harvest so much grain as  
to supply regularly all the prisons in  
,alexandria with bread1 ,theodosius     
,magnus and other ,christian emperors   
declared all such monks and hermits free
 from taxes4 ,i could not see that we   

were in any wise inferior to the ancient
 hermits1 and if not1 it were contrary  
to custom to deny us the same immunity4 
,brother ,beissel interrupted loudly1   
forgetting his usual subtility1 ,brother
 ,jabez1 ,i doubt much whether our      
constable will feel bounden by the      
practices of the early church4  ,that ,i
 will not1 growled the constable1 who   
had been admitted to the council2 the   
,act does set forth the tax must be     
paid1 and the tax will ,i have ere ,i   
leave4  ,but the ,act doth not apply to 
us1 ,i tell thee1 or else ,i should     
counsel immediate obedience to thy      
demands1 ,i said as calmly as ,i could2 
we refuse not to pay this paltry tribute
 because we care overmuch for the little
 money we have2 but we do not think it  
right for us to pay4  ,of that ,i know  
not1 came another cavernous growl from  
the depths of the constable4 ,i know ,i 
leave not till ,i am paid the tax4      
,well1 ,i for one shall pay it not1 ,i  
cried out4 ,if our ,kloster labors were 

merely for the enrichment of our        
coffers1 then ,i should pay the tax as  
being my share of the support of the    
province4 ,but we work not for ourselves
 further than is necessary for our      
slender needs4 ,the overflow of our     
abundance hath ever gone to the poor and
 needy settlers far and wide4 ,if we    
came not to the relief of these1 then   
would the province have the burden of   
their support4 ,in all ages it hath been
 the custom and the law to grant        
immunity of taxation to the church and  
to those whose lives are spent in       
charity4 ,i say ,i shall not pay the    
tax1 for it is neither right1 nor       
custom1 nor law4  ,if thou payest not   
the taxes thou goest to jail1 for so the
 ,act declares1 bellowed the constable4 
,so be it1 ,i replied quietly1 and ,i   
fear not but ,i shall have worthy       
company4  ,thou goest not alone with    
this ungodly man1 answered me ,brother  
,elimelech--his secular name being      
,emanuel ,eckerling--as he stood bravely

 by my side4  ,i too go with thee into  
the camp of the ,philistines1 said      
,brother ,jephune1 brother to           
,elimelech1 also coming to my side4     
,another of the ,eckerlings1 ,brother   
,jotham1 stepped over to me and said    
quietly3 ,even if it be to the stocks or
 the gallows ,i go with thee4  ,and if  
,i go with thee1 ,brother ,jabez1 as ,i 
surely will1 then thou hast all the sons
 of my mother with thee1 said ,brother  
,onesimus4  ,with all these             
,eckerlings--,emanuel1 ,samuel1         
,gabriel1 and ,israel--,i fear naught1  
not even our formidable friend1 the tax 
collector1 ,i said gayly1 not at all    
disturbed by his fierce looks and scowls
 at me1 whom he regarded as the         
instigator of all this little rebellion1
 although in truth there were more than 
the ,eckerlings and myself who thought  
it not right to pay the taxes4 ,but thus
 it ever hath been1 for doth not the    
,scriptures say that out of the ten     
thousand who gathered to fight under the

 banner of ,gideon only three hundred   
were worthy to be led against the enemy8
  ,the devil take ye all for a lot of   
pious fools if ye go not with me at     
once1 thundered the constable1 choking  
with wrath1 so that ,i greatly feared   
from his purple face he might perish    
from the palsy4  ,the devil1 or his     
deputy1 may take us now if he be ready1 
,i said to him1 which but the more      
enraged him1 so that he rushed from us  
puffing and wheezing as he floundered   
across the meadow1 the very swaying of  
his broad back expressing his           
indignation at our disregard for the    
majesty of the law4  ,brother ,jabez1   
said ,brother ,enoch1 as the majesty of 
the law disappeared down the road beyond
 the meadow1 dost thou know if we pay   
not the levy we shall be arrested and   
taken to jail8  ,if the constable be a  
man of his word1 ,i doubt not thou art a
 true prophet1 ,i replied1 but thou     
knowest ,ecclesiastes sayeth there is 'a
 time of war and a time of peace4' ,it  

seemeth my duty to oppose this unjust   
tax1 and now is the time to set our     
faces firmly against the levy4 ,if we   
five must go alone1 so be it4  ,just    
then some one laid hold of mine arm1 and
 turning about ,i saw ,brother          
,martin--,martin ,brmer being his       
secular name--our tailor4 ,i asked him3 
,what hast to say1 ,brother ,martin1    
shall we pay the taxes8  ,will they hang
 us if we pay not the king's officer8 he
 asked1 still with the image of the king
 in his eye1 looking first at me and    
then at ,brother ,enoch and then at the 
four ,eckerlings4  ,that ,i do not know1
 ,i said1 after a pause4 ,brother       
,enoch1 said ,i1 turning to him1 thou   
art learned in the laws of the province4
 ,what will be done with us8  ,most     
likely ye will be imprisoned until ye   
promise to pay the taxes1 said our      
learned brother1 who afterward became   
one of the justices of our province4    
,and our good ,brother ,jabez is so     
stubborn in this1 if we pay not the     

levies1 then must we abide in jail for  
all our days1 sighed ,brother ,martin1  
for ,i know he will never make such     
promise4  ,ye tailors are ever a timid  
folk1 ,i broke in with some impatience4 
',sufficient unto the day is the evil   
thereof4'  ,and yet with all the        
differences about the taxes1 when the   
constable returned with five or six     
neighbors who liked not our ,sabbatarian
 views and who answered willingly to the
 summons to arrest the rebels and       
heretics1 as it pleased them to call us1
 ,i rejoiced exceedingly to see that not
 only the whole ,brotherhood but even   
the ,sisters were united in their       
determination to oppose the tax4 ,and so
 when the constable and his eager       
minions came rushing across the meadow  
as though they were about to storm some 
walled city1 they found us quietly      
gathered at the foot of ,mount ,sinai1  
our hands meekly folded across our      
breasts1 no one saying a word1 except   
that ,brother ,beissel1 as guardian of  

our flock1 stood somewhat in advance of 
the ,brothers and ,sisters1 with me     
close to him1 to meet the first onset of
 the doughty constable and his deputies4
  ,as they came nigh1 they paused1 and  
then came to a full stop as they saw    
this goodly array of ,brothers and      
,sisters4 ,whereupon ,brother ,beissel  
spoke up to the constable3 ',are ye come
 out as against a thief with swords and 
staves to take us8' ,ye need not come in
 such haste and violence2 our good      
neighbors1 though they seem overly      
anxious to help thee in this1 must say  
we have never done violence toward any  
one4 ,we are gathered here to go with   
thee and to have our cause heard by the 
justices4  ,this was more than our      
constable had bargained for1 for they   
were hardly prepared to convoy such a   
gathering1 and we could but smile1      
,brother ,beissel and ,i1 and even the  
,brothers and ,sisters1 to see the      
consternation that now reigned on the   
side of the constable and our officious 

neighbors4 ,drawing closely together    
they held such a lively conference1 in  
which each seemed bent on out-talking   
the others1 that it was no great        
difficulty for us to hear everything    
that passed between them4 ,the constable
 was for taking me alone1 because he    
regarded me as the ringleader2 another  
argued just as violently that our       
superintendent and ,i should be taken1  
as we were the leaders of the community 
and therefore represented them2 still   
another loudly claimed that the four    
,eckerlings and myself should be taken  
as being guilty of open treason for     
saying we would not pay the taxes2 and  
still another thought we all should go4 
,finally1 it was decided to take only   
the ,eckerlings and myself1 and as      
,brother ,martin cried out from behind  
my back that he would not pay the tax1  
he too was added to our number4 ,as soon
 as this result was achieved by our     
adversary the constable1 he stood forth 
and in a loud voice called our names and

 demanded that we stand forth1 that we  
were arrested1 and that we must go with 
him to ,lancaster to be heard before the
 justices4 ,it was with great difficulty
 that we prevailed upon ,brother        
,beissel and the remaining ,brothers and
 ,sisters that they could not accompany 
us1 for they were all determined that in
 this we must make common cause4        
,finally1 however1 ,i succeeded in      
showing them that we six represented the
 community and were willing to stand    
trial for the sake of all1 and that it  
would be the duty of the rest to remain 
at home and look after the sewing and   
the spinning and the preparing of the   
fields for the spring planting and to   
take care of the sick and poor and      
needy4  ,thus matters at last having    
been settled1 another problem stared our
 enemies in the face4 ,they demanded    
that we provide some conveyance in which
 to be taken to ,lancaster1 which was   
some thirteen miles from us4 ,to this ,i
 replied that we had none2 that we      

always traveled afoot4 ,knowing this to 
be true1 they had no more to say other  
than that they would furnish conveyances
 at their own expense1 wherein we could 
ride to ,lancaster4 ,this also we said  
we could not do because it was our      
custom never to ride but always to walk1
 with staff in hand like the early      
pilgrims4 ,when this conclusion was made
 known to the constable ,i thought1 in  
all truth1 he would now surely die in a 
fit2 for he howled and stormed and raged
 like some one possessed with a thousand
 devils2 but we merely stood quiet1     
saying not a word until the storm had   
somewhat subsided and he was            
sufficiently sensible to understand that
 if we were to go to ,lancaster it would
 be on foot and not otherwise4 ,thus we 
departed after--with some misgivings it 
is true--,i had first had a promise from
 ,brother ,beissel that he would look   
after ,sonnlein until ,i came back      
again1 the constable and his deputies in
 the lead1 and we following in single   

file1 with our staffs in hand1 quietly  
and peacefully4  ,at first our captors  
were disposed to heap on us all the     
indignities and insults they could think
 of1 pulling us by our long beards which
 they in their humor were pleased to    
liken to goats' beards1 and calling us  
he-goats1 men with women's frocks on1   
bleached fools1 ,beissel's lambs1 and   
spitting on us every now and then2 to   
all of which we raised not our hands or 
opened our mouths but followed meekly1  
as was our custom to bear all insult and
 indignity4 ,uphill and down again1     
through dale and valley1 long stretches 
of forest broken only at rare intervals 
by some little clearing with its humble 
log cabin1 we trudged along patiently   
and uncomplainingly only that the       
constable and his deputies who at first 
set out with such a high pace as though 
they intended to devour the way in a few
 steps soon found that even their spite 
and anger could not furnish endurance   
for such a pace4 ,gradually they        

slackened1 the constable1 by reason of  
his great bulk and this unaccustomed    
exercise puffing most violently and     
every now and then growling at our      
stubbornness and our pig-headedness in  
making them travel afoot and roaring and
 swearing most vile oaths that we should
 pay dear for this great contempt of the
 law4  ,indeed1 before we were more than
 half-way to our destination our        
constable1 not being built for walking1 
was suffering severely in his feet and  
limbs from these unaccustomed exertions1
 which we1 inured to such trifles1      
minded not in the least4 ,his deputies1 
who looked as lean and hungry as he     
looked prosperous1 also were in sore    
straits2 for they too found this walking
 not much to their taste4 ,it finally   
came to such a pass1 while we were yet  
some miles from ,lancaster that the     
constable announced savagely1 looking at
 us as though he would have liked to    
hang us from the branches of the nearest
 tree1 that he could not walk any       

farther4 ,a short consultation with the 
rest of the ,brethren1 and ,i stepped up
 to him sitting at the foot of a tree1  
puffing1 and mopping the sweat from his 
forehead1 and said to him respectfully  
that if he would tell us where to       
present ourselves we would go straight  
ahead and give ourselves up to the      
justices4 ,at this he glared at us1 if  
anything more savagely than ever1 and   
declared it to be a scheme to escape4   
,whereupon ,i merely replied1 ,very     
well1 we shall wait here1 then1 until   
thou art ready to proceed with us4  ,no 
doubt ye would1 he howled2 for ,i doubt 
not it gives ye great pleasure to see   
what a sorry state ye have brought me to
 by your pig-headedness4  ,perhaps thou 
canst find a conveyance if we press on1 
and thou canst ride the rest of the     
journey8 ,i suggested to him gently4    
,he was not to be soothed1 however1 for 
he merely growled3 ,i know no place     
between here and the justices' courts   
where ,i can find beast or wagon to     

carry me4  ,dost thou object if we carry
 thee there1 we and our kind neighbors  
who are helping thee8 ,i asked4  ,now   
are ye quite crazy1 for do ye see       
anything by which ye can carry me1 or do
 you intend to take me on your backs one
 at a time and thus carry me a          
laughingstock into ,lancaster8  ,if thou
 wilt wait and hear the plan we have    
formed in our minds thou wilt perhaps   
have more respect for our foolish       
brains1 ,i assured him4  ,well1 what is 
this great plan of thine8  ,sit there   
until thou seest1 and if it do not      
please thee thou needst not take it4 ,so
 saying ,i dispatched one of the leanest
 deputies who ,i thought could best     
stand the strain of walking1 back a     
short distance to a cabin we had passed 
on our way1 for a hatchet and some      
strong cord1 or ropes1 or perchance1    
nails4 ,he grumbled and growled1 but    
upon the constable's bidding him go on  
our fool's quest1 the deputy left us4   
,while he was gone1 my brethren and ,i  

made search in the forest about us for  
such timber as we could make into a     
litter and when the deputy returned1    
scornfully handing me the hatchet and   
some strong cord1 we cut down a number  
of saplings suitable to the constable's 
weight1 and with these formed a sort of 
litter on which he could sit or lie1 as 
it might please him1 while the rest of  
us carried him along4 ,he was much loth 
to trust himself to what he considered a
 frail support for his mighty frame1 but
 after showing him it was strong enough 
to hold him1 he finally stretched his   
length thereon1 sending the deputy back 
with the hatchet1 while we waited his   
return4  ,but the constable still       
doubting1 growled1 but more softly1 ,i  
thought1 ,now what good is all this     
litter2 who shall carry me8 ,my         
deputies1 who are themselves tired1     
cannot carry me all these miles to      
,lancaster4  ,nay1 replied ,i1 but we   
six ,brethren are young and strong and  
we will take hold of the poles and carry

 thee as far as we are able1 after which
 thy deputies may relieve us until we   
regain our breath and strength when we  
shall again take thee on4  ,he sat up   
and said slowly and still doubtfully3   
,do ye mean to say ye will do this for  
me8  ,that we will cheerfully1 we all   
assured him2 though thou hast not       
treated us over kindly it is not in our 
minds to remember what thou hast said   
and done4  ,you are not up to some      
trick8  ,thou hast good reason to       
believe we be men of our word1 ,i       
replied somewhat stiffly2 my brethren   
are not given to trickery4  ,the deputy 
having now returned1 my brethren and ,i 
took the first turn and hoisting to our 
shoulders the long poles extending      
beyond the framework on which our       
constable sat in royal state1 we trudged
 along quietly but cheerfully1 even     
though our burden was not a light one1  
our neighbors1 the deputies1 under the  
direction of the still distrustful      
constable1 attending to it that we      

departed not from our proper course1    
which none of us had the slightest      
intention of doing4 ,yet ,i must record 
that the human heart1 as the ,holy ,book
 sayeth in its omniscient wisdom1 is a  
deceitful thing1 even in the best of us2
 for we had not gone far with our rude  
conveyance when we came to a most foul  
and dirty pool directly in our way4     
,brother ,martin1 being so small and    
slight and by reason thereof in great   
danger of destroying the evenness of the
 litter--which of course would not have 
been well for the choleric temper of the
 constable--was placed at my corner1 in 
front of me1 so borrowing from my height
 and strength that the litter would     
carry more evenly1 and also our beloved 
little tailor be not overly taxed by the
 burden4  ,but surely the ,evil ,one    
doth ever find an easy entrance to idle 
minds1 wherefore we of the ,kloster     
always made it our rule to be busy as   
far as in us lay4 ,now in our anxiety to
 save our ,brother ,martin from undue   

labor1 we had made the mistake of       
leaving too little on his shoulders1    
wherefore instead of having his mind on 
pious things1 he was bent upon evil     
toward the constable2 for it grieves me 
to say that as we came to this filthy   
pool and were about to step over it1    
,brother ,martin turned his head about  
and gave me a sly look and made a motion
 of his body as of dropping our end of  
the lifter1 which foul deed1 had we done
 it at this juncture would most surely  
have dropped the majesty of the law into
 this slimy pool4 ,in truth1 so powerful
 is the mere suggestion of evil to our  
weak1 sinful natures that ere ,i fully  
thought what ,i was about1 ,i had       
responded by bobbing down a trifle1 but 
recalling myself in due time1           
straightened up sternly1 giving ,brother
 ,martin such a withering glance as made
 him faithful for the rest of the       
journey1 if not for the remainder of his
 days4  ,fortunately1 our constable     
never knew how near he was to a ducking1

 and as we stepped carefully over the   
pool--at which he looked with some      
apprehension--and proceeded thoughtfully
 on our way1 very seldom relieved by the
 deputies--for whom the farther we had  
come the more the heat of their         
persecuting zeal had abated--,i could   
see assurance in the constable's        
features that we were rising higher and 
higher in his regard4     ,,chapter     
,,vii  ,,the ,,right ,,prevails         
,the ,lord trieth the righteous2 but the
 wicked and him     that loveth violence
 his soul hateth4          --,bible4    
,in brief1 we traveled in this way until
 we reached the ,city of ,lancaster1    
which to us seemed all bustle and       
confusion4 ,the constable1 as became his
 dignity1 alighted from his litter and  
took the lead1 with his deputies        
following1 and we after the deputies1 in
 single file1 creating great excitement1
 especially as it was conjectured by    
some that we were ,papists--this by     
reason of our monkish cowls and long    

cloaks and abstracted air4 ,others of   
the idlers whom we passed jeered us and 
spat on us as being spies--of what1 ,i  
am certain ,i never could learn--and    
that we were to be hanged as traitors4  
,as no one had known of our coming1 the 
idlers and the busybodies were          
unprepared to give us such greeting as  
they no doubt would have relished1 and  
we were led without any great difficulty
 to the court-house where1 upon refusal 
to pay the taxes and in default of bail1
 we were committed to prison4 ,here we  
were held in a cold1 bare room which we 
minded not2 for our jailor permitted us 
to occupy it together1 which gave us    
great joy1 and we complained neither at 
the confinement nor the coarse food1 but
 the rather spent our time in praising  
,god and most of all praying for our    
persecutors1 all of us being unshaken in
 the hope that deliverance would come   
from above and that in due time our     
prison door would be opened unto us4    
,at last--and in this ,i believe our    

constable had a grateful part--when     
,tobias ,hendricks 7whose name ,i write 
here that his good deed may shine far   
out into the world71 a venerable old man
 and himself a justice of the peace1    
came forth and offered bail for us1     
though knowing none of us except by     
rumor and repute1 taking our bare word  
for our appearance in court when wanted1
 we were released from our captivity1   
and quietly and undisturbed we started  
out for our beloved ,kloster1 and upon  
the twelfth day of our departure with   
the constable and his eager deputies1 we
 six ,brethren once more filed into our 
little camp on the ,cocalico1 where we  
were greeted with all the love and      
affection that the sobriety of our lives
 permitted4  ,not many weeks thereafter1
 the ,may ,court convened in ,lancaster 
and we six ,brethren1 agreeable to our  
promise1 put in our appearance before   
the commissioners and assessors of taxes
 who1 when they saw before them these   
six gentle ,brethren1 in the bloom of   

youth1 who had raised such a warfare    
against the world1 the fear of the ,lord
 came upon our judges so that they did  
not speak to us otherwise than friendly 
and offered us every favor4  ,the first 
question put to us was1 ,will ye be     
lawful subjects of the king8 ,to which  
we replied--but in all respect--that as 
we had already pledged allegiance to    
another ,king we could therefore obey   
the earthly king only so far as his     
rights accorded with those of our       
eternal ,king4  ,to this our judges did 
not demur but asked another question1   
namely1 whether we would pay the taxes8 
,to which we replied respectfully as    
before1 but firmly1 not the head tax1   
because we acknowledged no worldly      
authority's right over our bodies1 since
 they had been redeemed from men and the
 world4 ,moreover1 we considered it     
unjust that1 as we were pledged to spend
 our lives in our present condition1 one
 of great benefit to the country about  
us1 we should be measured by the same   

standard as vagabonds and be made to pay
 the same tax as they2 that we desired  
not to be considered disobedient1       
because it was our rule to live         
peaceably with all men so far as within 
us lay1 for thus we were enjoined by the
 ,scriptures2 but that if the judges    
would consider us a spiritual family we 
would be willing to pay of our earthly  
possessions according to what was just4 
,all this was granted us and remains    
unchanged to the present day2 for the   
fear of ,god came upon the gentlemen who
 were our judges when they saw before   
them men who in the prime of their ages1
 by penitential works had been reduced  
in flesh1 so that our judges used great 
moderation and granted us our personal  
freedom under condition that we should  
be taxed as one family for our real     
estate1 the judges even asking us how   
much tax in our judgment would be just  
and fair--in short1 for us to assess our
 own rate4  ,this we refused to do1 but 
finally1 after much persuasion1 we      

suggested to the judges that a tax of   
forty shillings against our settlement  
as a whole would be fair4 ,this proving 
satisfactory to the board of judges1 we 
were discharged1 and with exceeding     
gratitude to these gentlemen for their  
benevolent treatment of us1 which was so
 different from the persecutions we     
often endured from our neighbors1 who   
were so often bounden to us for our     
charity1 we set out with light hearts   
and winged feet on our long tramp       
through forest and field for the        
,kloster4  ,it was late in the day and  
darkness had already come upon us when  
we left the city of ,lancaster1 but our 
joy made the journey seem short and by  
midnight we arrived in the settlement   
just as the night watch was in full     
session4  ,in all my long life ,i have  
never forgotten and shall never forget  
how we appeared to our ,brethren that   
night as we came to the narrow doorway  
leading into the ,saal1 ,i being in the 
lead4 ,we could hear the fervent prayers

 that were being offered for our release
 and for a moment while the ,brethren   
within were kneeling all unconscious of 
our nearness1 ,i held up my hand and    
beckoned the ,brethren behind me to wait
 a moment while we stood there silently 
gazing upon the bowed forms of the      
worshipers4  ,i have myself attended    
more than one of our midnight funerals  
of some dear ,brother or ,sister1 and   
though wonderfully impressive and       
touching to one's heart1 even they never
 touched me more deeply than this       
impressive sight before us4 ,as we      
peered into the large ,saal1 with the   
upper galleries shadowed in darkness1   
the only light the flickering tallow    
candles in front of each of our devout  
,brethren1 we saw the dark1 mysterious  
shadows in the corners of the ,saal with
 ourselves standing in such a gloom we  
were not perceived4 ,but for a few      
moments we stood thus with a great peace
 filling our hearts1 when suddenly we   
walked quietly in1 the prayer still in  

progress1 and with heads bowed and hands
 crossed upon our breasts like the      
penitents of the olden days ranged      
ourselves in front of the platform      
whereon stood our beloved brother and   
leader1 ,conrad ,beissel1 erect1        
austere2 and so far as we could judge   
from his immovable features1 wholly     
undisturbed by our unexpected arrival1  
though well we knew that this seeming   
indifference was but one of discipline  
and self-control and that the heart     
within the sturdy frame was beating     
warmly for each and every one of us4    
,the invocation in our behalf being     
ended there was for a few moments as we 
stood before our leader a silence so    
profound as to be almost painful4 ,then 
suddenly the powerful voice of ,brother 
,weiser rang throughout the hall in that
 magnificent1 soul-stirring war-hymn of 
the ,vaterland and the ,reformation1 a  
hymn as strong and rugged as the mighty 
warrior who wrote it1 ,eine ,feste ,burg
 ist ,unser ,gott4  ,the first line had 

not yet been completed when it was taken
 up by all present until the strains of 
the full-voiced battle cry sounded and  
resounded throughout the hall4 ,for the 
time our ,brethren had forgotten all the
 repressing influences of our ,kloster  
life and poured forth their flood of    
praise and thanksgiving from their very 
hearts2 for such singing had never      
before shaken the walls of the ,saal4   
,after the hymn was ended thanks were   
duly offered and the night watch closed 
with a powerful address by ,brother     
,beissel on the power of the beast upon 
earth1 and while ,i feel not at this    
late day like stating aught that might  
savor of malice or revenge1 ,i find in  
looking over our old records this note  
made with reference to our recent       
experience1 namely1 ,upon those         
neighbors1 however1 who had gloated over
 the misfortunes of the ,brethren there 
fell the terror of the ,lord so that    
they hurriedly left these regions2 and  
thus the beast received his reward4     

,after the services were over and the   
,brethren were wending their ways toward
 their ,kammers for their much-needed   
rest ,i asked our superintendent about  
,sonnlein2 for though ,i had said naught
 of him during these occurrences1 yet he
 was in my heart and in my anxiety most 
of the time4 ,i can still see and hear  
our leader1 almost shocking me by       
laughing1 a thing he was most rarely    
guilty of1 as he said1 ,thy ,sonnlein is
 safe enough in thy ,kammer1 but ,i     
assure thee not only did ,i pray and    
hope for thy deliverance for thine own  
sake and the sake of our ,kloster1 but  
,i do confess in all love for thee and  
thy boy that hadst thou not soon        
returned to take care of him ,i had     
either been compelled to give up my life
 here or give up thy boy4  ,i fear ,i   
did not even take time to thank him1 but
 hastened to my cell where ,i found my  
boy soundly sleeping4  ,it was no doubt 
thoughtless for me to waken him1 but ,i 
could not help it1 and when he did awake

 to throw his arms about my neck and    
hold me tight1 ,i felt that1 perhaps1 it
 was no great sin after all to rouse him
 from his sleep4 ,after very many       
questions as to where ,i had been and   
why the bad men had taken me1 and all   
such questions as only an eager1        
trusting child can ask1 ,i finally told 
him it was time to go to sleep1 which he
 did without any great difficulty4  ,as 
he lay there sleeping in all the sweet  
innocence of childhood and health1 ,i   
looked first at him and then out through
 the little window at the perfect beauty
 of ,god's handiwork in his heavens1 and
 then ,i went to my rest1 proud to be a 
son of him who created me in his image  
and who had put me into a world which1  
though full of dark and evil deeds1 yet 
held in it1 if we only looked aright1 so
 much of beauty and joy and peace and   
love4     ,,chapter ,,viii  ,,our       
,,first ,,loss      ,let nothing make   
thee sad or fretful1     ,or too        
regretful2         ,be still2     ,what 

,god hath ordered must be right1        
,then find in it thine own delight1     
,my will4          --,paul ,fleming4    
,the year #agch is deeply graven on my  
memory1 because it marked the first     
death among the ,solitary1 our ,brother 
,martin ,brmer4 ,secondly1 because his  
death followed so swift upon the        
appearance of that strange being1 woman1
 witch1 or devil1 who1 time and again1  
thrust herself so violently into our    
lives4  ,in the first month of the new  
year1 and on a day when the sun was     
shining clear and bright1 there being no
 snow on the ground1 ,i was on my way to
 the ,brother woods for an armful of    
firewood for the hall4 ,close upon where
 the ,brother woods merged into the     
,sister woods stood a mighty oak within 
a little clearing on the ,brothers'     
side1 a favorite haunt of the ,solitary 
for their rare moments of rest from     
their daily work4  ,i had about reached 
the clearing under the shelter of the   
wide-reaching arms of the old oak when  

suddenly1 for ,i was in my customary    
fashion of deep meditation with mine    
eyes toward the ground1 ,i walked into  
,brother ,martin1 almost overthrowing   
him1 for that our tailor was so small   
and slight4 ,however1 we gravely saluted
 each other as though naught had        
happened2 for each knew it had been a   
mere accident1 and were about to pass on
 when ,i caught sight of his face1 and  
saw from his more than usual pallid     
features and the twitching lips that he 
was suffering from some great shock4    
,never of robust health he had not been 
well lately1 and ,i thought he was      
suffering more than usual from his      
infirmity4  ,i hailed him with brotherly
 solicitude1 ,thou art not well1        
,brother ,martin6 ,i fear the ,solitary 
press upon thee too sorely for thy      
keeping of them clad as becomes their   
orders4  ,nay1 nay1 ,brother ,jabez1 he 
replied gently2 but ,i could hear the   
trembling and the fear in his voice1 ,it
 is not my labors1 which though         

toilsome1 lie pleasantly on me1 because 
,i love my work1 and those for whom ,i  
labor and strive to please seem to love 
me for what ,i do for them2 and indeed  
this was true1 for his gentle1          
unaffected devotion to us and ,him we   
served made our ,brother ,martin        
universally loved4  ,but surely1 ,i     
insisted1 thou'rt not well2 thou'rt     
disturbed and suffering1 that ,i see    
plainly4 ,i beseech thee tell me what so
 sorely weighs on thee4  ,he looked up  
at me1 his pale1 bloodless lips         
quivering1 and whispered into mine ear1 
clutching mine arm and leaning on it as 
though he needed my protection1 ,i have 
seen the ,evil ,one in woman's form1 and
 then he gasped1 ,i shall surely die4   
,nay1 nay1 my brother1 ,i replied1 as   
though laughing at his foolish fears1   
'tis true the ,evil ,one comes to us at 
times in woman's form to lure us1 as    
,solomon sayeth1 'to the gates of hell'2
 but when the fiend comes as such it is 
not in horrid1 repulsive shape1 but like

 those beautiful beings who came to     
,saint ,anthony with such artful1       
seductive enchantments that none but    
saint could say them nay4 ,surely if    
this ,evil ,one hath appeared to thee   
thou needst not look for thy immediate  
dissolution1 but mayst expect some grace
 from the fair devourer4  ,but my poor  
brother would not be comforted1 and     
merely stood shaking his head1 saying   
mournfully1 ,this was no beautiful      
enchantress2 no seductive siren1 as thou
 sayest2 'twas the foul fiend in his    
foulest1 most awful form1 long1 tangled 
hair falling every way over a face      
through which there gleamed eyes on fire
 with the hatred of hell4 ,i saw the    
eternal enmity of the ,evil ,one in     
those piercing eyes4  ,where was all    
this1 ,brother ,martin8 for ,i saw he   
could not be laughed out of his terror4 
,just beyond the oak1 he replied2 she   
was standing in a thicket covered with  
tangled vines as foul and poisonous as  
herself4 ,i had all unthinking almost   

walked into her when suddenly ,i heard a
 snarl like some ravenous beast2 ,i saw 
her horrible claws uplifted as though   
she were about to spring on me and tear 
me limb from limb4 ,i jumped back1 my   
heart almost standing still1 thinking   
naught but that my end had come4 ,she   
came no farther1 but contented herself  
with crouching there and glaring at me  
with those awful eyes of hate that      
seemed to burn into my very soul4       
,canst thou go with me where thou hast  
seen this witch or devil8 ,i said       
boldly1 although ,i had not overly much 
stomach for the venture4  ,as ,i said   
this he drew back and trembled violently
 as he cried out1 ,nay1 not even for the
 very hope of a safe hereafter would ,i 
go to that accursed place4  ,then remain
 there1 thou gentle coward1 whilst ,i   
go1 commanded ,i4  ,again he clutched me
 by the arm and cried out1 ,nay1 go not1
 ,brother ,jabez2 even if she touch thee
 not her look will blast thee like      
lightning4  ,i fear her not1 bragged ,i1

 and strode away1 leaving him shuddering
 with the terror that had not yet grown 
cold1 and with apprehensions for me4  ,i
 had no trouble in finding the thick    
bush and entangling vines ,brother      
,martin had pointed out to me4 ,as ,i   
approached its dark1 forbidding front1  
,i trembled like a leaf1 and then grew  
angry at my weakness4 ,then ,i went on1 
resolutely forcing my way into the vile 
vines that caught me all about my face  
and body and limbs so that ,i was ready 
to affirm naught human could penetrate  
such a wilderness2 but though ,i looked 
carefully for any signs that would show 
that some one or something had thrust   
itself into these exasperating vines ,i 
could find nothing1 even though ,i had  
in all these years learned much of the  
ways of the woods and its signs4  ,in   
great bewilderment ,i was about to turn 
back to chide ,brother ,martin with     
having seen nothing but a creature of   
his own imagining when ,i saw in a small
 gully at the farther boundary of the   

thicket a footprint1 small1 a woman's   
surely1 in the soft1 clayey soil4 ,had  
the imprint been that of a cloven foot  
,i could not have been more startled2   
for ,i knew that the ,sisterhood seldom1
 if ever1 came to the ,brother woods1   
and the good wives and daughters of the 
near-by settlers were too timid and     
honest to trespass on our lands4 ,much  
perturbed1 for ,i knew this thing boded 
evil to our community1 ,i walked slowly 
back to my waiting brother1 vague       
remembrances strangely flitting through 
my mind1 but making no impression at the
 time1 of how ,sonnlein had come to me1 
and the midnight beating of our ,brother
 ,beissel4  ,i found ,brother ,martin1  
still pale and fearful1 anxiously       
wanting to know what ,i had learned4    
,nothing1 ,i said1 of witch or devil1   
but the substantial print of a woman's  
foot4  ,was there no smell of brimstone8
 ,no cloven footprint8 he persisted4    
,nay1 thou simple one1 else ,i had told 
thee4 ,say thou naught of this2 for they

 who would not believe thee would only  
laugh at thee1 and if any believe what  
could that avail8  ,nothing1 dear       
,brother ,jabez1 nothing1 he said       
mournfully1 a strange1 fixed look in his
 wild eyes4 ,a woman with an evil eye   
once looked upon my little brother as he
 lay laughing in the cradle my father   
had hewn out of a log4 ,until then the  
child was strong and healthy1 never     
having been sick2 but from that day he  
wasted away1 with naught that could help
 or cure him1 and within a month we laid
 him down in his little resting-place in
 the orchard nigh our cabin4 ,they whom 
the evil eye look upon live not long4   
,and then1 as one who goes forth to     
certain death1 he looked up at me       
smiling bravely through all his fears   
and said1 ,if my time hath come1 let it 
come quickly1 ,his servant waiteth4  ,i 
found it impossible to free him from    
this melancholy mood1 and so we walked  
back slowly and sadly to our ,kammers1  
saying nothing more4  ,a week passed1   

,brother ,martin quietly1 with          
resignation1 doing his lowly duties each
 day2 but we all could see he was in    
failing health4 ,only he and ,i knew1   
however1 that the tortures of mind he   
was enduring far outweighed the lesser  
pains of the flesh2 for ,i hesitate not 
to say of saint as well as sinner1 that 
until death be actually at hand1 they   
fear alike the inevitable end4  ,on a   
,friday night1 just a week from the     
,friday our brother had seen this thing1
 the midnight services being over1 and  
the ,brethren and ,sisters having       
returned to their ,kammers to rest their
 weary heads on their hard wooden       
blocks1 we were startled by the ringing 
of the ,kloster bell4 ,clear and loud it
 pealed through the cold quietness of   
the night4 ,like a flash1 though ,i had 
not thought of it before1 ,i cried out  
to ,brother ,obed1 who had the adjoining
 cell1 ',tis ,brother ,martin1 though   
not more than a half-hour had expired   
since we had returned1 he with us1 from 

our midnight devotions4  ,suddenly the  
pealing notes ceased1 and then came the 
slow1 solemn tolling of the bell1 a     
custom followed ever after on the death 
of any of our number1 until forty-eight 
were measured out1 which ,i knew was    
about our brother's age4 ,his cell was  
on the floor below1 where ,i hastened as
 soon as the last year of his life had  
been tolled4 ,a number of the ,brethren1
 with bowed heads1 stood sadly in the   
narrow ,kammer1 in the still narrower   
doorway and corridor4 ,i had been       
filled1 ere ,i saw him1 with a dread    
that his death agony might have had its 
terrors increased a thousand-fold by the
 awful memory of the witch2 for ,i knew 
he had never forgotten it4 ,but when ,i 
looked down on the slight form and      
peaceful face resting on the hard bench 
and still more mortifying pillow1 ,i saw
 no trace of any overpowering1          
death-dealing vision4 ,instead1 his     
face1 though greatly wasted and altered1
 was as composed as though he had merely

 fallen asleep in the arms of his       
beloved4 ,the little window looking out 
from his ,kammer1 as soon as the last   
spark of life had died out1 had been    
opened so that his soul could take its  
flight unhindered and unmolested to that
 place of pure delights where the wicked
 cease from troubling and the weary are 
at rest4  ,at the funeral1 which was the
 following midnight1 as we carried the  
body out of the ,berghaus a bucket of   
water was poured upon the sill and swept
 up1 and the door immediately closed so 
that his spirit could not return again  
to its earthly home1 and to make further
 assurance against such a return three  
crosses were marked upon the door jamb  
with red earth4  ,we buried him who had 
thus passed away in the prime of his    
life1 down in the meadow nigh to where  
in later years we built our ,brother    
house4 ,it was a dark1 stormy night1 no 
moon and no stars to lighten up the     
gloom of the sky or the still deeper    
darkness in our hearts2 but with our    

fagot torchlights sputtering fitfully1  
almost blown out by the wind at times1  
we laid him to rest at the midnight hour
 with all the honors and rites and      
ceremonies of our holy order4  ,thus1 on
 this weird1 stormy night1 in such      
contrast to the peace and gentleness of 
this earnest1 zealous warrior of the    
faith who for almost nine years had     
abided with us1 we left in the meadow   
his mortal remains1 but took back with  
us the remembrance of his godly services
 and his truth and fidelity unto his    
profession and brotherhood during his   
short life4     ,,chapter ,,ix  ,a      
,,love ,,feast      ,but when a lady    
chaste and fair1     ,noble1 and clad in
 rich attire1     ,walks through the    
throng with gracious air1     ,as sun   
that bids the stars retire--     ,then  
where are all thy boastings1 ,may8      
,what hast thou beautiful and gay       
,compared with that supreme delight8    
,we leave thy loveliest flowers and     
watch that lady     bright4             

--,song of ,walter ,von der ,vogelweide4
   ,it accords not well with my ideas of
 humility and self-effacement that ,i   
should ever be writing of myself1 and   
yet it seemeth not possible to tell this
 tale without bringing into it much that
 befell me in connection with those who 
were so dear to me1 and of whose lives  
it is my pleasure and pain to relate4   
,and of those who were so precious to me
 there were none so dear to me as my    
,sister ,bernice1 not even ,sonnlein2   
for however beloved he was of me he was 
none the less of my sex1 while my dear  
sister was of that sex which a true man1
 so it appeareth to me1 can no more help
 holding with a more or less tender     
feeling than he can help breathing4  ,i 
know this will seem unto many as        
foolishness1 especially as ,i--like my  
,brother ,beissel1 who had published his
 ,ehebchlein1 or ,booklet on ,matrimony1
 denouncing marriage as the penitentiary
 of carnal man--have ever been an       
advocate of the beauty and superiority  

of the virgin life2 but in my reading of
 history ,i have noted how more than one
 man much stronger than ,i1 changed     
utterly his beliefs and principles for  
the love of some daughter of ,eve4  ,it 
is not that ,i have never been greatly  
attracted by the charms of my sisters1  
whom we in ,ephrata regarded not so much
 opposite as complementary to our own1  
man's nature4 ,i loved my mother dearly2
 her love hath been as a sweet fragrance
 to me in all my long life1 and in many 
a trial and temptation have ,i felt her 
presence near1 strengthening and        
upholding me in the right4 ,and however 
cold and indifferent ,i may have borne  
myself outwardly to the gentler ones1   
still ,i never could speak otherwise    
than tenderly1 and even reverently to   
them1 as it seemed to me their pure1    
finer natures deserved2 so that it hath 
ever grieved me to hear any one belittle
 a woman4  ,i shall never forget the    
first time ,i saw the slight1 delicate  
form and sweet face of ,sister ,bernice4

 ,it was at one of our love feasts      
7,liebesmahl71 which with us was not    
like among the other denominations1     
merely symbolic1 but was patterned after
 that of the early ,christians2 for we  
took a regular meal--and not merely a   
wafer or cake--in utter silence before  
communion1 the love feast being an      
introduction to the more solemn part of 
the evening's service4  ,i remember full
 well how the ,brethren were sitting on 
one side of the long table in ,kedar1   
with heads uncovered1 the ,sisters on   
the other side not with their enveloping
 bonnets1 but bedecked with the pretty  
prayer covering1 which they always      
seemed glad to wear1 which was a neat   
lace cap with strings beneath the chin4 
,after the reading of the ,scriptures ,i
 raised my head1 and then for the first 
time in my life saw the ,sister opposite
 me--,bernice4 ,i do not think she saw  
me or in any way observed me1 for she   
seemed rapt in ecstatic adoration1 her  
eyes turned upward and her lips slightly

 parted1 as if she already saw and heard
 the glories of that heavenly home she  
was to visit ere many years passed over 
her fair head4  ,i shall never forget   
that look1 that face1 nearer an angel's 
than any ,i have ever seen4 ,an         
unaccountable pity swept over me1 and   
that pity ,i fear was the beginning of  
another feeling ,i dared not own4 ,but  
my dangerous thoughts were soon         
interrupted by the preparations for the 
pedelavium1 or feet-washing4 ,small tubs
 of tepid water were brought into the   
,saal4 ,the ,elder washed the feet of   
the ,brethren and the eldest ,sister    
performed the same humble service for   
the ,sisters1 each ,brother and ,sister 
after the feet were dried receiving from
 him or her who washed the feet1 a shake
 of the hands and the kiss of love and  
charity4 ,a wicked wish came into my    
heart1 grieving me days after for my    
perverse1 unspiritual longing1 that ,i  
might take the place of the eldest      
,sister1 for ,i could willingly suffer  

the kisses of all the other ,sisters for
 merely one touch of the lips of that   
young angel opposite me4  ,fortunately1 
the ,brothers and ,sisters were so busy 
in their devotions1 no one noticed      
whether or not my face reflected my     
guilty longings1 for ,i was so absorbed 
in them that when the ,elder came to me1
 instead of my feet ,i thrust my hands  
down into the tub1 and was about to     
place them on the ,elder's towel1 when  
he1 unobserved by the rest1 gave me a   
little nudge and said in a low voice but
 sternly1 ,art crazy1 brother8 knowest  
not thy hands from thy feet8  ,i gazed  
at my hands for a moment1 and then as ,i
 realized my folly1 ,i dropped my feet  
into the tub with such a splash that    
,brother ,lamech who was seated next    
awaiting his turn1 being utterly        
swallowed up in worship and forgetting  
whether or not his feet had been washed1
 hastily stuck them out past me into the
 ,elder's lap just as ,i was placing    
mine own feet there4 ,for a moment the  

,elder looked at us both in such solemn1
 puzzled disgust1 that in spite of my   
natural gravity ,i almost laughed       
outright1 which would have been most    
sacrilegious4 ,happily1 our ,elder was a
 quickwitted man1 and drying our        
intermingled feet as best he could1 he  
passed quietly to the rest who had not  
seen the little complexity down the     
line4  ,the feet-washing being          
completed1 and we all having resumed the
 covering of our feet1 we turned around 
on our benches toward the table1 the    
,brothers and ,sisters again facing each
 other4 ,then came the evening meal1    
which with us consisted of lamb soup as 
the chief dish1 while bread and         
apple-butter were served to the         
strangers and visitors gathered in the  
hall4 ,brother ,beissel having breathed 
a fervent blessing on the meal we turned
 to it in absolute silence4 ,and yet not
 in utter silence1 for if ever heart    
spake to heart ,i know mine was         
clamoring most violently1 and ,i verily 

believe hers was too1 for now and then1 
not slyly nor shamefacedly1 the sweet   
face opposite me would look up and the  
tenderest shadow of a smile would be    
wafted to me4 ,i know little of these   
things1 but ,i believe our hearts turned
 each toward the other without the power
 to stay them1 just as certain as       
flowers turn toward the light and warmth
 of the sun4 ,those gentle smiles1 as   
innocent and guileless as a child's1    
filled me with a happiness1 an ecstatic 
bliss ,i had never felt at any other    
love feast4 ,it was1 ah me1 truly a     
feast of love4  ,i suppose we had sat   
there forever in perfect happiness and  
content1 had not the evening services   
interrupted our foolish bliss4 ,i shall 
not describe what followed of the       
service1 for they were similar to the   
love feasts that are still observed by  
our little congregation2 the giving of  
thanks at the end of the meal1 the holy 
kiss1 when ,brother kissed ,brother and 
,sister kissed ,sister4 ,but if ever the

 kisses of my ,brethren seemed stale and
 unprofitable--may ,i be forgiven for   
saying this--'twas then1 when there was 
so near in being but so far in          
possibility1 a kiss from my dear young  
sister4  ,alas1 what a garrulous old    
fool ,i am to be writing of such things 
at my age4 ,but ,i cannot help it1 for  
if ever ,i had a true idea of what      
heaven's bliss would be like it was that
 night4 ,if such transcendent joy could 
come from sweet flesh and blood on      
earth1 though in angelic shape1 what joy
 must it be to wander forever the       
boundless realms of heaven enraptured   
with the love of the celestial virgin4  
,that night as ,i lay down on my hard   
bench in my ,kammer1 ,i felt for the    
first time as though it were too small  
to hold all the joy of human love and   
the pain of a conscience guilty of      
treason to its celestial virgin4 ,what  
little sleep visited mine eyes that     
night brought visions of the dear sister
 in the form of our spiritual ,eve1 and 

when morning came ,i was so miserably   
happy1 if ,i may so say1 between the two
 loves ,i hardly knew what to do4 ,nor  
was ,i helped much during the day when  
,i overheard our ,elder remark to       
,brother ,joseph that he had never seen 
such beautiful1 soul-absorbing          
observance of a love feast as that shown
 by ,brother ,jabez and ,brother ,lamech
 the night before4  ,this was more than 
,i could bear1 and ,i laughed so        
heartily that ,sister ,maria1 who       
afterward became the spiritual leader of
 the ,sisterhood1 suddenly coming upon  
me held up her hands in pious horror at 
such unspeakable levity4 ,i did many a  
penance that week before ,i felt myself 
absolved from my impious frivolity4 ,i  
have often thought since then how many a
 time we are praised when we deserve    
blame and blamed when we merit praise2  
and indeed it hath been a rule of my    
life never to be unduly elated by       
praise1 or on the other hand            
unnecessarily depressed by censure4 ,i  

have always set one against the other1  
and in this manner have contrived with  
my weak1 erring temper to preserve a    
fair show of equanimity and serenity4   
,but ,i was resolved that ,i1 ,brother  
,jabez1 the associate superintendent of 
the community1 would not give way to    
this midsummer madness1 and so far as ,i
 could see1 ,sister ,bernice was of the 
same mind4 ,i saw but little of her1 and
 when we did come nigh each other1 which
 was seldom1 her averted gaze told me   
she too was struggling against our      
sinful love4 ,and so day after day      
passed around1 filled with its various  
duties1 neither ,sister ,bernice nor    
myself giving any sign1 so far as either
 of us was aware1 of our poor1 forbidden
 love1 though often in the long after   
years ,i wondered whether all our       
self-denial of this sweet1 human love   
was not a greater sacrifice than ,he    
required of us4     ,,chapter ,x  ,,the 
,,brotherhood ,,of ,,zion      ,lo1 this
 only have ,i found1 that ,god hath made

 man     upright2 but they have sought  
out many inventions4          --,bible4 
,this poor love for my ,sister ,bernice 
was not the only thing that troubled me 
about this time1 which was in the same  
year that ,brother ,brmer passed away4  
,it was during this very year of #agch  
there occurred one of the most important
 events in the history of our community1
 and this was the formation of the      
,zionitic ,brotherhood by the           
,eckerlings and their deluded followers1
 and the erection of a large building   
for the use of their mystical society4  
,while ,brother ,beissel and ,brother   
,wohlforth and myself and our followers 
rejoiced to see that from all parts of  
our province and the adjacent provinces 
men and women and their children flocked
 to us and became part of our           
community--so that our secular          
congregation was now the largest        
,sabbatarian settlement in the          
colonies--yet our hearts were oft       
weighed down with apprehensions as to   

the outcome of the doings of these      
,eckerlings1 to whose foolish and       
ambitious schemes there seemed no end4  
,these ,eckerling brothers were the     
strangest mixture of worldly wisdom1 on 
the one hand1 and the most perverse and 
ridiculous religious beliefs1 on the    
other1 ,i verily believe1 ,i have ever  
seen4 ,while we taught and enjoined the 
purity and simplicity of the mode of    
life of the early ,christians1 the      
,eckerlings must continually be running 
after strange gods1 so that at this time
 and for many years thereafter we were  
in great danger of total disruption2 for
 experience clearly showeth the         
,scriptures say truly1 a house divided  
against itself must fall4  ,thus by our 
increased membership and by the scheming
 of our ,eckerlings it came about that  
the ,solitary ,brethren clamored for a  
building similar to the ,sisters' house1
 ,kedar1 and while for a time the       
project was kept in abeyance by lack of 
money1 which commodity was never        

dangerously plenty with us1 yet finally1
 ,brother ,benedict 7and ,i say this to 
his praise71 a young ,swiss from        
,kilcheryturnen1 a scion of a rich      
family of ,berne1 who had joined our    
community1 came forward with the        
necessary funds4 ,whereupon it came to  
pass notwithstanding our opposition1 so 
,i find it in our ,chronicon1 that1     
,inflamed by the love of ,god1 he       
resolved to devote his fortune to the   
erection of a convent2 which was        
accepted as coming by divine direction1 
and his proposition granted4 ,there was 
in the settlement a pleasant elevation  
from which one had a beautiful view of  
the fertile valley and the mountains    
lying opposite4 ,of this height the     
,brethren in the hill house at that time
 held possession4 ,when now it came to  
the selection of a site1 the most held  
that the valley along the ,cocalico     
creek was the most desirable on account 
of the water4 ,the superintendent1      
however1 went up the hill until he came 

within the limits of the property of the
 hill house1 and there was the site     
chosen4 ,by this the spirit of wonders  
indicated at the very beginning that the
 ,brotherhood would at first build its  
structure on the heights of reason and  
thus soar aloft until at length by a    
great storm they would be cast down into
 the valley2 all of which was afterwards
 fulfilled in the minutest detail4  ,the
 site for the new chapter-house having  
been settled1 the eager ,eckerlings1    
like children hastening toward a new    
toy1 could stand no delay4 ,the         
,brethren must be pressed into immediate
 service1 and every one joining in the  
work as though this heathenish temple   
were unanimously desired1 in a          
wonderfully short time we had cut and   
framed the timbers1 and a day was fixed 
in the month of ,may when the building  
was to be raised with much ritual and   
ceremony4  ,in those days when home or  
barn or mill was to be built the raising
 7by which we meant the putting into    

place the large1 heavy timbers for the  
framework7 was made the occasion of a   
great gathering4 ,from miles around1 the
 sturdy1 broad-shouldered farmers and   
their deep-bosomed and hardly less      
broad-shouldered wives1 and even the    
children1 would come trooping along to  
take part in the raising1 the men       
attending to the heavier work of the    
building while the women folk took care 
of the more delicate labor of the       
cooking1 and when we had our raising    
there was such a swarming from far and  
wide that the ,sisterhood1 aided by the 
visiting wives and daughters1 were      
driven to make such mighty preparations 
for the hungry workmen we sometimes     
wondered where all the food was to come 
from2 but our kind helpers1 knowing the 
rigorous state of our larder and        
relishing not overmuch our thin and     
ghostly fare1 brought along such a rich 
store of meats and jellies and preserves
 as threatened to ruin forever the      
stomachs of the ,solitary4 ,i grieve1   

moreover1 to say that on this occasion  
many a ,brother--,i among them--and even
 ,sister1 did in the hilarity and good  
cheer vary so much from our usual       
temperance as to suffer in body and mind
 for some days after our well-meaning   
friends had left us4  ,not the least of 
the joyousness of this raising was that 
in the evening when we were gathered1   
tired and hungry as wolves1 about the   
long1 wooden tables in ,kedar1 ,sister  
,bernice and ,i in those few days saw   
more of each other than in all the      
months since that blissful love feast4  
,it hath often puzzled me1 even now ,i  
know not the explanation1 that it       
happened every meal-time ,sister        
,bernice waited on me2 for the ,sisters 
and the wives insisting the men must be 
fed first1 knowing no doubt our fretful 
natures when hungry1 gave zest to the   
meals by adding their womanly presence  
in the serving of the food4 ,so1 as ,i  
have said1 it chanced that ,sister      
,bernice waited on me1 and whether or   

not the others observed the foolishness 
of our sweet love1 ,i only know that    
when1 most unaccountably1 in handing me 
the meats1 and the bread and the like1  
her hands would touch me1 ,i came more  
than once so near grasping those        
wonderful little1 soft things in mine1  
that most of the meal-time ,i was       
distressed lest ,i do some utterly      
foolish thing that would make my dear   
sister and me the laughingstock of every
 one present1 and this ,i determined    
must not be1 at least for her sake4     
,once1 though1 when the ,evil ,one      
prompted me no one was looking1 and ,i  
pinched gently the dear hand that for a 
moment rested lightly on the table1 just
 by my arm1 whereat she smiled at me    
with such well-nigh irresistible        
sweetness it seemed now ,i must simply  
take her in mine arms and say to all1   
,this is my ,sister ,bernice2 ,i am her 
,brother ,jabez4 ,we love each other    
better than life2 but some remnant of   
common sense and my ever-present        

cowardice in all matters pertaining to  
love saved us both from any noticeable  
outbreak of our sweet delirium4 ,ah1 me6
 ,ah1 me6  ,but if there was great      
hilarity and good cheer after the labor 
of the day when the appetites of all did
 full justice to the food that came out 
of the ,sisters' kitchen1 even this was 
nothing compared with the bustle and    
noise and hurrying to and fro that      
attended the raising of the timbers into
 their place2 for even the heaviest     
pieces had to be placed by sheer        
physical strength1 the broad-shouldered1
 iron-muscled giants puffing and        
straining at their tasks2 it seemed to  
me as though ,hercules and ,atlas had   
come to earth again1 in the forms of    
these powerful farmers and woodsmen4 ,as
 was to be expected1 great rivalry1     
though in the best of humor1 existed    
between these giants as to which could  
put up the heaviest timbers and the most
 speedily1 and sometimes1 though more in
 fun than for the value of the thing1   

wagers were laid as to who should prove 
the stronger4 ,where there is such a    
spirit work goes on rapidly1 and in a   
very few days the large posts and the   
beams and joists were all up and our    
kind helpers ready to leave us to       
complete the lighter but more tedious   
portion of the task4 ,fortunately we had
 among us ,brethren who were skilled    
carpenters1 so that by fall the building
 was ready for actual occupation1 though
 it was not finished until five years   
later4  ,this building was erected on a 
hill1 called by the ,brethren ,mount    
,sinai1 within the bounds of the ,lager1
 while the structure itself was called  
,zion4 ,it was three stories in height4 
,the lower floor consisted of one large 
room1 known as the refectory1 connected 
with which were three small chambers1   
,kabinettchen4 ,of these1 two served as 
pantries for storing the provisions and 
necessaries for the forty days'         
seclusion which1 according to the       
beliefs of our ,eckerlings1 were        

necessary in connection with certain    
rites to attain perfection4 ,the        
remaining chamber consisted of          
receptacles for the paraphernalia used  
by the ,eckerlings in their ceremonies4 
,the second floor of ,zion was a        
circular chamber without any window or  
means of admitting light from the       
outside4 ,in the center on a pedestal   
was placed a lamp which was kept burning
 continually during the forty days'     
rite4  ,thirteen cots or pallets        
radiated from the pedestal like the     
spokes of a wheel4 ,this chamber was    
known as ,ararat1 meaning thereby the   
heavenly rest the ,almighty had         
vouchsafed exclusively to his chosen    
people1 just as the ark of ,noah had    
settled down on the mount of that name1 
there to rest forever4  ,the third or   
upper story of ,zion was the mystical   
chamber1 where the arcana of the rite   
were unfolded to the ,secluded4 ,this   
room was entirely plain and measured    
exactly eighteen feet square1 having a  

small oval window in each side1 opening 
to the four cardinal points of the      
compass4 ,the only access to this       
chamber was through a trapdoor in the   
floor1 and it was in this chamber that  
the ceremonies and rites were performed 
by the thirteen ,brethren who were      
striving for their moral and physical   
regeneration and seeking communication  
with the spirit world4  ,zion was no    
sooner advanced sufficiently for        
occupation than the necessary provisions
 and paraphernalia were obtained and    
preparations were made by thirteen of   
our ,brethren to undergo the ordeal1    
which1 like the other rites and         
ceremonies taught by the ,eckerlings1   
were nothing more than what was known as
 the strict observance1 or the ,egyptian
 cult of mystic ,freemasonry4  ,at the  
conclusion of certain religious         
services1 among which was the repeating 
in concert of the fortieth ,psalm1 a    
procession was formed and thirteen elect
 of the ,brethren were escorted up the  

hill to the doors of the building1      
which1 as soon as the adepts had        
entered1 were securely locked to prevent
 any intrusion or interruption during   
the forty days' retirement from the     
outside world4  ,i had been greatly     
surprised to see that of the thirteen   
selected for the ordeal1 ,gabriel       
,eckerling1 or ,brother ,jotham1 had    
been chosen prior instead of the eldest 
of the ,eckerling brothers1 ,israel1 or 
,brother ,onesimus4  ,as the doors      
closed upon the last of the misguided   
thirteen1 ,i turned to ,brother ,beissel
 and said1 ,why hath not ,brother       
,onesimus been chosen prior8 for it was 
well known to all of us that the eldest 
of the ,eckerlings was the real leader  
in all these schemes4  ,brother ,beissel
 looked at me quietly for a moment and  
then said so low only ,i and ,brother   
,wohlforth1 who was standing near1 could
 hear3 ,it meaneth naught other than    
that ,beelzebub hath some deep plan laid
 for our undoing4 ,what sayest thou1    

,brother ,wohlforth8  ,i know not what  
it meaneth1 but ,i feel sure it         
portendeth some evil1 for our ,brother  
,onesimus would not relinquish the honor
 of being prior if it were not that he  
hath somewhat else to attend to to      
complete his plans while our thirteen   
idolaters are practising their          
abominations4  ,perchance1 ,i suggested1
 our ,brother ,onesimus thinketh it     
necessary to keep watch over us while   
the others are shut up in ,zion for     
their forty days' regeneration4  ,i     
doubt not thou art right1 said our      
leader1 and ,brother ,wohlforth also    
seemed to think that ,brother ,onesimus 
did not deem it wise to incarcerate     
himself for forty days and leave us     
unwatched by him for that time2 but his 
own slyness in time proved his          
overthrow4  ,i have not space here to   
set forth in detail all the practices of
 our thirteen neophytes1 which at this  
time were known only to the ,eckerlings 
and their followers1 being1 as ,i said1 

a sort of ,freemasonry1 but in later    
years ,i learned from ,sonnlein a great 
deal concerning this ordeal and it may  
be that1 later1 ,i shall have somewhat  
to say of it4  ,i do know this1 however1
 that at the end of the forty days the  
thirteen emerged1 claiming they had     
successfully completed the ordeal1 with 
physical bodies as clean and pure as    
though new-born1 their spirits filled   
with divine light1 visions without      
limit1 mental power sunbounded1 and no  
other ambition than to enjoy a state of 
complete rest and peace while waiting   
for immortality1 so that each could say 
at the end1 ,i am that ,i am4 ,so far as
 ,i could see1 and ,i say this not in   
levity or prejudice but as being        
absolutely true1 all the change ,i could
 see beyond their looking even thinner  
and paler than before1 each of the      
regenerated could say more truly instead
 of1 ,i am that ,i am1 ,i am what ,i was
 before ,i entered4 ,i could not see in 
all my later life that physically or    

mentally or religiously these adepts    
were any different or better than the   
rest of us1 but seemed subject to the   
same weakness and infirmities as the    
unregenerated1 only that the silly      
thirteen did ever after by their        
aversion for labor show they really     
believed they had attained a state of   
complete rest4  ,all of which goes to   
show that in every community error is   
bound to come and that there are ever   
those who1 not content with serving ,god
 in the simple manner he hath set forth 
in the ,scriptures1 must devise all     
sorts of foolish and even difficult     
modes of living the ,almighty doth not  
ask for and which1 ,i doubt1 not do not 
please him4  ,however1 while our        
,vorsteher1 or superintendent1 and      
,brother ,wohlforth and myself were not 
in accord with the ,eckerlings and their
 followers in establishing the ,zionitic
 ,brotherhood1 who were ever looked upon
 with awe and veneration by the secular 
members1 we did all in our power to live

 peaceably with them1 ,brother ,beissel 
even bringing out a hymn book1 known as 
the ,weyrauch's ,hgel 7,incense ,hill71 
for the use of the ,brotherhood as well 
as for general circulation among the    
,germans in the province4  ,according to
 the ritual of the ,eckerlings1         
,weyrauch meant nothing more than       
,gebet1 or prayer4 ,it was taught that  
the gum1 made after a mystical formula  
and kept exclusively for religious uses1
 when ignited during supplication or    
prayer became corporeal and was wafted  
in fragrant clouds to heaven4 ,hgel1 or 
hillock1 also denotes an object held in 
special veneration1 as the rising sun   
first gilds the hilltops in the east1   
and it is well known that from time     
immemorial hills have always been       
designated as holy ground and were the  
chosen places for offering sacrifices1  
so that the title of the hymn book meant
 to the adepts more than a mere hill of 
incense4 ,it typified the book as a     
volume of prayer which1 if properly used

 would1 like the visible flames of the  
burning incense1 go direct to the throne
 of grace4  ,but this peace offering1   
besides containing a few old1 popular   
,german hymns1 being chiefly made up of 
hymns composed by ,brother ,beissel and 
the rest of the ,solitary1 like so many 
other peace offerings failed to effect  
its purpose4 ,not only did the          
,eckerlings grow more and more swollen  
in their power and arrogance1 but the   
printing of the book itself was greatly 
delayed2 and as our good ,christopher   
,sauer1 the printer1 of ,germantown1 to 
whom it was intrusted for publication1  
saw fit to make himself a censor of the 
hymns1 it so occurred that when the four
 hundredth hymn was set up1 a personal  
controversy1 exceedingly bitter1 arose  
and ended in an estrangement lasting    
fully ten years1 during which our leader
 and our printer hurled at each other   
most violent accusations1 the printer   
evidently being firm in his mind that   
our leader regarded himself as somewhat 

of a pope or a ,christ1 before whom all 
others must bow4  ,indeed1 there were   
during ,brother ,beissel's leadership   
many false stories current about him1   
rising through superstition or enmity1  
the coarser part of the people regarding
 him as a great wizard1 fully believing 
that the spirit whom he served had at   
times made our brother invisible2       
wherefore it is related that a justice  
of the peace sent a constable after our 
leader with a warrant1 taking care to   
send an assistant4 ,as the constable and
 his assistant came toward the cabin    
down in the meadow where our leader     
lived1 they saw him go into his cabin   
with a pitcher of water2 they followed  
him1 and while one stationed himself at 
the door1 the other searched the house  
from top to bottom1 but no              
superintendent was to be found4 ,greatly
 bewildered and even alarmed at such    
witchcraft they departed1 and after they
 were some distance from the house1 on  
looking back they saw our leader come   

out as though naught had happened4  ,it 
is also true1 and ,i regret to say it1  
that many of our ,brothers1 and even the
 ,sisters1 who seem ever given to       
idolizing1 fell to the other extreme    
and1 as in the case of ,john the        
,baptist1 wondered whether our leader   
might not be ,christ4 ,even ,brother    
,onesimus once tried to poison my mind  
against our superintendent by remarking 
that even he thought that1 perhaps1 our 
leader might be ,christ1 whereupon ,i   
rebuked our ,brother ,onesimus so       
soundly for his folly1 ,i never again   
heard him repeat such nonsense4  ,thus  
it went back and forth so that it seemed
 the conflict between our leader and the
 printer were never to cease1 the       
printer publishing it far and wide that 
our superintendent was born under a     
strange conjunction of the stars and    
that a number of planets manifested in  
him their characteristics3 from ,mars1  
our superintendent had his great        
severity2 from ,jupiter1 his            

friendliness2 from ,venus1 that the     
female sex ran after him2 while ,mercury
 had given him the arts of the comedian2
 and not content with this1 our printer 
must even go so far as to say of our    
superintendent3 ,in many points he is   
very close to ,gichtel and still closer 
to the little beast described in        
,revelation #ac3aa1 which represents his
 peculiarity in spiritual things4 ,his  
figure is such that if one beseeches him
 he has the horns of a lamb1 but if one 
touches his temper a little he speaks   
like a dragon1 and is1 indeed1 not to be
 regarded as the first great beast1     
whose number is #ff4 ,he is not so      
beast-like1 but is also not clean       
,godly1 but is humanly peculiar and no  
other than ,c,vnra,d,vs ,be,ise,l,vs    
,dc,l,v,v,v,i--#fff4  ,all of which     
goeth to show that when one man hateth  
another beyond all reason1 the hater    
maketh a greater fool of himself than of
 him who is derided4     ,,chapter ,,xi 
,,brother ,,agonius ,,and ,,his         

,,prophecy      ,no great genius was    
ever without some mixture of madness1   
nor can anything grand or superior to   
the voice of     common mortals be      
spoken except by the agitated soul4     
--,aristotle4   ,brother ,agonius1 his  
real name being ,michael ,wohlforth1 or 
,welfare1 as he was known among the     
,english settlers--what a shock1        
notwithstanding our boasted fortitude   
and resignation1 his death was to us6   
,he was born1 as became his warlike     
soul1 at the fortress of ,memel1 on the 
,baltic ,sea4 ,coming to this ,new      
,world in his early youth1 he at once   
joined himself to the ,pietists1 the    
,hermits of the ,wissahickon2 but he    
remained not long there1 for his fiery1 
intrepid zeal left him no other mind but
 that he must journey to and fro1 near  
and far1 even making a long and         
dangerous journey to the ,germans of    
,north ,carolina1 preaching to them as  
he did to every one1 in season and out  
of season1 wherever he went1 to repent  

their godless lives and to submit       
themselves wholly to the ,master's will4
  ,upon his return1 in #agbc1 from that 
distant province1 he joined himself to  
our ,vorsteher who1 as ,brother         
,beissel1 was then living the life of a 
,solitary in the depths of a forest not 
many miles north from ,ephrata1 which at
 that time had not yet been founded4 ,in
 the solitude of this forest these two  
hermits1 so alike in their energetic1   
impetuous1 stubborn zeal1 lived a life  
of silent contemplation and adoration of
 the mysteries of the ,creator for some 
time1 and from thenceforth even though  
they differed not infrequently with all 
the force and outspoken directness of   
their strong-willed natures1 yet were   
they firm friends and companions until  
death separated them4  ,i recall how in 
later years in our ,kloster life at     
,ephrata1 when we had built ,kedar and  
the other houses of worship1 as ,i have 
already related1 he became alarmed at   
their size1 and deprecated especially   

the innovation of the innocent bells1 so
 that for a time he withdrew from us and
 again became a hermit1 in the mountains
 of ,zoar1 some five miles from the     
,kloster2 but he soon resumed his life  
with us to remain as a valued co-worker 
for the rest of his days4  ,and now that
 he was gone1 how we missed him6 ,his   
boldness1 aggressiveness1 his           
fearlessness and fidelity in proclaiming
 far and wide his doctrine as to the    
,seventh ,day ,sabbath made his death a 
heavy loss not only to our community1   
but to all the ,sabbatarians1 ,german   
and ,english1 in the province4 ,he would
 travel on foot1 no matter how hard and 
toilsome the way1 staff in hand1 in     
pilgrim garb1 and no matter whether by  
country roadside or in the slave markets
 in the streets of the chief city of our
 province1 in church or meeting-house1  
wherever he could find an audience1     
large or small1 to listen to his voice1 
he would stand boldly forth1 yet in the 
spirit of humility1 and exhort and      

admonish with all his power1 in ,german 
or in ,english1 speaking both with equal
 ease1 oblivious of taunts and revilings
 and persecutions1 that his hearers live
 in obedience to ,god's commands as to  
the ,sabbath day4  ,to ,brother ,beissel
 and to me the death of our brother came
 with far greater force than to the rest
 of the ,solitary4 ,even more than our  
superintendent and myself he was        
unalterably opposed to the ,eckerlings  
and their unchristian innovations2 for  
it can be said in all moderation that   
hardly would we three succeed in        
overthrowing some especially offensive  
scheme of the ,eckerings when one of the
 remaining four would present something 
new to torment us4  ,one of their       
abominations1 which originated in the   
busy mind of ,emanuel ,eckerling1       
,brother ,elimelech1 was the baptism of 
the living for the dead1 and so         
persistent and subtle were his arguments
 that he finally won over to him our    
superintendent in spite of all that     

,brother ,agonius and ,i could do to    
save our leader from this tremendous    
foolishness4  ,so it came about that on 
a certain day a procession was formed of
 the ,brotherhood of ,zion1 the         
,spiritual ,virgins1 and the secular    
congregation1 and as they wended their  
way slowly and solemnly down the hill   
and across the meadow to a pool in the  
,cocalico1 ,brother ,agonius and ,i     
having steadfastly refused to           
countenance in any way the thing1 were  
nevertheless compelled to say to each   
other that our ,brothers and ,sisters   
were an impressive sight4 ,the solemn   
procession having arrived at the pool   
special hymns were sung and fervent     
invocations were made1 intended no doubt
 to ascend1 but which to my wrathful    
mood seemed more fit to descend4  ,i    
care not to dwell longer on this        
irreligious proceeding than to say that1
 with ,brother ,beissel as              
administrator1 ,emanuel ,eckerling was  
immersed for his dead mother1 and       

,alexander ,mack the younger1 for his   
dead father1 although these departed    
ones had both been baptized in their own
 flesh in ,germany4 ,indeed1 this       
baptismal fever became so virulent that 
everybody1 irrespective of faith1 was   
becoming baptized for some deceased     
relative1 so that ,i gravely wondered   
whether or not some utterly daft ones   
would be baptized for ,adam and ,eve4   
,another scheme of the ,eckerlings1 into
 which our leader fell without the      
slightest hesitation1 was that instead  
of ,brother ,beissel1 he should be      
called ,vater ,friedsam 7,father        
,friedsam1 meaning the peaceful one74   
,this suggestion caused great uproar    
among us which finally settled itself   
into an agreement that the ,solitary    
should call him ,father1 and the secular
 congregation1 ,brother1 and so it      
remained for a number of years1 but as  
for me1 ,i always called him            
,brother--,timeo ,danaos et dona        
ferentes4  ,would ,i could say ,i were  

done telling of these ,eckerlings1 for  
it seemeth to require as long to get rid
 of them here in the writing as it did  
to get them out of our community4 ,about
 this time a pilgrimage from ,ephrata   
was made by ,brother ,beissel and       
,brothers ,elimelech and ,onesimus and  
one or two others of the ,solitary to   
the ,dunker settlement at ,amwell1 in   
our sister province of ,new ,jersey1    
with whom we had become acquainted about
 two years prior hereto4 ,the charge of 
this pilgrimage was in ,brother         
,elimelech1 but he was with our ,amwell 
,brethren only a short time when he     
succeeded in making as much trouble for 
them as he had already made for us4     
,first1 because when he preached he kept
 on and never knew when to stop so that 
even though his hearers were used to    
long sermons the utmost patience could  
not endure his protracted discourses4   
,secondly1 because of his proposing     
midnight watches and the like1 such as  
had been fastened on us1 so that finally

 he was dismissed and returned to us in 
disgrace4 ,but as there is some good in 
all misfortune so it resulted that out  
of the strained conditions in the       
,amwell congregation a number of their  
brethren1 among them ,dietrich          
,fahnestock1 ,conrad ,boldhauser1       
,johannes ,mohr1 ,bernhard ,gitter and  
several others with their families1 came
 to us and either joined the ,solitary  
or our secular congregation4  ,hardly   
had this storm subsided than our        
,brother ,onesimus1 thinking no doubt it
 was his turn1 concluded that even      
though properly baptized and            
notwithstanding he had taken the vows of
 celibacy1 yet there was nothing to     
prevent him from re-entering the world  
and marrying1 so he advised the         
,brotherhood to make a new covenant with
 the ,virgin ,mary as the patroness of  
their ,order4  ,as a visible sign of    
their betrothal to the virgin1 ,brother 
,onesimus advised that the ,brothers and
 ,sisters all cut the tonsure4 ,brother 

,beissel1 who always counseled chastity 
and celibacy1 fell into this folly of   
the ,eckerlings just as readily as he   
had into the former ones and hardly had 
the prior convened the ,brotherhood in  
the chapter house1 where each ,brother  
in turn kneeling down repeated his      
pledge of celibacy and had his hair cut 
and his crown shorn1 when our leader1   
not to be outdone by the prior1 called  
together the ,spiritual ,virgins1 in    
their ,saal4  ,after reconsecrating the 
assembled ,sisters to the heavenly      
,bridegroom1 ,brother ,beissel1 with the
 assistance of another ,brother1 cut the
 hair of each of the ,sisterhood in the 
manner of the primitive ,christian      
church1 after which the crowns of the   
,sisters were likewise shorn1 our       
superintendent gathering up the tresses 
and carrying them to ,zion where he laid
 them upon the altar expressing the wish
 that he might live until the ,sisters' 
heads were gray--and it was further     
resolved and ordered that the tonsure   

was to be renewed every three months and
 in the meantime no one was to put      
shears to his or her head4 ,thus was    
another madness inflicted upon us4  ,our
 prior continuing to exalt himself in   
his priesthood1 had our ,sisters make   
for him a robe or costume such as is    
described in the ,bible as having been  
worn by the high priest in the temple1  
and when our prior presided thereafter  
at the agapae and baptisms he presented 
to the unsophisticated a most gorgeous  
sight1 while to me the whole thing was  
disgusting4 ,following the tonsure and  
the priestly robe ,prior ,onesimus      
introduced night-watches and            
processions1 which resulted not only    
that our superintendent was virtually   
superseded by our cunning prior1 but    
what was far worse1 these abominations1 
so foreign to our simple ,sabbatarian   
precepts1 becoming known to the         
surrounding country brought additional  
ridicule and contempt upon us and for   
many years wherever we went we had      

hurled at us such epithets              
7,schimpfworte7 as ,glatzkpfe 7bald     
heads71 ,vollmonde 7full moons71        
,bettel-,mnche 7beggar friars71 and     
,pfaffenmucker 7,papish double-dealers74
 ,not only were we compelled to listen  
to such nicknames1 but by reason of this
 aping of the monastic customs of the   
,middle ,ages we incurred the ire of the
 ,scotch-,irish settlers1 hard-headed   
,presbyterians1 between the ,octoraro   
and the ,susquehanna1 so that no matter 
what we or our friends said to the      
contrary these stubborn old ,covenanters
 were sure we were nothing but a nest of
 ,jesuit emissaries1 and the croppies1  
as our ,presbyterian friends were wont  
to call us were decried from their      
pulpits as well as held up to scorn by  
the members of that church wherever and 
whenever the opportunity afforded4      
,still the ,eckerlings went on in their 
unceasing activities4 ,having built     
,zion according to their own ideas1 they
 were1 however1 not contented2 for as   

they had left no room for the           
congregational gatherings all the       
assemblages and love feasts were held in
 the house of prayer adjoining the      
,sister house1 ,kedar2 but as the       
,zionitic ,brotherhood had to traverse  
the intervening distance in all kinds of
 bad weather and as the nightly         
processions had to take their way toward
 the habitation of the ,spiritual       
,virgins all sorts of unfavorable       
comments were made by the outsiders1    
who1 judging from their own evil minds1 
did not hesitate to call into question  
the honesty of the ,brethren in their   
adherence to their vows4  ,thus it was  
determined to erect a building which    
should be a combined prayer and         
schoolhouse1 to adjoin ,zion and be     
large enough to accommodate the secular 
congregation as well as all the         
,solitary within the community1 and so  
rapidly did the work progress and so    
favorable was the weather 7although it  
was late in the fall not a drop of rain 

or flake of snow or frost appeared until
 the middle of the following ,january71 
that the work on the chapel went on     
without intermission or hindrance1 so   
that by the following summer1 ,zion's   
,saal1 as it was called1 a stately      
three-story structure1 was completed1   
the lower floor being for worship and   
the second for the love feasts and      
pedelavium and the third being divided  
into small cells for the ,solitary      
,brothers of the ,zionitic ,order4 ,in  
,july of #agdj the last joint services  
were held in ,kedar1 to which all the   
,sabbatarians1 far and near1 were       
invited1 not excepting the ,welsh and   
,english ,brethren in ,nantmill and     
,newtown1 invitations being scattered   
broadcast even among the ,germans beyond
 the ,schuylkill1 and to all who came   
the hospitality of the community was    
most cordially extended4 ,after that    
time ,kedar fell exclusively to the     
,order of ,spiritual ,virgins4  ,not two
 weeks later the ,brotherhood of ,zion  

dedicated their new temple1 at midnight1
 the prior not losing the opportunity   
for making the occasion remarkable for  
an interminable number of processions1  
incantations1 prayers1 and mysterious   
ceremonies1 said to date from ,pharaoh1 
from whose bondage we1 unlike the       
children of ,israel1 did not seem able  
to free ourselves4  ,about a month      
later1 our ,brother ,beissel1 being now 
the acknowledged superintendent of our  
entire community1 must surrender himself
 so completely to the vanities of the   
,eckerlings that in the presence of the 
whole congregation1 from among whom ,i  
saw ,sister ,bernice look at me with shy
 pride1 he solemnly consecrated ,brother
 ,onesimus1 ,brother ,enoch1 and myself 
to the priesthood1 by the laying on of  
hands1 after which with most solemn and 
ancient ceremony we had conferred on us 
the centuries-old ,order of             
,melchizedek1 although what this order  
had to do with our ,christian life1 ,i  
confess ,i have never yet found out1    

only consenting to the doubtful honor in
 order to appease our superintendent's  
displeasure1 whose rigorous spirit often
 pressed on my slower one4  ,and now1   
our superintendent1 assuming the rle of 
,grand ,master of the ,zionitic         
,brotherhood1 deposed ,brother ,jotham  
and in his stead1 despite the protests  
of himself and his following1 appointed 
,brother ,onesimus1 ,prior1 or ,perfect 
,master1 of the ,brotherhood4 ,our new  
prior1 however1 was even worse than his 
brother and applied the discipline of   
the order so rigidly that ,i was        
compelled to write to a friend1 that    
,now was there between the poor devotees
 of ,ephrata and the wool-headed        
,african slaves no other difference than
 that we are white and free slaves1 and 
indeed1 ,i fear ,i almost felt toward   
the ,eckerlings like the ,english king  
who wondered whether there was no one to
 rid him of his enemies4  ,at the risk  
of trespassing too far on the patience  
of those who may read this1 ,i shall    

narrate of the clock and bells donated  
to the community by my father1 and which
 the ,eckerlings obtained permission to 
place in the steeple over the roof of   
the ,saal4 ,this clock held an ingenious
 attachment for chiming the bells and   
for ringing them at certain times during
 the day and night1 to call us to our   
various and now almost innumerable      
devotions4 ,when this bell was rung at  
midnight1 not only did the ,solitary    
arise from their wooden couches1 but for
 miles around1 whenever the notes of the
 bell could be heard1 all the families  
arose also and held their worship at the
 same time2 but though the fires of     
first love for their faith burned       
strongly among the secular members at   
this time1 yet it finally came about    
that the congregation demanded a house  
where they could worship unhindered by  
the exacting rules and ceremonies of the
 ,brotherhood of ,zion1 who seeing in   
this an excellent opportunity for       
securing their temple wholly to their   

own uses1 fell in with might and main to
 prepare the frame and timbers for      
another prayer house1 nominally for the 
exclusive use of the secular members4   
,and now1 though all our houses of      
worship were on the higher ground1 the  
site for this new temple was chosen down
 in the meadow1 and this less           
pretentious ,saal still survives1 while 
its loftily situated and proud          
predecessors have long ago passed away4 
,thus as the ,lord hath promised doth he
 exalt the lowly and bring down the     
haughty4  ,in size the new prayer house 
was to be forty feet square and that    
many feet in height1 thus symbolizing   
the perfect number1 although it hath    
been claimed that some of the builders  
wondering what might happen if they     
followed not the perfect proportions1   
made the width two feet narrower and the
 height somewhat greater than forty     
feet4 ,be that as it may1 ,i have not   
seen in these fifty years since the     
building was put up that the variation1 

if there were such1 hath made any       
difference for good or ill4  ,but the   
good fortune attending us during the    
building of the ,saal forsook us now1   
for many delays and heavy               
disappointments fell upon us ere our    
task was performed2 for the weather     
during the fall and winter of #agdj and 
#agda was exceptionally hard1 there     
being the severest storms and the       
extremest cold4 ,never since have ,i    
seen such cold and sleet and ice and    
snow as during that awful winter4 ,the  
,cocalico was completely hidden under   
its thick covering of ice and snow so   
that a stranger would not have known    
there was a stream there4 ,at times the 
snow was three feet deep on the level1  
and where it had drifted from the winds1
 cabins and outbuildings were completely
 covered over4 ,families were imprisoned
 in their homes4 ,cattle died from want 
of fodder4 ,even the wild beasts in the 
forest1 though knowing so well how to   
take care of themselves1 died of hunger1

 so that deer were found dead in the    
woods4 ,indeed1 it was no infrequent    
sight to see the pretty animals1 usually
 so timid1 driven by their great hunger 
to the very cabin doors for food1       
sometimes even mingling with the cattle4
 ,the settlers1 especially of the more  
remote districts1 suffered greatly from 
lack of bread1 and had little to live on
 but the carcasses of the deer found in 
the swamps4 ,even the ,indians suffered 
on account of the lack of game4 ,often  
during the night there would be borne to
 our ears the strangest sounds1         
heavings1 and groanings from the        
ice-bound1 rebellious ,cocalico1 the    
walls of our buildings even seeming to  
strain and crack as though they would   
fall asunder4 ,sometimes at long        
intervals during those dark1 bitter1    
cold nights there would fall from the   
depths of the sky the trumpet calls of  
wild fowls1 winging their way ,i know   
not whither1 but still1 ,i know1 within 
,his care4 ,at times1 these shrill cries

 came with such strength and suddenness 
that ,sonnlein would jump up out of the 
soundest sleep1 cuddling up close to me 
as though only ,i could save him from   
those mysterious1 threatening voices4   
,but the ,solitary1 despite the severity
 of the winter1 pressed on at every     
relaxation of the weather toward the    
completion of our new prayer house1 and 
as the spring opened1 we being now      
joined by the congregation at large1 the
 work went on rapidly1 though the       
building which our superintendent named 
,peniel 7being the name ,jacob gave to  
the place where he wrestled with ,god71 
was not made tenantable until the       
following ,december1 when it was duly   
consecrated to ,god4  ,all during this  
hard winter ,i could see that ,brother  
,agonius1 his hardy frame worn out by   
excessive zeal1 was suffering keenly    
from the cold1 piercing winds1 and ,i   
felt with deepening sadness1 day after  
day as ,i saw his infirmity increase1   
that our brother must soon cease to be  

among us4 ,how bravely he fought to     
remain with us and how uncomplainingly  
he faced the inevitable end1 his rugged 
heart mellowing and ripening into       
sweeter and more resigned humility      
before being plucked from its stem by   
the ,master's loving hand6  ,spring had 
not yet yielded itself to summer--for it
 was only the latter part of ,may when  
the fields and the woods were gay with  
flowers--when what he stubbornly        
maintained was only a slight weakness   
passed into the serious illness that in 
a few days ended his labors on earth4   
,but such was his unyielding will that  
on the ,sabbath before his death he was 
at meeting1 and the following evening   
there were good hopes for his recovery4 
,about an hour before                   
midnight--,sonnlein having gone to sleep
 soon after dark--,i bethought me to go 
to our brother's ,kammer and give him   
such comfort as he might need4 ,i found 
him alone in his little cell sitting    
feebly on his wooden bench1 so that ,i  

could see he was suffering great        
weakness4 ,at first he resisted my      
gentle persuasions to lie down and rest1
 but finally consented thereto1 even1   
after much coaxing1 letting me spread my
 robe under him and rest his head on it2
 for he was so thin ,i could not bear to
 see his poor frame with nothing between
 it and the hard board's4  ,i rejoiced  
to see him drop off into a deep sleep   
that ,i fondly hoped would last until   
the morning2 but there was a something  
about his sleep so unnaturally deep and 
profound ,i feared it might be the      
forerunner of his speedy dissolution4   
,it was close now to the midnight hour  
and soon there rang out from the        
darkness the clear notes of our bell    
calling the ,brothers and ,sisters to   
their wonted devotions4 ,scarcely had   
the first stroke died away when ,i was  
startled almost out of my wits to see   
,brother ,agonius sit up straight on his
 bench1 looking ahead with a fixed1     
steady stare4  ,what seest thou1        

brother8 ,i asked softly and ,i know my 
voice trembled1 for ,i understood not   
his strange gazing4  ,but he heeded me  
not in the least only that he appeared  
to be muttering to himself4 ,then his   
voice1 becoming more firm1 he said1     
still as though to himself1 ,ye foolish 
,eckerlings2 flee ye from the wrath to  
come6  ,what meanest thou8 ,i asked     
wonderingly2 but still he heeded not1   
only muttering as before something about
 the ,eckerlings of which now and then  
,i would catch some few words1 which    
seemed to me like1 ,o ye ,eckerlings2 ye
 poor ,eckerlings2 driven               
away--alone--captured--tortured--separat
ed--persecuted--homeless2 and then my   
brother sighed as though a world of woe 
oppressed him and murmured1 ,repent ye2 
repent ye2 all this time my flesh       
creeping with dread as the low tone of  
the dying man uttered this marvelous    
prophecy2 for such1 in truth1 it was4   
,finally he lay down again1 but still   
muttering and mumbling1 only lower than 

before4 ,once he mentioned my name and  
it seemed to me he said pityingly1 ,poor
 ,brother ,jabez1 and then after a long 
pause1 ,poor ,sister ,bernice1 and then 
after a still longer pause1 during which
 ,i waited anxiously for what might     
follow he said more clearly1 ,the fight 
will not be long2 comfort thou him1     
,lord2 so that ,i could not keep out a  
great fear for that he should couple my 
name with my dear sister's so strangely2
 for ,i had oft heard that dying ones   
see not only the past but even the      
future with great clearness1 and ,i     
could not help the dread that held my   
heart as though with a hand of ice4     
,when the ,brethren dropped in after    
their devotions our brother was again   
suffering such agony that he            
declared--being in his senses again--his
 sacrifice on the cross was now         
complete1 wherefore he did not know     
whether any saint had ever suffered such
 martyrdom1 and while the ,brethren were
 singing at his request the hymn1 ,the  

time is not yet come1 he asked that they
 intercede with ,god that he might open 
to him his prison door4  ,as his end    
drew near he asked that certain psalms  
and parts of ,tauler's ,last ,hours be  
repeatedly read to him1 after which he  
asked to be anointed in the manner of   
the first ,christians4 ,this was done1  
,brother ,beissel applying the chrism4  
,on the ,wednesday following1 ,brother  
,agonius kept looking keenly toward the 
hour-glass1 for it had been revealed to 
him that his end was to come at the     
ninth hour of that day4 ,and so when the
 ninth hour came he sat up straight on  
his wooden bench1 but immediately fell  
over scarce breathing2 but he revived   
again and asked feebly whether he had   
not died4 ,with the end of the ninth    
hour he passed away with the senseless  
sands of the hour-glass4  ,the next day 
his mortal remains were placed in a neat
 coffin where the ,brethren and ,sisters
 and the settlers of all denominations  
for miles around could gaze once more   

upon the face and form of this          
unconquerable ,christian soldier and    
martyr and pay their last respects to   
the memory of our eloquent exhorter4 ,i 
shall not dwell upon the rites and      
ceremonies that made his burial so      
solemn and memorable4 ,as his body was  
lowered into its resting-place in the   
meadow a little to the east of ,brother 
,beissel's cabin1 a special funeral hymn
 was sung by the ,sabbatarians1 composed
 for the occasion by his lifelong       
friend1 our superintendent4  ,after the 
singing of the hymn the ,brotherhood of 
,zion1 being nearest about the grave1   
closed with its mystic rites the funeral
 ceremonies1 the ,sisters in a tearful  
group standing beyond us1 and all being 
surrounded by the sincere friends of our
 departed brother1 and the curious ones 
who ever attend such sad occasions4  ,a 
modest tombstone marks his              
sleeping-place1 bearing the following   
,german inscription by ,brother         
,beissel1 which ,i translate freely     

thus3      ,,here ,,reposes ,,the       
,,godly ,,warrior                       
,,agonius               ,,died ,,anno   
#agda4      ,aged #ed years1 #d months1 
#bh days4      ,victory brings the crown
     ,in the fight for faith1 grace1 and
 renown4     ,thus blessings crown the  
warrior true     ,who bravely sin and   
,belial slew4     ,peacefully he passed 
to his chamber of rest     ,where now he
 is free of all pain and distress4      
,,chapter ,,xii  ,,sister ,,bernice ,,is
 ,,comforted      ,girls and gold are   
the softer the purer they are4          
--,jean ,paul ,richter4   ,the beautiful
 flowers that grew down in the meadow   
where we laid our ,brother ,agonius in  
his chamber of rest1 like him were soon 
gathered up into the arms of the ,master
 ,reaper4 ,the enchantments of the long1
 hot1 summer days had worked silently   
but surely the entrancing spells that   
now spread over field and forest the    
glowing vestments of the early fall4    
,but one day as ,i was resting at the   

foot of the venerable oak where ,brother
 ,martin had been hastened to his death 
by that strange woman not many years    
before1 suddenly ,i heard a piercing    
shriek from the thick woods back of me  
and a wild1 terrified rush toward the   
little clearing where ,i was standing   
erect1 fairly astounded4 ,in a moment   
more ,sister ,bernice fell almost       
headlong at my feet1 whence ,i lifted   
her unconscious with fright and terror  
into my arms4  ,hardly knowing what to  
do ,i stood there helplessly gazing at  
her sweet face and then at the crown of 
hair that lay like a golden fleece over 
my arm1 her hood having fallen to the   
ground1 so that ,i was thankful some    
remnant of womanly vanity had saved her 
from the hideous tonsure4 ,but ,i       
bethought myself to lay her gently on   
the ground1 her head1 a dear burden1 in 
my lap1 fanning her face as best ,i     
might with my large1 toil-stained hands4
 ,at last the fluttering eyelids and the
 gasping breath told me of returning    

consciousness4 ,at first she opened her 
eyes and gazed at me wonderingly1       
vaguely1 and once she closed them as if 
to shut out some awful sight4 ,i rubbed 
her hands1 her wrists1 softly smoothed  
her brow1 and spake to her gently1 ',tis
 naught but ,brother ,jabez2 thou needst
 not fear him4 ,what hath he done8 and  
by such soft entreaties and with tender 
pressures of the hands ,i sought to     
soothe her to herself again4  ,finally1 
she sat up weakly1 but leaning so       
sweetly and helplessly against me--it   
being necessary to hold her safe with   
mine arms for great fear she might faint
 again--that ,i longed to sit there     
forever4 ,she1 however1 after a while   
freed herself somewhat from my too      
careful protection and said ,nay1 my    
dear sister1 my--,bernice1 ,i never had 
much faith in such wild tales1 said ,i1 
as she lifted those clear1 trusting eyes
 to mine4 ,and may ,i be forgiven for   
this unblushing1 unscrupulous lie2 for  
did ,i not know of the witch of ,endor8 

,many a tale had ,i heard in the        
,vaterland of the malign influences of  
the evil eye1 so that now ,i felt a     
vague dread ,i dared not make known to  
my poor little sister1 who had flown to 
my arms as a birdling to its nest4      
,illustration3 ,in a moment more ,sister
 ,bernice fell almost headlong   at my  
feet4 ,page #abh4  ,think not of her    
more1 my sister2 she cannot harm thee   
now1 dear ,bernice4 ,upon which boastful
 assurance she smiled confidently enough
 and said with a look ,i would not have 
changed for a kingdom1 ,that ,i know    
quite well1 thou great giant2 wast thou 
ever afraid1 ,brother ,jabez8  ,never1  
,i responded valiantly1 recklessly      
adding another lie to the record ,i this
 day seemed bound to cover with         
falsehoods4  ,oh1 that ,i could be so   
brave1 ,brother ,jabez2 but ,i have ever
 been weak1 such a coward2 the          
,vaterchen and the ,mutterchen always   
shielded me as though ,i were in all    
truth a baby4 ,here she paused as if to 

catch her breath1 and then slowly again 
as with difficulty she said quietly1 ,i 
have been growing so weak lately1 ,i    
wonder what ails me8  ,and now my       
selfish joy1 after all these gloomy     
months without sight of her1 gave way to
 a pain that shot through me like an    
arrow as ,i saw how much more delicate  
and ethereal she had become since that  
blissful love feast4 ,for a moment my   
soul was in hot rebellion at all the    
hardships and privations that made our  
,kloster life almost unbearable to the  
strongest and which were so heavy on the
 frail shoulders of this sweet angel at 
my side4 ,something of my wicked wrath  
must have expressed itself against my   
will1 for she suddenly looked up at me  
alarmed1 crying out1 ,what is wrong1    
,brother ,jabez8 ,thou hast such a hard1
 angry look in thy eyes1 such as ,i have
 never seen there before4  ,i am not in 
anger1 ,sister ,bernice replied ,i1     
softening my evil looks to fit my words1
 merely thinking hard--exceeding hard4  

,and dost thou look so stern and fierce 
and frown so1 when thou art lost in     
great thoughts8 she asked looking up so 
innocently ,i felt myself an            
unregenerate and abandoned soul for such
 shameless lying4 ,if thou dost1 she    
went on slowly1 ,i shall be afraid of   
thee4  ,yea1 sister1 ,i lied again      
unhesitatingly1 thou hast yet to learn  
that like many other silly men and women
 ,i save my smiles and cheerfulness for 
those whom ,i know the least and am     
sternest and coldest to those that know 
me and love me best4  ,that ,i know to  
be false1 she cried out1 smiling up at  
me brightly1 in such a way ,i thought ,i
 never could let her go2 thou art not a 
hypocrite4 ,who in all our ,kloster does
 not know and love our big brother1     
,brother ,jabez1 for his kindness1 his  
patience1 his tenderness1 his charity1  
for every one1 good or bad1 and most of 
all for that mischievous ,sonnlein8     
,all this sweet-sounding anthem to my   
unmerited exaltation made me so sinfully

 happy and irreligiously proud ,i fairly
 forgot myself in my foolish joy1 so    
that ,i pressed the gently resisting    
girl--for a mere girl she was--to my    
breast1 and was about to insult her     
trust and purity by an unhallowed kiss1 
and doubt not ,i had done this great    
wickedness1 had ,i not seen too near for
 me to venture on such indulgence1 the  
form of some ,sister straying our way4  
,i hurriedly urged ,sister ,bernice--who
 not seeing the approaching ,sister1    
marveled much at my sudden coldness and 
failure to complete the sweet enterprise
 on which ,i had embarked3 ,go thy way1 
my best beloved sister2 think no more of
 witches2 ,i shall not let them harm    
thee4 ,and with that she smiled more    
heavenly than before1 but obeyed my will
 and betook herself to her ,kammer1     
while ,i passing on in the opposite     
direction1 went straight for that       
accursed spot where ,brother ,martin had
 been the first ill-fated one to see    
that grisly shape4  ,but though ,i      

searched most diligently1 scrutinizing  
the vines1 the brush1 the ground1 ,i saw
 no sign of her1 and ,i was making my   
way back1 sorely puzzled1 to the oak1   
when suddenly ,i heard a quick rustling 
among the leaves1 such as a bird might  
make1 and turning sharply1 beheld1 not  
more than a child's throw1 in the gloomy
 shades of that thick1 dark forest1 the 
bent1 crouching form of that hideous    
hag1 a wild-eyed1 savage-featured       
she-fiend6  ,the memory of poor ,brother
 ,martin1 the terror of my harmless1    
innocent ,bernice1 moved me to such     
anger as never before or since overcame 
my patience and moderation4  ,thou      
witch1 or devil1 whatever thou art1 ,i  
yelled at her in my passion as ,i pulled
 out of the ground a stone as large as  
my clenched fists1 it is in mine temper 
to crush thee where thou standest1      
polluting these holy grounds1 thou      
pestilence6  ,with that she rushed      
forward fiercely for a few steps as     
though with clawlike hands and fanglike 

teeth she would rend me to pieces2 but  
now that my blood was on fire1 ,i       
quailed not1 whereat she suddenly       
stopped1 the more especially as my hand 
was drawn back ready to hurl the stone  
should she come any nigher4  ,as she    
stood there glowering and glaring at me1
 snarling and choking for the world like
 some angry beast1 ,i marveled not that 
the others had been terror-stricken at  
such a forbidding shape4 ,again ,i      
commanded1 drawing up my figure to its  
full height1 ,begone thou vile beast ere
 ,i forget myself and slay thee as ,i   
would a snake6 and with that ,i advanced
 on her1 my face distorted with such    
anger--for the passions are ever        
destroyers of comeliness--,i doubt not  
she knew1 if1 indeed she had a mind for 
knowing1 that ,i meant my threats4  ,i  
was but a few paces from her1 when she  
made a spiteful sweep at my face with   
one of her talons that would have sadly 
marred me had ,i been reached1 and then1
 bent and crouching1 she slunk away     

sullenly1 still snarling and muttering  
inarticulate sounds4 ,i stood there     
until her evil shape was swallowed up by
 the woods1 and then ,i first knew ,i   
was shaking like a leaf and that ,i was 
as wet as though ,i had just come out of
 the ,cocalico4  ,in this frame ,i      
walked back slowly to my ,kammer1 so    
sick at heart with forebodings of evil  
,i dared not think of1 which not all the
 joy of having had ,bernice in my arms  
could make me forget4     ,,chapter     
,,xiii  ,,the ,,comet ,,and ,,brother   
,,alburtus      ,night's curtains now   
are closing     ,round half a world     
reposing     ,in calm and holy trust2   
,all seems one vast1 still chamber1     
,where weary hearts remember     ,no    
more the sorrows of the dust4           
--,mathias ,claudius4   ,hardly had     
,peniel been completed and dedicated1   
when there occurred an event that       
wrought great consternation1 not only in
 our little community but among all the 
settlers in the province4 ,this was     

nothing less than a comet4 ,many firmly 
believed this celestial visitant to be  
the precursor of war and its kindred    
evils1 famine and pestilence2 for full  
many of our ,german settlers had still  
fresh in their minds the fiery comet    
that had appeared in the sky of the     
,vaterland immediately before the       
,thirty ,years' ,war1 when the          
,palatinate was devastated from end to  
end and almost depopulated4 ,thus it was
 feared this fiery1 flaming star        
foretold similar bloodshed and disaster 
in this hitherto peaceful ,new ,world4  
,many of our ,brotherhood thought the   
flaming tail was a bundle of switches1  
with which the ,almighty was about to   
punish the unrepentant and unregenerate4
  ,to our brother hermits of the        
,wissahickon the comet was looked upon  
as a harbinger of the celestial         
,bridegroom1 for whose coming they had  
so long devoutly waited4  ,i remember   
well the night this wonderful star      
appeared4 ,it was early in the year     

#agdb4 ,the ,kloster bell with its sweet
 tones was calling the ,brotherhood of  
,zion to their midnight devotions4 ,i   
still see our long slender line in      
cloaks and cowls file out of the narrow 
corridors1 and silently and reverently  
take up our march toward the ,hall of   
,prayer on ,mount ,sinai4 ,there was no 
moon1 but through the clear1 frosty air 
was spread the light of a multitude of  
stars that twinkled brightly over head4 
,not a twig stirred on the leafless     
trees4 ,everything was quiet1 ,kedar and
 ,zion looming up distinctly on the     
hillside1 and the sharp roof of ,peniel1
 down in the meadow1 seemed wrapt in    
deep slumber4  ,as the notes of the     
bells died away there was absolute      
stillness1 save for the creaking and    
crunching of our wooden shoes on the    
frozen ground4 ,we had passed over half 
the distance to the prayer house1 when  
suddenly we saw in the eastern heavens a
 blazing star1 with its bright1 fiery   
tail flashing upon the face of the sky4 

,i shall never forget the awe that took 
possession of us so that we trembled    
with fear1 ,brother ,obed who was next  
to me1 his teeth chattering violently1  
whispering hoarsely it was the judgment 
day and ,gabriel would blow his horn4 ,i
 myself was not without a feeling that  
something dreadful was about to happen1 
for it was the first comet ,i had ever  
seen1 and ,i knew not what it portended4
 ,still1 ,i am glad to say ,i was not so
 utterly bereft of my senses as most of 
my poor brethren seemed to be4  ,brother
 ,alburtus1 however1 was least concerned
 of all1 a peaceful smile lighting up   
his face as though the celestial        
,bridegroom were coming on some fiery   
chariot to take him to heaven2 but      
,brother ,onesimus fell on his knees on 
the hard ground1 and prayed for mercy   
and that the great evil and calamities  
foreshadowed by the fiery messenger in  
the heavens might be turned aside and   
that the ,almighty would hear our       
prayers4  ,and then ,i felt moved to    

quote the sublime words of ,job3        
,is not ,god in the height of heavens8  
,and behold the height of the stars1    
,how high they are4  ,after the first   
shock of this sudden apparition was     
somewhat abated1 ,brother ,beissel      
ordered the bells rung throughout the   
community1 and deputed me to order all  
out for religious services in ,peniel1  
where we prayed and sang until the dawn1
 some of us fondly hoping as the        
daylight appeared and the glare of the  
comet died away our prayers had been    
answered1 only to find the direful      
visitant in the sky on the following    
night and many nights thereafter4       
,brother ,obed held that the comet      
augured the end of the world and        
,brother ,philemon agreed thereto2 for  
he recollected1 which we all remembered 
now1 that ,brother ,agonius some weeks  
before his death1 had earnestly         
prophesied the long-looked-for          
millennium was at hand4  ,special       
prayers as provided for in our ritual   

were said1 and certain ,brothers1       
detailed for that office1 read these    
prayers at the services of the          
,sisterhood and the congregations of the
 households at ,peniel4 ,this liturgy   
consisted of the reading of the fourth  
,psalm1 closing with a special          
invocation1 these being changed each day
 according to the secret ritual of the  
,zionites4 ,the sign for ,sunday being  
the ,lion2 the corresponding angel      
,raphael1 and the planet ,chamma1 the   
,sun4 ,for ,monday the sign was the     
,crab1 the angel ,gabriel2 and the      
planet ,lewanna1 the ,moon1 and so on1 a
 different sign and angel and planet for
 each day of the week1 the sign for the 
,sabbath being the ,waterman and the    
,goat1 the angel ,chephziel2 the planet 
,sabbathai1 or ,saturn4  ,brother       
,jephune1 who was skilled in astronomy  
and astrology1 informed us the comet was
 near the equinoxes of the heavens the  
first night and in the tail of the      
,eagle the following night4 ,for a few  

nights the heavens were so hidden by    
heavy clouds and fogs we did not see the
 comet again until the following        
,saturday1 when the star stood near     
,lyra1 having taken a northward course2 
by the next night the comet had flown to
 the tip of the ,swan's wing1 and so    
rapid was the wanderer's flight it      
traveled five degrees north within      
twenty-four hours4 ,the next night the  
comet entered the head of the ,dragon1  
after which the awesome visitor vanished
 again into space1 many of the ,brethren
 stoutly maintaining it had been        
swallowed up by the ,dragon4  ,but the  
long-looked-for millennium did not come 
either with the comet or its vanishing1 
but happily1 on the other hand1 neither 
did those dire disasters and calamities 
fall upon us which many had predicted2  
and though it was a long time before we 
outlived the fear inspired by this      
erratic body1 if another had come       
shortly after there is little doubt in  
my mind our terror would not have been  

quite so great1 for this is the nature  
of man4  ,nevertheless1 the star made a 
wonderful and more or less lasting      
impression upon all of our community1   
and from this time a number of our hymns
 date1 which afterward were incorporated
 in the collection named by our         
superintendent1 ,paradisches            
,wunderspiel 7,paradise ,wonder ,music74
 ,these hymns were full of prophetic    
insight and represented the mysteries of
 the last days so clearly it seemed to  
many of us as though the kingdom of     
heaven were already at hand4  ,but what 
troubled me far more than this flaming  
star was that which occurred the very   
next day after the comet disappeared4 ,a
 few years after ,sonnlein and ,i came  
to ,ephrata1 there joined the ,solitary 
one whom ,i have already mentioned as   
,brother ,alburtus1 that being his      
,kloster name4 ,what his real name was  
no one in our community seemed to know4 
,and lest it be thought strange that we 
knew not who he was1 it behooveth me to 

enlighten the reader by explaining that 
at ,ephrata we seldom1 if ever1 demanded
 of man or woman desiring to join us1   
other than whether they had renounced   
the world and were willing to serve ,god
 in the simple manner we had agreed upon
 as being the best for our ,master's    
cause4  ,and thus it came about that in 
our tolerant little republic all were   
welcome1 no matter what their previous  
faith1 ,protestant or ,catholic1 or what
 their condition1 high or low1 rich or  
poor4 ,nor did we inquire overmuch into 
the past life of any who desired to join
 us2 for what concerned us more than the
 past was the manner of life our        
brethren and sisters lead after joining 
us1 and in this were we exceedingly     
strict4  ,but our ,brother ,alburtus was
 always a puzzle to me as1 indeed1 he   
was a great mystery to the rest of the  
,brotherhood and ,sisterhood1 though we 
all were regarded as peculiar by        
outsiders4 ,he was very tall1 even      
taller than ,i1 and broad-shouldered1 so

 that even with his habit of walking    
humbly1 with bowed form1 he yet towered 
a veritable giant above all the rest of 
the ,brotherhood4 ,a pronounced roll in 
his gait1 such as men receive who have  
served long on the sea1 inclined many of
 us to believe such had been the greater
 part of his life1 and there were rumors
 current in the neighborhood that our   
,brother ,alburtus had been captain of a
 vessel2 while still others--especially 
the busybodies1 who always imagine evil 
of others--gravely asserted he had been 
a pirate and had sought refuge among us 
from those who sought his capture2 but  
the only thing ,i ever saw as supporting
 the charge of piracy was a long1 livid 
scar across our brother's brow1 giving  
his otherwise gentle and benign         
countenance a rather forbidding aspect4 
,whether or not he had been a rover of  
the seas ,i never learned2 from his face
 ,i could not believe he had been a     
bloodthirsty pirate1 though ,i know full
 well that oft beneath the form and     

features of a saint dwell the thoughts  
and passions of the ,evil ,one2 for the 
,scriptures say the human heart is a    
deceitful thing4  ,but this ,i do know1 
and in later years it was a great       
comfort to me1 that in all the twenty or
 more years our brother was with us he  
lived a life of such saintly peace and  
gentleness as put to shame many a       
,brother who professed more but acted   
not so well4 ,whatever his past life1 ,i
 felt sure with us he lived a true      
,christian2 for a man cannot well live a
 hypocrite long with his fellow-men and 
not be found out4  ,yet he had two great
 peculiarities we often marveled at and 
of which one was1 that no matter where  
or when one saw him1 he would ever be   
clasping and rubbing his hands together4
 ,day after day1 month after month1 year
 after year1 all the time ,i knew him1  
,i believe ,i never saw him but that he 
was clasping and rubbing those hands and
 looking at them in a strange1          
abstracted sort of way1 and even when   

the ,brotherhood were at their meals1 if
 he was not attending to the needs of   
the inner man1 he would be still rubbing
 and clasping those hands1 which looked 
white and peaceful enough to me1 so far 
as ,i could see2 but the suspicious     
ones--and they are ever a plenty--in our
 community and in the country round     
about were firm in the belief that those
 hands had been stained with the blood  
of men and even fair women and dear     
little children1 and for whose deaths he
 was doomed for the rest of his life to 
imagine he saw the blood there which he 
must ever be trying to rub off4  ,mine  
own opinion was that our ,brother       
,alburtus1 who was one of those         
absent-minded ones who never know what  
they are doing1 had simply fallen into  
this habit1 which1 as is the nature of  
habits1 became a very part of him4  ,his
 other peculiarity was that often       
without leaving word with any of us he  
would wander off1 or as ,i have often   
thought1 lose himself in the woods1     

sometimes being absent weeks at a time2 
but as he always returned safely1 albeit
 his body and his cloak a trifle the    
worse for his ramblings1 we never       
attempted to restrain his freedom4 ,he  
and ,sonnlein seemed to have great      
regard for each other and this too made 
me love our harmless brother1 and often 
,i saw the two1 ,sonnlein leading the   
way1 tramp off to the woods on some     
wonderful trip of discovery4  ,as ,i    
have said1 this matter which ,i wish to 
relate came upon us the day after the   
comet left4 ,i was walking in the       
,brother woods not far from the old oak 
that had witnessed more than once the   
manifestations of the old witch4 ,it was
 a cold1 raw day so that ,i felt it     
needful to have my cowl over my head and
 ,i was greatly surprised and yet not   
entirely so--for he always walked about 
as if he regarded not the weather--when 
,brother ,alburtus meandering bareheaded
 in the woods walked past me1 clasping  
and rubbing his hands as ever1 looking  

abstractedly at them and ,i felt sure   
never seeing me though his cloak almost 
brushed mine4  ,he had gone but a few   
steps beyond me when suddenly from out  
of a thicket there flew at him what for 
the instant ,i could not tell whether it
 was wild beast or human being2 but as  
something bright flashed in the air like
 a knife or dagger ,i saw it was that   
horrible old hag1 who in another moment 
would have surely killed our brother1   
standing there simple and helpless1 had 
,i not despite all the scratching and   
clawing1 torn the vile form from him and
 hurled her crashing to the earth so    
that she rolled for a few yards from me4
  ,i was too much startled and in such  
passionate anger at this assault upon   
our gentle1 unoffending brother to say  
aught as the foul shape lay writhing and
 twisting but a second or two where ,i  
had hurled her4 ,then as she arose      
slowly from the ground as in            
pain--though ,i had heard one could not 
hurt a witch--and hobbled off into the  

forest ,i bawled after her3 ,again have 
,i let thee go1 but 'tis the last4 ,the 
next time thou dost assail any of us ,i 
shall surely kill thee2 for ,i was so   
beside myself with cruel1 wicked rage ,i
 knew not what murderous threats were   
coming from my unbridled tongue4  ,and  
then ,i turned to ,brother ,alburtus and
 was surprised to see him standing there
 looking vacantly into space as if      
naught had happened1 not even asking me 
what it was that had so violently       
attacked him1 so that ,i wondered       
whether he even realized that ,i had    
saved his life4 ,thus ,i thought it not 
worth while to ask him why it was this  
strange woman had tried to kill him1 as 
with all her violence she had never     
attempted actual harm to the others of  
us to whom she had appeared4  ,but what 
,i failed that day to understand and for
 many long years was a riddle to me1    
came out clearly in the end4            
,,chapter ,,xiv  ,,our ,,sister ,,leaves
 ,,us      ,o death1 where is thy sting8

     ,o grave1 where is thy victory8    
--,new ,testament4   ,well hath he of   
great afflictions said1 ,man is born    
unto trouble as the sparks fly upward4  
,thus ,i said unto myself the night     
following the fright of my ,sister      
,bernice as ,i sought in vain for sleep1
 for ,i felt the shadow of some heavy   
sorrow hanging over us4 ,not even the   
prattle of ,sonnlein1 or my unremitting 
daily toil1 ,god's antidote for         
corroding care1 could efface from my    
mind the wan features of ,sister        
,bernice1 the extreme delicacy of her   
fragile form1 and the shock she had     
received from the witch4  ,and yet1 for 
so ,he hath ordained1 as time dragged   
its slow length away1 my forebodings    
almost vanished1 and the days were      
beginning to pass swifter than a        
weaver's shuttle1 so ,i was not without 
hope that1 after all1 my fears had been 
the result of a too tender solicitude   
for my dear sister4  ,thus almost a year
 passed away in which ,i saw her in     

fleeting glimpses1 but not to hold sweet
 converse with her or once again to feel
 the touch of that hand ,i longed to    
harbor in mine and shelter from all the 
storms of life4 ,how my poor human      
nature struggled with me those days1 so 
that at times ,i thought ,i must take   
her in mine arms and with ,sonnlein flee
 to some retreat where we could pass the
 rest of our days in perfect love and   
peace6  ,but happy is the man whom ,god 
correcteth1 for after all we are not fit
 for heaven until all the dross hath    
been tormented out of us1 leaving the   
pure gold for his kingdom4  ,whether my 
sister was enduring all these pangs of  
unspoken1 forbidden love ,i knew not2 ,i
 only knew that if by chance our eyes   
met1 which was all too seldom1 ,i       
thought ,i could see in their pure      
depths a tender1 beseeching longing for 
me4  ,and now the glory of autumn had   
passed away4 ,the fields about the      
,kloster lay cold and bare4 ,the naked  
branches of the trees shivered in the   

chilling airs4 ,how bleak and cheerless 
the world seemed in these early days of 
winter before the touch of ice and snow 
had transformed the fields and the      
forests into fairyland6  ,the last day  
of ,november was drawing to its close4  
,the ,brethren had partaken1 in solemn  
thankfulness1 of our simple evening meal
 and ,i had gone to my ,kammer1 first   
putting ,sonnlein to rest1 after having 
recounted to me all the marvelous       
happenings of the day1 and was about    
myself to lie down to sleep1 when       
hearing a step near1 ,i looked up and   
saw ,brother ,beissel1 even graver and  
sadder than usual4 ,brother ,jabez1     
,mother ,maria hath come saying she     
would see thee and me4 ,at once a great 
fear gripped my heart--something about  
,bernice4  ,i am ready to see her1      
brother1 said ,i quietly1 rising to my  
feet4 ,just outside the door of ,zion1  
for she would not come in1 stood our    
prioress1 a deep sadness in her usually 
hard and inscrutable features4  ,when   

she saw us1 she waited first for        
,brother ,beissel to bid her speak1 and 
then she said quietly1 with tears in her
 voice1 for which ,i ever felt grateful 
to her3 ,sister ,bernice is leaving us2 
she is dying4 ,and then duty overcame   
grief and pity1 and looking up          
steadfastly into our faces1 ,mother     
,maria said1 almost sternly1 ,i thought3
 ,our ,sister ,bernice doth entreat us  
that before she die ,brother ,jabez may 
see her4 ,i told her gently 'twas       
'gainst the rules of our order for      
,sister to be in ,zion or ,brother in   
,kedar4  ,we stood silent for a few     
moments1 and then1 looking at me as     
though he would read my very soul1      
,brother ,beissel said to me softly3    
,art thou and our ,sister ,bernice aught
 to each other8  ,but for our vows the  
world would know we loved each other1 ,i
 said humbly1 but looking not unsteadily
 into those eyes that seemed to read    
men's hearts like open books4  ,now ,i  
know for a surety that which thy        

troubled face hinted to me of late1 my  
,brother ,jabez4 ,i know thou hast      
fought a hard fight4 ,i command thee go 
see our sister1 thy ,bernice2 no fear of
 idle tongue or hard letter of the law  
shall keep us from the true promptings  
of the spirit4 ,and then1 pushing me    
gently along1 he said3 ,go1 haste4      
,mother ,maria1 it is my wish that thou 
take our brother to our sister2 be thou 
the only one present4  ,and thus this   
wonderful man1 who had in him all the   
fiery1 unyielding hatred of sin of a    
,jeremiah1 and yet a woman's tender     
sympathy1 bound me to him1 though oft we
 differed in opinion1 for life4  ,when  
,mother ,maria and ,i entered the narrow
 doorway leading from the corridor into 
the cell where ,bernice lay1 the        
,sisters gathered there were sent       
obediently to their cells1 though the   
hearts of each of the gentle nuns longed
 to be present to soften the last       
moments of their young sister who for so
 many years had been a dear companion4  

,only ,mother ,maria and ,i remained    
with ,bernice4 ,at first1 in the dim    
light of the little paper lantern1 she  
did not seem to notice me as ,i knelt   
down beside her1 ,mother ,maria standing
 in the doorway and so thoughtfully     
filling it that no one could see into   
this little chamber already hallowed by 
the presence of the angel of death4  ,as
 ,i knelt there ,i took one of my       
sister's dear1 white1 wasted hands into 
mine1 and lifting into my arm her head1 
from which flowed the golden masses of  
hair that gilded the hard1 wooden       
pillow1 ,i murmured to her1 ,bernice2   
and as she opened those eyes that had   
ever the look of heaven in them1 ,i     
breathed softly to her1 ,tis thy        
,brother ,jabez2 dost not know me8  ,and
 then she looked at me with             
understanding in her gaze and whispered 
so weakly ,i thought my heart would     
burst with love and grief3 ,i know thee2
 ,i am so happy4 ,and as she said this1 
she smiled so sweetly ,i held her closer

 in my arms1 our souls meeting in our   
first kiss4  ,for many moments ,i knelt 
sheltering her dear head in mine arms1  
each of us unspeakably happy that now   
even1 though in the hour of death1 we   
could say freely with our lips that     
which our hearts had told each other    
long ago4 ,outside was stillness1 and so
 inside the hall4 ,mother ,maria still  
kept her watch in the doorway1 grim and 
sad1 as though she neither saw nor heard
 my sister and me4  ,i could not leave  
thee without telling how ,i loved thee1 
she whispered1 lifting up the hand ,i   
had not imprisoned in mine1 and resting 
it on my shoulder1 where it lay like a  
lily4 ,i tried so hard to forget thee1  
but since that love feast--thou knowest 
which one--thou wast ever with me4      
,that love feast was paradise1 my       
beloved sister2 but thou must not talk  
so much1 ,i fear4  ,nay1 ,i know my end 
is near2 ,i am not afraid now4  ,in a   
few moments she whispered shyly1 ,dost  
remember the witch8  ,yea1 ,i could have

 slain her for frightening thee so4     
,but when thou didst take me into thy   
great arms and soothe and pity me like  
some little child1 ,i was almost glad ,i
 had seen the witch4  ,thou foolish     
girl1 how canst care so for such a      
great1 clumsy1 stupid brother like me8  
,she lay a few minutes as if she could  
not whisper more1 and then1 after ,i    
thought she had forgotten what ,i had   
just said1 she whispered1 but more      
feebly than before1 ,thou'rt not clumsy 
or stupid2 thou art so strong but so    
tender--,i love thee better than life4  
,and then she seemed so exhausted ,i was
 obliged to lay her head off my breast  
to her pillow thinking she could breathe
 more easily1 but the gentle pressure of
 her hand on my shoulder and the        
nestling touch of the one on my own told
 me she preferred it thus4  ,i know not 
how long ,i held her in mine embrace1   
but she again opened her eyes and       
whispered1 pausing between each word1   
,thou wilt be with me in heaven8  ,yea1 

mein ,liebchen1 forever and forever1 ,i 
murmured holding her to me still more   
closely1 whereat she smiled and         
whispered1 but so low and broken ,i     
could hardly hear it1 ,i am so happy1   
and then ,i felt a shudder pass through 
the dear frame in mine arms2 her head   
fell limp and lifeless from my shoulder1
 and ,i knew that from within the narrow
 walls of the bare1 cold cell1 and out  
through the dark night1 there was       
winging its way to heaven the soul of my
 sister1 my ,bernice4  ,for a long while
 ,i knelt holding her in mine arms1 the 
tears raining down my face as never     
since childhood4 ,then ,i laid her down 
on the bench which could no longer      
crucify the earthly habitation of my    
,bernice2 ,i kissed the dear face for   
the last time1 and then rising1 ,i said 
as calmly as ,i could to ,mother ,maria1
 ,our sister hath gone to her home1 and 
then ,i left the ,house of ,sorrow with 
the light of a great peace in mine      
heart1 for though ,i knew that earth had

 lost much of its sweetness1 yet the    
bitterness of my short sojourn here was 
as naught compared with the added bliss 
heaven now held for me4  ,thus ,sister  
,bernice was the first flower to die of 
the ,roses of ,saron and the first of   
the ,solitary to be laid away in the    
little ,god's ,acre down in the meadow  
by the roadside4 ,mine own wish1 had it 
been expressed1 would have been that our
 sister be buried in the simplicity     
which marked her gentle life1 but those 
in authority thought it best to make her
 burial an occasion for all the imposing
 honors and ceremonies of our ,order4   
,at midnight1 while earth and sky were  
held in intense darkness--the chill1    
wintry winds sighing a mournful requiem 
more sad and mournful even than the     
chanting by the heavy-hearted ,sisters  
and ,brothers1 of the dirge composed in 
loving memory by ,sister ,foeben--six of
 the ,brothers clad in their long cowls 
tenderly and reverently carried the body
 of our dear ,bernice from ,mount ,sinai

 down to the narrow little ,kammer where
 all that was of earth of her could rest
 in peace until the call of the last    
day4  ,my heart was too full to note all
 this but dimly and to hear but faintly 
our footfalls upon the hard ground and  
the solemn tolling of the convent bells1
 the flickering rushlights shedding a   
weird1 ghostly light over the sad1 thin 
line of mourners4  ,tenderly as a fond  
mother lays her child to sleep at       
evenfall we laid our sister to rest with
 all the symbolic beauty of the ritual  
of the ,brotherhood of ,zion and then   
having performed our last sacred offices
 for our departed one1 we filed slowly  
back to our cells4 ,the room ,sister    
,bernice had occupied in ,kedar was now 
closed to remain so for some time1 and  
upon the walls of her ,kammer was hung a
 legend1 or ,segenspruch1 composed by   
our ,brother ,beissel1 and lovingly     
executed by the ,sisters in their       
beautiful ,gothic penwork3  ,bernice1   
,freue dich in ihrem gang unter der     

,schafweide1 und sey freundlich u4      
huldreich unter den ,liebhabern4  ,which
 meaneth3 ,bernice1 enjoy yourself in   
your sojourn among the sheep pastures   
and be affable and gracious among the   
suitors4  ,ah me1 ah me6     ,,chapter  
,,xv  ,,the ,,great ,,comet      ,the   
,lord his signs makes to appear1     ,to
 call us to repentance3     ,a monstrous
 comet standeth there     ,that we our  
sins shall flee from1     ,but we1 alas6
 scarce give it a thought     ,for each 
one thinks it cometh not1     ,the      
punishment and danger4   ,the winter    
winds had swept o'er the grave of our   
dear sister not a month1 and hardly had 
our little camp on the ,cocalico been   
restored to its usual evenness of temper
 after the wordy warfare ,brother       
,hildebrand and ,i1 under the leadership
 of ,brother ,beissel1 had waged against
 our ancient foes1 the ,moravians at    
,bethlehem--for they believed not in    
celibacy--when we were again roused to a
 high pitch of excitement by that which 

was no less than a second comet which1  
following closely upon the one that     
flashed so suddenly upon us the         
preceding ,february1 left no longer any 
doubts even in the minds of the most    
skeptical and unbelieving1 that we were 
within the portent of some great crisis4
  ,it was on the evening of ,christmas a
 number of the ,brotherhood1 among them 
the ,eckerlings and ,brother            
,weiser--for though he had gone back to 
the world he oft revisited us--our      
superintendent and ,sonnlein and ,i1    
were gathered on the highest point of   
,mount ,sinai1 nigh to the ,brother     
woods4 ,the sun had hardly sunk from    
view and the twilight begun to deepen   
over the unbroken expanse of forest and 
upon the slopes of the distant hills to 
the west1 when suddenly ,brother        
,jephune1 our astronomer1 clutched      
,brother ,weiser by the arm1 and        
exclaimed in awe-struck tones1 ,see1    
look1 the comet6 as he pointed all in a 
tremble to where the sun had just       

disappeared4  ,startled by his voice and
 his intense gaze1 we turned sharply4 ,i
 could see naught but a single small    
star1 shining dimly1 but ,i held my     
peace4  ,brother ,weiser was the first  
to break the strain in a cold1 calm1    
judge-like tone1 ,i see naught but a    
small star2 ,brother ,jephune1 thou     
seest ever visions4  ,it were better for
 thee1 our ,brother ,enoch1 didst thou  
see more visions instead of having thine
 eyes stubbornly sealed against the     
mysteries of ,god1 quietly interrupted  
,brother ,onesimus4  ,brother ,jephune1 
mine eyes are yet strong4 ,i see naught 
but a star1 nor do our brethren see thy 
comet1 said our leader4  ,brother       
,jephune apparently heard not his       
critics1 for he still stood motionless  
and gazed most intensely upon what      
appeared to us an innocent star4        
,suddenly he turned to us again and     
whispered1 ',tis the very comet of last 
winter4 ,i told ye the sun had swallowed
 it and now the sun hath spit out again 

the fiery monster1 and then he wailed1  
,woe1 woe1 be unto all the ungodly who  
shall be destroyed by this fiery        
serpent6  ,because ,i did not always    
agree with the many foolish and         
unscriptural speculations of the        
,eckerlings1 they oft accused me of     
irreverence and lacking in spirituality4
 ,be that as it may1 and although ,i    
knew many comets had appeared to the    
eyes of men since the creation without  
any apparent change in the rules and    
order of the universe1 yet ,i felt the  
same awe that enveloped our little      
group4 ,calling ,sonnlein to me ,i said 
to him as we all clustered about him1 ,i
 have taught thee somewhat of the stars2
 thine are the youngest eyes here4 ,look
 thou carefully4 ,is that yonder pale   
star such as thou seest at night8  ,and 
then with our awe reflected in his      
childish face he gazed steadily at the  
star1 and then turning as in doubt1 he  
said to me as though the others were not
 present1 ',tis a star1 ,vaterchen4     

,what knoweth such a child8 exclaimed   
our astrologer peevishly4  ,have        
patience1 my good brother2 look again1  
my son2 make a funnel of thy hands2 thou
 knowest how ,i taught thee to1 ,i said 
gently to ,sonnlein1 who in loving      
obedience put his hand rounded like a   
spyglass to his eye1 and again he looked
 steadily at the apparition4 ,then my   
boy turned again to me and said simply1 
,it is but a little star1 ,vaterchen1   
and as if it were of no importance he   
added1 ,there is something like smoke   
behind it4  ,smoke6 ,what nonsense is   
this8 cried ,brother ,enoch in disgust4 
,smoke1 shouted ,brother ,jephune1 the  
child seeth that which ,i tell ye ,i    
see1 ye blind scoffers4 ,was the smoke  
like a tail or a bundle of switches--had
 it shape8 he cried eagerly4  ,like a   
tail1 said ,sonnlein timidly4  ,oh1     
wondrous sight of innocent childhood1   
murmured the astrologer1 to see what    
world-blinded eyes cannot see6  ,and    
indeed a comet it was1 for it rapidly   

increased to great size and brilliancy1 
and for two months from early evening   
until after midnight flamed fiercely    
across the northwestern sky1 a fearful1 
awesome sight1 even to the least        
superstitious among us4  ,brother       
,jephune1 and many with him1 accepted   
the star1 since it had appeared on the  
twenty-fifth day of the month1 as the   
one prophesied in the ,zohar1 which was 
to hang in the heavens for seventy days1
 to be seen of all men as a warning1 at 
the end of which time there would arise 
a great tumult and confusion upon the   
earth1 to be followed by the universal  
peace of ,god's kingdom4 ,the settlers  
in the country round about us relying   
upon ,num4 #bd 3 #ag1 #ah1 fully        
believed this was the ,star out of      
,jacob1 and that a sceptre should arise 
to smite the evil in the earth2 that the
 millennium was nigh1 and ,brother      
,beissel taught with his usual fiery    
zeal that when the fulfillment of the   
prophecy finally came1 our ,mount ,sinai

 would be the center of the ,new        
,jerusalem in this evening land2 that   
the ,brotherhood of ,zion would be      
chosen as the ,priests of the ,temple1  
and many there were who though hitherto 
they had hardened their hearts against  
our preaching and our charity1 now      
through fear and superstition hastened  
to be gathered under the protecting     
wings of our community4  ,in this       
perturbed state we were for over two    
months1 when on an evening a number of  
the ,solitary ,brethren were again      
gathered at almost the same elevated    
spot on ,mount ,sinai1 hard by the      
,brother woods that we had occupied the 
evening ,brother ,jephune and ,sonnlein 
had been the first to see the comet4    
,we had been standing in utter silence  
for a long while1 when ,brother ,gabriel
 turned to ,brother ,weiser1 and said as
 though in reproof1 ,and still thou     
believest this strange vision in the sky
 foretelleth naught8  ,it speaketh to me
 of the wondrous power and majesty of   

,god1 replied ,brother ,enoch           
reverently1 naught else4  ,and yet thou 
knowest in #afhj there appeared a comet 
in the ,vaterland--oft have ,i heard my 
father tell of it--not so great as this1
 nor with so long a tail4 ,after that   
comet there followed a long and weary   
war1 from which our beloved ,vaterland  
hath never recovered4 ,dost thou not    
fear this fiery star1 so much greater   
than the other1 portendeth war and      
famine and pestilence to this ,new      
,world8  ,nay1 ,i heard ,brother ,enoch 
say1 the holy word promiseth all such   
dire calamities because of man's        
wickedness1 not because of comets4  ,but
 comets may be the sign of ,his         
displeasure1 as the rainbow is the sign 
of his covenant with ,noah1 persisted   
,brother ,gabriel4  ,i only know the    
holy book sayeth naught of comets4  ,the
 comet is the fiery sword of the ,lord  
whereby he shall cut down all the       
scoffers and the ungodly1 interrupted   
,brother ,jephune warningly4 ,i tell    

thee there will be much sickness and    
death1 and as the comet will disappear  
in ,pisces1 so ,i read its course1 it   
presages misfortune to all the fish     
within the waters1 and in this our      
,brother ,christopher ,sauer1 of        
,germantown1 agreeth4  ,and yet1        
,brother ,jephune1 rejoined ,brother    
,weiser with a faint smile1 the innocent
 fish have not sinned4  ,brother ,sauer 
also reporteth1 continued our           
astronomer1 unheeding the mockery in    
,brother ,weiser's voice1 the good      
people in ,new ,england take it         
seriously to heart that ,god is         
threatening a great judgment upon the   
evil ones of earth4  ,and heed thou1    
,brother ,weiser1 enjoined ,brother     
,gabriel1 thou sittest not in the seat  
of the scornful when the judgment       
cometh4  ,nor thou with the sorcerers   
and those who practise enchantments6    
retorted ,brother ,enoch4  ,what else   
doth our ,brother ,christopher say of   
this glaring visitant8 asked ,brother   

,beissel in the hope of pouring oil upon
 the troubled waters4  ,the printer     
sayeth that while the star first        
appeared in ,aries1 the habitation of   
,mars1 and set in ,pisces there shall   
come great changes1 disturbances1 wrath1
 confusion1 and disorder1 upon the      
nations of the earth4 ,this cometh from 
,mars4 ,as ,pisces is the dwelling-place
 of ,jupiter it foreshadoweth equal     
disturbances in spiritual things2 there 
will be many changes and great confusion
 followed by dreadful quick-coming      
judgments4 ,as the star latterly hath so
 rapid a course1 and burns like unto a  
great flaming torch with a long1 fiery  
tail1 he holdeth that the destruction of
 the religious ,babylonian order is near
 at hand4  ,sayeth he no more--what     
cometh after all this destruction of    
evil8 ,surely light must follow         
darkness6 inquired our leader eagerly4  
,even so2 for our learned ,christopher  
sayeth1 and ,i agree with him1 that a   
newer1 better order will follow4 ,the   

comet seemeth again to be moving toward 
the sun as if to effect conjunction with
 it in the middle line4 ,this           
foretelleth that the comet1 the evil1   
shall be swallowed up by the sun1 the   
source of light and life4 ,thus the     
darkness of sin shall disappear from the
 face of the earth and the light of ,his
 grace1 and mercy shall shine forever   
from the hearts of men4  ,even so1      
,lord1 let it be1 said our leader most  
solemnly1 let thy kingdom come quickly4 
,to which we all responded in equal     
solemnity1 ,amen4  ,and then just as we 
were about to take our way back to our  
,kammers1 there arose without the       
slightest warning such a savage1        
blood-freezing1 wailing cry from the    
woods hard by us1 that by one accord    
each gripped the other by the arm as if 
in the presence of some awful1 common   
danger1 my poor ,sonnlein rushing into  
mine arms almost speechless with terror4
  ,in truth1 each for the time was      
paralyzed with that cry that sounded    

like the wail of a soul in the torments 
of the damned4 ,finally1 ,brother       
,gabriel whispered1 his teeth chattering
 so that he could scarcely utter a word1
 ',twas the ,evil ,one1 he knoweth his  
end is nigh4  ,doth not ,revelation say 
,satan is to be bound and thrust into   
the bottomless pit8 gasped ,brother     
,beissel4  ,heard ye not the clanking of
 the chains8 whispered ,brother         
,onesimus4  ,what was't1 ,vaterchen8    
whispered ,sonnlein1 who was still      
shivering in my embrace4  ,some wild    
beast that hath strayed nigh2 for in my 
hermit days ,i had more than once heard 
the panther's terrifying howl1 in the   
darkness of the night4  ,was't an       
,indian1 ,vaterchen8  ,nay1 my son1     
replied ,brother ,enoch for me1 the     
,indians are at peace with us4 ',twas no
 human voice4  ,was't some wild beast1  
thinkest thou8 asked ,brother ,gabriel4 
,nay1 it sounded not so to me2 ,i know  
not what it was4 ,it is a great mystery 
to me1 replied ,brother ,enoch slowly1  

which was a great deal for our          
clear-headed brother to admit4  ',twas  
the cry of the ,evil ,one1 naught else1 
declared ,brother ,jephune4  ,and in    
this ,i agree with thee1 solemnly spake 
our leader2 great and gracious is our   
,lord to show us these marvelous signs  
of his coming4 ,let us go to our rest in
 peace and gladness1 and await the dawn 
of his kingdom in the earth4  ,and so we
 went full of such devout hopes to our  
narrow cells2 but somehow ,i could not  
shake from my mind that the cry came    
from our old enemy1 the witch4          
,,chapter ,,xvi  ,a ,,far ,,journey     
,with ,god--over the sea2     ,without  
him--not over the threshold4            
--,russian ,proverb4   ,at the time of  
which ,i write this1 the fall of #agdd1 
,prior ,onesimus and his three brothers 
were in the ascendency1 and for a time  
it seemed as though ,brother ,beissel   
would be completely overthrown in his   
rule by these designing ,eckerlings2 but
 they who thought our superintendent    

easy to overcome reckoned without their 
host1 for while to the worldly minded he
 had not the graces and attractiveness  
that marked our prior1 our              
superintendent1 though harmless as a    
dove1 had the wisdom and subtilty of the
 serpent1 and thus at this time1 when   
the strain between these two had        
increased from day to day1 ,prior       
,onesimus1 no doubt for purposes of his 
own1 conceived the idea that we make a  
pilgrimage to the ,sabbatarian          
communities in ,connecticut and ,rhode  
,island4 ,i recollect full well that    
when he made his desire known to our    
superintendent1 suggesting possibly a   
short absence would tend to heal their  
differences1 ,brother ,beissel at once  
gave his consent4  ,but if our prior had
 thought to surround himself with his   
own followers and thus make this        
enterprise redound solely to his credit 
he was greatly mistaken1 for the        
superintendent quietly suggested the    
prior take with him his own brother1    

,jephune1 and ,brother ,timotheus       
7,alexander ,mack71 and myself as       
traveling companions1 the prior being   
promised by our superintendent that in  
the meantime he would attend to the     
prior's duties at the meetings4 ,this   
was not exactly to our prior's liking1  
but ,brother ,beissel pointed out that  
these brethren were selected in order to
 insure the success of the expedition as
 well as the welfare and comfort of the 
party4 ,thus the prior would represent  
the ,zionitic ,brethren and the         
,theosophists of the community2 ,brother
 ,timotheus1 the secular congregation   
and the ,baptists in general2 ,jephune1 
our mystic and astrologer1 would serve  
as the physician of the party2 while ,i 
was to be the theologian and            
interpreter4  ,thus it was arranged and 
we at once began our brief preparations 
for the journey3 extra soles for our    
wooden sandals1 the points of our       
pilgrim staffs sharpened1 a day's       
provisions for the inner man1 a copy of 

the ,weyrauch's ,hgel1 and a few of     
,brother ,beissel's ,theosophische      
,episteln for the spiritual man4 ,i have
 it on my records that this occurred on 
the ,friday of ,september #ba1 #agdd1   
almost a year since our dear sister had 
left us1 on the night of which an       
unusually solemn love feast was held in 
the ,saal1 at ,zion1 in our honor4 ,the 
services lasted far into the night1 even
 the hours between the midnight prayers 
and the dawn being passed in prayer4    
,the next morning being our ,sabbath we 
all were present at the meeting of the  
congregation1 where every one bade us a 
most loving ,god-speed4  ,but in all    
these simple preparations and pious     
services ,i confess ,i had nigh         
forgotten my ,sonnlein1 and when the    
thought of him came to me on that       
,sabbath ,day as to what he would do in 
my absence1 ,i feared ,i should have to 
seek my release from the superintendent1
 for ,i am proud to say1 never did boy  
hang to his mother's skirts more closely

 than did ,sonnlein follow upon my      
heels1 so much so it became a byword in 
our little camp that it could be        
depended on when one of us appeared1 it 
would not be long until you saw the     
other1 and indeed we were inseparable4  
,during the day he would trot after me  
wherever my duties took me1 whether in  
the fields or in the printing room1 or  
rambling in the woods for wild flowers1 
and as he grew older he insisted upon   
attending the midnight devotions1 just  
as the grown-up ,brothers and ,sisters4 
,with the exception of my brief sojourn 
in ,lancaster in the matter of the      
levies1 we had never been separated for 
more than a few hours at a time1 and ,i 
knew if ,i left him now for this long   
journey the poor boy would be utterly   
disconsolate4 ,i also knew full well    
that our ,brother ,beissel1 though not a
 hater of children1 still had little    
patience with them1 and ,i doubted much 
whether he and ,sonnlein could stand the
 trial of my long absence4 ,i called    

,sonnlein to me and told him ,i was     
about to go away for a great many weeks4
 ,at once he danced and jumped about me 
in a most uncloistral manner1 apparently
 never doubting for a moment that1 as in
 the past1 he would be with me2 but when
 ,i said to him1 ',tis a far journey1   
,sonnlein1 too far for thee1 ,i saw the 
tears in his eyes1 though he tried to   
keep them down as he asked3  ,am ,i not 
to go with thee1 ,vaterchen8  ,nay1 ,i  
fear not1 ,sonnlein2 'tis a long way    
over rough roads and through tangled    
paths1 through great1 lonely forests1   
where there are wild beasts1 and then   
the wild sea to make thee sick4 ,we know
 not what hardships we may have to      
endure4  ,but ,i can walk1 ,vaterchen2  
,i am not afraid of the lonely woods1   
not if ,i am with thee4  ,but how about 
the sea8  ,thou canst give me physic1 he
 replied so innocently ,i could not     
refrain from laughing1 whereat he pouted
 and grumbled1 ,i'm not afraid of the   
sea1 and on land ,i can walk as well as 

',old ,air-smeller4'  ,what6 ,i cried in
 amazement4 ,whom dost mean by such     
irreverent name8 ,i demanded4  ,brother 
,jephune1 he confessed2 he sticketh his 
nose into the air when he walketh about1
 so he falleth over everything4  ,is't  
needful you call him such name8  ,so the
 neighbors call him4  ,must do what     
foolish ones do8  ,nay2 and then1       
looking up with repentance writ all over
 him1 he said1 ,may ,i go8 ,i can walk  
and ,i won't mind the water4 ,thou      
knowest ,i am fond of water1 which was  
the truth1 for when he was not with me  
he was swimming or fishing in the       
,cocalico1 or hunting in the woods when 
the ,cocalico was too cold4  ,indeed1 ,i
 doubted not he could endure the journey
 as well as most of us1 for he was a    
hardy1 active boy1 and with our         
healthful life had never known a day of 
sickness4 ,i liked no better to be      
separated from him than did he1 and had 
he quietly taken my suggestion to remain
 ,i had been greatly disappointed2 but  

when ,i broached the matter to my       
brother pilgrims they at first demurred1
 and yet they loved my boy1 for with all
 his mischievousness he was always ready
 and willing to do the bidding of any of
 them4 ,finally1 upon my persuasions1   
they acknowledged it would be safe for  
him to make the journey4 ,accordingly ,i
 prepared a little pilgrim's staff for  
him and saw that he had a stout pair of 
sandals1 and with a little bag of       
provisions for him we started out at six
 o'clock of that ,sabbath evening on our
 journey1 the assembled ,brotherhood and
 ,sisterhood watching us from ,mount    
,zion until we were out of sight4  ,but 
once fairly upon our way1 we walked1 as 
was our custom1 bareheaded and silently1
 in single file1 ,prior ,onesimus at the
 head and myself at the rear1 all except
 ,sonnlein1 who neither kept silence nor
 in file1 almost exhausting me with his 
innumerable questions2 at one moment he 
would be ahead of us and the next in the
 rear1 now stopping to gather a handful 

of nuts that had dropped from the trees 
along our way or else to pluck the wild 
grapes that hung in royal purple from   
the luxuriant vines1 and then rushing   
after me1 tempting me to share his      
feast4  ,at first our course led us     
through the settlements of our ,german  
brethren in the eastern part of         
,lancaster ,county2 thence among our    
,english brethren in ,nantmill1 where we
 stopped for a few days and held several
 missionary meetings4 ,from the ,falls  
of ,french ,creek we took the road among
 the ,german families2 thence across the
 ,schuylkill to the ,german settlements 
along the roadside leading to           
,germantown4 ,a somewhat prolonged stop 
was made with our brother mystics on the
 ,wissahickon1 among whom we found much 
solace and comfort2 thence a short visit
 to the brethren of the faith in the    
city of ,philadelphia2 thence our       
missionary tour took us to the          
,pennepack4  ,thus far our pilgrimage   
had taken us mainly among the brethren  

of our own belief1 and yet wherever we  
went our bare1 cropped heads1 long      
beards1 white cloaks and cowls1 our     
silence and manner of traveling1        
attracted considerable attention and    
even ridicule and grossest insults4     
,sonnlein1 however1 being never late in 
informing the curious ones who we were2 
and while ,i admonished him frequently  
against his too great freedom with      
strangers1 there is no doubt that by his
 frankness he saved us much annoyance1  
for ,i have long ago learned that one   
will be forgiven much if he only be open
 and candid1 no matter how wicked he be2
 but if1 like a turtle1 he keep within  
his shell and mind his own business like
 a good1 honest turtle1 every idler and 
good-for-naught must hurl stones at him 
to crack his shell4  ,after crossing the
 ,neshaminy ,creek at the falls we were 
ferried across the ,delaware--a         
wonderful sight to ,sonnlein--and       
entered our sister province of ,new     
,jersey4 ,arriving at ,amwell1 we were  

greatly rejoiced to find the converts   
baptized some six years before by some  
of our brethren still keeping up their  
organization and considering themselves 
a branch of the parent community at     
,ephrata4  ,we remained here for some   
time and then parted from our dear      
brethren in mutual sadness1 for we knew 
not whether we should ever see each     
other again4  ,and now our journey took 
us through long stretches of forest and 
for miles and miles our way was but a   
narrow path among tall1 solemn pines so 
thickly grown and so crowded with brush 
and vines underneath as to have a most  
gloomy and depressing effect even upon  
the most cheerful of us4 ,now and then  
we came upon some little stream or pond 
that looked almost black under the      
shadows of the bordering pines4 ,these  
streams and ponds were the only changes 
in the landscape excepting the          
occasional sand hills1 and the only     
sound to break the monotony would be the
 note of some bird4 ,houses we saw not  

for hours and even for days1 and many a 
night we slept within the folds of these
 dark and gloomy forests1 our roof the  
thick1 heavy branches of the pines1     
through which1 on clear nights1 the     
stars smiled down cheerily4  ,but though
 the nights were already cold and frosty
 and ,i feared exceedingly ,sonnlein    
would suffer from the exposure1 still   
with a fire burning all night to keep us
 warm and to frighten away wild beasts  
we minded not the hard1 rough earth with
 the thin carpet of pine twigs and      
needles any more than our hard benches  
in our ,kammers4 ,sonnlein invariably   
slept between me and ,brother           
,timotheus1 thus being sheltered        
somewhat from the winds that even the   
thick forest could not entirely keep    
from us4  ,after some days' travel in   
this wise we finally came to the region 
between the ,shark and ,squan ,rivers1  
where we found a little community of    
about fifteen adult members1            
,sabbatarians1 who had migrated from    

,stonington1 ,connecticut1 and          
,westerly1 ,rhode ,island1 and who had  
signed a covenant binding themselves to 
live and walk together as ,christian    
people1 although they had no church or  
pastor4 ,a number of meetings were      
arranged in our honor1 and at these ,i  
preached and admonished them to remain  
steadfast in their faith1 so that ,i was
 gratified to note our efforts resulted 
in a church's being organized1 ,brother 
,william ,davis1 the elder1 although in 
his eighty-first year1 being chosen     
pastor4  ,leaving ,shrewsbury1 as this  
church is referred to in our records1 we
 wended our way southward until we came 
to a place on the west shore of         
,barnegat ,bay1 almost directly opposite
 the outlet of this beautiful bay into  
the ocean4 ,here was another settlement 
of ,new ,england ,sabbatarians1 who were
 known as ,rogerines1 a band of about   
twenty-one persons4 ,they received us   
with open arms and we were most         
hospitably entertained by ,brother ,john

 ,culver--the most prominent among the  
,rogerines--who had made several visits 
to ,amwell and to ,ephrata and upon     
whose earnest invitation we had come to 
,barnegat4 ,these good people looked    
upon us as holy men1 so that they       
brought their sick to us in the hope    
that they might be healed by the very   
laying on of hands and prayer1 as our   
,rogerine brethren used no medicines nor
 would they employ physicians1 relying  
upon strictly scriptural means for      
relief from illness4 ,while we agreed   
not on all doctrinal points1 still in so
 much of our manner of life and belief  
we were in such perfect accord that our 
stay was exceedingly refreshing to our  
souls1 and it was through these good    
people as much as anything else we      
extended our visit to ,new ,england1    
stopping on our way to visit one ,john  
,lovell1 an old ,pythagorean1 who lived 
as a hermit in the dense woods about    
four miles from ,burlington1 throughout 
the seasons1 without fire1 in a cell    

made by the side of an old log1 in the  
form of an oven1 not high enough or long
 enough to stand upright in or lie      
extended4  ,i mean not to be harsh or   
unjust to this surly hermit1 who lived  
more like a beast than man1 but in his  
boyish straightness of speech ,sonnlein 
spoke out full well what was in my mind 
and ,i doubt not in my brethren's also  
when he said1 ,brother ,lovell hath his 
soul from a pig or else would he not be 
so dirty1 for we did not believe that   
our ,lord any more than mortal man cared
 to look upon dirty1 sour faces4 ,we    
held that a contented mind showed itself
 in a bright1 cheerful face1 and thus it
 was our habit at ,ephrata1 with both   
,brother and ,sister1 always to be      
satisfied and to bear ever a glad       
countenance1 even though the bitterness 
of death were upon us1 and for this we  
have the ,scriptures4     ,,chapter     
,,xvii  ,,in ,a ,,strange ,,land        
,oct4 #aj1 #agdd4 ,i went to ,john      
,bolles to see #d men ,yt     come from 

beyond ,barnegat1 with long beards #h or
 #i inches1     and strangely clothed1  
no hats and all in white1 but they      
were not there4--,extract from diary of 
,joshua ,hempstead1     of ,new ,london4
   ,from the hermit's hut we proceeded  
to ,new ,brunswick1 and by good fortune 
found1 as though especially waiting for 
us1 a vessel about to sail for ,new     
,england4 ,our journey thus far had been
 mainly among friends2 but now1 even    
though we had a letter of introduction  
from our ,barnegat brethren to the      
,rogerines in ,new ,london1 we could not
 with all our faith and fortitude       
repress the dismal forebodings of trials
 and persecutions we should encounter   
there on account of our beliefs--all    
except ,sonnlein1 to whom this          
pilgrimage was full of marvel and       
delight1 and now that he was about to go
 out upon the sea his joy knew no       
bounds1 for verily he was born under    
,pisces4  ,but having put our hands to  
the helm we would not look back1 and    

,brother ,onesimus having secured       
passage for us we set sail1 and barring 
that our good prior was most wretchedly 
seasick all of the voyage1 while        
,sonnlein was sick but the first day1   
when he would have neither food nor     
physic1 we landed near ,new ,london in  
less than a fortnight1 safe and sound1  
hundreds of miles from home1 in a       
strange country1 no friends1 and so     
despised because of our white dress and 
our otherwise monkish aspect that       
whoever saw us fled as though we were   
the plague4  ,fortunately1 our letter   
rescued us from much annoyance1 for a   
prominent member of the ,rogerines1     
,brother ,bolles1 hearing of our arrival
 came to us and on reading our letter   
received us affectionately and harbored 
us so hospitably1 not far from the town1
 that we soon forgot our forebodings4   
,and yet no sooner did our coming become
 known in ,new ,london than did a new   
danger arise against us1 for the very   
day we landed the little seaport was    

wild with excitement over the news that 
,france had joined issue with ,spain    
against ,england4 ,this coincidence     
coupled with our unusual manner and garb
 was too weighty a proof to be          
disregarded that we were ,jesuit        
priests1 ,french spies in disguise4     
,forthwith officers presented themselves
 at the quiet little homestead of our   
,brother ,bolles1 arrested us1 and      
marched us into ,new ,london1 and had   
all the threats hurled at us by the     
excited inhabitants while on our way to 
the justices been executed1 we had been 
undone4  ,happily our host1 a           
respectable and influential citizen1    
personally vouched that we were         
,protestants by birth and profession1   
whereupon our freedom was at once given 
us1 and we were once more taken in      
charge by the ,rogerines of ,new        
,london1 by whom we were so held in     
kindness and esteem that whenever we    
stirred abroad we had in our train no   
less than fifty persons1 among them     

black men--of whom ,sonnlein was sore   
afraid1 never having seen human beings  
of such color--and ,indians1 the former 
being servants1 and for whose spiritual 
welfare their masters were as solicitous
 as of their own1 which thing we much   
admired4  ,we found the people of this  
region in a state of great religious    
excitement1 the ,congregationalists and 
the ,new ,lights being especially bitter
 against each other1 so that wherever   
representatives of these beliefs came   
into each others' presence they did     
nothing but argue and dispute2 and so   
far was this pernicious custom carried  
that when a ,congregationalist met a    
,new ,light1 unless both were deaf and  
dumb1 they would seat themselves on     
chairs1 while about these wordy knights 
of the gospel would gather the          
listeners1 in a circle1 disputants and  
listeners often giving vent to the most 
violent passions1 all of which greatly  
shocked my brethren and me1 yet showing 
us that1 the world over1 men are much   

the same when it cometh to difference in
 belief4  ,at the time of our visit they
 mostly disputed about the perseverance 
of the saints1 and if the saints were as
 persistent in meek obedience and loving
 deeds as were these wordy warriors in  
their vociferous arguments1 ,i have not 
the slightest doubt but that the saints 
have received rich reward4 ,however1 my 
brethren and ,i did all in our power1 in
 patience and long-suffering1 to allay  
the bitterness of this unseemly strife  
that left no peace whatever in this and 
the neighboring towns2 and ,i rejoice to
 say our presence and persuasions did   
much toward this desirable end1 for in  
all their heat they could not but see we
 had no other motive than to speak the  
truth1 fairly and impartially1 and with 
due consideration for the views of the  
contestants4  ,we soon grew to love and 
esteem our good ,rogerine brethren1 and 
,i feel we endeared ourselves to them4  
,we had much in common2 we like them    
were regarded by the world as a peculiar

 people4 ,even the tolerant laws of     
,penn were not always sufficient to save
 us from persecutions1 just as our ,new 
,england brethren1 because they         
conformed not to the beliefs in power1  
suffered fines1 imprisonments1 and even 
the awful indignity of public whippings 
for ,his sake4  ,unlike us they         
practised not celibacy1 but they held   
firmly to the doctrine of non-resistance
 and that the reading of set public     
prayers and preaching for pay was       
utterly unscriptural4 ,they agreed also 
with us in regard to keeping the seventh
 day instead of the first1 the          
administration of the ,lord's ,supper1  
and baptism by immersion4 ,but like     
their ,rogerine brethren on ,barnegat   
,bay it was contrary to their tenets to 
employ physicians or to use medicines in
 case of sickness1 although for ordinary
 ailments some of the less extreme      
,rogerines used the customary remedies  
and were excellent nurses1 being ever   
ready to minister to the sick4  ,having 

thus so much in common it would seem    
there should have been no danger of any 
serious disagreement between us1 and yet
 it tried my brother pilgrims and myself
 sorely to prevent open rupture by      
reason of our being unable to admit all 
our good friends claimed as to the      
scriptural manner of healing4 ,finally1 
upon mutual promises that if any one on 
either side should become angry the     
discussion should stop immediately1 we  
took up the question of healing4  ,thus 
spake the ,rogerine1 calmly3 ,we base   
our beliefs on the teachings of the ,new
 ,testament4  ,brother ,onesimus1       
similiter3 ,we also base our mode of    
life on the ,bible4  ,rogerine1 still   
calmly3 ,the ,almighty not only hath    
infinite power to cure diseases1 but    
hath also blessed willingness so to do4 
,brother ,jephune1 gently3 ,we admit the
 ,almighty hath the power1 but whether  
he hath the willingness we are not ready
 to say4  ,rogerine1 a trifle ungently3 
,the treatment the physicians give is   

bungling and dangerous and greatly      
uncertain4 ,were a dozen doctors to     
treat the same man that man would       
receive physic for twelve different     
diseases4 ,christ's cures were all      
perfect4  ,brother ,timotheus1          
graciously3 ,truly should physicians be 
modest men1 for theirs is a difficult   
art in that so many different diseases  
have similar symptoms4 ,and yet we      
regard healing as an art1 though        
imperfect as is all human art4 ,christ  
was perfect preacher as well as perfect 
healer1 yet there be bungling preachers 
as there be bungling physicians4        
,rogerine1 positively3 ,christ healed   
without physic and the disciples had his
 promise of such cures for all who asked
 in faith4  ,brother ,jabez1 humbly3    
,though ,christ healed without physic1  
nevertheless he pointed to the use of   
natural means by the spittle on the     
blind man's eyes and washing in the pool
 of ,siloam4 ,naaman bathed in the      
,jordan seven times4 ,is it not written 

we are created in his image8 ,doth that 
not mean that these wonderful bodies of 
ours and our surpassing marvelous minds 
were made to perform wonderful and      
marvelous things8 ,ye will also admit   
that not only did ,christ heal the halt1
 the lame1 and the blind1 but that he   
also fed the five thousand with but a   
few loaves and fishes2 ,elijah was fed  
by the ravens2 the widow's cruse of oil 
never failed4 ,no doubt the ,almighty   
hath power to heal us better than the   
physicians1 who oft work in darkness1   
and to feed us better than the          
husbandmen1 who are not always certain  
of their harvests4  ,rogerine1          
indignantly3 ,would ye ask of ,him that 
while we sit here idle1 with grain in   
the fields for bread1 and abundance of  
fish in the sea for ment1 we should     
expect him to feed us like idle1        
helpless children8  ,brother ,jabez1    
smiling subtilely3 ,why not8 ,if with   
our ,god-like powers we do not search   
into the healing properties of the herbs

 of the fields and the salts of the     
earth1 and try to heal ourselves1 it    
seemeth to me we have just as much      
,scripture to sit still and let him feed
 us4  ,rogerine1 indignantly3 ,brother1 
thy speech seemeth almost blasphemous4  
,we hold our views from the ,scriptures4
  ,brother ,jabez1 still mildly3 ,so do 
we2 but it is with the ,scriptures as in
 the law2 he who sticketh to the letter 
loseth the true meaning4 ,my beloved    
brethren1 for indeed ye are so to us1 he
 who readeth not ,god's holy word in the
 ,spirit cannot understand it and       
findeth therein many inconsistencies and
 grounds for unsafe doctrines4 ,we too  
believe that faith can perform miracles1
 but the ,almighty never intended we    
should nourish and heal our bodies by   
dependence on miracles1 or else would   
not he have given us these miraculous   
bodies and minds4  ,rogerine1 quietly3  
,we thank thee1 brother1 but are not    
convinced we are in error4 ,let us not  
imperil our love by useless argument4   

,so be it1 ,i replied1 and thus the     
discussion was safely ended4  ,but so   
great was the faith of one of our       
,rogerine brethren1 we were told1 that  
when the smallpox raged in ,boston some 
twenty years before1 he journeyed one   
hundred miles to the infected city to   
prove his faith would save him from the 
terrible contagion2 for it had been his 
custom for over forty years of his life 
to minister to those sick of that       
disease4 ,this time1 however1 he caught 
the distemper1 which developed after his
 return home and brought him to his     
grave1 as well as two other members of  
his family2 and in this connection1 to  
show how we poor mortals are prone to   
carry our beliefs and doctrines to most 
foolish lengths it was also told me1 by 
the ,rogerine brethren themselves1 and  
not by their enemies1 that a few years  
prior to our visit a certain skin       
disorder had broken out among the       
congregation2 but as their faith        
forebade the use of medicines they knew 

not what to do4 ,in this predicament a  
church meeting was called to deliberate 
how they might get rid of the disorder  
and yet preserve a clear conscience4    
,after a most prolonged meeting and the 
profoundest deliberations in which holy 
writ was thoroughly searched for        
precedent1 it was solemnly resolved that
 this most uncomfortable disease1 which 
we were told was the itch1 was not a    
bodily ailment2 but was a noxious animal
 which had burrowed into their flesh4   
,of course1 there being in their belief 
nothing to prevent the destruction of   
wild animals the usual remedies for this
 particular species were accordingly    
applied1 whereupon the itchy beasts were
 duly slain and eradicated1 and the     
consciences of our pious brethren       
preserved4  ,from ,new ,london we made  
an extended visit to our ,sabbatarian   
brethren of the ,newport and ,old       
,hopkinton churches1 in the province of 
,rhode ,island4 ,here too1 our          
appearance created much excitement but  

fortunately provoked no arrest4 ,our    
visit here1 like all our visits1 was a  
season of great refreshing for our      
souls1 and it is my belief that we      
helped and strengthened our brethren as 
they did help and strengthen us4  ,upon 
our return from ,rhode ,island to ,new  
,london we were entertained by our good 
brother ,ebenezer ,bolles1 one of the   
town's wealthiest merchants4 ,at that   
time he lived a single life1 being a    
blessed virtuous man4 ,we tried to      
persuade him to remain in this most     
perfect and holy state1 but shortly     
after we left he married4 ,many years   
afterward we heard at ,ephrata with     
great sorrow that he had passed away2   
that a few days before his death1 being 
then in good health1 he had been cutting
 some vines of the poison variety1      
whereby he was poisoned1 and his body   
swelled to a great degree4 ,he would not
 allow a physician to be near him2 nor  
would he receive the most simple        
medicines4 ,just before he expired1 when

 in great pain1 he seemed desirous of   
some help1 but the ,brethren and        
,sisters would not allow it1 lest he    
deny the faith4  ,i confess ,i was      
exceedingly displeased with myself that 
on our visit to our ,rogerine brethren  
,i had not spoken more strongly against 
their pernicious doctrine of the utter  
reliance on their so-called scriptural  
healing1 for ,i doubt not the physicians
 could have saved ,brother ,bolles1 even
 though ivy poison yields not easily to 
herbs or salts4  ,when we made known to 
our ,rogerine friends our determination 
to depart for ,ephrata1 they insisted on
 paying our passage to the city of ,new 
,york1 and when the day at last arrived 
in which we were to leave this fruitful 
garden of ,god1 as it is referred to in 
our records1 our departure was made a   
gala day in their little seaport1 into  
which we had made so unpropitious an    
entrance4 ,a large concourse of persons1
 irrespective of denominations1         
including many souls converted by us    

during our stay1 accompanied us to the  
wharf1 and after pressing upon us       
numerous gifts--so that we returned home
 richer than when we left--wished us a  
loving ,god-speed4  ,as our vessel      
passed out into the sound1 even though  
we were returning to our beloved        
,kloster1 we could not wholly subdue our
 sadness at parting with these dear     
friends1 who so long as we were in sight
 wafted their blessings to us4 ,i think 
none of us even spake a word so long as 
we could discern our friends2 but       
favorable winds soon swept us from their
 view1 and then as we turned to each    
other again each of us1 even ,sonnlein1 
expressed his sorrow in a deep sigh4    
,with the exception that ,brother       
,onesimus1 who was but a poor waterman1 
was seasick again all the voyage1       
nothing worthy of note occurred until we
 set foot in the chiefest city of the   
province of ,new ,york1 where our       
monastic garb again attracted much      
attention and suspicion1 so that we were

 arrested as ,jesuits from ,new ,spain2 
and again a kind gentleman1 a justice1  
knowing our circumstances1 interceded so
 effectually we were promptly released1 
whereupon we shook the dust of that city
 from off our feet and immediately      
started on our long journey for         
,ephrata1 by way of ,philadelphia1 and  
it was not long when we were at ,new    
,brunswick again1 whence we journeyed by
 foot to ,trenton1 where we crossed the 
,delaware and soon were in our own      
,philadelphia1 among dear friends4 ,here
 we stopped for a few days with our     
,brother ,william ,young1 to rest before
 continuing our journey to ,ephrata1    
which still lay ninety miles to the     
west1 only that ,sonnlein1 with his     
ceaseless activity and insatiate boyish 
inquisitiveness1 gave himself no rest   
whatever1 but must be continually about 
this great city1 especially at the      
wharves1 where the incoming vessels1    
with their cargoes from all lands under 
the sun1 were to him a perpetual wonder4

  ,our rest in this great1 noisy1       
worldly city being at an end1 for which 
,i was not sorry1 though our brother did
 all he could for our comfort and       
entertainment1 we set out over the      
king's highway for ,lancaster1 whence we
 intended to reach ,ephrata by way of   
the ,reading road1 for the season being 
now late we could not risk the less     
traveled ways1 for even the best        
highways were now in a difficult        
condition4 ,sonnlein1 however1 being by 
this time such a veteran pilgrim1 seemed
 not to mind what to our prior1 and     
,brother ,jephune particularly1 was a   
most tiresome journey1 our worthy       
sky-gazing brother floundering into     
every muddy bog in our way4  ,when we   
reached ,lancaster we were1 with all our
 endurance1 so worn out we were         
necessitated to make another brief stop1
 but as soon as our bodies would obey   
our wills in any wise cheerfully1 we    
started again for ,ephrata1 arriving    
weary and footsore within sight of      

,mount ,sinai just as the sun was       
setting behind the hills4 ,falling on   
our knees we offered up to our ,father  
our heartfelt thanks for our safe       
return1 for indeed it was much to be    
thankful for that after our long        
wanderings we all had been brought back 
as safe and well1 albeit a trifle weary 
and worn1 as when we had started on our 
pilgrimage4  ,a little farther on we    
made a short stop with one of the       
house-fathers1 as the brethren of our   
secular congregation were called1       
intending to time ourselves to arrive at
 ,zion for the midnight devotions1 once 
more to be enraptured by the strains of 
celestial music from the lips of our    
beloved brothers and sisters4  ,our good
 house-father and his family were minded
 to make a great ado about our gaunt and
 haggard features1 as though we had     
passed through great tribulations little
 less than martyrdom1 all of which      
sympathy1 though we liked not to confess
 it1 was sweeter to our ears than even  

the voices of our choiring ,brothers and
 ,sisters1 only ,i could not see how    
,sonnlein merited any great compassion1 
for the rogue1 though he fared like the 
rest of us1 looked as ruddy and healthy 
as any of our good house-father's       
chubby1 rosy children who swarmed about 
us inquiringly1 not fearing us in the   
least1 which thing pleased us greatly1  
for we did not like to be dreaded by the
 little ones4  ,when we thought it time 
to leave for the midnight services1 our 
brother's little ones being long before 
with all their unquenched curiosity     
packed to bed1 we started1 as usual1 in 
single file for the ,kloster1 ,sonnlein 
lagging a few steps behind me4  ,we had 
almost reached the ,kloster confines    
when1 while our way was yet under the   
dark shadows of the overhanging trees   
that shut out the stars1 ,i heard a     
scuffling noise behind me1 and turning  
quickly saw ,sonnlein in the grasp of   
some dark shape that was striving       
against all his squirming and fighting  

to drag him into the thick woods4       
,without a thought ,i hurled my pilgrim 
staff1 with all my strength1 lance-like 
into the bushes 'gainst the beast or    
being hanging over my boy1 and then for 
a moment closed my eyes with an awful   
fear my staff might crush him2 but it   
had hardly left my hand when a piercing 
cry of agony cleft the air1 and then1   
retreating from us1 came fainter and    
fainter a moaning and snarling as when  
some desperate beast receives a mortal  
wound4  ,we found ,sonnlein lying limp  
and almost lifeless by the way1 and as  
we gathered about him and one of us     
struck a light from our tinder box1 ,i  
saw my boy's throat was scratched and   
torn and bleeding1 but happily not      
profusely4  ',twas such a devil's cry we
 heard when we saw the comet1 dost      
remember8 whispered ,brother ,jephune   
hoarsely1 for the matter had startled us
 greatly4  ,what wast1 ,sonnlein8 ,i    
asked him now that he had come somewhat 
to his senses and was on his feet1 for  

beyond the choking and fright he seemed 
not much hurt4  ',twas some beast with  
great claws caught me by the throat so  
,i could not cry for help1 he replied   
all in a quiver4  ,well1 it hath gone   
now2 no doubt my staff struck it right  
fairly4 ,get on my back while ,i carry  
thee2 we must make haste else shall we  
be late1 said ,i1 first marking the spot
 with my eyes where ,i had hurled my    
staff4  ,great was the surprise of our  
dear brothers when we filed silently    
into the ,saal1 ,sonnlein having come   
down from my back1 for we arrived wholly
 unannounced4 ,after the loving         
greetings were exchanged over and over1 
our superintendent ordered a general    
love feast in ,peniel for the following 
,sabbath to celebrate our safe return   
and to listen to our report1 we having  
kept an exact diary of our pilgrimage4  
,a full account of the whole journey was
 written from this diary and the doings 
of each of us1 except ,sonnlein1 which  
he minded not in the least1 being too   

young for such older weakness4 ,this    
account was then handed over to our     
superintendent and became the property  
of the ,brotherhood4  ,after the events 
of this pilgrimage were over1 we each   
resumed his usual work and devotions as 
calmly as though we had not been so long
 away1 only that the day after we       
arrived ,i easily found the bushes into 
which ,i had with such unchristian      
violence hurled my staff4 ,i found my   
traveling comrade lying full length in  
the depths of the wayside thicket4 ,the 
iron point was reddish like as if with  
blood1 but ,i could find no ghastly     
trail of blood leading away from the    
staff1 but after close examination of   
the soft earth ,i did find what ,i      
believed were the prints of a woman's   
shoes1 for ,i knew they were not those  
made by ,sonnlein4  ,could it be that   
our old enemy1 the witch1 had done this 
thing8 ,who or what was this baleful    
influence that hung over our sacred     
,kloster like some foul miasma8 ,did    

this being merely embody the evil that  
must ever be present in all earthly     
things8 ,whence came it8 ,no matter how 
,i turned it over and over in my mind ,i
 could not solve the mystery4 ,so far1  
though our paths had frequently come    
close to the other1 they had not yet    
crossed in direct conflict1 and yet ,i  
felt1 and even longed1 that some day ,i 
should come face to face with the sphinx
 and either she or ,i be destroyed4     
,there had never seemed any disposition 
to seek direct injury to me1 and yet of 
all our ,brotherhood ,i apparently was  
chosen to witness most of her hellish   
manifestations4 ,why8 ,i could not tell1
 for surely ,i knew not ,i had ever     
wittingly injured any one4  ,so weighted
 down was ,i by my unexplainable dread  
that for many a day ,i had little       
inclination for work or study or prayer4
 ,i could see too1 that ,sonnlein1      
though he and the rest knew naught but a
 wild beast had flown at him1 was       
greatly impressed when ,i warned him he 

must not wander into the woods until he 
was older and abler to take care of     
himself against the beasts1 which       
warning1 it eased my mind much to       
observe1 he heeded as well as a strong1 
healthy boy can heed anything4          
,,chapter ,,xviii  ,,sonnlein ,,cometh  
,,to ,,man',s ,,estate      ,for the    
,lord hath created a new thing in the   
earth1 a     woman shall compass a man4 
--,bible4   ,many were the changes that 
came over our little community while my 
boy was growing into a man6  ,it was not
 long after the ,solitary had united    
themselves at ,ephrata that the         
,eckerlings conceived various           
enterprises whereby our cells should be 
filled with what to so many weak mortals
 is as precious as honey to the bees1   
namely1 money4  ,in our early life our  
chief labor was the tilling of the soil1
 for which we had by reason of our      
scanty means and our own peculiar views 
the most primitive methods1 so that we  
not only dragged the plow but even drew 

our carts1 and oft when we traveled we  
resembled a caravan of camels1 so       
heavily laden were we4 ,i can still see 
when the plowing came to be done the    
whole ,brotherhood trooping around the  
hill of ,zion4 ,under the ,eckerlings1  
however1 we consented to the use of     
beasts of burden for our heavy work2 but
 in reparation of what many of us       
considered an unjust use of these       
animals we treated them with exceeding  
kindness4  ,our first industry under the
 ,eckerlings was the building of a      
bakehouse1 which we used not only for   
our own modest requirements but even in 
the interests of the poor settlers1 no  
charge being made whatever for the bread
 or the baking4  ,another movement      
looking toward our enrichment was the   
planting of a large orchard of over a   
thousand apple trees1 as well as a row  
of fruit trees entirely surrounding the 
,kloster grounds4 ,the ,eckerlings also 
proposed to set out a vineyard on the   
hillside2 but this met with such        

determined opposition the project was   
abandoned1 for we feared it might lead  
to winebibbing among us1 and this we    
could not have1 as we permitted the use 
of fermented liquors only when actually 
necessary as physic4  ,then came a small
 grist mill1 the first to be put up in  
this region1 which we purchased shortly 
after the death of ,brother ,agonius4   
,the mill we entirely rebuilt in stone1 
increasing its capacity to three run1   
and day after day for a number of years 
the splash1 splash of the water wheel   
and the rumbling murmur of the mill     
stones were sweet music in the ears of  
the ,eckerlings and their followers4    
,soon after came a sawmill2 and then    
what was1 perhaps1 more important to us1
 the paper mill1 whereby we made not    
only all the paper for the printing of  
our various hymns and books and         
pamphlets1 but also furnished much of   
the paper that was used at this period  
throughout the province1 our ,brother   
,christopher ,sauer making frequent     

demands on us4  ,within a few years an  
oil mill was put up1 the stones of which
 were unlike any others in ,america4    
,this oil1 like our paper1 was not only 
used in our printing1 but was sent far  
and wide for the making of printer's    
ink4 ,there were looms for weaving linen
 and cloth1 and a mill where the        
homespun made in the community and by   
the neighbors was fulled and prepared   
for use2 and as there was no end to the 
money-making projects of the            
,eckerlings1 a tannery was erected1     
where both tanning and tawing were      
carried on1 in the meadow a short       
distance west of where we later built   
the ,brother ,house4  ,then of          
necessity1 as one evil deed ever        
requires its fellow1 followed a mill for
 grinding the oak and hemlock bark4     
,this leather1 by such as were hostile  
to us1 was called in derision ,jesuit   
leather1 but the nickname did not in the
 least injure the quality of the leather
 or impair the demand for it1 for--and  

,i say it not boastfully--this leather1 
like our paper and cloth and flour and  
other products1 was all of good1 honest 
quality1 and sought far and wide for its
 excellence4  ,the ,brothers and        
,sisters thought more of how well they  
could do that which they were called    
upon to do than how much they were to   
receive for it4 ,thus they ennobled     
their work and gave dignity to their    
humble labors1 all of which honesty of  
work and affection for it was expressed 
in the quality of the products2 nothing 
slipshod1 nothing half-finished in haste
 was permitted2 nothing could go forth  
from our hands unless it was as sound   
and wholesome and perfect as our means  
and skill could make it--and surely     
there is nothing more honorable in man  
than to serve his ,maker and his        
children by faithful1 honest1           
affectionate toil4  ,to meet the demands
 of our various industries horses and   
wagons were procured1 so that three     
teams were almost constantly kept upon  

the road4 ,agencies were established in 
,philadelphia and elsewhere for the     
purchase and sale of our different      
products1 and material1 and my records  
show that among such agents were        
well-to-do citizens of ,philadelphia1 as
 ,johannus ,wster and ,christopher      
,marshall1 the former being the same    
gentleman who in later years honored us 
by plucking from our little garden one  
of the most beautiful of the ,roses of  
,saron1 our dear ,sister ,anastasia4    
,but as we had a printing press we must 
needs have a book bindery1 and in a     
short time we had the largest and       
best-equipped bindery in the colonies1  
and ,i must say in justice to the       
,eckerlings1 that however ,i disagreed  
with them in many of their various      
enterprises1 ,i always felt we owed them
 much for establishing the printing     
press and the bindery1 for man without  
books is as a plant without light4      
,even the ,sisters were not forgotten1  
for in addition to the domestic duties  

that ever so fitly fall to the lot of   
woman1 they were constantly engaged in  
spinning1 besides assisting in the      
lighter work of the fields4 ,many of the
 ,sisters acquired great skill in       
embroidery and in calligraphy2 and      
hundreds of our hymns1 composed by our  
superintendent1 the ,sisters1 and the   
,brethren1 were written in the beautiful
 style of the ,sisterhood1 so that even 
now after the lapse of almost half a    
century since our sisters--many of them 
now resting in their narrow graves along
 the roadside--placed their love and    
devotion for their ,master in their     
humble tasks4 ,we greatly prize our hymn
 books--the notes and letters and       
graceful decorations coming from our    
sisters' hands shining forth still in   
all the clearness and purity of their   
first writing4  ,in this wise matters   
went on until our ,eckerlings almost    
proved our undoing1 for it gradually    
became noised about that we were nothing
 more than merchants1 tradespeople using

 our kloster life as a cloak to give us 
the appearance of honest1 devout people1
 caring naught for gain2 and there was  
much truth in what our printer at       
,germantown published1 that in a short  
time the ringing and clinking1 tinkling1
 clanking1 and dangling at ,zion1       
,ephrata1 ,kedar1 ,peniel1 and ,saron   
would equal ,rome1 ,jerusalem1          
,nazareth1 and ,babylon4  ,the only     
remedy for this show and excessive love 
of money lay in the removal of the      
,eckerlings4 ,this all the rest of the  
,solitary who loved a simple life knew  
must come sooner or later1 and yet they 
dreaded the coming4 ,wherefore they     
groaned heavily in spirit under the     
bondage of the ,eckerlings for seven    
long years4 ,then1 and ,i have not space
 to relate how all this came about1 were
 the ,eckerlings dethroned1 and their   
lording it over us brought to a certain 
end4  ,on a bright day in ,august the   
,solitary ,brethren arranged in a circle
 about a heap of burning brush fed by   

most willing hands1 we consigned to the 
glowing embers all the books and        
writings of ,onesimus1 among them being 
his polemic against the ,moravians2 and 
three days later the ,sisterhood of     
,saron repeated a similar ceremony1 upon
 which occasion two of his ,german      
broadsides and a pillar against the     
,moravians as well as his hymns were    
consumed by the fire4 ,and to make sure 
naught of contamination remained with   
us1 on the sixth day the brethren of the
 ,secular ,congregation gathered all the
 writings and mementos of ,onesimus and 
committed them also to the flames4      
,illustration3 ,we consigned to the     
glowing embers all the books   and      
writings of ,onesimus4 ,page #aih4  ,not
 many weeks later the prior and his     
brother1 ,jephune1 with ,timotheus and  
several other followers1 fled about four
 hundred miles toward the setting of the
 sun1 until beyond all ,christian       
government they reached a stream which  
runs toward the ,mississippi1 ,new      

,river by name1 where they were joined  
soon after by the rest of the           
,eckerlings4  ,with their exit an       
immediate change took place4 ,the mills 
were immediately closed1 and word sent  
abroad that all our agreements were     
cancelled--only we would fulfill our    
standing orders--but that hereafter no  
grain or seed or logs or rags would be  
purchased by us1 excepting such as would
 be absolutely necessary for our own    
use4 ,our horses and wagons and oxen    
were sold1 and the different helpers who
 were not of our belief discharged1 for 
we were determined that1 as we had come 
here to serve ,god and not ,mammon1 ,god
 we would serve4 ,but in spite of our   
resolution such was the excellence of   
the flour and the wheat and the oil1 and
 the quality of the paper and cardboard 
we had made1 that for many years demands
 were made upon us repeatedly2 but ,i   
rejoice to say no effort was made in all
 the long after years again to reinstate
 these things for anything except our   

own uses1 and when two years later three
 of our mills were lost by fire1 which  
certain malicious ones attributed to our
 superintendent1 and which could not be 
extinguished either by our wooden fire  
charms or our incantations1 not one of  
us greatly regretted the event1 so far  
as the loss of the mills themselves were
 concerned1 only that we felt the loss  
of the large stores of wheat and other  
grain4 ,thus as ,brother ,lamech hath   
well said1 ,did the fire1 with ,god's   
permission1 make an end to all the      
mammon which the ,eckerlings1 by their  
flaying1 scraping1 miserly conduct had  
gathered in the former household4  ,and 
now ,i feel ,i must turn again to my    
,sonnlein1 who by this time was a sturdy
 boy of about thirteen1 and that it may 
be known from his actions1 instead of my
 great love for him what manner of boy  
he was1 ,i shall tell of his first      
fight1 that is1 the first one ,i knew   
of2 and this ,i can say of him1 even    
though he was not a perfect example of  

the doctrine of non-resistance1 he cared
 naught for fighting1 but suffered in   
silence many a taunt and vile insult    
that made the blood rush to his cheeks2 
for not only did the neighbors'         
children--learning this from their      
idle-tongued parents--call him a        
nobody's child--for as he grew older he 
soon found there were ever ready ones to
 poison his happiness by telling him of 
his unknown parentage--but the elders   
themselves oft nicknamed him ,brother   
,jabez' chicken1 for that he was always 
under my wing4  ,but one hot day in     
summer--and ,i take an unholy pleasure  
in writing this--,sonnlein and a lot of 
other boys and girls1 were paddling     
bare-legged in the cool waters of the   
,cocalico1 nigh the turnpike ford1      
filling the air with their thoughtless  
shrieks and laughter1 so that the       
quiet-loving ,brothers and ,sisters were
 sorely tried in patience4 ,suddenly the
 harmless shrieks and laughter rose into
 a tremendous uproar1 and so unusual was

 this tumult to mine ears ,i started    
hurriedly for the ford1 fearing some    
awful calamity had befallen the         
children4 ,as ,i came nigh ,i saw a lot 
of boys of all ages and sizes--so ,i    
wondered where they all came            
from--gathered in a struggling1 yelling 
mass in the meadow along the creek1 a   
fringe of frightened1 white-faced little
 girls in the background--each boy1     
large and small1 with might and main    
pressing forward toward the center of   
the howling little maniacs as if        
something of great moment were          
proceeding there4 ,and indeed there was1
 for ,i was almost on them before they  
saw me or heard me call out sternly1    
,what meaneth all this noise8 ,when they
 did hear me and see my form hanging    
over them like some great thunder cloud 
they fled quickly1 only that some from a
 distance in derision of my tonsure     
cried out at me1 ,alter ,blatkopf 7old  
baldhead71 so that like ,elisha ,i      
wished the bears to eat them up4  ,all  

but two had fled1 and they were rolling 
about in the grass1 now one on top and  
then the other1 then to their feet1     
striking1 clawing1 and scratching like  
nothing so much as two angry cats2 but  
suddenly the smaller but more active    
one1 who seemed to me strangely like    
,sonnlein1 delivered a marvelously      
directed blow full upon the upturned    
nose of the other1 bringing forth a     
goodly stream of rich1 red blood1       
whereupon the bleeding one put across   
the meadows1 his hand to his face1      
bawling at the top of his lungs1 the    
victorious gladiator following a short  
distance and crying after the           
vanquished1 ,dost want some more of     
',brother ,jabez' chicken'8 and then    
horrors upon horrors1 ,i saw through all
 the mud and dirt and disordered hair1  
and the fierce1 distorted features1     
'twas my boy ,sonnlein6  ,he saw me     
about the same time1 and then the angry 
face fell into one of shame as ,i called
 to him1 ,come hither6 ,he came         

obediently enough1 saying nothing2 but  
the wild passion of conflict could not  
die out at once1 and as he stood there1 
digging his toes into the earth and     
casting sullen1 rebellious glances at   
me1 such as ,i had never received from  
him1 and sorely they wounded me1 he     
blurted out1 ,he began 't4  ,have ,i not
 often told thee1 ,i demanded1 as much  
in sorrow as in anger1 thou must not    
fight8 ,would couldst see thyself now to
 know how much like the beasts we become
 when we stoop to fight and tear each   
other asunder4  ,still he said1 but less
 defiantly1 ,he began 't1 ,i tell thee4 
,art thou not sorry for breaking his    
nose8 ,i asked4  ,nay1 he began 't2 ,i  
had to fight4 ,he hath been calling me  
names and trying to stir up a quarrel4  
,now he hath what he looked for4        
,couldst thou not have left him8 ,thou  
hast legs to carry thee1 ,i reminded    
him4  ,but he only replied more firmly1 
,i'm glad ,i beat him1 and that right   
well4 ,he will trouble me no more4  ,and

 then as ,i took him by the hand and we 
were about to go to our cells ,i noticed
 within a few steps one of the little   
girls who had formed part of the        
frightened group in the background4 ,she
 seemed about my boy's age1 perhaps a   
trifle younger1 with such deep blue eyes
 and long yellow hair1 ,i thought of our
 ,sister ,bernice1 only that our poor   
sister was never so rosy-cheeked and    
strong looking as this pretty little    
maid standing timidly nigh1 and finally 
bursting into a plaintive appeal1 ,don't
 whip him1 ,brother ,jabez1 it was      
,johann's own fault4 ,johann ,i suppose 
being the name of the still fleeing one4
  ,and why should ,i not punish         
,sonnlein for fighting1 my little       
sister8 ,i asked gently4  ,because1 she 
replied falteringly1 and ,i could see   
her face was red as fire4  ',because'   
may be reason sufficient for little     
girls1 but not for big men1 ,i replied  
still gently4  ,johann called him names1
 she rejoined4  ,but surely hard names  

break no bones4 ,if we fought whenever  
we heard ill of ourselves we should have
 little time for else than fighting4    
,now tell me truly why did they fight8  
,and then ,i felt ,sonnlein tugging at  
my hand and looking up at me more       
shamefaced than ever as he cried out1   
,let us go1 ,vaterchen1 ,i told thee why
 we fought1 all the while frowning at   
our little sister as though warning her 
not to say anything4  ,i am not overly  
inquisitive1 but now ,i was resolved to 
know all1 so ,i said to her sternly1 ,my
 little sister1 tell me the truth1 and  
then more tenderly ,i said1 thou knowest
 ,brother ,jabez would not hurt thee or 
,sonnlein--not overmuch4 ,upon which    
great assurance she spake up as bravely 
as she could between the sobs that would
 not keep back1 ,johann said ,i must be 
his wife when ,i was grown up1 and      
,sonnlein said ,i was to be his wife1   
and--and--,i--,i--said so too4  ,well1  
what then8 ,i asked between stern       
surprise and tenderness as she wiped the

 tears from her eyes4  ,why1 then we    
will keep house together1 she replied   
innocently4  ,i meant not what ye were  
going to do4 ,i meant what did ,johann  
do after thou didst promise thyself to  
,sonnlein8  ,why ,johann called         
,sonnlein bad names and struck me in the
 face and ,sonnlein hit him4 ,and then  
she said with such proud defiance ,i was
 greatly shocked1 ,sonnlein licked him4 
,and so ye two are to be man and wife   
when ye are grown up8 ,what is thy name8
 ,i asked turning to the little shrew4  
,mary4  ,well1 and ,i spake out         
strongly1 let me not hear of this again1
 else will ,i tell thy parents1 ,mary2  
and as for thee1 ,sonnlein1 if ,i hear  
aught of this man and wife wickedness   
again thou shalt have opportunity to    
celebrate thy first whipping4 ,thus did 
,i threaten in my unwisdom these poor1  
innocent children4  ,ye do promise ye   
will never again speak to each other    
such nonsense8  ,whereat they both      
promised so willingly they would not    

that ,i greatly doubted the promise     
would stand any great strain4  ,as      
,sonnlein and ,i turned back again to   
the ,kloster1 leaving ,mary to find her 
way home without the protection of her  
young knight1 he looked up at me        
innocently and asked as sweetly as      
though he had never known such fierce   
feeling as fighting1 ,wast never in     
love1 ,vaterchen8  ,i was about to reply
 with unwonted crossness1 ,what is't to 
thee1 but just then ,i caught a glimpse 
of the mound1 not more than a stone's   
throw to our right1 beneath which lay   
our ,bernice1 so ,i merely remained     
quiet and answered not at all1 only ,i  
could not help thinking that even       
,ecclesiastes sayeth there is a time for
 love and a time for war1 and though    
,sonnlein was rather young for me to    
predict what his manhood would be1 it   
will be seen that my fond hopes were    
none of the brightest for making him a  
gentle1 peaceful celibate4     ,,chapter
 ,,xix  ,,when ,,hearts ,,are ,,young   

,come1 ,corinna1 let me kiss thee6      
,come1 my dearest1 to me here6     ,i   
would know why joy should miss thee1    
,i would have thine answer clear4       
,smiling sweetly said she1 ,no1         
,then demurely yielded so4              
--,francis ,daniel ,pastorius 7of       
,germantown74   ,how the years slipped  
by6 ,twenty years ago my ,sonnlein had  
come to me a little toddler4 ,now he was
 a tall youth--even taller than         
,i--strong and straight as the pine     
under which ,i found him2 full of       
healthful animal spirits that sometimes 
in their exuberance give me vague fears 
as to what his active1 enthusiastic     
nature might lead him to4 ,thus far he  
had done naught to shake my confidence  
in him4 ,he was a constant solace to me4
 ,brother ,obed1 with unwearying        
patience for ,sonnlein's lively ways1   
was exceedingly proud of his            
acquirements1 for between ,brother ,obed
 and me ,sonnlein had not only learned  
to speak our mother tongue like one of  

us1 but even in ,latin and ,greek he was
 no indifferent scholar4 ,we had also   
taught him the arts of rhetoric and     
logic and mathematics1 and had versed   
him in literature and history1 poetry   
and music4  ,but above all mathematics1 
history1 language1 and literature1      
,brother ,obed and ,i had taught        
,sonnlein what we knew and what we could
 teach him to find out for himself about
 this world of ours1 this delightful    
book of nature our ,creator gave us to  
read and search with no less diligence  
than his written word1 and so the moon  
and the stars by night1 the sun by day1 
the ever-recurring seasons1 calm and    
tempest1 the sparkling streams1 waving  
trees1 the sweet and lovely flowers1 the
 creatures that fill ,god's earth1 man1 
bird1 and beast--all these were taught  
so that our boy understood them as so   
many manifestations of his power and    
beauty and love and tenderness for us   
who were created in his image4 ,and that
 our boy might have the best of all     

guides for the interpretation of this   
visible life and the unseen world beyond
 the gates of death1 we taught him      
gently but persistently ,god's holy     
word1 for in our simple view of life it 
seemed a great shame that one should    
know all about the kings and princes of 
this fleeting earth but know naught of  
the ,prince of princes and the ,king of 
kings4 ,thus our boy1 we fondly trusted1
 was prepared to fill any place in this 
world according to his gifts1 happily   
for himself and others4  ,but ,i dare   
not pretend that he was a youthful      
saint1 for frequently to my poorly      
concealed amusement and the evident     
chagrin of our superintendent1 ,sonnlein
 often put the former to utter rout in  
the discussion of some of his finespun  
interpretations of holy writ4 ,indeed1  
,i fear there was no love lost between  
our estimable leader and my boy1 for    
,sonnlein had that inexorable logic1    
that sure keenness of mind that pierces 
a sophistry as a skillful archer wings  

his arrow to the center of the mark4 ,at
 times ,sonnlein's apparent want of     
reverence1 his seeming irreligion1 his  
lack of deference for ,brother          
,beissel's peculiar views1 threatened to
 disrupt the brotherly relations that   
ever existed between our superintendent 
and me1 his associate2 for with all his 
sternness1 his austerity1 his unbending 
will and ambition1 ,i recognized that   
our leader was no ordinary man1 and     
while not a scholar he was a man of     
great and many talents--all in all1 just
 the one to hold together our little    
community4  ,the trouble was that while 
,sonnlein had much of the sweet         
reasonableness and charity that comes   
from the study and contemplation of the 
humanities1 he added to his poetic1     
philosophical temperament the energy and
 will that mark the man of action4 ,an  
ardent1 impetuous1 positive nature like 
his was bound to clash with one like the
 superintendent's1 and more than once it
 called forth all my wits to prevent    

actual rupture between the two1 which   
would have scandalized us sorely4 ,thus 
it was that while ,i frequently         
reproached ,sonnlein for his irreverence
 for ,brother ,beissel1 ,i just as often
 placated the latter by pleading        
,sonnlein's youth and inexperience4  ,i 
recall especially one occasion when our 
leader had delivered a long discourse on
 one of his pet theories1 that in heaven
 we should have the same occupations we 
had followed here4 ,sonnlein's brief    
comment1 so it was brought to mine ears1
 was he pitied grave-diggers and the    
like if that was all the reward they    
were to receive4 ,in our ,kloster there 
were tattlers and talebearers1 just as  
in more worldly places1 and our leader  
hearing of the thing1 which ,i knew     
,sonnlein had said more in jest than in 
disrespect1 came to me in high dudgeon  
and demanded ,sonnlein make open apology
 before all the ,brotherhood4 ,this ,i  
knew full well ,sonnlein would not do   
and ,i besought our worthy leader to    

overlook the matter and forgive him4 ,i 
shall never forget how he almost yelled 
at me1 his small frame quivering with   
righteous indignation beneath my        
towering stature4 ,forgive him6 ,so     
sayest thou ever4 ,i verily believe thou
 couldst forgive the devil6  ,in truth1 
dear brother1 ,i oft have done so1 ,i   
replied1 smiling quietly and looking    
down into his angry eyes meaningly4  ,he
 straightened up and1 as he walked      
savagely away1 delivered this parting   
shot3 ,no doubt2 thou hast had abundant 
opportunity in thy precious ,sonnlein6  
,it was my turn to flush now1 but       
happily ,i controlled myself and said   
nothing1 consoling myself with the      
reflection that our superintendent's    
witty retort would go far to appease his
 indignation and that by the morrow he  
would greet me with his accustomed      
affection and good-will1 for in order to
 make others love us it is only         
necessary to make them love themselves1 
and many a rascal by this knowledge hath

 overcome many a wise man4  ,that night 
,i spake to ,sonnlein kindly but firmly1
 reminding him how poorly it accorded   
with his manhood's estate to indulge in 
such levity2 that even if he could not  
always agree with the hair-splitting    
speculations of our worthy              
superintendent1 it were surely wiser to 
hold one's tongue lest that unruly      
member poison all our peace4  ,but1     
replied he gently1 as was ever his way  
toward me1 ,vaterchen1 ,brother ,beissel
 hath something about him that          
everything he says and does irritates   
me4 ,it passeth my understanding why he 
alone of all our ,brothers and ,sisters 
so affects me4 ,i sometimes fear ,i hate
 him and that he returns the same       
feeling1 yet ,i know not that he hath   
ever harmed me4 ,i promise thee to curb 
this tongue of mine4 ,good night1       
,vaterchen2 schlafen ,sie wohl1 and so  
saying he went meekly to his ,kammer1   
from whence ,i could soon tell by his   
deep1 regular breathing what ,i had said

 was not greatly disturbing his sleep4  
,late in the afternoon of the following 
day1 being now in the wane of what we   
have since learned to call the ,indian  
summer1 ,i was wandering1 somewhat      
aimlessly ,i confess1 along the borders 
of the ,sisters' close1 when suddenly1  
on lifting mine eyes from the earth1 ,i 
perceived one of the ,sisterhood        
directly in my pathway1 but a short     
distance ahead1 sitting quietly on a    
projecting root1 which1 springing from  
the base of a towering chestnut tree1   
formed a comfortable seat4  ,she had not
 observed me1 ,i felt sure1 and thinking
 not to disturb her meditations1 for ,i 
doubted not she was rapt in             
contemplation of the heavenly           
,bridegroom1 ,i stepped quietly aside   
into the cover of a near-by thicket4 ,i 
hardly had done so when1 not far beyond 
the ,sister1 a rich1 deep voice rang out
 in an old ,german hunting song3        
,out into the woods three hunters went1 
,on the white deer's chase their wishes 

bent4  ,from my hiding-place ,i saw the 
form at the foot of the tree sit more   
erect in listening posture1 and as the  
face was uplifted1 the fair features of 
,sister ,genoveva met my gaze1 such a   
pensive wistfulness and tenderness      
informing every feature of the lovely   
face turned unwittingly toward me1 ,i   
somehow thought of my ,bernice1 who so  
soon was called to her celestial        
,bridegroom4  ,again the fine1 strong   
voice rang out1 still nearer3      ,down
 under the fir-trees' shade they lay1   
,the same strange dream came to each    
that day4                      ,,the    
,,first4      ',i dreamt ,i beat on a   
sheltering bush1       ,from out its    
fold sprang the deer1 husch1 husch6'    
,and now ,i caught occasional glimpses  
of the gray fox-skin hunter's cap       
,sonnlein wore when on the chase1 for ,i
 had recognized his voice full well4    
,some one else too seemed to know1 for  
,i could not help seeing1 e'en though ,i
 never have known much of the signs and 

symptoms of love1 that ,sister          
,genoveva's pensiveness had given way to
 a gentle smile that brought an added   
charm to the wonderful loveliness of the
 most beautiful woman ,i have ever seen4
  ,still nearer came the trumpet tones3 
,,the ,,second4      ',and as he sprang 
from the hound's hoarse laugh1       ,i 
branded him deep on the hide1 piff1     
paff6'  ,where had the scamp learned to 
sing with such faithfulness to the      
sense8 ,i heard plainly the hound's     
hoarse laugh1 the piff1 paff6 ,and again
 ,i wondered where he had learned to    
sing so true4 ,surely not from our      
leader2 no olian harp about these manly1
 resounding notes3                      
,,the ,,third4      ',and as on the     
earth him slain ,i saw1       ,lustily  
into the horn ,i blew1 trara6'  ,that   
trara1 like the blast of a hunting horn1
 transported me to my boyhood days in   
the ,vaterland1 where often ,i had heard
 the huntsmen call to each other in the 
thick forests and mountain glens4  ,and 

then mockingly came the stanza3      ,so
 there they lay and bragged these       
three--      ,and there1 ran by them the
 white deer--free6  ,surely the         
light-hearted boy1 for boy he always has
 been to me1 was meant for a            
minnesinger4  ,and now he was so nigh   
only a thin wall of brush separated him1
 all unconscious1 from ,sister ,genoveva
 and me1 as she sat in the little       
clearing at the foot of the tree4 ,her  
eyes were now sparkling with merriment2 
delicate dimples of mirthfulness played 
hide and seek over chin and cheeks1     
despite the dignified efforts to        
maintain a sober mien as became one of  
the holy ,sisterhood4 ,surely she was   
thinking of the surprise in store for   
him when he should burst the bushy      
barriers--and see her4 ,it seemed to me 
she might have left the spot1 for       
certain it was there was no lack of     
opportunity4 ,once1 in faith1 ,i was    
about to call to her sternly1 but ,i    
could not1 for verily ,i believe we both

 were held by the witchery of his song4 
,then came the last verse1 still strong 
and clear1 with its vein of mockery3    
,but hardly was he within their sight   
,he was gone again over deep and height 
,husch1 husch6 piff1 paff6 trara6  ,the 
echoes of his stentorian tones had      
hardly died away when he was on us4     
,rather1 ,i should say1 he was in the   
presence of ,sister ,genoveva1 for ,i   
was safely ensconced in the thicket1    
resolved now to see the meeting to its  
conclusion4 ,and what a picture they    
made in that leaf-strewn clearing1 all  
red and brown and gold with the jewels  
of the dying year1 the chestnut         
stretching its arms out over the two    
forms as if in a blessing6  ,not all the
 studied plainness and cloistral        
severity of the black dress could       
suppress the womanly grace and beauty of
 the full1 rounded form of ,sister      
,genoveva2 nor could the hideous hood1  
which had fallen on her shoulders1 have 
hidden from view those sweet features1  

so delicately strong and full of noble  
calmness and serenity--and yet no cold1 
marble1 nun-like face1 for the full red 
lips1 the rosy flush of the rounded     
cheeks1 the dimpled chin1 and the warmth
 of those luminous1 deep blue eyes      
betokened an affectionate and loving    
heart2 and now that ,i saw her with such
 opportunity to scan her without myself 
being seen1 ,i could understand the     
reports that had come to me of the      
wonderful influence she already exerted 
over the ,sisterhood by reason of her   
clear vision1 her piety1 her strong     
will1 her even temper1 and above all    
that largeness of heart that made her   
sought even more than ,mutter ,maria in 
the troubles and fears and temptations  
that even our simple1 secluded life     
could not wholly shut out from our      
little world4  ,but if she was the      
perfect ,eve in this little paradise    
under the spreading chestnut1 ,sonnlein 
was no unworthy ,adam4 ,i knew not which
 of the two most satisfied my carnal eye

 with their fresh1 young1 healthful     
beauty4 ,from beneath his gray cap his  
thick black hair hung in heavy1 wavy    
masses about his neck and shoulders4    
,his ruddy1 sunburned face glowed with  
the spirit and animation of his song4   
,at first1 when he burst upon her1 he   
started back in surprise1 and then he   
called to her in gentle gayety1 as he   
dropped on one knee1 cap in hand1 bowing
 gracefully 7so that ,i wondered where  
he had caught those courtier-like airs  
which not at all pleased my plain ways71
 ,thou queen of the ,roses of ,saron1   
art thou holding court in thy temple of 
beauty8  ,and then1 for ,i could have   
sworn when he burst upon us she had been
 thinking of him in maidenly tenderness1
 she looked up indifferently1 even      
coldly1 and rebuked him1 ,shame on thee 
to disturb these sacred grounds with thy
 worldly1 boisterous song1 thou noisy   
reveler4 ,thou idle1 mighty ,nimrod1    
where are the fruits of thy chase8      
,perchance 7and ,i saw a sly twinkle in 

her eyes that his abashed face did not  
observe7 thou didst dream too long under
 the fir tree and the white deer escaped
 thee8 ,gay garments torn from innocent 
beasts to add to vain adornment do not  
make one a great hunter4  ,nay1 ,sister 
,genoveva1 he replied more earnestly1 no
 white deer ran through my dreams2 no   
fir trees' shade soothed mine eyes to   
sleep4 ,wide awake was ,i1 and yet ,i   
dreamed of a fair1 sweet rose that ,i1  
even though it had thorns to prick me1  
would wear next my heart4  ,indeed1 thou
 poet1 thou speakest as though inspired 
with love4 ,surely it is time thou dost 
take the vow of loyalty to the celestial
 ,virgin and join the consecrated       
,brotherhood2 why delayest thou so long8
 ,in her love thou wilt find no thorns4 
,but1 dear sister1 ,i want the rose with
 the thorns 7how delicately he          
emphasized the with74 ,canst thou not   
see whom ,i mean1 or dost thou not care 
to know8  ,and then ,i saw the delicious
 mockery leave her face and voice as she

 said to him in solemn tones1 ,nay1 my  
brother ,sonnlein1 ,i dare not know2 for
 thy sake as well as mine ,i must not   
know4 ,thou art possessed by some idle  
fancy the ,evil ,one hath put into thee4
 ,thou must not disrespect me by making 
my woman's heart struggle 'gainst my    
vows of celibacy4  ,he lifted his head  
and looking into her eyes that met his  
so fearlessly1 his passionate heart     
burst forth into a very torrent of love1
 so ,i wondered she could withstand him4
 ,i do love thee1 sister1 murmured      
tumultuously the low1 warm voice1 with  
all my heart and mind and body and soul4
 ,i do not hold thee lightly in my      
respect or ,i had spoken of this long   
ago2 but my respect for thee1 for       
,vaterchen1 for our ,holy ,order        
forbade2 but ,i can no longer withhold  
myself4 ,and then masterfully he stood  
erect and in strong1 earnest tones      
declared1 ,i for one am not ashamed of  
human love4 ,i should rather be ashamed 
of myself did ,i not love such as thou  

art to me4 ,and then1 the eloquent      
diplomat1 ,brother ,beissel1 whom the   
,roses of ,saron worship as little less 
than ,god himself1 hath he not declared1
 is it not the very foundation of your  
vows of celibacy that man was first a   
spirit containing both the elements of  
man and woman2 that this spiritual      
virgin1 the ,sophia1 left him8 ,then was
 woman formed from a rib of his side1   
whereby man lost his woman's attributes 
and retained merely man's8 ,thou must   
not smile and shake thy head1 my sister4
 ,thou art1 ,i care not if the wide     
world know it1 my ,sophia1 my angel1 my 
celestial virgin1 that left me in my    
creating4 ,canst marvel and deem me mad 
or blasphemous because ,i long to come  
to mine own other self again1 to have   
thee1 mine own sweet rib1 evermore at my
 side1 beneath my heart1 caressing it   
and content to hear it murmur its       
undying love for thee--my sister1 mein  
,liebchen--tell me1 dost thou not love  
me8  ,how like one inspired he pleaded6 

,surely she would yield1 for ,i saw the 
steady light in her eyes falter1 and for
 a moment she clasped her hands meekly  
before her1 like a humble captive before
 some proud conqueror1 but just for a   
moment--strange is the heart of         
woman--and then ,i was most             
inconsistently displeased to see her    
lift her gaze all unabashed to his as   
she said lightly1 ,what an orator thou  
art2 now know ,i what we oft have       
marveled at1 how thou wheedlest our good
 ,brother ,jabez into so much           
forgiveness for thy indifference to our 
holy life4  ,so our good brother is     
wheedled1 thought ,i1 indignantly at    
first1 and then smiling in a superior   
manner at the impossibility of such a   
thing as my being wheedled4  ,but my boy
 was not one of those who could easily  
be laughed away from his purpose1 for ,i
 had taught him--in season and          
out--never to let sarcasm or ridicule   
have the slightest effect on him when he
 had once chosen his ground and knew he 

was right4 ,if he did feel ,genoveva's  
gentle mockery he showed it not1 but    
instead did what ,i never could have had
 the courage to do1 unless upon modest  
invitation1 and that was to step        
resolutely forward and take ,sister     
,genoveva by the hands and hold her thus
 against her feeble striving to free    
herself while he said to her boldly1    
,thou dost love me or else wouldst not  
tease me so6  ,hast forgotten our       
promise to good ,brother ,jabez when    
thou didst fight ,johann1 that we would 
never again talk to each other of love8 
,that promise hath no life2 we were but 
children1 and secondly1 'twas drawn from
 us by fear4 ,such promises ,vaterchen1 
who knoweth the law1 himself sayeth are 
not binding4  ,oh1 thou lawyer1 thought 
,i to myself2 thou'rt far too           
worldly-wise for a minnesinger4  ,thou  
dost love me1 he again said strongly4   
,thou tyrant to hold me against my will4
 ,loose thy hold or else ,i shall not   
doubt ,i dislike thee1 she declared     

right vehemently1 though it seemed to me
 she might have struggled more earnestly
 to loosen his grasp4  ,but like a      
true-hearted man he obeyed her request1 
dropping her hands and saying softly1   
,thou dost not hate me1 then1 thou      
cold-hearted nun8  ,nay1 naught of      
reason have ,i to hate thee1            
,sonnlein--and how sweetly she said his 
name--but dost not know1 thou mighty    
hunter1 woman expects little less than  
perfection in him she would love1 and   
then she said maliciously1 so ,i could  
not fathom her1 surely thou dost not    
think thyself perfect8  ,as to thy last1
 he rejoined1 ,i shall make answer1 ,i  
am human4 ,i leave it to woman to be    
perfect--the flatterer4 ,as to thy first
 ,i doubt not thy sex ever looks for    
perfection in our imperfect sex1 and it 
strikes me this accounts more for our   
,sisterhood than does their love for    
their heavenly ,bridegroom1 whom they   
see not until after death4  ,thou       
irreverent scoundrel1 thought ,i4  ,and 

yet1 continued he1 when ,i think of him 
for whom our ,sister ,eunice lately left
 the ,roses of ,saron1 it seemeth as    
though some of thy sex at least look not
 for perfection4  ,still ,i say our     
foolish hearts yearn for the ideal1 but 
when we love the attainable we forgive  
everything1 and this is woman's         
weakness4  ,nay1 sister1 'tis her most  
glorious strength that she1 an angel1   
can stoop down and make him see heaven  
in her4  ,that ,i had the gift to speak 
with such a golden tongue1 thought ,i1  
and then fortunately for us all--for ,i 
liked not my spying1 and yet ,i could   
not leave unnoticed--,sonnlein chanced  
to see ,brother ,alburtus approach4     
,suddenly that scamp of mine kissed her 
full on her sweet lips4 ,how she blushed
 and said not a word1 as he held her    
close to him for a moment whispering    
passionately1 ,thou must love me as ,i  
love thee1 forever6 and then as they    
both saw ,brother ,alburtus perilously  
nigh1 she quietly sat down again at her 

former place1 most demurely1 while      
,sonnlein passed on toward his ,kammer4 
,as ,brother ,alburtus came upon her he 
stopped for a moment1 hand rubbing hand 
as usual1 looked at her in grave        
absorption and passed on as though she  
were not there4  ,and then ,i could have
 sworn ,i saw peering at her1 and next  
at the departing form of ,brother       
,alburtus1 the loathsome features of    
that awful woman whom ,i had not seen   
for over ten years1 from the shelter of 
a tangled clump of vines and brush1     
which ,i solemnly promised myself should
 be cut down on the morrow1 root and    
branch4  ,stealthily ,i crept out of my 
hiding-place and proceeded to where it  
seemed ,i had seen the witch1 but as ,i 
came near ,i saw naught1 and yet as ,i  
walked slowly away there came faintly to
 mine ears as though receding from me1  
that horrible1 cackling laugh ,i had    
reason to hold in so much dread4        
,,chapter ,,xx  ,,sister ,,genoveva ,,is
 ,,gone      ,o thou whose glory fills  

the etherial throne1     ,and all ye    
deathless powers1 protect my son6       
--,iliad4   ,twilight was fast deepening
 into night when ,i returned to my      
,kammer in the large ,brother ,house1 or
 ,bethania1 which we built a few years  
after the departure of the ,eckerlings1 
down in the meadow1 nigh the ,cocalico1 
and facing the ,sister ,house1 or       
,saron1 ,brother ,beissel's cabin       
sitting circumspectly between the two   
houses of our ,order4  ,here1 as in     
,zion1 ,sonnlein and ,i had adjoining   
cells4 ,i was not greatly surprised as  
,i entered mine1 to hear him whistle    
softly a worldly tune1 though where he  
had caught it ,i knew not--surely not   
from me--for our sober lives never      
favored such godless puckerings and     
twistings of the lips6  ,then he hummed 
the blasphemous thing for a while1      
changing into whistling again1 and in   
his humming and whistlings making such  
vain and perverse changes1 flying from  
high to low1 from loud to soft1 mingling

 with it all such sundry quiverings and 
queer little runs and trillings1 until  
not able to stand it longer--for it     
seemed he would never stop--,i marched  
sternly to the doorway of his cell1     
flung back the light door and spake to  
him1 ,art crazy or in love8  ,both1     
,vaterchen1 both6 he fairly shouted1 as 
he grabbed me ere ,i knew what was up1  
and spun me around so ,i could hardly   
keep my feet4  ,surely thou'rt mad1 ,i  
gasped feebly as ,i sank down on his    
bench1 ,hast been drinking8--though ,i  
knew he had not4  ,yea1 he shouted again
 even louder than before1 from the      
loving cup of the gods6  ,be not so     
boisterous1 thou blasphemer6 ,wouldst   
have the ,brethren think thee drunk8    
,the ,brethren are not about2 ,i am not 
so wild ,i know not how to save thy     
gentle reputation1 ,vaterchen--and in   
truth in his adventures he ever regarded
 me4  ,still it poorly becometh thee to 
act like a thoughtless boy1 ,i          
remonstrated4  ,surely1 ,vaterchen1 he  

laughed gayly1 if thou didst but know   
what it is to be in love thou couldst   
not scold me so6  ,every man to his     
trade1 ,i replied dryly1 not trusting   
myself to look at him2 my trade is      
preaching and trying to behave myself4  
,thine appears to be loving1 saying the 
latter as sarcastically as my dislike   
for sharp words and my love for him     
would allow4  ,but he only laughed the  
louder as he said1 ',tis a trade that   
never had to advertise for apprentices4 
,cease thy levity2 canst not be         
sober-minded8 ,if thou must make music  
we have hundreds of noble hymns in our  
books4  ,they are not framed to my mood1
 but--and now in truth he looked more   
serious and manlike1 as ,i most admired 
him--dost thou agree with our           
superintendent that marriage is a sinful
 state8  ,dost ask for mere curiosity1  
or hast found some foolish woman who    
careth for thee8 ,i asked with seeming  
ignorance4  ,he flushed at this1 and    
then said gently1 the schemer1 ,nay1 but

 sometime ,i might see one foolish      
enough1 as thou sayest1 to love me and  
perchance ,i might commit in all        
ignorance the grievous sin of marriage4 
,i commend thy great thoughtfulness1    
said ,i1 looking at him in a way that   
made him in turn look at me as though   
wondering whether ,i knew more than ,i  
cared to tell4 ,to relieve thy anxiety  
,i shall tell thee1 which ,i would not  
have proclaimed from the housetops1     
there being those who hold to stricter  
views1 ,i do not regard marriage as     
sinful4 ,the word of ,god sayeth not so4
 ,in truth it esteemeth marriage highly4
 ,we base our views of celibacy on what 
,paulus sayeth1 thou rememberest1 ',for 
,i would that all men were even as ,i   
myself1' meaning unmarried4  ,but       
,paulus himself wrote that he spake this
 by permission and not of commandment4  
,true1 and so say ,i1 now that ,i am    
older and wiser4 ,we practise celibacy1 
and praise it because we believe that1  
as good soldiers of the ,lord1 we can go

 better to battle than if we are impeded
 by wives and children4  ,a long pause  
and then anxiously1 as though much      
depended on my reply1 he asked with a   
touch of reverence in his voice1        
,wouldst think it wrong for any of our  
,sisters to marry8  ,our vows are       
binding only on our consciences4 ,we    
compel no one to celibacy4 ,each follows
 his own will4 ,thou knowest many of the
 ,brethren and ,sisters who were married
 when they joined our order left us     
again to live together and no one said  
them 'nay1' but our single ,sisters and 
,brethren have almost invariably        
remained with us4  ,if ,i were to marry 
one of the ,sisterhood1 wouldst thou    
condemn either of us8 he asked eagerly4 
,when thou'rt sure thou hast found one  
to break her vows for thee it were time 
to ask me that1 ,i admonished him2 and  
then1 as ,i arose to return to my cell1 
,i said smiling1 not meaning it with    
malice1 thou knowest much may happen    
between sunrise and sunset4  ,hardly had

 ,i said this--and oft it hath come to  
me how like it was to the fulfilling of 
a prophecy--when the ,kloster bell rang 
out from ,mt4 ,sinai strong and clear as
 though calling us to face some sudden  
danger4 ,alarm was writ plainly on our  
faces as we looked out of the little    
window1 fearing to see the glare of fire
 against the sky1 but we saw nothing4   
,soon the hall and corridors were filled
 with the anxious brethren1 for it was  
still a few hours from midnight1 and    
each of us knew something of great      
moment must be about to cause this      
hurried ringing so early in the night4  
,as ,sonnlein and ,i hastened out of the
 corridor and the low doorway for       
,brother ,beissel's cabin1 the rest of  
the anxious brothers trooping after us1 
we saw our prioress and a number of the 
,sisters gathered about our leader in   
front of his cabin1 the changing light  
from the fat lamps showing clearly      
enough the fear and consternation       
oppressing us4  ,as our leader saw me1  

he called me to him and said1 his voice 
trembling in spite of him3 ,our ,sister 
,genoveva cannot be found2 no one hath  
seen her since sunset4  ,i could feel   
,sonnlein's grip on my arm like the hold
 of a drowning man1 but he said nothing4
  ,i myself saw her then in the         
,sisters' close1 sitting at the foot of 
a large chestnut tree1 said ,i slowly1  
for ,i could not help thinking of that  
evil face ,i now felt certain ,i had    
really seen peering at our sister from  
behind the thicket4  ,she may have gone 
to some of the neighbors to attend some 
sick one1 suggested ,brother ,beissel1  
but saying it as against his own belief4
  ,but first she would have left word   
with us1 the prioress reminded him1 for 
such is our rule4  ,still1 there may    
have been sudden illness that left no   
time for word to us1 persisted our      
leader4  ,so far1 no one had said a word
 as to the great fear that ,i knew was  
clutching the hearts of my ,brothers and
 ,sisters1 which was that the ,indians  

had either killed or carried away our   
,genoveva2 for over a year had gone by  
since the ,french and ,indians had taken
 up musket and tomahawk against the     
,english settlements1 and though we had 
thus far been spared the horrors of this
 savage war1 yet we heard now and then  
of awful massacres of the whites by the 
,indians not many miles to the north and
 west1 among the outlying settlements   
off our province1 so that the whole     
country1 by reason of these barbarous   
deeds and the want of proper defense1   
was in a great state of excitement and  
apprehension4  ,calling ,brother        
,alburtus to me1 ,i asked him slowly and
 distinctly1 for he seemed oft not to   
understand one3 ,thou wast in the       
,brother woods and the ,sister woods at 
sunset4 ,didst see signs of ,indians1   
the red men8  ,but he only shook his    
head with his accustomed vacant air1 so 
that ,brother ,beissel exclaimed        
impatiently3 ',tis waste of time to     
question him2 he never seeth aught4     

,brother ,beissel1 if thou wilt send of 
the brethren among the neighbors to     
inquire of our sister1 ,sonnlein and ,i 
will go to the ,sister woods1 and with  
this ,i turned about for ,sonnlein1 but 
he was gone as though he too had been   
swallowed up1 for ,i had felt him but a 
moment before at my elbow4 ,my flesh was
 beginning to creep and prick with      
unmanly fright when one of the brethren 
spake3  ,he hath just gone with a fagot 
to ,mt4 ,sinai1 and as ,i looked where  
my brother pointed1 ,i saw the          
occasional glimmer of a light through   
the trees and bushes4  ,without waiting 
for a light1 though the night was dark  
and overcast with heavy clouds1         
threatening rain1 ,i dashed after my boy
 as fast as the gloom and my knowledge  
of our ,kloster ground would let me4    
,when ,i reached him he was already at  
the chestnut tree1 kneeling1 torch in   
hand1 closely searching the ground4 ,as 
,i came nigh ,i saw his face was hard   
and drawn1 and though ,i could see his  

hands tremble1 his voice was firm as a  
rock as he commanded me1 as he never    
spoke to me before1 to stand back a     
moment4  ,all around the base of the    
tree he looked1 missing1 as ,i thought1 
not a leaf or twig or stone1 ,i         
wondering now at the patience of him who
 never since ,i had known him had been  
overly patient4  ,then slowly he got up 
from the ground1 still holding his torch
 close to the earth1 and started off1   
now stopping as in doubt1 then holding  
aside a branch or vine in his way1 ,i   
all the while following as meekly as a  
little boy his parent1 but rejoicing now
 that ,sonnlein's living in the woods so
 much had taught him what ,i knew so    
little of4 ,on we slowly and surely     
went1 he often stooping down and        
scrutinizing the earth as though he had 
lost his guiding marks1 but always      
finding them again1 until we had gone   
down over the hill and were aiming      
toward the ,cocalico where it wound its 
course fully a half-mile below the      

,brother ,house4  ,a great fear again   
chilled me to the bones4 ,our sister had
 thrown herself into the cold waters of 
the creek rather than weakly surrender  
herself to love for man6 ,but when ,i   
had seen her last she seemed not        
over-weighted with grief or remorse4    
,nay1 not self-murder6  ,and now as we  
were following the right bank of the    
,cocalico and were treading the wet1    
soft earth1 ,i could see plainly now and
 then what a child could have           
seen--through the weeds and grasses1    
footprints of three people1 one of whom 
,i felt sure was our sister1 for some of
 the prints were small and delicate1    
such as would be made by the wooden     
soles of her sandals4 ,other of the     
prints from their size were those of a  
grown man1 but whether white or ,indian 
,i had not sufficient woodcraft to tell4
 ,the other marks were too small for a  
man's and yet not ,genoveva's1 being    
differently shaped4  ,we had not gone   
far along the ,cocalico1 when suddenly  

the grassy bank spread out into a stony1
 gravelly beach1 where the deep pool we 
had been following dwindled away to a   
shallow1 rippling stream4 ,on this hard 
beach ,i at once lost the footprints1   
but ,sonnlein never hesitating led the  
way1 still silent and grim1 to the      
water's edge1 and there again ,i plainly
 saw the foot-marks in the soft mud     
among the stones4  ,he paused but a     
moment as he looked at the marks1 and   
then plunged into the stream without    
waiting to see whether or how ,i might  
follow4 ,my selfish indignation at his  
indifference to me lasted but the space 
of a lightning's flash1 for ,i          
immediately thought of the great trouble
 that had come to my boy1 and without   
any ado ,i plunged into the icy waters  
that1 despite its shallowness1 caught me
 knee-deep at times1 and with such      
savage eagerness as ,i feared more than 
once would sweep my feet off the        
slippery bed of the stream and no doubt 
drown me1 for in my neglect of earthly  

things ,i had never learned to swim4    
,but with all my floundering and        
splashing ,i did at last reach the      
farther side1 where ,i found ,sonnlein  
following the shore looking closely for 
the footprints1 of which ,i could see   
none4 ,but suddenly we found them again 
quite a distance below where we had     
emerged from the ,cocalico1 and ,i      
realized now that the captors had       
practised the old trick of walking in   
the water some distance to destroy all  
pursuit4  ,but now ,sonnlein's fagot was
 almost burnt out and the rain was      
beginning to fall1 lightly as yet1      
though ,i knew it would soon be         
drenching us to the skin1 and by washing
 away the footprints make it impossible 
to follow any further4  ,i tried to call
 ,sonnlein's mind to the utter folly of 
hoping to accomplish aught in the       
darkness and the rain1 but his only     
reply was to make a fresh torch from the
 dead branches of an old tree           
overhanging the creek4 ,lighting the    

sticks from his fast expiring fagot1 he 
suddenly turned to me1 as if for the    
first time since we had left the        
chestnut tree he were aware of me1 and  
said shortly1 ,stay thou here till ,i   
come back1 and with that he plunged into
 the heavy brush1 mine eyes following   
anxiously as far as ,i could the light  
of his torch4  ,it was not long until1  
with all the straining of my sight1 ,i  
no more could see aught of his light1   
and then heavy-hearted--as ,i had not   
been for many a year--and wet and       
shivering from the cold rain that was   
beating down faster and faster1 ,i      
crouched up close to the dry side of the
 old dead tree1 and patiently awaited in
 all the misery of my body and mind the 
return of my boy4  ,not that ,i feared  
he could not take care of himself1 for  
,i knew he had the strength of a lion   
and the quickness of a cat1 but ,i knew 
his determined1 persistent nature1 and  
that he would go to the ends of the     
earth1 if needs be1 for her he loved4   

,how long ,i waited under the old tree  
,i remember not4 ,through all the       
rushing of the rain and the sweeping of 
the winds1 ,i heard faintly the ,kloster
 bells1 and ,i knew it must be midnight4
 ,i could see in mind the ,brothers and 
,sisters file out of ,bethania and      
,saron for our little chapel for the    
accustomed devotions1 and ,i found much 
comfort because ,i felt sure earnest1   
loving prayers were ascending to ,him to
 watch over our sister and my boy and   
me1 and bring us back safe and whole to 
the fold4  ,but mortal flesh is ever    
weak1 and as ,i stood and waited with   
the storm howling about me1 wondering   
where our sister was in all this wind   
and rain1 wondering where my boy was and
 when he would come back to me1 ,i lost 
heart and faith4 ,besides the wind and  
the rain and the murmuring of the creek1
 everything was absolutely silent4 ,i   
seemed utterly alone in the world4 ,i   
thought to myself1 ,who or what am ,i in
 all this great universe8 ,what careth  

,god for me8 ,while in this weak mood an
 owl hooted overhead1 and though ,i had 
never before found the hooting of owls  
aught but sad and mournful1 this one    
sounded to me almost as sweet as our own
 dear bells4 ,and then ,i thought of    
what our ,master had said about a       
sparrow's fall--and ,i doubt not he also
 regardeth owls--so that ,i felt better 
again4  ,and great need ,i had of       
comfort1 for hour after hour ,i waited  
for my boy4 ,i was drenched to the skin 
and so cold ,i shook like a leaf4 ,more 
than once as ,i had made up my mind to  
wait no longer ,i started to leave1 but 
then crouched closer to the tree again1 
ashamed of myself for wanting to leave  
my post4 ,still as the long1 awful night
 grew toward morning and the faint light
 of a gloomy dawn came on1 ,i thought to
 wait longer were of no avail1 and so in
 great anguish of mind1 heeding not the 
lesser pains of the flesh1 ,i made my   
way back1 heavy-eyed and still more     
heavy-hearted to my cell1 drying myself 

as best ,i might1 and then throwing     
myself on my hard bench to seek in sleep
 some peace for body and mind4          
,,chapter ,,xxi  ,,brother ,,alburtus   
,when death immortal stays the mortal   
pulse4          --,lucretius4   ,when ,i
 write here that ,i slept until after   
the seventh hour--which was midday with 
us--,i fear it may be thought ,i missed 
not much our sister and my ,sonnlein1   
but ,i like not to be misjudged1 for    
though ,i slept so long and even        
soundly1 it was because of a healthy    
body and for the still better reason    
that it was the rule and habit of       
,brother and ,sister1 so far as we could
 school our weak1 rebellious flesh1     
never to fret or worry or complain about
 anything1 whether1 as blind mortals    
regard things1 it were good or ill4     
,but when ,i did get up stiff and sore1 
my first thought was of ,sonnlein1      
hoping he had returned by now1 but as ,i
 opened the door into his ,kammer my    
hope sank within me as ,i missed not    

only his presence but everything else   
that would indicate he had returned     
during my sleep4  ,inquiry among the    
,brethren confirmed my fears4 ,he had   
not returned4 ,no one had seen him since
 the night before nor had they learned  
anything of ,genoveva among the         
neighbors4 ,i reported first to our     
superintendent what ,sonnlein and ,i had
 found and how he had gone on against my
 will1 but ,i said nothing about my     
dread of the witch1 for while ,i was    
sure she had something to do with our   
sister's disappearance1 yet the         
footprints had shown some other than the
 witch among the captors4  ,our leader  
at once called a meeting of the         
,brothers and the nearest house-fathers 
and set before them the substance of my 
report4 ,it was soon agreed1 as ,i had  
expected1 that the red men had stolen   
our sister4 ,but what was to be done was
 not so easy to decide4 ,even if the    
rain had not washed away the footprints 
none of us were sufficiently skilled to 

trace the savages4 ,to make matters     
worse1 this war with the ,french again  
aroused all the distrust our monastic   
mode of life so often inflicted on us4  
,the old accusation was revived that we 
were ,jesuits1 through whom the ,french 
and ,indians were continually receiving 
secret information that enabled them to 
perpetrate massacre after massacre with 
impunity4 ,indeed1 so important in this 
respect did our enemies make us and so  
bitter was the feeling against our      
little community that finally the       
governor of the province was actually   
prevailed upon to appoint a commission  
to inquire into these charges that      
rankled in our breasts in spite of all  
our humility and fortitude4  ,we could  
endure much in the way of false         
accusation1 but we loved in our quiet1  
peaceful way our chosen home in this new
 world1 and while1 with our view of war1
 we refused to bear arms against the    
,french and ,indians1 we were always    
zealous to do all we could for our      

province1 and this we proved fully when 
in after years the colonies fought for  
independence we gave up freely of our   
property1 never asking to be repaid     
therefor1 to the cause of our beloved   
,washington--ever our friend--and not   
only our property and our services1 but 
many a ,brother and ,sister cheerfully  
and lovingly gave up his or her life in 
nursing the hundreds of soldiers that   
lay dying of fevers in the halls and    
cells of our ,kloster4 ,it is for the   
sake of these dear martyr ,brothers and 
,sisters ,i write this1 which to others 
may seem idle boasting1 but which is the
 glorious truth1 as the records will    
show to him that careth to read4  ,the  
governor's commission came in due time  
and with great pomp and ceremony to our 
humble little camp1 but as we hid       
nothing from them and answered freely   
and fearlessly the questions as to our  
mode of life1 these gentlemen soon left1
 satisfied that we were not ,jesuits nor
 spies--traitors1 but were what we      

claimed to be1 quiet1 peaceful monks and
 nuns1 serving faithfully according to  
our peculiar ideas the same ,god and the
 same country as those who were so      
unnecessarily alarmed about us4  ,but   
all the distrust and suspicion and      
hatred in the minds of those who would  
not have it other than that we were     
spies did not keep us from writing out  
hundreds of notices of the capture of   
our sister4 ,these we spread as far and 
wide as the state of affairs would let  
us1 and1 as day after day passed without
 bringing to me my ,sonnlein or any word
 of him1 ,i also sent out notices of his
 departure4  ,in our great trouble it   
came to me that our justice1 ,brother   
,weiser1 might help us1 for not only was
 he ranger1 taking care of all stray    
horses and cattle1 but as ,indian       
interpreter for the government in this  
cruel war he saw much of what was going 
on and of necessity met a great many    
people4 ,acting upon this thought1 ,i   
sent him a letter setting forth in full 

about our sister and my boy1 knowing our
 stern but great-hearted brother would  
make our loss his and leave nothing     
undone to restore to us our own4  ,but  
over a month went by without a word or  
sign of our lost ones and to most of us 
they were now as dead2 but though my    
mind and heart were oft assailed with a 
great dread that ,i should never again  
see my boy in this world1 yet through   
all the dark clouds that hung over me   
there would now and then fall on me the 
bright sunshine of hope4  ,another month
 went by4 ,it was midwinter1 and though 
,i knew ,sonnlein1 like me1 never made  
any great worry about the weather1 no   
matter how severe1 ,i could not help    
wondering where1 if he were still alive1
 he had place to lay his head in all    
this broad earth4  ,while in this mood  
,i received a long letter from ,brother 
,weiser4 ,he had as interpreter taken   
part in many negotiations with the      
,indian chiefs in various parts of the  
province4 ,at every opportunity and     

wherever he had been he had sought      
information about ,genoveva and         
,sonnlein4 ,it grieved our brother much 
that he had been able to learn nothing  
anywhere4 ,there had come to him strange
 tales from some of the ,indians he had 
met about a tall1 strong white man who  
was wandering from village to village   
and tribe to tribe seeking for his white
 squaw4 ,the ,indians had a name for him
 which meant one who wandered about     
searching without ceasing4 ,there had   
also come equally strange stories to our
 brother of a young white hunter who was
 fighting among the hills and valleys of
 the ,blue ,mountains to the north and  
west beyond the block-house forts with  
untiring and savage ferocity against the
 ,french ,indians1 by whom the young    
hunter was known as ,the ,firebrand1    
some of the ,indians regarding him as   
mad for that he rested not night or day1
 as it seemed to them2 that the savages 
believed he bare a charmed life and that
 all the red men feared him exceedingly4

 ,more than this our good brother could 
not tell us1 but somehow it left no     
doubt in my mind that this young        
wanderer1 this fiery hunter1 must be    
none other than ,sonnlein1 roaming the  
wilds so far away in the undying hope   
that somewhere he would find our beloved
 ,genoveva4  ,in this uncertain1        
harassing state stood the welfare of my 
,sonnlein and our sister1 when one day  
thinking even more than usual about him1
 ,i found myself wandering along the    
banks of the now icebound ,cocalico4    
,ere ,i knew how far ,i had wandered    
thus aimlessly ,i had arrived at the    
place where ,sonnlein and ,i had crossed
 the creek on that awful night4 ,i could
 see through all the ice and snow where 
the pool narrowed at the stony beach and
 on the opposite side some distance down
 the creek stood the old1 dead tree from
 whose gaunt and gnarled limbs the owl  
had hooted to me to be of good cheer4   
,i crossed the snow-covered ice and slid
 and walked along the bank until ,i came

 to the old tree1 where ,i paused for a 
moment to consider the direction        
,sonnlein had taken when he left me that
 night4 ,and now1 like him1 ,i plunged  
into the undergrowth that overran the   
lowlands in this little valley of the   
,cocalico4 ,often ,i slipped and        
stumbled over some log or stone or brake
 through the snow into a hole or gulley1
 so that ,i marvel now ,i did not break 
my legs4 ,the branches and the vines    
caught me about the arms and feet and   
more than once stung me across the face1
 but it seemed ,i had only a great      
overpowering desire to press forward in 
the direction ,i knew ,sonnlein had     
gone4  ,in this wise ,i stumbled on in  
the snow for some distance without      
seeing any sign of any human being4 ,as 
,i stopped for a moment1 nearly         
exhausted with my wild enterprise1 to   
catch my breath1 ,i gave a great start  
as ,i saw but a few paces ahead of me   
tracks in the snow1 and which1 as ,i    
hurried on1 ,i saw to be the footprints 

of some grown person4 ,the tracks were  
running directly across my path1 and    
whereas ,i had been pursuing my mad     
course to the southwest1 the footprints 
of this unknown person were pointing    
toward the southeast4  ,i had not the   
slightest idea that they were           
,sonnlein's and yet ,i know not why ,i  
suddenly determined to follow them4 ,it 
may be that all unconsciously something 
told me they were the footprints of our 
,brother ,alburtus who but a few days   
before had disappeared again from the   
community so that at the time in my own 
trouble ,i had paid little heed to his  
absence4  ,as ,i went on1 the tracks1   
showing clearly in the deep snow1 left  
the lowlands for the hills1 winding in  
and out among rocks and trees and bushes
 all the time going higher and higher   
into the mountains2 and now and then ,i 
would see a little trampled space as if 
the unknown one had paused for a moment 
to rest1 or1 perhaps1 to look down over 
the beautiful1 snow-covered valley4  ,in

 this wise ,i went on and on until      
finally ,i was way up in the mountains  
that range themselves to the south of   
our ,kloster grounds and1 indeed1       
occasionally through the openings in the
 trees ,i could see ,mount ,sinai and   
the towers and roofs of our little      
monastery4  ,i believe ,i had gone but a
 short distance beyond my last view over
 the valley when suddenly ,i turned     
about sharply to my right whence ,i     
thought ,i heard a low moan4 ,my next   
thought was that my fancy had played    
some trick on me1 but as ,i stood in    
complete silence looking about in every 
direction ,i heard again this same sound
 as of one in pain1 and as ,i pushed    
forward ,i noticed that the footprints  
turned toward the direction of the sound
 and ,i saw a large rock in front of me1
 the snow on it displaced and disturbed 
here and there as if some one had       
mounted it4 ,i was about to scale the   
slippery height when again ,i heard the 
moaning sound so near ,i thought it must

 almost be at my feet and yet ,i could  
see nothing2 but a moment later as ,i   
broke through a thicket ,i started back 
horrified to see at one side of this    
great rock the cloaked form of our      
,brother ,alburtus prostrate in the     
snow4    ,illustration3 ,again ,i spake 
to him4 ',dost not know me1   ,brother  
,alburtus8' ,page #bdc4  ,then as ,i    
rushed to him and lifted his head on my 
arm ,i saw the blood rushing freely from
 a long cut directly across his brow so 
that ,i might have thought the scar he  
so long carried had been opened by the  
force of some fall4 ,i could see too1 he
 had not been hurt long1 for the blood  
flowed too freely for that4 ,with the   
pity and horror in my heart was also a  
strong feeling of guilt that we had so  
carelessly let our brother leave us     
without following and protecting him in 
his aimless wanderings4  ,when first ,i 
lifted up his head ,i saw that he was   
unconscious1 but ,i wiped away the blood
 as best ,i could and bound the ugly    

wound with pieces from my cloak1 and    
then rubbed his face with snow4 ,after a
 long while he opened his eyes and      
looked at me wonderingly4  ',tis thy    
,brother ,jabez1 ,i said gently2 but he 
only looked at me with meaningless gaze1
 his hands lying so still and helpless  
it would have rejoiced me to see him rub
 them together as of old4  ,again ,i    
spake to him1 ,dost not know me1        
,brother ,alburtus8 ,but still he seemed
 not to regard my words1 and leaving him
 for a brief space1 fearing his lying in
 the snow would be his death even if the
 wound would not1 ,i brake from the     
trees and bushes about me armful after  
armful of twigs and branches making a   
bed of them on the southern side of the 
rock where he would be sheltered from   
the cold winds and we could catch the   
warmth of the sun shining down through  
the trees4 ,then ,i dragged him tenderly
 upon his rough bed making him as       
comfortable as ,i could1 rubbing his    
hands to warm them and then putting them

 within his cloak so they might not     
freeze1 during all of which he seemed   
not to pay the slightest attention to   
me4  ,after a long wait he tried to lift
 his head1 and ,i said to him1 ,art     
feeling better1 ,brother ,alburtus8     
whereat he looked at me in great        
wonderment and said weakly1 ,dost not   
know me1 ,thomas8 ,where am ,i8 ,what is
 wrong with my head8  ,he mistaketh me  
for our ,brother ,thomas1 thought ,i1   
and so ,i said smiling to him1 ,nay1    
'tis ,brother ,jabez2 thou hast wandered
 from our ,kloster and hast fallen from 
this high rock1 ,brother ,alburtus4     
,but he only glared at me as he replied 
in such weak anger that my heart smote  
me1 ,why dost thou torment me so1       
,thomas8 ,thou knowest ,i am ,david     
,seymour1 thy own brother6  ,what       
meaneth he8 thought ,i to myself2 surely
 his hurt hath taken his mind from him  
so he knoweth not he is ,brother        
,alburtus4 ,thinking it best to humor   
him ,i spake gently1 ,yes1 'tis thy     

brother2 what aileth thee8 ,to which he 
answered feebly1 ,the tree hath fallen  
on my head2 take me to the cabin to     
',lisbeth and the baby4  ,surely1       
thought ,i1 we know not what we say when
 the mind is wrong1 but still thinking  
it better to humor him ,i merely said1  
,yea1 as soon as help cometh we shall   
carry thee to them1 whereat he smiled   
gratefully and lay back more            
contentedly4  ,but though ,i sat and    
shivered by the side of our brother for 
hour after hour1 sheltering him from the
 cold with my cloak1 ,i could see as the
 afternoon wore on1 and his sighing and 
groaning grew fainter and weaker1 that  
his days were numbered1 and so with the 
sun's setting behind the hills to the   
other side of the valley1 there was     
opened for our brother's coming1 not the
 door of his humble cabin but instead   
the ever-shining gates of those mansions
 beyond the skies ,he hath prepared for 
his well-beloved children4  ,but now    
that the spirit of our brother had left 

its earthly prison house1 ,i stood for a
 few moments and prayed earnestly that  
his soul might see clearly that which on
 earth had been shown darkly as through 
a glass1 to our bewildered brother4     
,then it came to me like a great shock1 
what was to be done with his body8 ,at  
first1 it seemed to me ,i could not let 
it lie in these cold1 dreary mountains4 
,and yet ,i could not unaided bear him  
to the ,kloster4 ,neither was ,i certain
 ,i could find my way back on the morrow
 with the ,brethren1 for these hills    
were utterly strange to me4 ,and yet1   
for such was my faith1 though it may    
seem harsh to some1 why could he not    
rest here as well as anywhere else8 ,the
 imperishable1 immortal soul had gone to
 its ,maker2 that which remained was    
merely the earthly shell that would mix 
with the elements1 no matter where      
buried4  ,much against my will ,i       
finally persuaded myself ,i must leave  
him in this wild1 lonely spot4 ,but ,i  
could not leave him exposed to the winds

 and the rain and the beasts of the     
woods1 and yet ,i had nothing to dig up 
the hard frozen ground to make him a    
grave4 ,and then just as ,i was about to
 give up in despair thinking ,i could do
 no better than cover him with brush1 ,i
 saw a short distance farther up the    
mountain two long rocks1 meeting at one 
end1 but spread out at the other like a 
sharp angle1 the opening toward me4     
,like a flash it came to me ,i could    
enrich these rough rocks by using them  
as a resting-place for ,brother         
,alburtus4  ,i hastened up the hill and 
swept and scraped the snow out from     
between the rocks1 making a bed of twigs
 on the hard earth4 ,but it was no light
 task getting the great form of our     
brother up that steep slope1 and more   
than once it seemed ,i must give up4    
,but at last ,i did get him lying snugly
 between the two huge stones4 ,then ,i  
made a roof over him by laying heavy    
branches across the rocks1 on top of the
 branches placing such heavy stones as  

,i could loosen from the hard ground4   
,in this manner ,i also closed up the   
end of my brother's death ,kammer1 and  
to help me find the spot1 should ,i have
 call to revisit it1 ,i rolled a large  
stone at the upper end of the little    
vault1 and after a last prayer for the  
soul of our sainted brother1 ,i left1   
sad at heart1 but rejoicing ,i had been 
able to do these last honors for our    
dead4  ,it was dark when ,i started down
 the mountains and so rough and slippery
 was the way ,i had many a fall ere ,i  
reached the foot2 but the longest and   
most toilsome way hath nevertheless an  
end1 and though the night was well on   
when ,i reached my cell1 ,i arrived none
 the less1 safe and sound1 only that our
 brethren were greatly alarmed at my    
absence1 fearing ,i too had been        
captured by the ,indians4  ,at the      
midnight meeting ,i recounted to my     
brethren the doings of the day1 the     
death of ,brother ,alburtus1 but not    
saying anything of his last words1      

requesting rather consideration as to   
what should be done with his body4 ,as  
the greater part of us thought nothing  
could be done while the way was so rough
 and slippery with rocks and snow1 we   
decided to let our brother rest for the 
time at least in his strange grave2 but 
we held special services in his memory  
and in his cell we hung1 as was our     
custom1 a tablet1 on which were         
inscribed in beautiful letters by the   
,sisterhood the words3  ,blessed in the 
sight of the ,lord is the death of his  
saints4     ,,chapter ,,xxii  ,,sonnlein
 ,,taketh ,,the ,,ordeal      ,there are
 more things in heaven and earth than   
are     dreamt of in your philosophy1   
,horatio4          --,shakespeare4      
,over a month had passed away since the 
death of our ,brother ,alburtus and his 
lonely burial far up in the mountain4   
,my brethren1 though at first of a mind 
to bring him to our little graveyard in 
the meadow1 at last reluctantly came to 
my way of thinking that he should be    

left to rest undisturbed where ,i had   
laid him4  ,often as the days came and  
went ,i wondered what ,sonnlein would   
say when he returned1 to find his dear  
,brother ,alburtus gone4 ,oftener still 
in those dreary days ,i would ponder and
 puzzle over the dying words of our     
brother4 ,i could understand how by the 
great shock of his fall he did not know 
me1 for ,i had seen more than once what 
a misty veil cometh over the sight of   
the dying so that they know not at all  
even their most beloved ones4 ,but what 
,i could not solve was why he called    
himself by a name ,i had never heard    
before4 ,was ,david ,seymour his own1   
right name or the name of some friend of
 earlier days1 and did our brother in   
his last moments imagine himself that   
other one8 ,and ',lisbeth and the baby1 
were these wife and child1 or merely    
long-buried memories of acquaintances   
revived in the very shadow of death8    
,with all my pondering and puzzling ,i  
could not solve the matter1 and         

gradually it left me1 though never      
wholly cast aside4  ,indeed1 with the   
wandering away of our ,brother ,alburtus
 and his dying up in those lonely       
mountains1 and the loss of our ,genoveva
 and my boy1 my cup of woe was well-nigh
 running over4 ,the winter was now on   
the wane1 almost three months having    
elapsed since ,sister ,genoveva and     
,sonnlein had gone1 and still we knew no
 more than when they left us2 for though
 our justice kept me and our little     
,kloster in most affectionate           
remembrance1 ,i receiving many letters  
from him in all his great work and      
responsibility1 yet he had nothing to   
tell us other than not to lose faith and
 courage2 and for this we loved him1    
even though he gave us no knowledge of  
our lost ones4  ,but surely it is       
cowardly and ungrateful in man or woman 
to complain because the infinite ,father
 doth not always explain to our narrow1 
little minds why and wherefore he doeth 
this or that1 for ,i have ever found    

that if one will but possess his soul in
 patience and cease repining and keep on
 doing his work all will come out right 
in the end4  ,so on a beautiful         
moonlight night1 after ,i had retired to
 my ,kammer1 shortly after the midnight 
services and had fallen into my usual   
sound sleep1 ,i felt1 or at first dreamt
 ,i felt1 a shaking of my arm2 but as ,i
 was about to turn over in my drowsy    
state1 ,i received another shake of the 
arm1 this time so decided ,i no longer  
doubted ,i was awake4 ,as ,i sat up more
 frightened than ,i care to tell1 ,i saw
 bending over me a form--surely it could
 not be6 but then as ,i heard my boy    
call me1 ,vaterchen1 with such sadness  
and despair and weariness in his voice  
as ,i thought would make my heart burst 
with very pity for him1 ,i clasped him  
in my arms and kissed him and wept over 
him as some mother over a long-lost     
child4 ,such a simpleton was ,i1 as all 
will agree1 and yet ,i doubt not ,i     
should do the same thing over again were

 there similar occasion for it4  ,i know
 not to this day whether or not my boy  
wept1 but his voice was soft and gentle 
as a woman's as he said to me1 ,i could 
not wait till morning4  ,if thou hadst  
let me sleep till morning and not know  
of thy coming ,i would never have       
forgiven thee1 ,i assured him joyfully1 
holding him by the arms4 ,and then ,i   
turned toward the door of my ,kammer1   
and was opening it when he said1 ,where 
art going8 ,surely thou'rt not tired of 
me so soon8  ,nay1 to tell our leader   
and the ,brothers and ,sisters of thy   
return4 ,it were selfish to keep all    
this great joy to myself1 and again ,i  
turned toward the door1 first lighting  
my fat lamp2 but then as the flame grew 
up ,i saw my boy was so faint and weak  
he would have fallen to the floor had ,i
 not caught him to me and helped him to 
my bench1 making him as easy as our hard
 life would allow4  ,and surely ,i was  
well repaid for what ,i had suffered in 
all these months2 for as ,i lay down on 

the floor of my cell--not finding it to 
my liking to let him go to his own--he  
whispered tenderly before he dropped off
 to sleep1 ,thou'rt the same old        
,vaterchen2 and this praise1 with my    
poor weakness for kind words1 ,i held   
snug and warm in my heart for many a    
year4  ,thus we both slept long into the
 morning1 only for once in my life ,i   
slept not so soundly2 for ,i could hear 
that ,sonnlein was tossing and murmuring
 in his sleep1 contrary to his former   
habit1 for like me he had always been   
good at sleeping4  ,with the bright     
light of the morning ,i saw plainly now 
what his voice and bearing had told me  
but faintly in the night2 for as he lay 
asleep1 stirring often uneasily ,i could
 see that he was but a mere skeleton1   
his face gaunt and haggard1 with great  
hollows under the deep set eyes1 and the
 beard he had let grow was tangled and  
unkempt4 ,a sudden fear clutched my     
heart that he had come home but to die4 
,but truly the healing powers ,god hath 

placed in these bodies of ours are      
wonderful things to set us straight if  
they be given a chance to work in peace 
and quiet2 for though ,i must spread the
 joyful news of ,sonnlein's return to   
our leader and all the ,brethren1 not   
forgetting the ,sisters1 who were of a  
mind to make a great hero of my boy1 and
 though the ,brethren passed my cell    
more quietly than ever often during the 
day1 not one with all the desire to give
 him greeting would disturb his rest2   
for he slept on until evening1 not even 
waking ere then to take the lamb's broth
 our prioress had prepared for him4     
,but early in the night he sat up1 and  
said1 ,such a sleep have ,i not had for 
many a day4  ,art not hungry8 ,i asked  
anxiously1 shall ,i not warm this lamb's
 broth ,mutter ,maria hath made for     
thee8  ,blessings on our good ,mutter   
,maria6 he cried out with some return of
 his old1 fun-loving spirit1 but if thou
 lovest me1 he said1 as he gulped down  
greedily the broth--and ,i dislike hasty

 feeding--bring me the lamb itself1 for 
,i am hungry as a wolf4  ,and1 indeed1  
when ,i did coax our good prioress to   
give me such a load of things as she    
declared was not safe to give him1 it   
did seem to me as though ,i had food    
enough for ten men2 but he merely smiled
 when ,i cautioned him against eating   
all this stuff1 and in less time than ,i
 can tell it he had actually eaten up   
everything so clean not a crumb was     
left1 so that ,i had not been surprised 
had he lifted the dishes to his face and
 licked them off1 as he had often done  
in his childhood4  ,thus for a few days 
,i made him take abundance of rest and  
sleep1 and between the ,sisters and me  
he suffered not for food1 but ,i        
refrained from asking anything of his   
absence1 thinking it better to wait     
until he were more himself again4  ,but 
one evening1 as we were sitting in my   
,kammer1 about a week after his return1 
neither of us saying a word for a long  
while--for with all his lively nature he

 was never so garrulous as ,i--not being
 able to curb my curiosity longer1 ,i   
finally asked him1 ,what hast thou      
learned of our ,sister ,genoveva8       
,nothing1 he replied sadly1 though ,i   
have sought everywhere for her4  ,hast  
been among the ,indians8  ,yea1 and more
 than one of the ,french devils hath    
gone to his long home1 he replied       
savagely4  ,hast been among the         
,conestogas8 these being a peaceful     
,indian tribe living in a little town or
 village not many miles beyond          
,lancaster1 toward the ,susquehanna4  ,i
 went there straight on leaving thee1   
for that way pointed the footprints4    
,could the ,conestogas tell thee        
nothing8  ,nay1 could not or would      
not--,i know not which--though a        
half-witted one whispered to me when he 
thought none could hear1 that he knew   
where the white sister was2 but on      
pressing him for fuller knowledge he    
merely pointed back toward the          
northeast1 whence ,i had come1 saying1  

',up1 high1 with old woman1' but ,i paid
 no great heed to him1 for he was not   
right in his head4  ,that night what    
didst thou make of the footprints8  ,one
 was ,genoveva's1 that was plain to be  
seen2 the largest1 an ,indian warrior's2
 the third1 a squaw's or young ,indian  
lad's1 ,i have never made up my mind    
which1 and then he said nothing more for
 a long while1 but at last he looked at 
me suddenly1 saying as though much      
puzzled1 ,would that ,i knew what the   
half-witted one meant2 it hath been with
 me day and night lately1 so that ,i had
 no other will in me than to come back1 
for it is in my mind that ,genoveva1 if 
she be still alive1 is not far away4    
,after a bit he looked up at me as      
though he were ashamed to ask1 ,dost    
believe1 ,vaterchen1 that if she be nigh
 her spirit hath called me back8  ,to   
which ,i could only say1 ,i know not1   
though there be among us who claim they 
have had such communication1 both with  
the living and the dead4  ,and then in  

all the simpleness of a boy he asked1   
,dost think our sister was caught up    
into the heavens like ,elijah8  ,ere ,i 
knew what ,i was saying ,i replied with 
some heat1 for his question seemed like 
blasphemy to me1 ,nay1 nay1 ,elijah was 
a saint6  ,dost mean ,genoveva was not  
good enough to be taken up like old     
,elijah8 he cried out angrily at me1 as 
he had never yet spoken to me4          
,quietly1 my ,sonnlein1 quietly2 my     
reply meant not that ,i think not highly
 of our sister2 but though we have holy 
writ that ,elijah was translated1 yet   
there have been1 as thou knowest1 many  
good men and women since that time who  
have had to go to heaven by way of the  
gates of death4 ,i do not think our     
,genoveva was taken up to heaven1 and in
 this ,i mean no disrespect4  ,but he   
heeded not the gentle reproof in my     
voice1 and after a while he asked1 ,dost
 believe in the state of innocence      
taught by ,brother ,onesimus and his    
brethren while they were with us1 and of

 whom thou hast told me so often8  ,nay1
 ,i ne'er had much faith in their       
heathenish practices1 ,i replied        
shortly4  ,still he persisted1 ,they who
 pass through the ordeal of purification
 come forth with limitless vision and   
with mental powers unbounded4  ,who hath
 infected thee with this disease8 ,i    
asked crossly4  ,i remember now that the
 day before ,genoveva was taken from us 
,brother ,benno1 who was one of the     
thirteen that took the ordeal--and thou 
hast said thyself he was of the         
number--told me that since he had been  
purified he had often spoken to the     
spirit of his dead mother1 and hath from
 here even seen his brother1 who liveth 
in the ,vaterland4  ,brother ,benno is  
an exceedingly pious man1 was all ,i    
could say4  ,dost not believe he        
speaketh the truth8  ,to the contrary ,i
 should be the last to doubt his word2  
but in my short stay on earth ,i have   
heard pious men and women tell of things
 which to my thick understanding were   

not possible4 ,it never seemed to me    
that man or woman could in the short    
space of forty days attain to physical  
and spiritual perfection4 ,what ,i have 
seen of my fellow-man compelleth me to  
hold that even the longest lifetime is  
much too short for the making of        
ourselves in any wise so much as near   
perfect4  ,but he only replied slowly1  
as if not convinced1 ,still ,brother    
,benno may be right2 at least it can do 
no harm to try4  ,try what8 ,i said very
 quietly to hide my dread his remark had
 put in me4  ,the ordeal4 ,i have tried 
everything else4 ,this one thing remains
 for me to do4  ,to which ,i made stern 
answer1 ,all this nonsense cometh from  
the ,evil ,one2 thou art tired1         
discouraged1 worn out in body and       
spirit4 ,rest for a few days1 and with  
new strength and courage thou wilt have 
no inclination for such foolishness4    
,to which he made no reply1 but ,i could
 see his mind was1 with all his love for
 me1 set on going through this          

pernicious thing4 ,and that it may be   
known why ,i dreaded this ordeal1 which 
,i hoped after the ,eckerlings left us  
would never be undergone again by any of
 us1 ,i shall set forth the manner in   
which the neophyte sought first physical
 regeneration1 in order that he might be
 properly prepared for moral            
regeneration1 and thus attain           
perfection4  ,this was the way of it3   
the seeker for perfection must with a   
single attendant retire to a hut or cave
 in the forest on the night of the full 
moon in the month of ,may1 and for forty
 days live thus secluded in fasting and 
prayer4 ,no drink was allowed other than
 rain water which had fallen during the 
month of ,may4 ,this and dry bread      
crusts were all the nourishment the     
neophyte could have4 ,after being       
weakened by such rigid fasting for      
sixteen days1 on the following day the  
recluse1 that his physical nature might 
be further subjugated1 had several      
ounces of blood taken from him1 after   

which certain white drops were          
administered1 though what their         
composition ,i never cared to know1 only
 it was not poisonous1 and for this     
remnant of good sense ,i give cheerfully
 to the originators of this iniquitous  
ordeal their proper dues4  ,six drops of
 this elixir1 which was prepared only by
 adepts1 were taken at night and a like 
quantity mornings1 the dose being       
increased by two drops a day until the  
thirty-second day when some more blood  
was drawn upon the rising of the sun1   
the seeker for perfection then retiring 
to his couch to remain there until the  
completion of the forty days4  ,at      
sunrise of the following day1 being the 
thirty-third1 the first grain of materia
 prima was to be taken1 this being the  
universal and invisible principle out of
 which ,god made all things and which he
 had created to confer immortality upon 
man when first made in paradise1 but    
which substance1 by reason of man's     
fall1 was lost to the race1 only to be  

thereafter obtained by favor of such    
adepts as were within the highest       
circles of the ,rosicrucian brotherhood4
  ,my hope is that they who may care to 
read this tale will have more patience  
in the reading of this ,rosicrucian     
folly than ,i have had in the writing of
 it2 for surely1 whenever ,i think of   
this worst of all wickedness inflicted  
on us by the ,eckerlings1 it requireth  
all the ,kloster restraint and          
moderation to keep me from strong and   
strange words4  ,but spiteful words     
seldom cure things1 so ,i shall tell of 
this materia prima2 for such was its    
power that the moment the neophyte took 
it he lost all speech and recollection4 
,three hours later convulsions and heavy
 transudation set in4 ,after these      
subsided1 the serving ,brother changed  
the couch and a broth made from lean    
beef and sundry herbs was given4 ,on the
 next day another grain of the materia  
prima was taken1 in a cup of this broth1
 after which in addition to the         

convulsions and transudations a         
delirious fever would set in1 which     
ended with a complete loss or shedding  
of the skin1 hair1 and teeth of the     
subject4  ,on the thirty-fifth day a    
bath of a certain temperature was given 
the neophyte and on the following day   
the third and last grain of the materia 
prima was taken in a cup of precious    
wine1 after which the seeker fell into a
 gentle1 undisturbed sleep1 during which
 a new skin appeared1 and also the hair 
and teeth shed two days before were     
miraculously renewed4 ,on his awakening 
he was placed in an aromatic herb bath4 
,on the thirty-eighth day of the ordeal 
an ordinary water bath in which         
saltpeter had been dissolved was taken1 
the votary then resuming his habit and  
exercising his limbs1 and on the        
following day ten drops of the elixir of
 life1 or grandmaster's elixir or balsam
 were administered in two large         
spoonfuls of red wine4  ,the fortieth   
day ended the period of perfection1 and 

the votary being now restored to the    
state of innocence man had before the   
fall1 left his hut or cell with the     
power to lengthen his earthly existence 
to the limit of five thousand five      
hundred and fifty-seven years1 in       
perfect health and contentment4  ,after 
this came the forty days moral          
regeneration1 which if successfully     
passed1 gave the seeker power to        
communicate with the spirit world4      
,small wonder that ,i was strongly set  
against this perilous and utterly       
foolish thing4 ,but ,i found the next   
day ,sonnlein was stubbornly resolved he
 would undergo it2 and though ,i had    
great comfort in the thought that it    
wanted some months ere ,may were here1  
yet1 even this solace was quickly denied
 me1 as he declared his intention of    
suffering the purification at once4 ,to 
this even our poor1 benighted ,brother  
,benno objected1 for he held that the   
slightest deviation from the prescribed 
particulars of the process would render 

the whole without avail4  ,but as       
,sonnlein declared he would go off in   
the woods and take the ordeal           
himself--and ,i knew in his sicklied    
state he would do so--,brother ,benno   
and ,i finally compromised with the     
stubborn youth by going to ,ararat1 the 
second floor of ,zion1 where ,sonnlein  
took one of the thirteen cells for      
himself while ,brother ,benno and ,i    
each took an adjoining cell4  ,here in  
this deserted old chapter house1 relic  
of the pride and folly of the poor      
,eckerlings1 we lived all alone for     
almost a week1 and never in my life was 
week longer2 for though ,brother ,benno 
and ,i attended all the services1 yet   
the solicitude of the ,brothers and     
,sisters was such--they believing that  
we had moved ,sonnlein to the hill for  
purer air in his illness--that ,brother 
,benno and ,i were not permitted to do  
any of our usual work4  ,this1 indeed1  
suited our purpose most opportunely1 for
 ,brother ,benno desired to keep        

constant watch over the treatment1 while
 ,i was resolved to keep strict watch   
over my boy's safety4  ,thus the first  
day1 the second1 and the third and even 
the fourth1 and the fifth day passed1   
during all of which ,i was not permitted
 once to see my boy4 ,nor did ,i even   
hear anything1 for ,brother ,benno and  
,sonnlein dared not so much as exchange 
a word4 ,only that on every opportunity 
,i would seek ,brother ,benno and in a  
whisper1 so my boy could not hear1 would
 ,i get report of him1 ,brother ,benno  
invariably saying ,sonnlein was a most  
obedient votary and that he was in good 
health1 though weak4 ,thus ,i allowed   
myself to become a sharer in this wicked
 thing4  ,but on the night of the fifth 
day1 after coming from our midnight     
devotions1 ,brother ,benno having given 
me his usual favorable report1 ,i sought
 repose in my cell1 though it seemed as 
,i lay awake for a long time ,i could   
hear ,sonnlein turning uneasily in his  
cell and murmuring continually in a     

great fever4 ,then for a long while all 
was quiet only that ,i thought ,i could 
hear him breathing heavily in his sleep4
 ,reassured by this ,i dropped off into 
a heavy sleep1 for in my anxiety ,i had 
kept vigil in my ,kammer almost every   
night4 ,it seemed to me ,i had not slept
 long1 but ,i know now ,i slept almost  
until daybreak1 when in my sleeping ,i  
heard a rumbling like thunder and then  
as a flash of lightning illumined my    
narrow cell1 followed closely by a crash
 of thunder--for such storms have we at 
times even in winter--,i jumped up fully
 awake and shaking like a leaf1 though  
,i never feared much the noise of       
thunder4 ,and then without knowing what 
,i was doing and heedless of ,brother   
,benno's injunctions1 ,i rushed into    
,sonnlein's cell1 my heart almost       
standing still as ,i noted in all the   
darkness that he was gone6  ,i rushed   
madly for ,brother ,benno's cell1 but my
 agitated steps had roused him from his 
slumber1 and as ,i met him in the       

corrider ,i clutched him so that he     
shrank from me in fear as ,i howled at  
him1 ,sonnlein1 my boy1 where is he8 and
 then ere my startled brother could     
reply ,i heard from down the meadows1   
mingling with the crashing and rumbling 
of the thunder ,sonnlein's voice crying 
out again and again1 ,genoveva6         
,genoveva6  ,i know not how ,i got out  
of ,zion or whether or not ,brother     
,benno was following as ,i darted down  
the hill for the ,cocalico1 once in a   
flash of lightning imagining ,i saw my  
boy plunge into the creek for the other 
side4 ,but though ,i ran to the spot in 
all the darkness and the storm and      
though ,i rushed wildly through the     
stream1 and into the woods on the       
farther side1 all the while crying out  
his name1 ,i had no reply1 and at last  
feeling now as though ,i had indeed more
 than ,i could bear1 ,i returned        
half-dazed to my cell in ,bethania1 not 
wishing ever again to set foot in that  
house of evil on the hill4  ,brother    

,benno informed all the ,brothers and   
the ,sisters that ,sonnlein had wandered
 away in his sickness and though        
everybody in the ,kloster and also the  
good neighbors sought most earnestly and
 lovingly1 even wading the icy creek for
 him1 thinking most likely he had been  
drowned1 naught of anything was found of
 my boy4     ,,chapter ,,xxiii  ,a      
,,midnight ,,visit      ,in the meantime
 the wants of the body are also to be   
restrained     and attention given so   
that the voice become angelic1          
heavenly1 pure1 and clear1 and not      
strong and harsh1 by a     coarseness of
 food1 and consequently prove valueless4
 ,but to     gain the right tone1 so    
that no unseemingly harsh screeching    
and creaking be heard in place of the   
proper melody4          --,brother      
,beissel4   ,surely ,god's ways for     
setting things right are not the ways of
 man's narrow wisdom6 ,how often doth he
 take the lowly1 simple1 and even       
hideous things of earth to confuse the  

lofty and the wise whose faith and love 
have been weakened with much learning4  
,a number of weeks had gone by since    
,sonnlein had been swallowed up in the  
wilds1 for in truth he could not have   
left less trace of himself than if the  
earth had opened up and engulfed him2   
but finally the mystery was solved1 and 
if ,i come slowly to the mark ,i humbly 
ask the forgiveness of all those who are
 not inclined to wait patiently for an  
old man's laggard step4 ,thus it came   
about4 ,from the very founding of our   
,kloster we paid great attention to     
music1 especially singing1 and ,i would 
that ,i had time and space to write     
fully about the system of music invented
 by our leader1 with the assistance of  
one of our housefathers1 ,ludwig ,blum1 
who was a master singer and also versed 
in composition4  ,but as we had been    
careful in everything else to conform as
 little as possible to the spirit of the
 world1 instead shaping ourselves in    
everything to the heavenly spirit1 so   

also it was in respect to singing4 ,as  
hath been said1 ,musicam divini quid    
spirare1 if she sounds out the praises  
of the ,most ,high1 for which purpose   
she is solely calculated2 so that we    
like not to see her noble character     
abused by theatrical diversions and her 
heavenly sweetness marred by their      
curled compositions2 for it is well     
known they sometimes dwell two minutes  
on one syllable which is nothing else   
than a great nonsense4 ,we also held it 
to be a great mistake to join all sorts 
of instruments with vocal music1 without
 consideration1 thereby eclipsing the   
dignity of the human voice2 for the     
human voice is a most noble instrument1 
by which man may reveal his most        
intimate recesses2 for when ,god made   
himself known in his created work he    
spake the word1 ,let there be light1 and
 surely it was far more sublime than if 
it had been announced with a flourish of
 braying instruments4  ,for this reason 
we at ,ephrata did not concern ourselves

 greatly about instrumental music1      
though indeed1 when our superintendent  
prepared our system of music he knew    
very little except some notes which he  
had learned on the violin2 but such was 
our leader's genius and his independence
 of spirit and energy that instead of   
borrowing anything from the so-called   
masters he took his style from the music
 of nature1 our singing1 in a word1     
being an imitation of the olian harp4   
,naturally1 'twas a style very peculiar1
 as the worldly minded regard things1 in
 concords and execution1 the tones      
issuing from the choir like very soft   
instrumental music and carrying such a  
sweetness and softness and spirit of    
devotion as seemed almost superhuman to 
the listener4  ,to carry out this idea  
of the olian harp1 the music was set in 
two1 four1 five1 and sometimes even     
seven parts4 ,all these1 save the bass1 
which was set in two parts1 high and    
low1 were led and sung exclusively by   
the females1 the men's voices resembling

 the deep tones of the organ and in     
combination with one of the female parts
 producing a contrast which was an      
excellent imitation of the hautboy4     
,and in the perfection of this heavenly 
art we spent much time and labor1 for we
 felt that we were no greater than the  
angels1 who themselves when they sang at
 the birth of ,christ had to make use of
 such rules as we employed2 and for that
 we held music was truly an angelic art 
our leader gave us very many rules1     
especially as to our diet1 for the      
refining of our voices4 ,the ,brothers  
and ,sisters being formed into different
 singing classes1 were each put upon a  
distinct diet with the intention so to  
affect the vocal cords and mold them    
that they would give forth the required 
pitch assigned to each class4  ,thus the
 diet for the bass singers was entirely 
different from that of the tenors1 while
 the second bass and the baritone varied
 as greatly as that selected for the    
soprano and the alto1 and it being      

absolutely necessary to know what sorts 
of foods quicken the spirit and make the
 voice subtle and thin and to the       
contrary make the voice coarse and      
sluggish and heavy1 our leader took     
great care that all those selected to   
sing should abstain from the use of     
foods which in great injustice man is   
accustomed to take from the animals1    
such as milk1 which causeth one         
heaviness and uneasiness2 and cheese    
which maketh one fiery and hot-brained2 
and butter1 which maketh one so lazy and
 stolid one desires neither to sing nor 
pray2 and eggs1 which awaken various and
 evil desires2 and even honey was       
forbidden1 for as our brother held that 
though this sweet essence of the flowers
 causeth light eyes and a cheerful      
spirit1 it maketh the voice not clear4  
,even among the vegetables we had not   
free scope1 for beans came under the ban
 as being too weighty a food and making 
one heavy in spirit2 but above all      
things our leader held that the spirit  

of this art since it is of such virgin  
purity can suffer no love between man   
and woman2 for love in young hearts     
inflames them so exceedingly as to make 
the sufferers entirely unfit in mind and
 heart and voice and spirit4 ,and1      
indeed1 to this extent ,i agree fully   
with our leader1 that people in love are
 not only useless for music but for     
almost everything else4  ,as to drink1  
our brother taught it had been settled  
long ago that in the straight path there
 is naught hath greater righteousness   
than the innocent1 pure water just as it
 comes from the well1 or made into soup 
to which a little bread was added4      
,otherwise1 all cookery whereby water is
 deprived of its beneficent nature and  
changed by unseeming art into a sort of 
delicacy our leader ever regarded as    
sinful1 an abomination of abominations4 
,after our leader had assumed the rle of
 ,capellmeister1 singing schools were   
held upon certain evenings in the       
,sister ,house1 the sessions lasting    

four hours1 during the third1 fourth1   
and fifth1 and sixth hours1             
corresponding in wordly time from eight 
o'clock to midnight2 and so on this     
night1 the brethren being in snow-white 
garments1 which our ruler insisted upon 
as representing the necessary purity of 
heart and mind1 he himself strictly     
adhering to this1 met us as usual at the
 low doorway of ,bethania and led us in 
long procession to the ,sister ,saal1   
the ,sisters proceeding thither from    
,saron in the same manner1 led by the   
prioress4 ,the ,brethren as usual took  
their places1 being divided in their    
respective classes about their proper   
tables on the floor of the ,saal while  
the ,sisters took the places set apart  
for them behind the latticed galleries  
above4  ,it was seldom we sang through  
an entire session of these evening      
schools that some brother or sister did 
not receive a severe scolding from our  
leader2 for he ruled these classes with 
an iron hand1 so that often there were  

bitterest dissensions where all should  
have been peace2 for at the slightest   
sign of levity or frivolity there would 
descend upon the offender such an       
avalanche of rebukes and scoldings as   
were1 indeed1 hard to bear even by the  
meekest of us4  ,this night was no      
exception1 for though we sang our hymns 
one after the other in the utmost peace 
and order until after the fifth hour    
7eleven o'clock71 suddenly the storm    
came1 for our sisters ,keturah and      
,priscano1 being so busily engaged in   
some1 ,i doubt not1 trivial talk1 noted 
not as another hymn had been taken up   
and was passing around the hall from one
 class to the other1 that their response
 had come1 and forgat utterly to sing1  
so that we all were fairly amazed1 and  
sat with bowed heads for the blast we   
knew would sweep over us2 and instantly 
it came1 so fiercely that if one had not
 known our leader it might have been    
thought he were a man of the most       
violent and unchecked passions4  ,i had 

often heard him scold1 and1 indeed1 had 
more than once felt the force of his    
temper in that ,i had never much voice  
for singing1 and more than once was ,i  
rebuked for singing out of tune1 which  
to our leader was as great an hurt as if
 one had stuck him with a sword1 but    
this night so outrageous was the affront
 our poor sisters had given him he      
fairly seemed beside himself with       
righteous rage1 so that1 looking up at  
him out of the corner of my eye1 his    
figure with all its insignificance of   
size seemed truly majestic4  ,i know not
 how long we had been compelled to sit  
there shivering and cowering like       
disobedient children1 when suddenly we  
heard a voice1 to me familiar enough1   
from the rear of the hall near the      
doorway1 cry out half-sneering1         
half-snarling1 ,thou fool6 ,then as we  
all turned about1 frightened almost     
beyond the telling by this unearthly    
voice1 we saw crouching in the dark     
shadows about the doorway the form of   

her whom1 though unknown to the rest1 ,i
 knew well to be my old enemy1 the      
witch2 but from the terrified ,sisters  
huddled together in the galleries and   
from the awe-struck ,brothers below not 
a hand or voice was lifted against the  
apparition1 even our fiery little leader
 for the once forgetting his anger and  
his fearlessness1 making the sign of the
 cross on his breast as he shrank back  
from the menacing shape at the other end
 of the ,saal4  ,for what seemed an age 
she stood there glaring at us4 ,then she
 straightened up straighter than ,i had 
ever seen her1 and there was in her     
voice such unusual sadness and dignity  
and lack of hate ,i greatly marveled as 
she cried out1 even pityingly1 ,ye poor 
fools1 to fear him1 pointing her long   
finger at our leader1 and then1 breaking
 out more fiercely1 she snarled1 ,how   
many homes have been destroyed by his   
false teachings6 ,oh1 thou needst not   
threaten me1 a poor1 weak1 crazy woman1 
thou brave giant6 she sneered at me as  

,i started forward with menacing mien4  
,what dost thou here8 and then a sudden 
thought flashed through me1 our leader  
and all the brothers and sisters        
marveling greatly at this show of spirit
 in their meek ,brother ,jabez as ,i    
cried out boldly1 ,what hast done with  
our sister1 thou she-devil8  ,and then  
she forgot all her brief softness as she
 screeched back at us1 ,ye fools1 now ye
 know what it is to have one stolen from
 ye1 and then she snarled defiantly1    
,come and get your sister if ye can1 ye 
women-men6 and with this she rushed out 
of the doorway1 leaving us utterly      
bereft of our wits4  ,but then ,i leaped
 for the doorway1 our leader crying out1
 ,hold him2 the witch will kill him6 but
 ,i shook off savagely the hands of the 
,brothers trying with great love of me  
to hold me back from pursuing the grisly
 shape1 for now ,i was on fire with the 
resolve to follow and learn once for all
 where this being held herself and who  
she was4  ,although the early part of   

the night had been dark1 ,i saw as ,i   
burst out of the doorway that the moon  
had come up1 making the ,kloster grounds
 as bright as day1 so that ,i had no    
difficulty in seeing the fleeing figure 
skirting the foot of ,mount ,sinai and  
speeding down the meadows along the     
,cocalico4 ,i doubt not ,i could have   
quickly overtaken her1 but such was not 
my purpose4 ,i had but one thought now  
and that was to follow her to her       
retreat1 and1 having this in view1 ,i   
rejoiced that the moonlight showed      
plainly the form of the witch4 ,but the 
moonlight1 if a help in this way1 was a 
hindrance in that if she looked back she
 could not but see me even though ,i    
took advantage of the shadows of every  
bush and tree4  ,somehow ,i was not at  
all surprised that she followed the     
course of the creek to the very spot    
where ,sonnlein and ,i had crossed that 
night2 but surely she would not attempt 
to pass over on the thin ice that still 
lingered on the pool ending at that     

stony beach where the swift stream had  
weeks ago worm away its icy covering6   
,and yet so feather light did she skim  
over the thin1 treacherous surface1 and 
with such gliding1 ghostlike ease1 ,i   
was almost minded to give up the chase1 
fearing1 though ,i had never believed   
such vulgar tales1 she might fly away on
 a broomstick1 or through some other    
hocus-pocus elude me and ,i make all my 
desperate endeavor for naught4 ,and for 
all ,i knew she might1 if pressed too   
hard1 turn on me and change me into some
 vile beast1 for ,i had heard of such   
things4  ,but not for long did ,i       
hesitate by reason of these childish    
fears4 ,there was no turning back now1  
come what might4 ,i placed one of my    
heavy feet delicately on the thin ice1  
and1 then bearing on it my weight more  
heavily1 ,i went through to my knees1   
almost falling full length into the     
pool1 for the ice would not begin to    
hold my great weight4  ,there was but   
one way left1 and1 fearing ,i would lose

 sight of her did ,i pause longer1 ,i   
dashed into the swift current below the 
pool with such hotheaded recklessness   
that ere ,i knew it and with all my     
slipping and stumbling ,i was safely on 
the other side1 and though ,i wasted no 
time then in idle philosophizing1 which 
hath ever been a weakness of mine1 ,i   
have often thought since and have come  
to the conclusion that there be times   
when one loseth all by dilly-dallying4  
,as ,i shook the water off me like some 
big dog ,i plunged into the brush with  
the same recklessness ,i had crossed the
 creek1 though now my wet garments by   
their weight and their clinging about my
 legs impeded my progress almost beyond 
endurance2 but as ,i stood panting and  
almost choking for breath ,i saw at no  
great distance ahead in a little1       
moonlit glade1 mine enemy1 still not    
looking back1 so that ,i felt relieved  
to know she had not yet seen me4  ,on   
and on we went in this manner1 she      
seemingly without effort1 while ,i      

stumbled and fell repeatedly over rocks 
and gullies and fallen trees1 yet beyond
 being severely shaken and bruised ,i   
received no great hurts4 ,of a sudden1  
as we reached the foot of the mountain  
she changed her way1 hitherto toward the
 southwest1 abruptly to the southeast1  
almost at the same spot ,i had come on  
the footprints of ,brother ,alburtus    
that sad day4 ,she too1 now as ,i       
continually kept nigh enough to catch   
sight of her among the bushes and trees1
 followed that same winding way up the  
mountain side1 higher and higher4 ,once 
she turned half about and stood still as
 though listening carefully1 and ere ,i 
could hide behind a tree ,i thought she 
saw me1 but if so she gave no sign by   
hastening her flight1 if flight it could
 be called1 for she appeared in no great
 hurry4 ,but now and then she would turn
 sharply about and stand still for a    
moment as if listening1 and always when 
,i was in plain view4  ,we had now come 
nigh to the very spot where ,i found    

,brother ,alburtus dying in the snow4   
,farther up the mountain ,i could see   
plainly his rocky tomb1 and then1 though
 ,i had glanced but a moment aside from 
my pursuit1 she had completely vanished4
 ,i looked about me in every direction1 
but ,i could see naught of her1 nor     
could ,i as much as hear the faintest   
sound4 ,and then as suddenly as though  
it had come out of the earth1 ,i saw on 
the top of that great rock whence our   
brother had fallen such a sight as for a
 moment almost benumbed me with fear2   
for there standing out clear in the     
bright moonlight was the tall figure of 
some dark being1 so that my first       
overpowering fear was the witch had     
suddenly changed her human shape into   
that of the ,evil ,one4  ,for a few     
moments ,i stood almost powerless with  
fear1 the forbidding shape on the rock  
being also absolutely motionless1 with  
its front toward me2 and then1 so that  
,i have often wondered what it was gave 
me such unusual boldness1 ,i felt a     

sudden strength take hold of me and such
 a courage as feared naught1 as ,i cried
 out fiercely1 ,be thou ,belial himself1
 or the son of ,belial1 ,i shall fight  
thee6 and with that ,i tore from its    
earthly fastening a young sapling most  
like my wrist1 and having twisted off   
the top ,i advanced threateningly with  
my club1 at which the figure on the rock
 gave a most unearthly screech or howl1 
such as for a brief moment chilled my   
resolution2 but on again ,i went1       
yelling back1 ,thou mayest spit and     
snarl all thou hast a mind to1 thou foul
 one6 as ,i crossed my breast1 knowing  
that the ,evil ,one ever feareth the    
sign of the cross4  ,suddenly ,i saw the
 right arm of the dread figure draw     
back1 and like a flash something came   
hurling at me that would have dashed out
 my brains had it not been that ,he who 
doth watch over his own had placed      
between me and my foe a small branch1   
light and trifling almost as air1 and   
yet great enough in his hands to turn   

aside the missile1 so that instead of   
catching me fair on my brow1 it barely  
escaped the side of my head4  ,tearing  
my cloak from me and tossing it and my  
club aside1 ,i dashed ahead1 and ere my 
foe knew it ,i was on the rock1 and we  
were in each others' arms struggling    
with all our might to hurl the other    
down1 and if ever ,i needed the great   
strength that so often in my life ,i had
 been foolishly ashamed of as being     
unworthy of my calling ,i needed it now2
 for whatever my antagonist was ,i      
speedily found it flesh and blood like  
myself2 for that he was not burdened    
with much clothes as was ,i1 my hold    
often slipped from his greasy body as we
 rolled over and over1 now ,i on top and
 then he1 each grasping for the other's 
throat or trying to trip or throw the   
other down from the rock4  ,surely my   
only salvation now was that in spite of 
my great love of books1 yet have ,i ever
 loved the open air1 and in my ,kloster 
life was never afraid of my share of    

hard1 daily toil1 so that e'en now ,i   
felt that my foe1 with all his strength 
and quickness1 had not an easy task cut 
out for him4 ,finally ,i wrenched myself
 from his hold1 and then1 both breathing
 so hard it was no great difficulty to  
know we were in deadly earnest1 we stood
 apart glaring at each other and waiting
 for returning strength to renew our    
fighting4  ,all the while ,i kept my eye
 closely on him1 prepared for any sudden
 spring or trick that my sly foe might  
try on me1 and now as we stood there    
scowling at each other ,i saw plainly if
 it were the ,evil ,one he had assumed  
the form of an ,indian4 ,neither of us  
said a word1 but all at once ,i saw my  
dark antagonist draw himself together   
and like a stone from a catapult hurl   
himself at me2 but that which was meant 
to overpower me by its suddenness proved
 my enemy's undoing1 for--and ,i believe
 to this day ,providence was with me--an
 old trick came back to me ,i had       
learned in my student days in the       

gymnasium1 but of which ,i had no       
thought it still were within me4  ,and  
thus it was as my foe came flying upon  
me1 ,i suddenly dropped on one knee1 and
 ere he knew what ,i was about1 ,i had  
caught him with both hands fairly under 
his middle1 and then with all my power  
and strength gave such a mighty upward  
heave as with his own impulse threw him 
back over me so that he landed clean on 
the other side of the rock1 where ,i    
heard him fall with a tremendous crash4 
,and then1 so savage is the human heart1
 ,i rushed to the edge of the rock      
eagerly hoping ,i had killed him        
outright4 ,and1 indeed1 there he lay    
still enough1 so that ,i knew whoever my
 foe had been1 it had not been the evil 
one1 for surely no mere man could kill  
,beelzebub4  ,as my breath and strength 
returned to me1 though for a long time  
,i was so weak in my limbs ,i could do  
little less than totter1 ,i picked up my
 cloak and wrapped it about me2 but with
 returning strength came a great horror 

that ,i had killed a human being1 and   
unless one be of a gentle heart he      
knoweth naught what awful feeling       
possessed my soul as ,i thought upon my 
savage deed which1 though ,i had done it
 in self-defense1 yet seemed to me      
little less than murder4  ,for the time 
all thought of the witch was cast aside1
 my only fear being now that ,i had     
killed the ,indian4 ,i hastened to his  
side1 and though ,i found him bleeding  
from some wound in the head1 yet the    
violently throbbing heart told me there 
was life there so that my own heart     
leaped up with a great joy and hope ,i  
had not killed him2 and--praises be to  
,his name--as ,i knelt there anxiously  
waiting for return of sense to him1 my  
red foe finally came to himself and sat 
up1 holding his wounded head1 which ,i  
had now bound up1 and rubbing himself   
about his back and limbs so that ,i     
feared perchance these had been broken2 
but to my great joy--for now ,i thought 
no more of fearing him--from sitting up1

 he gradually1 with many gruntings and  
groanings1 stood erect as he could in   
all his weakness1 and then1 as he seemed
 for the first time conscious of me1 he 
grunted in broken ,english1 ,big        
woman-man1 big chief2 me only papoose2  
me go back to ,conestogas and be squaw2 
white chief-woman must help self1 and   
then before ,i could speak and ere my   
scattered wits knew what all this talk  
meant1 he limped away down the          
mountain-side and was soon lost to      
sight4     ,,chapter ,,xxiv  ,,mine     
,,enemy',s ,,hiding-,,place             
,weeping may endure for a night1 but joy
 cometh in the     morning4             
--,the ,bible4   ,my vanquished foe had 
hardly disappeared down the mountain    
when ,i recovered sufficiently from my  
dazed state to recall the witch1 who ,i 
feared had escaped me while ,i was      
engaged in desperate conflict with the  
red man4 ,no man who hath not gone      
through such adventures can understand  
what a weakness and loneliness came upon

 me way up there in that wild spot1 with
 no foe to fight or witch to pursue2 for
 surely idleness afflicts one with many 
foolish fears and vain imaginings4  ,i  
crawled stiffly1 now that ,i had cooled 
off somewhat1 to the top of the rock and
 looked carefully in every direction1   
straining my ears for any sound of her2 
but ,i saw and heard nothing4 ,i fairly 
groaned in my childish despair4 ,it     
seemed to me ,i must find out this night
 the haunt of this sorceress4 ,and then1
 as ,i jumped down from the great stone 
so heedlessly ,i almost fell1 something 
leaped out of the dark shadow of the    
rock with such suddenness ,i shrank back
 trembling like a leaf2 but as ,i saw1  
despite my shattered wits1 the form of  
the witch fleeing still higher up the   
mountains1 ,i rushed after her with such
 a vengeful whoop as startled even      
myself2 but with all my violent efforts 
she gained steadily on me1 for that she 
knew the way1 dodging in and out among  
the trees and bushes with the greatest  

ease1 while ,i stumbled and fell        
repeatedly bruising and tearing my hands
 and knees almost beyond endurance4     
,yet how truly it hath been said that   
often victory cometh when we are ready  
to give up2 for as ,i was passing a     
cluster of tall1 gloomy looking pines   
only a few paces from me1 ,i saw a      
white-clad figure which as ,i advanced  
cautiously toward it1 suddenly rushed   
forward and ere ,i could hinder threw   
itself into mine arms with a cry that   
was nigh to weeping1 ,brother ,jabez6   
,as ,i recovered from my amazement and  
stepped back into the moonlight ,i could
 hardly believe my senses1 not knowing  
at first whether it were another trick  
of the witch2 for she who lay so quietly
 in my protection was none other than   
our ,sister ,genoveva6  ,but she was not
 senseless as ,i first supposed2 for in 
a moment or two she stood up by herself1
 though trembling1 and said with a great
 gladness1 ,the ,lord be praised thou   
didst overcome thine adversary4 ,then   

with a vanity ,i trust ,king ,david     
never had1 ,i boasted to my sister1     
,didst see me fight the red man8  ,yea1 
and when thou didst throw him so        
mightily ,i feared thou hadst killed    
him2 for ,i knew thee not until ,i saw  
thee leave the rock in such hot haste   
after this poor creature4  ,where hath  
she gone8 ,i asked eagerly4 ,i have     
vowed not to rest until ,i track her to 
her vile retreat1 though she take me to 
the gates of the lost4 ,and then our    
sister smiled so brightly ,i was hurt   
that she should feel thus at such a     
time1 as she said1 ,wouldst like to see 
her vile retreat1 as thou callest it8   
,for that and for thee ,i am here4      
,still smiling she said more softly1 and
 it seemed to me almost teasingly1 ,art 
strong enough to stand a great surprise8
  ,to which ,i replied boastfully1      
,after such a night of surprises can ,i 
endure anything4  ,with that she took me
 lightly by the arm and led me into the 
shadow of those dark pines and when in  

the very midst of them1 ,i saw what     
appeared to me like one of the          
cone-shaped houses of poles covered with
 skins the red men are wont to live in1 
only this one was larger than any ,i had
 ever seen before and so hidden by the  
enfolding branches of the pines that one
 might have passed it within a few feet 
even in daylight without knowing there  
were human habitation nigh4  ,see1 said 
,sister ,genoveva1 this is the vile     
retreat of her whom thou callest the    
witch4 ',tis substantial1 ,i assure     
thee2 'twill not vanish into the air4   
,and then1 as she stepped down and      
lifted aside a flap that gave entrance  
to the structure1 the moonlight shining 
through the opening fell full upon the  
form of some one lying within1 seemingly
 asleep1 just beyond the glowing embers 
of a bright fire that spread a soothing 
warmth throughout the rude dwelling4 ,as
 ,i hung back1 not knowing but that ,i  
was under some spell of the witch and   
that all this enchantment would be my   

undoing1 ,sister ,genoveva assured me of
 herself by pushing me forward gently1  
saying1 ',tis not she whom thou hast    
frightened away by thy unseemly         
screeching1 and as ,i still hung back   
for--,i say it to my great shame--,i    
feared perhaps the witch had changed    
herself into the form of our sister to  
lure me to my destruction1 our sister   
said to me mockingly1 ,surely a fighting
 man like thee is not afraid6 ,with that
 ,i stepped forward with a brave        
showing1 for the man that can endure    
being called coward by woman is beyond  
recall4  ,but then as my feet sank into 
the soft floor--for it seemed thickly   
strewn with the skins of wild           
animals--the prostrate form moved       
uneasily and murmured weakly1 ,genoveva1
 and before she could hold me back ,i   
flung myself down beside my boy1 calling
 to him like one crazy with joy1        
,sonnlein6 ,god be praised for his      
mercy6 forgetting the witch and ,sister 
,genoveva1 knowing only that in his     

wonderful way he had brought me back to 
my own again4  ,best of all he knew me  
and though ,i feared the shock of my    
sudden coming might increase his illness
 he soon drove away my fears by saying1 
with such simple faith1 and the         
tenderness illness often brings even to 
men1 as made me more wickedly vain than 
ever1 ,i knew thou wouldst come4  ,much 
had we to say to each other after all   
our grievous trials1 for ,sonnlein would
 talk against all the admonishing from  
,sister ,genoveva1 and once when she    
insisted more firmly than before that he
 cease talking and go to sleep he       
retorted softly1 slyly winking at       
me--though ,i detest winking--,surely   
thou art not going to scold me ere we   
are married8  ,married6 ,i burst forth1 
much time hast had to make love if thou 
hast been sick since thou left us1 and  
,i doubt not thou hast been nigh to     
death4  ,but he merely smiled more      
wickedly than before as he said1 ,when a
 man is too old or too sick to make love

 'tis time for him to die1 and ,i feel  
not like dying1 ,i assure thee4  ,so    
long as he had such nonsense in him ,i  
knew he was not in any critical illness4
 ,indeed1 ,genoveva declared he was     
gaining so rapidly she knew not what to 
do1 for that he was all the time        
promising she must be his wife so soon  
as he were well4  ,but finally1 for with
 our ,kloster discipline still upon us  
even in all these wild surroundings1 in 
that we came slowly to what we most     
cared to hear1 ,i prevailed upon our    
sister's modesty--for she would not have
 it that she had endured anything       
unusual--to tell me about her capture   
and long stay from us2 but she insisted 
in making so light of all she had       
suffered and endured in body and mind   
that her story was over much too soon1  
though ,sonnlein fell most ungallantly  
asleep ere she was half-way through1    
greatly tempting me to waken him with   
the reminder that he was the one who    
acted as though he and ,genoveva were   

already married2 but no doubt his       
illness was adequate apology2 for truly 
no man worthy the name1 so it seemeth to
 my inexperience1 could even wish to    
sleep while his lady love were talking  
to him2 though ,i have heard it stoutly 
averred that after marriage a great     
change cometh over the man so that he   
goeth to sleep whenever he feeleth like 
it even though his ,liebchen be talking 
to him2 but this ,i never could believe4
  ,but it is not seemly that ,i1 a monk1
 should attempt instruction in love and 
marriage1 and therefore shall ,i turn to
 our sister's tale of her capture2 and  
very discreetly she said nothing about  
,sonnlein's meeting her under the       
chestnut tree2 nor did ,i think it wise 
to refer to the matter for fear--though 
,i never doubted her word--the          
temptation for falsehood would be too   
great2 for it hath ever seemed to me a  
most dreadful thing that the fair       
sisters1 whom the ,lord hath created so 
like unto the angels1 should ever be    

guilty of untruth4  ,but here ,i am     
preaching again1 as usual1 so that it   
seemeth ,i shall never get to our       
sister's story4 ,yet now shall ,i       
proceed to it without further deviation4
 ,and thus it was3 ,she was sitting     
under the tree but a short time after   
,brother ,alburtus had passed her when  
suddenly some one from behind grasped   
her roughly by the arm and as she turned
 about1 in her first thought believing  
it had been some jesting one stealing   
upon her1 she looked up and saw bending 
over her threateningly the tall form of 
a red man1 with an evil-looking old     
woman directly back of him4 ,as our     
sister was about to cry for help he made
 such menacing motions and gestures that
 she knew it would be foolish to make   
resistance2 but instead she went with   
them as they led the way down ,mount    
,sinai through the meadows1 and along   
the creek1 crossing it where ,sonnlein  
and ,i had seen the footprints4  ,at    
first their course was to the southwest 

from the ,kloster1 and in this direction
 they had gone for some miles1 and      
though in the darkness that soon came   
upon them they went slowly through the  
thick woods1 the captors not seeming    
inclined to be harsh to our sister1 yet 
so oft did she stumble and the swinging 
branches strike and sting her face that 
she was compelled to stop for rest4     
,but now1 though our sister understood  
not their speech1 the red man and the   
old woman seemed to be disputing1 the   
former wanting1 our sister made out1 to 
go back to the mountains1 for thus he   
would point while the witch would shake 
her head and beckon to the southwest2   
but at last she consented to the red    
man's persuasion1 for suddenly they     
changed almost directly about1 so that  
for a moment our sister had the cheering
 hope they were going to take her back  
to the ,kloster4  ,this hope1 however1  
lasted not long1 for instead of         
returning to the ,kloster her captors   
soon turned toward the mountains4       

,beyond the spiteful glances the witch  
would cast at our sister there seemed no
 inclination to injure her2 but though  
the way through the valley had been     
rough it was as naught to the unbroken  
path up the steep hillside in the       
darkness of the night1 for they had no  
light1 only that the red man went ahead 
as freely as though it were midday1 with
 our sister next to him1 and back of her
 the witch1 to prevent escape4  ,at last
 they came to the great rock1 from whose
 top a view could be had down over the  
valley of the ,cocalico4 ,the red man   
having ascended the high stone looked   
long and carefully in the direction of  
the ,kloster4 ,all at once he called the
 witch to him and pointed out something 
of great interest to both1 causing      
,genoveva to climb upon the rock and    
look in the direction he was pointing4  
,she saw now and then a light moving    
down from what she guessed to be ,mount 
,sinai toward the ,cocalico in the      
direction she and her captors had taken1

 and she doubted not that some one was  
coming to her rescue4  ,but though her  
hope was again revived it was but for a 
brief season1 for heavy clouds had      
gathered after nightfall1 and even while
 yet on the rock a few scattering drops 
of rain fell1 so that her captors after 
a few moments more of careful           
examination of the valley proceeded up  
the hill and led her to this            
hiding-place4 ,hardly had they reached  
its shelter when the rain came down1 and
 she knew as it came faster and faster  
none of us would be able to find their  
trail4  ,in this lonely spot she had    
been all these months with no other     
companion than this strange woman1 who  
seldom spoke to our sister1 but would   
often sit muttering to herself4         
,sometimes she would leave her          
hiding-place1 and be gone for days and  
even weeks at a time1 and had it not    
been that the red man1 who seemed to    
have a shelter somewhere nigh1 had      
supplied ,sister ,genoveva with the     

flesh of wild animals and other food she
 would have starved2 for when the witch 
was absent our sister had thought to    
make her escape1 but every time before  
she had gone far the red man would      
suddenly appear1 and without saying a   
word lead her back to the hut4  ,nor    
could she learn from him the reason of  
her capture and who the witch was1 as   
he--according to the silent nature of   
,indians--would say nothing more than   
that the witch was friend to his tribe1 
,conestogas1 had often taken care of    
them in sickness1 and was regarded by   
his people as having wonderful powers4  
,thus day after day and night after     
night she lived here during all the cold
 of winter1 though snugly enough housed 
within the shelter of these pines1 that 
sometimes with all her hope and faith1  
it seemed she must go mad2 but she never
 failed1 no matter whether rain or snow 
or biting cold1 to rise at the midnight 
hour and seek peace and comfort in      
praise and prayer4 ,often she heard the 

clear tones of the ,kloster bell1 even  
at this far-off height1 if the wind were
 not in the contrary direction1 and saw 
the cheering lights that shone out from 
,mount ,sinai and from the wide         
scattered settlers' huts throughout the 
valley1 so that she felt not utterly    
alone in the world4  ,then she came to  
that which she knew ,i most cared to    
hear1 and that was how ,sonnlein had    
come to her4 ,and the manner of this has
 always seemed to me little less than   
miraculous1 for it is beyond me to      
explain it otherwise4 ,all that night   
that ,sonnlein was with ,brother ,benno 
and me in the chapter house1 our        
sister--the witch at that time being in 
her hiding-place--could find no rest4   
,it seemed impossible for her to fall   
asleep4 ,she held her usual midnight    
devotions from the rock looking down    
toward the ,kloster1 so that she might  
feel she were praying with us1 and      
though this gave her some peace1 yet    
when she returned again to the hut and  

lay down to sleep she found no rest2 but
 toward the morning she finally fell    
asleep1 but only to have it filled with 
a strange dream2 for it seemed to her   
she saw ,sonnlein lying on a hard couch 
in one of our ,kammers1 worn and wasted 
and suffering from some great illness1  
and then suddenly he arose from his     
couch and rushed from his cell and out  
of ,zion down over the hill toward the  
,cocalico1 calling her name1 once1      
twice1 a number of times1 whereat she   
struggled to go to him but could not6   
,she awoke with a great start only to   
hear a heavy storm roaring all about    
her2 but though she knew she was awake  
she still saw1 or imagined she saw1     
,sonnlein rush through the creek and    
into the woods on the other side1 as    
though he were coming directly to her4  
,at first she tried to shake the matter 
from her mind as merely a dream1 but she
 could not do so4 ,something even       
against her own persuading seemed to    
tell her that ,sonnlein was seeking her1

 that she must go to meet him1 and ere  
she knew what she was about she found   
herself outside the hut1 rushing in all 
the storm down the mountain as fast as  
she could1 the witch closely following4 
,our sister could not tell how long or  
how far they had gone in this wild1     
headlong manner1 but they were not far  
from the foot of the mountain1 when     
suddenly at no great distance above     
them1 seemingly the very way they had   
come1 she heard a faint cry1 ,genoveva6 
,not knowing whether she were bewitched 
or really gone mad from all these months
 of loneliness1 she stood like one      
dazed2 but then again1 and even a third 
time1 she heard her name as though the  
one calling were going farther up the   
mountain4 ,the witch too heard the cry  
and together they hastened up the hill1 
but hearing no longer the calls2 and in 
this wise they came back again to the   
great rock1 and there1 so that she could
 hardly believe her own eyes1 it now    
being broad daylight1 lay the figure of 

a man face downward as though he had    
fallen that way1 who as they turned him 
about she saw was ,sonnlein4  ,here ,i  
interrupted our sister most foolishly by
 asking1 ,what didst do--kiss him8 ,to  
which unmanly question she made no      
reply1 only that ,i feel sure had it not
 been so dark in the hut1 the moon      
having gone down1 ,i should have seen   
exceedingly rich blushings on the face  
of our dear sister4  ,but she and the   
witch1 the latter seeming to have the   
strength of a man 7and in truth         
,genoveva was no weakling7 carried      
,sonnlein into the hut1 where he lay for
 weeks with a raging fever1 and though  
she and the witch watched over him and  
nursed him1 our sister despaired of his 
ever coming to himself again4 ,had it   
not been that the witch possessed       
wonderful knowledge of the herbs she    
gathered in the woods and made into     
physic for ,sonnlein1 our sister felt he
 surely would have died4 ,but for some  
reason the witch became greatly devoted 

to ,sonnlein1 nursing him as tenderly as
 though she were his own mother1        
sometimes seeming jealous of our sister1
 so that until this night the witch had 
not left the hut since they had found   
,sonnlein lying on the rock2 but        
gradually under the witch's care he had 
come to himself again1 and was now quite
 strong and in his own mind1 only that  
he was continually pestering our sister 
that she must marry him4  ,to this ,i   
made question1 ,but being a ,rose of    
,saron thou wouldst not marry him8  ,and
 to which she replied softly1 ,so have  
,i oft told him1 but he sayeth he careth
 naught what ,i say1 that he will marry 
me whether ,i have him or not1 and thou 
hast so spoiled him all his life by     
letting him have his own will ,i fear ,i
 can do naught but let him have it in   
this4  ,i merely made reply1 ,may thy   
reward be great for sacrificing thyself 
so willingly to the result of my        
over-indulgence6 whereat she laughed so 
merrily1 'twas like music1 for though   

quick to feel the soft sting in my      
retort she was too great-hearted a woman
 to be hurt at what she knew was only   
meant in jest4     ,,chapter ,,xxv      
,,the ,,end ,,of ,,the ,,witch      ,for
 now we see through a glass darkly2 but 
then face to face4          --,new      
,testament4   ,thus we sat and talked   
until the morning light streaming       
through the partially opened entrance to
 the hut showed me more fully my boy1   
still sleeping soundly2 and for this we 
were thankful1 knowing how much better  
than all physic is the healing power of 
sleep4 ,i could see now by his thin face
 and wasted hands that he had been      
through a dangerous illness2 but his    
breathing was so even and there was such
 absence of fever1 ,i said gratefully to
 ,sister ,genoveva1 ,thou hast saved    
,sonnlein's life4  ,but she replied1    
blushing at my praise1 ,nay1 'tis to the
 witch thou must give thy gratitude4    
,she hath wonderful wisdom with the     
herbs she findeth in the woods4  ,and   

then for the first time in all these    
years1 it came to me that1 perhaps1 ,i  
had misjudged this woman whom ,i held in
 such abhorrence4 ',tis an awful thing  
to think evil of an innocent person6    
,suddenly ,i asked our sister1 ,how did 
she treat thee8  ,at first ,i feared she
 meant me harm1 for she would look at me
 with an evil glare as though she felt  
like killing me2 but the red man spake  
something to her whereat she seemed less
 sullen so that ,i lost fear of her4    
,thou dost not look as if thou hadst    
been pining away with fear1 ,i said1    
smiling to our sister2 for as ,i glanced
 at her with such admiration as made her
 blush again1 ,i marveled not how my boy
 could be so bent on having her to wife2
 for ,i had seen him make love to her   
when he was in the full flush of health1
 and if a man when he be well can feel  
tenderly toward a woman1 how much dearer
 must she be to him when she appears in 
the guise of a ministering angel4  ,not 
that our sister was one of those        

delicate1 etherial ones whom a man must 
watch over like some frail flower2 for  
the clear1 honest light of day showed   
fully what the deceitful moonlight had  
only half revealed2 the pure1 healthful 
beauty of that graceful1 rounded form   
and sweetly calm1 noble face1 so full of
 womanly strength and character not in  
the slightest dimmed or marred by her   
hard life in this wilderness1 far harder
 even than the rigorous life of our     
,kloster2 for though this rude hut were 
proof enough 'gainst wind and cold and  
rain1 yet ,i could see from its meagre  
furnishings that she had endured more   
than usually falls to the lot of woman1 
so that it came to me1 if ,sonnlein were
 set upon marrying her1 surely in all   
this wide world could he not find a     
fitter mate1 in body1 mind1 soul1 and   
spirit1 as man and woman should be      
mated4  ,but now it came to me ,i must  
get ,genoveva and ,sonnlein home again1 
for in this dreadful war with the       
,french and ,indians1 ,i knew not what  

the witch might do2 for though the      
,conestogas had been accounted a        
peace-loving tribe1 yet there were many 
of the white settlers who charged the   
,conestogas with secretly assisting the 
,french red men1 and indeed1 not many   
years after this1 the ,paxton boys      
killed a number of ,conestogas in their 
little town4  ,much against my will ,i  
was compelled to leave our sister and   
,sonnlein alone in this unprotected hut1
 while ,i with a great joy in my heart  
that made me forget my hurts and loss of
 sleep1 tramped down the mountains1     
laughing to myself at the good news ,i  
should break to my admiring brothers and
 sisters4  ,i arrived at the ,kloster   
while the morning was still young1 and  
reported briefly to our leader of my    
having found ,sonnlein1 saying naught   
yet to the ,solitary of ,genoveva1 for  
,i preferred to keep this as another    
joyous surprise1 and though the         
,brothers and ,sisters were of a mind to
 make much of me as one having been     

snatched from the very jaws of death1   
not doubting the witch had killed me1 ,i
 finally1 after each curious one had    
heard with more or less fullness of     
detail of my wonderful experience1      
succeeded in getting made a stout       
litter1 and securing eight ,brethren as 
bearers for ,sonnlein4  ,with me proudly
 in advance ,i led my little band of    
,god's warriors1 by as unobserved a way 
as possible--dreading show and          
excitement--up the mountain to the great
 rock1 my brethren walking in silence as
 usual1 but ,i know inwardly burning    
with a great zeal for their loving      
mission4  ,for some moments my brethren 
and ,i stood on the great rock with its 
beautiful outlook over the delightful   
valley where lay our little ,kloster1   
and then ,i told them of how ,i had     
found here our ,brother ,alburtus and   
how ,i had placed him in his stone      
grave1 which ,i pointed out to them2 nor
 could ,i keep my vanity from telling   
how ,i had overthrown my red adversary1 

so that ,brother ,hnsly looked at me    
with such awe ,i was not greatly        
displeased4  ,then1 at my bidding1 my   
brethren followed me up the hill toward 
the hut1 my heart now beating hard for  
fear the witch and her red man had in   
the meantime carried our sister and my  
,sonnlein away again1 for everything    
seemed so quiet and ,i saw no sign of   
,genoveva4  ,but as we came nigh the    
clustered pines1 being in the lead ,i   
caught glimpses of ,genoveva coming     
toward us1 though ,i said not a word to 
my followers until we were almost upon  
her1 who1 stepping out suddenly from    
behind a bush almost killed my little   
band with fright1 for to many of the    
,solitary she had long been held as     
dead4  ,yet as they saw me greet her    
boldly1 they1 though still in great     
bewilderment1 gathered about us1        
,brother ,hnsly1 slyly reaching from    
behind ,brother ,theonis1 feeling her   
skirt to make sure she was no spirit2   
whereat she had him come to her much as 

a mother draweth to her some            
mischievous1 beloved child1 so that our 
diminutive brother's face reddened like 
a girl's4  ,we stood but a few minutes  
thus when from within the hut1 so that  
my brothers were given another start1   
came a low call1 ,genoveva1 at which it 
was her turn to redden like a rose1 as  
she said1 ,thy ,sonnlein hath so little 
patience2 he surely is getting well1 and
 as she turned to go to him we all      
trooped after her into the hut1 almost  
filling it1 each one greeting ,sonnlein 
with such affection as to make my eyes  
wet in my foolish pride that my brethren
 cared so much for my boy4  ,and then   
against all his declaring he would not  
be carried like some great baby to the  
,kloster1 we took a number of the skins 
from the hut and made a soft couch for  
him on the litter2 but before leaving1  
we went where lay our ,brother          
,alburtus1 at the relating of whose     
sudden taking away ,sonnlein and        
,genoveva were much grieved4 ,and       

because our brother had received such   
unusual burial1 it seemed fitting to us 
ere we departed to honor his memory by  
singing and prayer4  ,then sadly and    
silently1 with slow and careful steps we
 carried ,sonnlein safely to the foot of
 this rugged mountain4 ,here we rested  
for a short time1 and then by as        
unobserved a way as we had come we      
arrived at the ,kloster early in the    
afternoon1 where we all received such   
joyful welcome as ,i shall never forget1
 only that there were among the         
,solitary some who seemed never fully   
able to forgive ,genoveva for returning 
to life after they had so long          
maintained she had been translated like 
the prophets of old4  ,sonnlein was at  
once taken to his cell adjoining mine1  
in ,bethania1 where with the nursing ,i 
gave him and with ,brother ,gideon's    
physic1 not forgetting the feeding the  
,sisters and the housemothers1 near and 
far1 insisted he must have1 it was not  
long ere he was up and out and so       

continually tagging after ,genoveva that
 our ,sisters and not a few of the      
,brothers must needs feel greatly       
scandalized4  ,but now ,i must tell of  
this strange woman whom ,i in my hasty  
judgment had ever thought was of the    
,evil ,one4  ,one day1 a few months     
after the return of ,sonnlein and       
,genoveva1 we were thrown into the      
greatest alarm by the sudden appearance 
of a red man among us one bright spring 
morning4 ,as he came across the meadow  
from down the ,cocalico1 seeing he was  
alone ,i stepped out with ,sonnlein from
 the timid group of ,brothers and       
,sisters to meet the intruder2 but on   
seeing me he lost all his pride as he   
said meekly1 ,woman chief dying up hill1
 want white rose and sick brother1      
pointing to ,sonnlein1 come see her1 and
 then he looked at me carefully and     
said1 ,big brother come too4  ,though   
our leader and many of the ,brothers and
 ,sisters sought to dissuade us from    
going with the red man1 dreading it     

meant nothing but a scheme for taking us
 into captivity1 ,sonnlein and ,i1 and  
even ,genoveva1 were resolved to go with
 the savage1 for we somehow felt he told
 the truth4  ,once again we went that   
long toilsome way to that far-off       
mountain hut1 and by noon we all were   
standing within the rude dwelling where 
lay the witch dying1 as we could clearly
 see4  ,at first she seemed so near the 
dark shore she saw us not1 and then as  
though she noted neither the red man nor
 me nor ,genoveva1 the dying woman gazed
 lovingly at ,sonnlein1 and murmured1   
,david1 my ,david1 thou hast been away  
so long2 and then as ,sonnlein1 obeying 
some gracious impulse1 knelt down beside
 her she folded her feeble arms about   
him1 holding him as though she never    
would let him go4 ,outside the birds    
were flitting from tree to tree1        
chirping merrily1 as though death and   
sorrow never came to them2 but else all 
was so quiet we could hear naught but   
the heavy breathing of this poor woman4 

,great tears stood in our eyes1 even the
 red man bowing his head sadly for her  
whom his tribe held in such high regard4
  ,but with all the solemnity of a      
soul's leaving its mortal home1 my mind 
was fixed upon the mystery of the life  
of her who had always seemed to me so   
hideous1 but who now in the refining    
hour of death had lost her forbidding   
aspect1 so that ,i could believe that   
before suffering and hate had poisoned  
her whole being she had been a comely   
woman4  ,with such thoughts in my mind  
we watched over her1 ,sister ,genoveva1 
with her woman's finer sensibilities1   
doing all she could to make the end more
 easy2 but mine enemy--now mine enemy no
 more--still seemed to see only         
,sonnlein1 caring for naught else4      
,later in the afternoon she passed      
quietly away like a slowly expiring     
lamp2 but just a few moments before her 
soul's flight1 the dark veil that hung  
between her and the long ago was lifted 
slightly as we heard her murmur to      

,sonnlein3 ,charles1 where is ,charles8 
and then she seemed to wait for some    
one's coming1 but soon forgot her wish1 
and lay quietly1 her arms slipping from 
,sonnlein's neck1 and we knew her stormy
 life was over1 and though we had strict
 views as to who could enter into the   
joys of the blessed1 yet a fervent      
prayer went up from my heart that ,he   
who pitieth us as a father pitieth his  
children1 would take her to him as one  
of his own4  ,as ,sonnlein arose and    
looked long and earnestly at the poor   
handful of dust lying at his feet1 ,i   
could see that he too was turning over  
in his mind the mystery of this old     
woman2 but he said nothing1 and then    
,genoveva bent down and brushed back the
 tangled gray hair and folded the hands 
over the now quiet breast and           
straightened out the already stiffening 
form4  ,but the long ,may day was       
drawing to its close1 and it came to us 
that ere we left we must make proper and
 respectful burial of the dead4 ,with   

the suddenness of a flash of light an   
overpowering thought came to me that we 
should lay her alongside our ,brother   
,alburtus4 ,when ,i suggested this to   
,sonnlein and ,genoveva1 both1 with all 
their sorrow1 rejoiced ,i had thought of
 this1 and even the ,indian1 when our   
plan was explained to him1 grunted his  
approval by saying1 ,big brother1 good  
man4  ,fortunately1 though the stones   
were large and exceedingly heavy1 yet by
 our combined strength and the using of 
pieces of wood as levers we worked the  
rocks far enough apart to make a        
resting-place for her alongside ,brother
 ,alburtus1 whose mortal frame1 by      
reason of the purity of the air and the 
cold in this mountain height had        
suffered no great change since the day  
of his burial4  ,and then having placed 
her whose life had been so troubled and 
tempestuous by the side of him whose    
days had been so gentle and peaceful1   
,sonnlein and ,genoveva sang over them  
softly a few of our noble1              

heaven-inspired hymns1 ,i following with
 a short prayer that this poor woman    
might see ,him face to face1 after which
 we closed up the top and ends of the   
little vault with heavy stones1 knowing 
that at the last great day some         
bright-winged angel would find even this
 lonely sepulchre and roll away the     
stones4     ,,chapter ,,xxvi  ,,the     
,,twain ,,are ,,made ,,one      ,whoso  
findeth a wife findeth a good thing1 and
 obtaineth     favor of the ,lord4      
--,the ,bible4   ,that a bundle of      
contradictions is poor human flesh6     
,here have ,i been all my life preaching
 the beauty and sanctity of single life1
 and am ,i not the same man who once at 
the command of ,brother ,beissel printed
 an argument against the ,moravians for 
that they practised not celibacy and    
being called to task by our leader for  
the moderation of my views1 ,i added so 
much salt to my polemics that ,brother  
,beissel was greatly pleased and ,i     
doubt not our spiritual enemies         

completely overwhelmed8  ,but here am ,i
 now in my old age delighting in telling
 of the day when my boy and our beloved 
,genoveva were made one1 our dear sister
 having finally consented to give up her
 celestial ,bridegroom for an earthly   
one4  ,over a year had slipped by since 
the death of that poor woman1 and how   
often ,i tried to solve the mystery of  
her life by the light of her last words1
 her strange devotion to ,sonnlein in   
his illness1 her clinging so to him in  
her last moments2 and then the death of 
,brother ,alburtus would come to me1 and
 how he thought himself another person1 
calling himself ,david ,seymour2 but    
though my mind would continually hang   
over these two so that at times ,i      
thought ,i had caught the answer1 yet ,i
 was often on further reflection        
compelled to confess ,i had not the     
solution of all this mystery1 which ,i  
often feared would never be made clear4 
,and now sweet ,may had come again1 to  
me ever one of the most pleasing months 

of the year1 when the dandelions and the
 buttercups gleam in our meadows like   
stars1 and the meek little violets      
nestle lovingly in the deep grass1 while
 from the fields and the woods come the 
clear notes of the birds1 mate calling  
unto mate with such delicious tenderness
 that ,i often wonder whether there be  
not a heaven for flowers and birds1 and 
for everything ,he created4 ,and yet ,i 
mean not the same heaven for all1 for ,i
 like not snakes and bugs4  ,indeed1    
'twas either the enchanting spring days 
or else this getting my boy and our     
,genoveva wedded that seemed to go to my
 head like wine2 for half the time ,i   
was flying about the ,kloster grounds   
like a bee in a bottle1 and yet if it   
ever be necessary for one to keep his   
wits from bumping against the other     
surely it is when there is intrusted to 
him the tremendous responsibility of    
tying together two young hearts in      
wedlock4  ,my ,brothers and ,sisters1   
though at first consistently opposing   

themselves to all this marrying1        
finally--for so great was their love for
 ,sonnlein and ,genoveva--took almost as
 great interest as ,i in the matter1    
especially the ,sisters1 notwithstanding
 their vows2 for ,i have observed that  
the weaker sex can no more keep away    
from weddings than honey bees from the  
flowers4  ,after much talk with the     
,sisters--and even the ,brethren deigned
 to give most grave and solemn          
suggestions which ,i gratefully accepted
 and wisely disregarded--it was decided 
the wedding1 or ,hochzeit1 should be    
held in ,peniel1 which as will be       
recalled we built in the meadow during  
that dreadful winter just before the    
death of our poor ,brother ,agonius4    
,so great a delight did our little      
community find in the wedding to be1    
that not only were invitations sent out 
to all the housefathers1 their good     
wives and sturdy sons and buxom         
daughters2 but we even sent invitations 
to our ,english ,brethren in ,nantmill  

and ,coventry and to our ,german        
,brethren on the ,wissahickon2 for we   
were not ashamed to let the world see   
that although we had high regard for our
 views of celibacy1 yet we knew when it 
became us to bow gently to that which   
could not be helped1 for surely when two
 be bent on marrying each other naught  
availeth to hinder them4  ,and now that 
we had decided upon such grave matters  
as the fixing of the day1 the selection 
of the person to perform the ceremony1  
our justice1 ,conrad ,weiser1 having    
graciously accepted that honor1 and the 
sending out of the invitations1 the     
,sisters immediately set to work for the
 feeding of the great multitude we      
earnestly hoped would come1 for on such 
a day we must feed our guests well and  
not subject them to the thinness of our 
,kloster fare4  ,then too1 though       
,sonnlein concerned himself not much    
about his wedding suit1 the ,sisters    
made great ado that their beloved       
,genoveva could in no wise be properly  

married unless she had most beautiful   
garments befitting such a wedding as    
this2 so that between the baking and    
sewing and all the other endless things 
that women ever seem to regard necessary
 for weddings1 ,i fear that at our      
midnight meetings ,sisters and ,brothers
 did not always have their thoughts     
turned toward the heavenly ,bridegroom  
and the celestial ,virgin1 the hymns    
having more of love in them than ever   
before4 ,whether this was mere          
coincidence ,i know not1 and ,i leave   
this for wiser men to determine1 only   
that ,brother ,beissel the day before   
the wedding complained to me he verily  
believed it were next to useless to hold
 any more midnight services until we got
 through with this marrying business2   
that even so solemn and stern a ,sister 
as the prioress seemed now to think only
 of one thing1 which was that ,genoveva 
should be married in proper state4  ,but
 even wedding days1 like all other days1
 are bound to come around if only one   

waiteth patiently and hath found a mate1
 and so ,sonnlein's came1 a perfect     
spring day1 neither hot nor cold1 but   
just such a day of mild1 pleasant air   
and cloudless sky as might make one     
content to live on this earth forever4  
,i have heard it said the most solemn   
one on a wedding day is he who is to be 
married1 some claiming this to be due   
because he feeleth that thereafter he   
hath lost his freedom as being subject  
more or less to the will and wishes of  
another4 ,whether this be true ,i know  
not1 only ,i can set it forth that      
,sonnlein greeted the morn of his       
wedding day not at all as one going to a
 prison other than one walled and barred
 by the love of his ,genoveva4  ,so1    
early in the forenoon of that wonderful 
day1 a great multitude was gathered on  
the grassy plot between ,saron and      
,bethania as we had not seen for many a 
year1 so that even ,brother ,ezechial1  
with all his dread of womankind1 came at
 ,sonnlein's call to his cell and       

finally consented to peer out of the    
little window1 but in great trepidation1
 seeing so many plump forms and rosy    
faces1 the merry1 tempting daughters of 
,eve laughing and talking--whenever     
their elders ceased to remind them we   
liked not such levity--like a lot of    
chattering birds4  ,art not sorry thy   
cell overlooks the ,cocalico1 good      
brother8 asked ,sonnlein soberly4  ',tis
 an awful sight6 whispered ,brother     
,ezechial1 shaking all over and turning 
his eyes from the gay medley below4     
,meanest thou the old one yonder who    
hath such fierce look8 said ,sonnlein1  
pretending he missed our brother's      
meaning4 ,thou needst not look at her4  
,see1 haste thee1 that pretty maid is   
smiling to thee6 ,art not going to reply
 to such challenge8'  ,god forbid6      
exclaimed ,brother ,ezechial fervently  
as he turned hastily from the window and
 in mortal fear shut himself in his     
cell1 though ,i never have believed one 
should be this much afraid of woman4    

,shortly after midday we all1 that is1  
all of the great crowd that could       
possibly get in1 were crowded into the  
large ,saal4 ,at the farther1 or eastern
 end of the hall1 in the middle of a    
small platform1 sat our one-time        
,brother1 now ,justice ,conrad ,weiser1 
grave and impressive1 as became the     
dignity of his high office1 and yet not 
deeming it unworthy of the occasion to  
appear in such resplendent apparel as   
confirmed many a good ,brother and      
,sister that our justice was1 alas1     
beyond redemption2 for from his long1   
black swallow-tail coat gleamed a row of
 gold buttons1 his waistcoat being a    
color as ,i can liken only to the soft  
richness of a ripe plum2 and more       
proudly sinful than all this were the   
silver buckles where the long black silk
 stockings met the dark knee breeches1  
and even on his black slippers were     
large silver buckles1 the buckles and   
the buttons twinkling and glowing like  
little lamps1 so that we all were quite 

dazed with the dignity and radiance shed
 upon us by our good justice4  ,to the  
front of our justice and a trifle to his
 right1 being also on the little        
platform1 sat our worthy ,vorsteher1 the
 lifetime apostle of celibacy1 with such
 a look of humble resignation upon his  
face as would have softened the stoniest
 heart1 even though he was clad in all  
the solemn grandeur of the sacred robes1
 which1 in imitation of those worn by   
the ,jewish high priests1 the           
,eckerlings had wheedled him into       
wearing4  ,to the front and left of our 
justice sat our prioress in the robes of
 the priestess of the ,roses of ,saron1 
stiff1 stern1 and erect as ever1 her    
tight1 evenly pressed lips giving her   
the inscrutable look of a sphinx1 though
 well ,i knew our dura mater's heart was
 beating warmly for our beloved young   
sister4  ,and now having disposed of the
 high dignitaries1 ,i come to my boy and
 his ,genoveva1 he sitting directly     
behind our leader and not at all        

abashed1 though ,i have ever understood 
it becometh a bridegroom so to appear1  
for he fairly shone with health and     
happiness1 so that more than one wistful
 glance was shot slyly at him by the    
softhearted girls2 but as to what he had
 on1 bless me1 even though he was my    
beloved ,sonnlein1 ,i cannot recall1    
only that he was clothed as was the     
custom of the young men of the secular  
congregation1 some plain black cloth1 so
 near as ,i can tell1 forming the staple
 of his attire4  ,to ,sonnlein's left   
and behind our prioress and beyond the  
splendor of our justice sat our         
,genoveva1 and though ,i know little of 
cloths and fabrics1 especially of       
woman's dress1 if my memory faileth me  
not she was clothed somewhat after the  
manner of the ,sisterhood1 only instead 
of the plain1 coarse black dress or     
grayish ones they sometimes wore1 her   
snow-white gown was of some wonderful   
material such as ,i had not seen since  
my student days and which gleamed and   

shimmered much as ,i have seen the      
sunlight play on the ripples of the     
,cocalico4  ,and whereas the ,sisters   
ever had their beauty enveloped in those
 hideous hoods1 so completely hiding    
their virginal faces from the brothers1 
,genoveva1 being already within the     
freedom that marriage brings to woman1  
had on no hood1 not even a veil to hide 
that crown of golden hair waving so     
gracefully and simply from her brow and 
tied in the back with some beautiful    
band or ribbon formed into a cunning    
bow1 among the folds of which were      
ensnared the sweet little violets       
,sonnlein had plucked for his bride1 and
 these little violets she hath to this  
day1 for thus is the heart of woman4    
,there were those1 indeed1 among the    
,sisters who had gravely asserted our   
sister could not be properly married    
without a veil1 but ,sonnlein and ,i    
being of one mind that everybody would  
desire to see how beautiful was our     
,genoveva1 we stoutly held it were      

almost ungodly to hide her 'neath a     
hideous veil4 ,and so as she sat there  
blushing modestly whenever ,sonnlein    
glanced at her1 which the rascal was    
doing most of the time1 ,i know many a  
man's heart envied my boy1 for surely   
never did ,i see anything to equal her  
simple1 high-souled1 woman's beauty4    
,thus ,i write it down that when one    
hath the gift of loveliness one need not
 gorgeous raiment4  ,directly in front  
of the low pulpit from behind which     
shone the majesty of the law was myself1
 on a short bench1 feeling very big1 as 
though all the glory of this wedding    
were mine4 ,in front of us and facing   
our way sat the ,brotherhood on the long
 benches running across the hall1       
cloaked and cowled1 hands folded meekly 
across the breasts1 tonsured heads      
bowed1 and eyes looking neither to the  
right nor the left1 though assuredly    
there was abundance of attractive       
provocation4 ,even our ,brother         
,ezechial had been prevailed upon to    

leave the safety of his retirement for  
the awful perils of the crowded ,saal4  
,and our good ,brother ,gottleib1 who   
ever maintained that all jewelry was    
made in the workshop of the ,evil ,one1 
for once overcame his scruples          
sufficiently to wear the gold           
ring--containing a bit of holy writ     
inscribed in ,greek--that proclaimed our
 brother a duly initiated member of the 
,holy ,order of the ,mustard ,seed4     
,back of the ,brothers and under the    
galleries1 along the north and the south
 sides of the hall1 were the            
gray-bearded housefathers1 and behind   
them1 filling every vantage place within
 the sacred walls1 were the sturdy sons 
of the housefathers and the male friends
 and guests who had flocked from all    
directions to see a ,kloster wedding4   
,and lest it be thought that ,i1 being a
 surly monk1 lack the gallantry due the 
weaker vessels1 ,i shall mention that in
 the broad1 northern gallery of the hall
 were clustered the ,roses of ,saron1   

while the robust wives and rosy-cheeked 
daughters of the house elders and the   
female friends and guests were assembled
 in the southern gallery4  ,these       
galleries1 or por-kirche1 as they were  
called1 were screened with lattice work1
 following the custom of the synagogues 
in ,holland and ,germany1 wherein the   
women were relegated to the screened    
galleries1 for1 with ,paulus1 we held   
that women should keep silent in the    
churches and remain modestly in the     
background1 and ,i rejoice that ,i can  
write in all truth that our ,sisters in 
the northern gallery1 like our ,brethren
 on their benches below1 maintained     
strict and decorous silence4 ,i cannot  
say so much for the wives and daughters 
in the southern gallery who from behind 
their lattice kept up such a whispering 
and commotion and bustling and peering  
about as greatly offended our           
order-loving souls1 even our leader1 who
 had it ever in him to be all things to 
all men and who could be pleasant as    

well as stern1 frowning most severely1  
so that half the time ,i was in a       
tremble lest he would burst forth into  
one of his scoldings4  ,but at last     
there was some semblance of order in the
 crowded ,saal1 and then1 at the word   
from our leader1 our ,brothers and      
,sisters rose to their feet and sang a  
number of our hymns1 and surely never   
was our soft ,kloster music more        
heavenly sweet1 a great hush falling    
upon all the rest in the hall1 for such 
power hath pure music over the human    
heart4  ,and then1 ,brother ,weiser     
having first read from the ,bible1      
discreetly selecting a chapter that had 
naught of marrying in it1 motioned      
,sonnlein and ,genoveva to stand forth1 
whereupon they stood up1 she in womanly 
grace and modesty and he as proud as any
 lord1 my boy1 by reason of his royal   
stature and his being on the platform1  
fairly towering over us as our justice  
called out whether any one had aught to 
say why these two should not be made    

husband and wife4  ,for a moment there  
was absolute silence and then from the  
rear of the hall came a loud1 brutal    
voice from one not of our number1 ,i    
rejoice to say1 who in season and out of
 season had lost no opportunity ever    
since my baptism by ,brother ,beissel to
 heap upon me every foul insult and     
taunt and ridicule4 ,and now with a     
hateful devil's smile on his face and a 
foul fiend's spiteful laugh1 my         
persecutor cried out1 ,what name doth   
our good brother's ,sonnlein give his   
wife8  ,had lightning fallen upon us    
from the clear sky ,i know we had not   
been more dazed1 for though we had      
provided for everything else1 it had    
never come to us that ,sonnlein must    
have a name to give his bride6 ,for a   
moment a great bewilderment held me     
fast1 and then1 as mine enemy laughed   
loudly again at our consternation1 not  
heeding the angry looks of the more     
excitable of our housefathers and their 
sons1 ,i could see that it required all 

of ,sonnlein's will to keep him from    
this ungentle intruder who with his evil
 heart seemed to find most exquisite    
delight in our torment as he laughed    
more brutally than before1 ,call thyself
 ',mller1' ,sonnlein1 and thou goest not
 wrong1 ,i swear4  ,at this vile insult 
,i thought ,sonnlein would fly from the 
platform and rend the villain limb from 
limb1 for such passion was in my boy's  
face as ,i had rarely seen1 but ,i      
gently pressed him back while ,i spake  
quietly but steadily so all could hear1 
,if ,sonnlein careth for it and our     
sister will bear the burden of so humble
 a name as ,mller ,i give it gladly1 and
 then ,i cried out proudly1 ,for all    
that mine enemies and the enemies of our
 holy ,order may think or say to the    
contrary1 'tis a name my boy need not be
 ashamed of6  ,and the only one that    
belongs to him1 thou bald-pated         
hypocrite6 sneered mine enemy so all    
could hear1 whereat ,i so forgot myself 
to cry out--for it is foolish to lose   

one's temper and bandy foul names--,thou
 liest6 but ,i was beyond all endurance 
and had ,i said the word ,i could see by
 the lowering looks of our adherents it 
would have gone ill with this           
hate-poisoned man1 but ,i controlled    
myself1 though how ,i know not to this  
day1 and again ,i spake softly1 ,i      
entreat you all to hold yourselves in   
patience but a few moments until my     
return1 whereupon ,i left the ,saal1    
some following me anxiously with their  
eyes1 fearing my peace-loving spirit was
 making me run away from all this       
untimely quarrel4  ,in a few moments ,i 
was back again holding something under  
my cloak out of sight while ,i related  
how ,sonnlein had come to me and about  
the dying words of ,brother ,alburtus   
and the last moments of that poor woman1
 and as ,sonnlein and ,genoveva and the 
,brothers and ,sisters added their      
testimony so far as they knew ,i could  
see the great wonderment creeping over  
the faces of all present1 even mine     

enemy1 despite his hate and unbelief1   
remaining quiet for once4  ,and then1   
having brought the assemblage to this   
mood1 ,i suddenly pulled out from       
beneath my cloak the little white baby  
garment ,i had found on ,sonnlein that  
morning in the woods in the long ago    
hermit days4 ,holding up the stained and
 soiled cloak so all could see1 ,i      
fairly shouted to mine enemy1 ,come and 
see the pretty letters on this child's  
cloak1 ',c4 ,s41' and lifting mine hand 
on high1 ,i declared solemnly1 ,before  
the ,great ,searcher of ,hearts ,i swear
 ,i know not how those letters came     
there or what they stand for6  ,and then
 came a thrilling cry from the rear of  
the hall1 ,praise the ,lord1 'tis       
,david's boy6 and then some one rushed  
forward through the crowd that fell back
 who for a moment ,i thought was our    
,brother ,alburtus returned from the    
dead1 some of the ,brothers and ,sisters
 and of the secular members actually    
whispering in their fright1 ',tis       

,brother ,alburtus4  ,but the stranger  
heeded not the commotion only pressing  
forward the tears running down his face1
 and shaking in every limb1 as he caught
 ,sonnlein's hands in his1 holding them 
as if he never would let go1 saying over
 and over1 ,my brother ,david's son2 my 
brother's only son6  ,finally as the    
stranger became more composed1 he turned
 to me4 ,didst ask the child its name   
when thou didst find him8  ,yea1 the    
first thing ,i sought was his name1 but 
he only would say ',tass1' and such name
 have ,i never heard4 ,to this day ,i   
know not what he meant1 though often    
have ,i thought on it4  ,oh1 thou wise1 
simple monk6 ',tass' was naught more    
than baby for ',charles1' which his     
unpractised lips could not frame into   
other than ',tass4' ,we all called him  
',tass' for a pet name4  ,i could not   
doubt 'twas so1 for ,i could see more   
than one of the housefathers and the    
housemothers exchange nods and smiles   
with the nighest one as much as to say1 

,how stupid our ,brother ,jabez hath    
been not to see this long ago6 ,but how 
was ,i to know1 not having any great    
knowledge of the little ones8  ,then    
turning to our justice ,i bowed humbly1 
and said1 ,brother ,weiser thou art a   
justice1 and if ,i mistake not hast     
power and authority to administer an    
oath or an affirmation4  ,to which our  
justice gravely responded1 ,such power  
reposeth in me by virtue of my          
commission as justice4  ,i shall ask1   
then1 good brother1 that our friend who 
sayeth his name is ,thomas ,seymour be  
affirmed that he will speak the truth4  
,and then as the stranger faced about   
toward the pulpit1 our justice with his 
full1 round voice that ever sounded to  
me like some strong1 deep toned bell1   
said to the stranger3  ,dost thou1      
,thomas ,seymour1 solemnly and truly    
declare and affirm that thou wilt tell  
the truth1 the whole truth1 and nothing 
but the truth1 and so thou dost affirm8 
,to which the stranger as solemnly      

replied1 and yet distinctly in the      
breathless silence of the hall1 ,yea6   
,and now1 after all these long years1 my
 boy found his own1 right name2 and mine
 own reputation1 often so bitterly      
assailed by those who held not with our 
mode of life1 was cleansed from all     
stain and dishonor2 for truly a good    
name is better than great riches4  ,and 
thus our good brother1 ,thomas ,seymour1
 whom many present with us this day     
vouched to be one of our most devout and
 influential ,english ,sabbatarians1    
from ,coventry1 had come all this long  
journey merely to honor us with his     
presence2 but in the providence of ,god 
destined to find his brother's son and  
to have all this dark mystery about     
,brother ,alburtus and the witch and    
,sonnlein made as light as day4         
,briefly1 as our ,brother ,seymour      
related it to us1 he and his brother    
,david1 known to us as ,brother         
,alburtus1 with his wife ,elizabeth and 
their boy1 ,charles1 our ,brother       

,thomas being a bachelor1 had lived     
together in ,coventry4 ,by the fall of a
 tree1 which they were felling nigh     
their cabin1 ,brother ,alburtus received
 the great gash across his brow1 the    
hurt taking his mind from him so that   
one day he wandered away leaving no more
 trace of his departure than if he had  
been taken up into the sky1 only that he
 had frequently after his hurt spoken   
ramblingly about joining the hermits on 
the ,cocalico4 ,inquiry among the       
,solitary showed he was not with them2  
for it was not until some years after   
,sonnlein and ,i came to ,ephrata that  
,brother ,alburtus joined our community1
 and where and how he lived ere that no 
one ever knew4 ,some weeks after he had 
left his wife1 she1 unable longer to    
endure her suspense1 left suddenly with 
the little boy1 while our brother       
,thomas was absent from the cabin4 ,she 
and the child also were swallowed up so 
completely by the wilderness that with  
all his long searching naught could he  

find of them1 though he had visited the 
,conestogas1 on a rumor that there was a
 white woman living with them1 but they 
could not or would not tell him aught4  
,at last1 almost heartbroken and        
despairing of finding the lost ones1    
whom he now believed to be dead from the
 wild beasts1 or starvation1 or the     
,indians1 he left ,coventry1 not        
returning again for over ten years after
 the loss of his brother ,david and his 
wife and child4  ,more we never learned1
 but it was clear to all that the       
fearsome witch was the wife of ,brother 
,alburtus1 that he was ,david ,seymour1 
the brother of ,thomas ,seymour1 and    
that ,sonnlein was the baby4 ,many an   
eye was dimmed in the ,saal at the      
plain1 unadorned recital of our         
brother's tale1 as we thought of all the
 long years of darkened mind that had   
held our ,brother ,alburtus1 so that he 
knew not his own boy though so nigh2 but
 most of all our hearts went out in a   
great sorrow for that poor woman who    

half crazed by unwearying search and    
ever-recurring disappointment had       
suffered all these years the bitter     
pangs of separation from husband and    
child2 and ,i know many a silent prayer 
arose from our hearts for those two who 
at last were sleeping side by side in   
that rude1 mountain grave4  ,indeed1 it 
was a relief to our strained feelings   
when ,johann1 who long ago had forgiven 
the beating ,sonnlein had given him1    
turned toward mine enemy yelling at him1
 ,if thou leavest not at once with thy  
devil's grin1 thou wilt be hurled into  
the creek1 whereat mine enemy1 abashed  
for once1 slunk out of the hall like a  
whipped beast4  ,surely there is not    
much else to relate of this marriage1   
though ,i shall never forget how lost   
and lonesome ,i felt1 like a father     
bereft of his son1 when our justice     
asked ,sonnlein--and ever hath he been  
,sonnlein to me--,dost thou1 ,charles   
,seymour1 take this woman1 our          
,genoveva1 to be thy lawful wedded wife1

 my boy responded proudly1 ,yea4 ,and   
then1 as ,i remember it1 our justice    
asked our lovely ,genoveva a like       
question if she would take him to be her
 husband1 and upon her low ,yea1 our    
justice pronounced them husband and     
wife1 and promptly saluted her with such
 a willing smack as made even the       
,sisters titter1 while poor ,brother    
,ezechial hung his head still lower1    
blushing to his very ears4  ,the next   
day ,sonnlein and ,genoveva left on     
their honeymoon with his uncle for      
,coventry1 and though ,coventry be not  
to the end of the world1 it seemed to me
 as though all the world had left me1   
only that she kissed me ere she left1   
whereat ,i blushed so through all my    
long beard1 that ,sonnlein laughed so   
heartily ,i liked it not2 but had he    
known how long ,i cherished the memory  
of that kiss1 the only one for many a   
long year1 ah me1 my boy had not laughed
 so boisterously ,i know4     ,,chapter 
,,xxvii  ,,retrospect      ,moreo'er1   

the shields so steady and the           
consecrated swords1     ,o ,god1 that ,i
 were worthy to join the victor lords4  
,then should ,i like the others achieve 
a prize untold1     ,not lands that have
 been promised1 nor king's or noble's   
gold1     ,but oh1 a wondrous crown1 and
 for evermore to wear     ,a crown which
 poorest soldier can win with axe and   
spear4     ,yea1 if the noble crusade ,i
 might follow o'er the sea1     ,i      
evermore should sing1 ,all's well6 and  
nevermore1 ,ah me6                      
,nevermore1 ,ah me6          --,walther 
,von der ,vogelweide4   ,and now1 after 
the long lapse of many years since my   
boy and our ,genoveva were made one--and
 yet how short the time hath been--one  
of my chiefest delights is to dwell on  
the past4 ,mine eyes are no longer      
turned toward the future with eager     
questioning as in my youth4 ,in mine old
 age ,i am like unto an old tree        
standing alone1 a solitary landmark of  
the decline of our ,kloster1 the setting

 sun casting my shadow toward the       
morning4 ,the ,kloster hath never       
survived the indomitable spirit of its  
founder1 ,brother ,beissel1 and his     
sturdy associates4 ,slowly but surely   
its power hath diminished4 ,since the   
days our warrior1 ,brother ,wohlforth1  
left us many others of our number have  
gone to their eternal reward4 ,brother  
,obed1 our schoolmaster1 with his       
kindly1 genial soul1 long ago have ,i   
missed him from his accustomed place1   
and the ,eckerlings1 of whose sad fate  
we heard years after they left us1 they 
too1 with their dreams of commercial    
conquest1 have passed away to that realm
 which harbors neither bargain nor sale4
  ,the first great loss that came to us 
was our ,brother ,enoch1 our justice1   
who died but a few years after that     
never to be forgotten wedding2 but not  
many years before his death there was   
great rejoicing among us to know that   
the serious breach between our leader   
and our justice had been closed1 and    

though our justice had greatly grieved  
us when he allowed himself to be fooled 
so to accept a commission from the      
governor1 yet when we saw the door of   
our brother's long spiritual captivity  
had been opened we welcomed him gladly1 
so that his old acquaintances of the    
,kloster all told him the lost piece of 
silver was now found4 ,not long after1  
our congregation assembled for a love   
feast at which he1 by partaking of the  
holy sacraments1 was reincorporated into
 our spiritual community1 although we   
willingly after his death yielded to his
 mother church the honor of having      
garnered in his body4  ,he died on a    
,sunday after a violent attack of colic1
 and was buried on his farm at          
,heidelberg1 not a great distance from  
us to the northeast1 where with his     
children and a number of ,indians he    
awaits the call of the last day4  ,and  
now ,i come to the closing years of our 
beloved leader--and surely these were   
full of trouble4 ,for a number of years 

prior to his death it became manifest to
 all of us that physical infirmities    
were fast growing upon him4 ,but far    
more grave than these were the          
estrangements he suffered more or less  
from both of our ,solitary ,orders1     
though it seemeth not becoming to set   
forth here the false and bitter         
accusations made against our leader so  
that his cup of bitterness was pressed  
to the full4  ,all during the winter of 
#agfg-agfh1 besides the distress of mind
 and spirit1 he suffered from many      
diseases1 chiefly a wasting cough1 and  
at the beginning of ,july of #agfh his  
various ailments became so aggravated he
 was most of the time in great pain1 so 
that he was forced to exclaim more than 
once to me--and ,i rejoice now ,i never 
deserted him--that he was nailed to the 
cross2 but such was his stubborn will   
and fortitude that he refused to        
acknowledge any physical sickness1 but  
would often say his sufferings were mere
 spiritual throes preceding his new     

birth4 ,he also found great comfort in  
the firm persuasion1 which many of his  
most intimate followers held with him1  
that he would be spared the pains of a  
bodily dissolution and would be         
translated into the realms of bliss as  
,enoch and ,elijah of old2 but in this1 
like his predecessor on the             
,wissahickon1 ,magister ,johannus       
,kelpius1 our leader was destined to    
make his exit in no wise different from 
ordinary mortals4  ,notwithstanding his 
grievous infirmities our leader attended
 to the duties of his office to within  
eight days of his end1 when for the last
 time1 in his priestly robes1 he        
officiated at a love feast1 and seeing  
that his end was nigh he consecrated    
,brother ,philemon and ,brother ,eleazer
 and myself to the priesthood1 from     
which his successor should be selected4 
,while in such suffering he received    
word1 only three days before his death1 
that one of our oldest housemothers was 
breathing her last1 and that she wished 

to see our leader even if he could not  
speak to her4 ,so with him leaning on my
 arm we went to our dear sister's1      
thereby fulfilling her wish4  ,at last1 
so our ,chronicon states1 ,wednesday1   
the sixth day of ,july of the year #agfh
 came when he laid aside his mortal     
raiment4  ,on that morning1 having      
rallied somewhat1 he attended prayers in
 the ,sisters' ,saal1 and sought        
earnestly for reconciliation with our   
prioress1 but in vain4 ,as he returned  
to his cabin1 sad at heart--for with all
 his fiery nature he ever strove to     
merit his favorite name1 ,father        
,friedsam ,gottrecht 7,father ,peaceful 
,godright7--none of us thought his      
departure was so near2 for the powers of
 darkness1 as he said1 could not prevail
 upon him to lie down4  ,meanwhile the  
,brethren kept a constant watch1 for    
many of our little flock looked for     
great happenings1 feeling assured the   
powers of death would have no easy      
struggle with such an old soldier of the

 cross1 who was neither accustomed to   
call on men for mercy nor to yield to   
the powers of darkness4  ,but by the    
time the sun had stood at midday1 we    
could see the end was near1 and all the 
,solitary and the near-by householders  
gathered about him in his little cabin1 
soon filling it1 many standing outside  
the doorway4 ,on his little bench1 as   
hard and uncomfortable as any of        
ours--for he scorned any comforts denied
 to his disciples--sat our little ruler1
 gaunt1 wasted1 his features thin and   
drawn1 and eyes sunken4 ,around him     
clustered the ,brethren of ,bethania1   
sad and silent1 but not shedding any    
tears to annoy his stubborn spirit4     
,back of the ,brethren stood the        
,sisters1 some of the shorter ones on a 
bench1 and most of them weeping quietly 
despite their fortitude4 ,all was       
silence and expectation4 ,but though    
within the cabin reigned the darkness of
 death1 outside under the glowing sun   
all was life and brightness1 like the   

glorious radiance that would burst      
through the gates of death1 for our     
beloved leader4  ,over an hour we stood1
 not saying a word1 but all the while   
our brother becoming weaker and weaker  
from the great heat and the stifling air
 in so small a cabin4 ,at last he broke 
the silence and asked the ,brethren to  
bless him and receive his memory into   
their fellowship4 ,then ,i anointed him 
with the holy oil1 and as ,i spread the 
sacred chrism upon his forehead ,i gave 
him my blessing with the laying on of   
hands1 after which all the ,brethren in 
turn gave him the kiss of peace to take 
with him on his journey4  ,after this   
tender ceremony was over he consented1  
after my continued persuasion1 to lie   
down on his bench1 resting his head upon
 the wooden block that had served him so
 many years4 ,he lay quietly for a while
 with eyes closed1 and then as if gazing
 into the very depths of eternity1 he   
partly raised himself on his elbow and  
exclaimed1 ,o wehe6 ,o wehe6 ,o wunder6 

,o wunder6 7,oh1 woe6 ,oh1 woe6 ,oh1    
wonder6 ,oh1 wonder67 and then fell     
back1 his spirit soon after taking its  
flight peacefully from its earthly home 
to that still more wonderful home of    
which oft during his stay with us he had
 received such gracious visions4        
,immediately upon his death messengers  
were sent out near and far with slips   
prepared by the ,sisters1 inviting the  
people to the funeral of our ,vorsteher 
which1 on account of the great heat1 was
 set but two days following his death1  
the ,brethren meanwhile preparing the   
body for burial1 the ,sisterhood keeping
 vigil1 five ,sisters constantly        
watching and reciting prayers for our   
dead4  ,on the day of the funeral our   
usual customs were observed1 such as    
sweeping the floor of his cabin1 pouring
 a bucket of water over the door-sill1  
and the chalking of the three crosses   
upon the side of the doorway4 ,and there
 were those who1 following an old       
,german superstition1 went about and    

informed every hive of bees within our  
grounds and for a considerable distance 
without1 of the death of our leader1 it 
being firmly believed that the bees     
would swarm if this notice to them were 
neglected2 and also every barrel1 keg1  
and crock of wine and vinegar and       
pickles and sauer kraut and preserved   
fruits1 in order not to be spoiled1 had 
to be turned on the shelves or skids4   
,the funeral services were held in the  
great ,saal we had built many years     
before at a right angle with ,bethania1 
where our brother had so often preached4
 ,after a sermon by me there were       
addresses by ,brothers ,philemon and    
,obed4 ,we sang special hymns1 and never
 did our ,kloster music1 in which our   
leader had ever taken such great pride1 
sound more sweet and heavenly4 ,when the
 services were over in the ,saal the    
body of our ,vorsteher was carried to   
the graveyard close by1 followed by the 
immense throng in spite of the short    
notice gathered from every direction4   

,before lowering him into his last      
resting-place1 the lid of the coffin was
 again raised1 so that according to our 
ritual the sun might once more shine    
upon his body4 ,then his body was turned
 slightly to the right side1 being kept 
in place by a piece of sod1 thus        
ensuring perfect rest in his grave4 ,the
 lid was then closed down1 and the      
little form of our great-souled leader  
was lowered into the dark cell1 there to
 repose until the trumpet of the angel  
shall call him forth to receive his     
crown4  ,on the same day our brother    
died1 a ,sister who lately joined the   
,roses of ,saron passed away1 and this  
being joined to the death of the        
housemother but a few days before1 gave 
the ,solitary firm assurance that the   
departed spirits of our sister and the  
housemother had been deputed to attend  
the spirit of our ,vorsteher and        
minister to it4  ,often during his life 
he had promised he would return in      
spirit to the ,kloster after leaving    

this world4 ,many of the ,solitary as   
well as the settlers about us firmly    
believed this4 ,it hath ever been a     
matter of much thought with me whether  
or not the spirits of the dead ever     
revisit their beloved ones on earth4 ,it
 seemeth to me it should and must be so1
 and yet have ,i never been vouchsafed  
such visions4 ,but only two days after  
his burial our leader appeared to       
,brother ,luther and ,sister ,catharina1
 in their cells4 ,he also appeared to   
our ,brother ,ezechial1 who for some    
fancied grievance had been the only one 
of our number not to attend the funeral 
and gave our disgruntled brother most   
earnest admonitions1 so that ,brother   
,ezechial became a changed man1 for the 
better let it be said4 ,later on1 our   
leader's visits to the ,solitary became 
nightly occurrences1 and indeed he even 
appeared to one of our ,germantown      
brethren4  ,be these things as they may1
 for ,i record not what ,i saw--merely  
what ,i heard--this ,i know to be true1 

that with all his failings and          
short-comings our ,kloster reached its  
greatest renown during the rule of our  
little leader4 ,naught but a poor       
journeyman baker had he been in his     
early days2 of little learning1 but to a
 man of such great talents as his1 the  
lack of learning from books hindered him
 little4 ,in his lifetime he originated1
 with some help from others1 our        
wonderful ,kloster music1 himself       
composing fully one thousand pieces of  
music1 printing over four hundred of    
them1 and full of beauty and prophetic  
insight are they1 so that we hold them  
as great treasures4 ,and with all his   
fiery nature1 there was in this man such
 tenderness and humility that in time   
most of the estrangements of his early  
,kloster life were fully reconciled1    
thereby confirming what he ever         
maintained1 that he was a lover of      
peace4  ,but ,i shall not longer darken 
my story with the deaths of my beloved  
,brothers and ,sisters4 ,i still have my

 ,sonnlein and his devoted ,genoveva4   
,after that blissful day1 they went with
 his uncle1 living with him1 he being a 
bachelor1 until his death1 after which1 
his estate having come to ,sonnlein1 he 
and ,genoveva1 at my earnest            
persuasions1 took up a farm near by1    
which ,sonnlein tilleth like a good     
husbandman1 only that he never hath     
outlived his love for hunting and       
fishing1 even though he is now on toward
 middle age4 ,but such hath ever been   
the simplicity of his life that he hath 
the strength and spirit of one in his   
thirties4  ,as for our beloved          
,genoveva1 she too is of those blessed  
ones who never grow old--for surely time
 seemeth to have no influence on that   
fair face and graceful form4 ,what a    
sweet1 noble woman she is6 ,indeed1 it  
is ,sonnlein's oft-repeated jest1 that  
he is exceedingly jealous of old        
,vaterchen2 to which ,genoveva maketh   
gentle retort that she never quite      
understandeth how she came even to think

 of ,sonnlein while ,i was about4 ,but  
she is all devotion to her ,sonnlein and
 her children2 and what a brood of      
healthy1 happy-hearted1 romping1 noisy  
boys and girls they are1 so that often  
they are reproved for worrying so much  
their grandfather ,jabez--to such       
dignity have ,i attained4 ,but with all 
their sitting on me and sliding over me 
and pulling my beard and hanging to my  
cloak wherever ,i go1 ,i would not for  
worlds have them otherwise4  ,the eldest
 one1 a tall1 grave1 solemn-eyed youth1 
who is ever at his books1 and asketh me 
most serious questions1 hath been named 
,jabez1 against my earnest              
protestations4  ,a second1 a lively     
young imp1 who careth for everything but
 books1 they have called ,peter1 he no  
doubt representing my more worldly life 
ere ,i joined the ,kloster1 as ,jabez   
standeth for my stricter life           
thereafter4 ,indeed1 ,i often aver that 
had ,i more names ,sonnlein and         
,genoveva would make use of every one4  

,there is too1 a precious little toddler
 whom they consented at my request to   
call ,sonnlein1 all my names being used 
up4  ,beside the cradle in which lieth a
 plump1 rosy1 crowing1 happy baby1 our  
little ,genoveva1 stands a sweet-faced  
little maid1 with hair of gold and      
heaven's own blue eyes1 whom1 though ,i 
have ever been a great stickler for     
impartiality1 ,i cannot help loving a   
trifle the best2 for ,genoveva1 with    
that marvelous insight women seem to    
have above men in matters of the heart1 
hath named the little maid ,bernice4 ,ah
 me6  ,as for me1 ,i cannot help feeling
 that mayhap ,i did not use all of my   
few talents faithfully4 ,i wonder       
sometimes whether ,i did not bury some  
here in the solitary life of the        
,kloster4 ,not that we were selfish1 or 
mean1 or lacked in love for our ,father2
 but perhaps1 aye1 ,i fear it is so1 man
 cannot best serve man by withdrawing   
from him4 ,i see clearly now it was not 
the ,master's way4 ,he taught neither   

fasting nor feasting2 neither vigils nor
 sluggish sleep4 ,even within the sacred
 bounds of our ,kloster1 sequestered    
from the world1 things were not--it     
pains me e'en now to say--as holy as    
they should have been4 ,hate1 spite1    
envy1 greed1 lust1 passion1 ambition1   
intrigue1 quarrelings1 bickerings1      
misunderstandings1 false1 bitter        
charges1 prevailed within the monastery 
no less than without4 ,i understand now 
what the deep-sighted ,luther meant when
 he said that the world is in the heart 
of man and not in his surroundings4 ,it 
is even so1 and because it is so1 ,i    
cannot withstand the arguments of those 
who contend truthfully that the life of 
the monk and the nun1 sweet and holy    
though it may be1 is not so large and   
noble and useful as the life of him and 
her who with duty for a watchword and   
purity of heart for an armor and the    
word of ,god for a sword go forth to    
battle with sin wherever his horrid form
 may be seen4  ,but thanks to the       

priceless inheritance of a strong1      
healthy body1 preserved by temperance in
 diet1 serenity of mind1 and abundance  
of labor in the open air close to the   
heart of ,god1 mine old age hath not yet
 become a reproach to me4 ,still1 like  
the ,preacher1 ,i feel it will not be   
many days ere the keepers of the house  
shall tremble1 the grinders cease       
because they are few1 and those that    
look out of the windows be darkened4 ,i 
have endeavored always to bear victory  
and defeat1 joy and sadness1 with       
evenness of spirit4 ,i have not         
complained overmuch here and surely when
 the silver cord is loosed for me or the
 golden bowl be broken and ,i meet ,him 
face to face in the boundless fields of 
eternity1 ,i know naught but bliss will 
be mine2 and yet with my poor earthly   
sight and understanding1 ,i shall long  
to meet there and be with them for      
evermore1 father1 mother1 the ,brothers 
and ,sisters of the ,kloster1 ,sonnlein 
and his beloved ,genoveva and their dear

 children2 but dearer than all these ,i 
want again to clasp to my breast the    
sweet flower cut off while still in its 
budding1 my ,bernice4    ,illustration  
99       99       99       99       99  
,transcribers ,note3  ,obvious printer  
errors corrected4  ,spelling            
house-father and housefather retained4  
,spelling penwork and pen-work retained4
  ,spelling gully and gulley retained4  
,spelling ice-bound and icebound        
retained4  ,spelling subtilely1         
subtility1 and subtilty retained4       
,spelling wrapt and wrapped retained4