The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-09-21
How German ThGOlOglanS Spend
Sunday Evenings.

AsNNhNa"9"N
Bonn Correspondence Of Washington ChrOnIcle.l
As | was waiting for my supper last
Sunday evening, young German theol-
ogue stepped up aud asked II | didn't
want to play game ofbilliards with him.
| said, "Not to-day" and informed him
that Americans generally did not play
games on Sundays. lie took a few long
pulls from his pipe and smiled incredu-
lousy, when the landlord, who has u
brother in Brooklyn, verified my state.
ment, and remarked: "The Americans
close all their stores on Sundays, and
don't allow beer to he sold, but hear
they have back way Of getting in their
saloons OF course ! couldn't deny that,
and yet the fact that such laws exist, or
are even seriously contemplated, Is be-
You'd their comprehension.
was recently INVITED to II social gath.
ering Of the theological students, in u
Bier Wirthscharft near the Rheih, there
to meet with the renowned Prof. Christ.
lieb, who has been accustomed since his
return from America to give them fami.
liar talk on his visit TO our country. AT
half past 8, went in company,with others
to where we were invited into a private
/ oOm in the center Of which stood u long
table, ornamented with beer glasses. The
students sat smoking and talking in
groups, awaiting the arrival Of Prof.
Christlieb. ! confess was little start.
led at the grent display Of beer and
room filled with tobacco smoke, and sup.
posed we must have entered the wrong
room. But IL was no mistake, for they
were "thcologues." Soon Christlieb came.
The students bowed to him, and, wonder
full to relate, he took his seat at the head
Of the table, right alongside Of n quart
glass Of the fOaming beverage. "What
neXt% said |. MyIuestion was answer
cd, when the man, far famed for Ortho.
doXy and piety, took cigar from his
pocket, deliberately bit the end of, and
forthwith began.
The subject for the evening was the
religious seCts in America. Ills special
point was Congregationalism. I never
before fully realized what n peculiar sys.
TEN of worship and church government
we have ms then, when I heard the ejacu-
lations Of surprise and curious question.
ings of the students. Christleib had with
him Il Congregational Church Manual,
and translated the articles Of faith. When
lie had finished Il student on my left look.
ing up from the bottom oil the third quart
Of beer, complained Of the incOmpletcness
Of the confession, wherent Prof. Christ.
lieb, who ia as much nm orator ma an es.
saylst, pushed aside his beer, removed his
cigar from his mouth, struck his list on
the table and Numbered out, "NOt com.
pete enoughl What more do you want?
Here YOU have the essence Of all the
creeds and confessions that ever existed,
ard in small compass" Then he trans.
lated, "E believe in God, &C." "Now that
is practical confession which all the
people can understand. There Is no sub.
tie, philosophical dissertation on the
Trinity, such as We have In our cumber.
some creeds.' On the whole, he seemed
very much taken with Congregationalism.
At half past II the Professor bade ia
good night" and we remained few mo.
mentS over our beer I mean the Ger
man studehts.)