The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1848-07-14
The Orphan House at Halle.


founded, a century and half since, by the cele-
brated German phianthropist, Augustus Herman
Francke. never visited place OF the KIND that
appeared so interesting was courteously shown
over the whole establishment and 1t then contain
ed, orphans and pupils included, some three thou
sand children. The buildings were very large
scale, occupying both sides of a street, for some
distance. Besides the departments for the orphans,
WIDOWS teachers, poor students, and ali the grades
OF Prusslan schools up to the gymnasium, there be-
longed tolt Bible house, book store, dispensary
hospital, museum, library, and farm
Everything was regulated like clock-work. The
children cheerfuly exercising in the different
branches, and the singing of some of the classes
exhibited a precision and cultivation that made
their music very delightful
On rise Of ground, at the end of the street, and
overlooking the whole, is fine, expressive statue
of France, erected by grateful pOsterity more than
a century after his death.
The history of this institution is so extraordinary
and furnishes such an instructive example of what
simple goodness, under the most discouraging dlh-
cultes, may sometimes accomplish, that we shall
dwell upon it little, for the sake of its admirable
lesson
Francke was a popular minister Of the Pietists,
or German Evangelical party, of the seventeenth
century. After wandering from place to place, the
victim of change and persecution, ne was at last re-
Warded with the appointment to q professorshlp IN
the University Of Halle, and pastoral charge in
the suburb of Glauca. Entering upon his ministe-
attention early directed to the deplorabe state
of the surrounding poor. His labors were prodi-
gious. 1t was customary in Halle for the needy to
visit the houses of the citizens for special assist
ance, every Thursday. AT this time il was habit
with FTancke to assemble room full of beggars.
and, after kindly feeding them, to exhorl and in
struct the adults, and catechise the children. He
found them deplorably ignorant, and their condi-
ton, in the words of his biographer "went to his
heart" To benefit them, he had successfully es-
tablished, with suitable inscriptions, three poor
boxes In different places After these had been IN
operation few months, person dropped into one
of them four Prussian dollars, sum amounting to
about three dollars of our money. It proved the
seed that yielded mighty harvest. Francke was
delighted, and, even with so small beginning, the
idea OF something permanent flashed upon his mind
8 Without conferring," says he, g with flesh and
blood, and acting under the impulse of faith, 1
made arrangements for the purchase of books to
the amount of two dollars, and engaged poor
student TO instruct the poor children for couple of
hours daily, promising to give him six groschrn
about fourteen cents weekly, for so doing, in the
hope that God would, meanwhile, grant more. Nor
was the good pastor disappointed. He appropri-
ated the ante chamber to his study the place
of his charity school, and commenced operations
about Easter, 1896. Some of the toWnspeople sent
their children, and paid trfe weekly, TO aid the
gratuitous instruction of the charity scholars. En-
cOuraged by the success Of his first undertaking,
Francke was induced, shortly after, to commence
what was afterward the Royal School, for more
advanced pupils His funds seemed to increase
like the widows oil !; and the more he poured out,
the more came. About this time person of rank
offered him a donation Of five hundred dollars, to
assist poor students.
A few cents weekly were at first distributed to
them, but in keeping with the habits of the social
Germans, Francke afterward selected some twenty
four of the most needy, and appropriated the money
to giving them plain dinner To make one thing
help another, he chose his charity teachers from
these students, and thus originated his teachers
seminary, Finding it impossible properly to care
for his poor children out of school, the thought
struck him one day of providing place for keep
ing some of them as in a family, and, on mention
ing it, friend funded a for the purpose, the
annual interest Of which amounted to $25. -Four
atherless and motherless children were brought to
him just at the moment, and he ventured to receive
them. 1t was the commencement OF the most mag
nifcent orphan asylum in the world Yet the
funds already provided were insufficient to main
| tain single child for year. In the words OF It's
piOus founder, the orphan house was by no means
| commenced or founded upon any certain sum In
hand, or on the assurances of persons of rank to
take upon themselves the cost and charges, but sole
| ly and simply in reliance the living God in
| Heaven" Contributions, however, came gradual
y in; apartment after apartment was added, till
at last the site of the neighbOrng inn was pur-
chased and without money to buy even the first
materials, and trusting alone in Providence, the
good man laid the cornerstone Of very large edi-
fee. It is deeply interesting to follow the simple
narrative of his German biographer. The neigh
bOrs sneered, and one man offered to be hanged on
the building when it should be finished.
Yet year after AFTER as if by magic, the vast
edifce steadily progressed At the commencement
and end of every week the faithful minister as
semBled the workmen for prayer. Often he was
reduced to the greatest straits for supplies and once
he could with difficulty purchase couple of can
dies. His orphans sometimes ate their last loaf and
his workmen murmured for their wages At these
times, we told, the good man invariably retired
to his closet, to use his words, g with GER
ainty of being heard by Him who hears the cry of
the young ravens" In the moment of darkest de-
spair help always came The post brought bills of
exchange from some distant stranger whom he had
never seen, an unknown hand sent well-flled
purse or messenger came, perhaps, bearing the
bequest Of some departed friend.
Twice his enemies, envOus of his fame, raised
the hue and cry of persecution, and misrepresented
HIM and his project TO The Government, and COM
missions of investigation appointed, which re-
suited in his triumphant vindication. Inc storms
that shook other men but rooted him mere deeply
Opposition but spread the fame Of his novel enter
prise more and more, and Contributors at iength
poured in from the rich and poor.
The King Of Prussia gave two thousand dollars,
and hundred thousand bricks German prince,
DYING bequeathed the orphan house five hundred
ducats and physician in America sent hand
some donation in time of the greatest need. An
mon bangman became a contributor, and Chin
new sweep bound himself to sweep the orphan
house gratuitously as long as he lived
Thirty-four years from the time the four dollars
were dropped in Francke's poor-box, there was
touching scene. The venerable, dying minister
was come to bid last adieu to his orphans His
attendants, at his desire, conveyed him in an easy
carriage into the yard of the orphan house. What
change was there since he first saw the spot
Where the inn stood in the miserable suburb, thirty
five years before, were then noble edifices conse-
Grated to benevolence, where gathered daily more
than two thousand children. How sweet must
have seemed the music Of those young voices!
He had built monument as a boon to posterity.
prouder than the Pyramids. His dimmed eve re-
kindled with animation at beholding the blessed
contamination of the darling purpose of life.
The expiring lamp fickered brightly once more.
Again and again, the life-blood quickened in the
heart of the dying PATRIARCH till it thrilled like that
OF hero falling in the moment Of victory. Over
come with his emotions, feeble as he was we are