Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1872-01-04
A bunker Love Feast.

A bunker Love Feast.
A CORRESPONDENT of the Philadelphia
Press gives a long and animated account
of visit to the "Dunkers" in Pennsyl-
vania The following are extracts:
AN ELECTION FOR PREACHER.
About the middle of the afternoon
perceived speaker to be giving some di-
rections, and l asked the women near me
what he had said One answered and
said something about "Wahl halten fur
prediger," by which perceived that the
election for preacher was about to take
place. Both brethren and sisters were to
vote not to select from certain set of
candidates, however, but at random,
among the congregation, or family as it is
sometimes called (for call ye are breth
ren".
In the room above stairs were the Bish-
op or elder and assistant to receive the
votes This Bishop we might call the
father of the family, which has four
preachers and as many meeting-houses.
The Bishop is always that preacher who
is the oldest in the ministry. Meeting is
held by turns in the different houses, oc-
curing only once in six weeks in the
large, new house which we then Occu
pied. These particulars, which | gath
cred in conversation, are, | believe, sub
stantially correct.
During the interval of the election sat
and read-or looked out from my window
at the young people-the gayly dressed
girls mostly grouped together. Some of
these were, probably, relatives of the
sober members, while some may have
come for the ride and the fun, to see and
be seen-meetings of this kind being great
occasions in the country side.
The young men stood around on the
outside of these groups of girls, some
holding their whips and twirling them
with the butts resting upon the ground.
Of course the young girls were not con-
! scious of the presence of the beaux.
On the front of the house-or, rather,
the back, for, as / have said, the main
doors open upon the woods instead of
upon the roadside-were more young
4 girls, and plain sisters and brethren.
| l asked a nice-looking woman about the
election, but she could not tell me, al
though she wore the plain cap. Most of
/ added that bunker women in meeting
had offered to kiss her "You know they
greet each other with kiss"
| After the brethren, the sisters were
called up to vote. I laughed in talking
to some of the members at the women be-
ing allowed to vote in contrast to the
usual customs. Mrs. Murphy reckoned it
would be different if the women should
undertake to vote for Governor or Presi-
dent.
said to some of the sisters: "Who do
you think will be chosen?' But they
pleasantly informed me that to talk upon
! this point was against their rules-it was
a matter for internal reflection.
LOVE FEAST.
4 The Love Feast tables were
spread, the family were ready to begin,
not the supper, but the feet-washing
This was more remarkable, because the
! Testament, their rule of action, relates
that supper being ended, Jesus washed
the Disciples feet.
The Bishop arose in his place at the
table, and, lamp in one hand and book in
the other, read in German, the account
of the feet-washing in Johns Gospel.
Four men who stood in front of him,
watching his words, started when he said
''Legse seme Kleider alb" Qaid aside his
garments), and in imitation of Jesus, took
off their coats, and, as the Scripture says,
''He took towel and girded himself"
they, or two of them, put on long white
aprons, tied around the waist. Two
washed feet and two wiped and he who
was JluS IlllAlotCICu uito hdo hiopSi ny
one or both Of the ministering brethren.
l was little surprised that two should
perform that office, while Jesus is said to
have performed it alone, but Mrs. B. told
me that as the church was one body, it
was considered that it made no difference
to have two persons.
The four who had ministered took their
seats and were served in their turn, four
others taking their places, and so on.
Upon the sisters side of the house, on a
front bench, the sisters were, in similar
manner, performing the same ordinance.
At length they broke their fast. From
two to four persons each with spoon
ate together from one pan of soup very
quietly, fifty feeding like one, so to speak
the absence of sound proceeding in part
: from the absence of earthen plates. Then
J they cut from the meat and from the
| quarter-loaves, and partook of the butter
) these being all the food. There was nc
salt nor any other condiment. The oc
casional bowl was for water. | suppose
that most persons would think that there
had been enough kissing of the kind; but
about this time young Bishop, an as
sistant. stood up at the center of the
main tables, and, after some remarks
shook hands with the siAer upon his left
and kissed the brother upon his right, ant
from brother to brother and from sister tt
sister, the kiss went round the congrega
Z ton. g
: Meantime, the Assistant Bishop divided
the bread, or cakes, which were unleaven
ed and sweetened. He directed the mem
e bers, while eating the bread, to reflec
t upon the sufferings of the Saviour. Hi
!, manner was deveut and impressive. A
+ he and Bishop D. passed arount
t among the women, distributing the bread
Y the former repeated several times, in
t sonorous voice, these, OF similar words
D 'tDds br0d d0s aoir breclen ist die Gelncill
S sctaft des Leibes- h7isti" "The bread tina
q we break is the communion of the bod
n of Christ"
g The wine, which smelt strong, was tn
b juice of the grape, and was made in tn
e neighborhood An aged Bishop from an
J. other congregation made some observa
n tions, and, while speaking, marked tn
e length of something upon his finger
: Mrs. r. said that he was showing the siz
of the thorns in the crown. She added
r ''they are there yet" looked at her i
much surprise, wondering whether she be
= lieved in the preservation of the actua
v thOTns, whereupon she added 'The
a grow there still. Did you never read
1 in Bausman's book on the Holy Land?-
e Bausman, the reformed preacher" Th
e simplicity of the surroundings upon thi
It occasion were, it seemed to me, in keeI
n ing with those of the original Supper, 9
y which sat the carpenters Son" and th
e fishermen.
" Experiences and Impressions in th