, 1876-09-17

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taith or These people, SO entirely happy, peace
1u1, ana beautiful are their lives. There is no
lmP!ety IN either beauty or music, else the good
Goo would never have created either beauty or
singing birds.
Inc men of the Church part their hair in the
middle, wear both hair anu beard quite long.
and look like pictures Of the old Bible patri-
aTchs- They wear long hair and beard because
tne patr1archs anu 'postles did. and are for
olddsn to crop their hair short or shave their
beard off.
The religious ceremonies which particularly
distinguish this from other Christian churches,
are kissing, 1cet-washing, and soup-eating. In
kiss" and the "kiss Of charity" are mentioned;
therefore, when these brethren and sisters
meet at church they shake hands and kiss
When brother comes into church hc shakes
hands with and kisses all the brethren, a sister
dignity to sec these gray-beardcd old fellows
come tn and KISS one another, with sounding
smack. all around. dare say one could get
used to it though. The brethren kiss the breth-
ren and the sisters kiss the sisters.
but they never kiss cross.
ln the matter Of greeting colored brethren
with the holy kiss, the Church rulcs'say that in-
asmuch as some white members have q weak
ness against kissing colored folks it is consid-
cred advisable " that the colorcl brethren put
up with that weakness for the present, and ex-
cuse the holy kiss, until such time as the white
brethren become stronger in tue faith.
The German Baptists take their children to
churcl babies and nil, in ancient pioneer fash
ion. There were people in the little meeting
house from - years to months old. The old
bunker women have the peacetulest, prettiest
faces ever saw on any old lady. The faces OF
the women, from the Oldest to the youngest,
are all SO fair and sweet-looking. There sat q
venerable grandmother with snowy hair anu
calm, fair lace. Beside her beautiful young
mother with her baby, the cunningest little
bright-eyed Bunker baby, perfect picture Of
the Madonna and child. And if youth believe
me, even that bunker baby wore on its face the
bunker look Of ineifab1e calm, and peace too.
You Won't DC surprised that the bunker sis
ters' faces look fair, and unwrinllcd, anil sweet
tempered, when tell you how they dress. Their
dress-up church costume is 4 plain-cut calico
dress and !, cape, and a gray calico sun
Pery 9enpef panc rst ta fas oo dress ou is a G f of
it, friends. Suppose we could one aud all sud-
denly cut away everything cumbrous and un-
comfortable from our dress aud from our lives,
and have No more oVcrskirts bustles, ruilles,
heads, or corn doctors; no pearl powder, false
hair, false smiles, or false hearts; no worry and
heartaclle and schenlng to dress as well Us this
woman or that one, and no wicked envy Of spite
in our hearts because NC can't do it; suddenly
to throw all this rubbish aside forever, and be
simply natural and comfortable? The very
thought OF it makes woman's heart ache to tly
away and be Bunker sister too.
It must be something in the peaceful, simple
lives Of these women which makes them SO
saw SO many silk dresses together in my life
as I saw in a Cincinnati congregation last Sun
day, and yet, among all those elegant ladies,
failed to sec Que face as screnc, and
far, n1,.p and pure .o as tue faees g Of many
little church. It must be there is some hid
den spell, too, in straight, light calico dresa
and gray sun-bonnet, tor tho young bunker
girls, who mostly wore the worlds dress, locked
coarse and commonplace beside their mothers
in the bunker costume.
Their church music might be improved, de-
ciuedly. They read chapter or two from the
Bible, and pray, and sing several hymns, in the
course Of their worship. They line all Of their
l,yn,us, in sort OF nasal sing-song. In their
selection OF church tunes, tie dolcful long
meter minors appear to be the prime fayorites,
Tor some reason which it is hard to understand,
as one eau not exactly sec why long-meter
minor sang through the nose could be more ac-
ccptablc to God than Becthovcn's symphonies.
Tie bunker hymns are, perhaps, more pointed
than poetical. Here arc two lines Of one they
sang, I remember:
He shal1 he saved who trusts nv word
and damned who don't believe.
Therc was much Rible reodinr In the course
nj the servire. The Drinkers think thew cannot
;mnrove IN the R;hlc mnch and the sermon IT, |
self was quite secondary to tllc Hih]e realine.
r vas NH = sermon rai1,,1atcd IN ran more a3.
fcntian tn the preacher t1lnt to his srbiert he
Insr onlv mild, simnlc rrycrcntia1 cxhortot;nn.
1Ec noint nhont thrr, imnrcssc,i rne more crawl.
lr than ANYTHING else. That was their penernns
md romnictc tnlerntion Of other nenn}r,s onin- |
ions. newer observed anything iikc It In n
Cbristian church before. This Gentle. kindly |
spirit Of toleration come out everywhere among !
Lhem, In their sermons and exhortations, when |
a sneaker made a statemeut about which there |
couII be apy discussion. be always added this: |
tsIf any brother thinks differently, let him |
speak his mind'' They do not make hard, az /
grcssiye statements OF their opinions, and then |
sct in and abuse those who differ. They always |
rive full weight and Justice to opnosif,g onin- |
ons, literally speaking M evil OF any, for |
Chrst,s sake and maintaining Mt ali times n de-
.cnt respcct for the dirnity Of humanity.
bunker nrcachers arc not paid for their sery- |
ices. The Apostles earned their living with |
their hands: bunker preachers do the same.
About once wear. Il Inistake not. the breth-
rem Droctice their imnortant services of fret
WASHING. The IortI's Snuner. and communion.
As thev Understand the New Tastament. the |
[,nrd,s Sumner aud the holy comm union arc two |
,ntirelv Different ceremonics. and they make
.hom 81 IN thnir nrafticc. Other churches have |
,he holv ronmun;on. Int omit the Lords Snr-
,cr. as these brethren Understand it.
''How do you 60 through with the service 9''
,skcd T.
L We usua1lv have n sermon IN self-eyamina-
ion Then w. nroyidc basins of water and tow
lie Then the thirtccnth chantcr Of Iohn. aho,1t
:cet.wash;n0 is Rad md the hrcthren md SIS