New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-04-24
RASTER IT BETHLEHEM.
PECULIAR CEREMONIES.
CUSTOMS OF THE UNITED BEEIHRaN-g.tE MoHAvIAN
sT-TIEFIBBp.

!
| rTRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or TIE TGTEUNTl
! BETHLEHEM, Penn, April 2l.-Out on the lie
high River within easy reach Of Nc"-iork 10y the New
Jersey Central and under the shadow OF the hills which
shut in this charming valley lies Bethlehem
the oldest of the Morayian settlements III TINS
| country. 1t is curious that so quaint and odd
a town as this i, which presents 50 nueh
that Is interesting and antlqusted, aud which IS NJ thc
same time 20 readily accessible from Ne"-NoEA should
he so little known and visited The history Of the United
Brethren the very ounl:ns Of the sect ha- been
mos, romantic one fan Of Instances OF btcr pr"s'cu-
ZION and heroic maryrdoms, Of patient cuduT-
aurc and pu.est missionary zali, % lives
marked by the simplest Christian virtues, a. hy
ire nobcst and pure-t ambitions The halo % all
t. must ~ necessity cling 20 the sect, and those who
visit this the earliest Avi OF their missionary libor-.
must somewhat undo. tho influence OF IL; bui Dee
sides Ca, there much IA the ritual Of the church which
is wonderfully poetic aud Impressive, and 80 Far as
Know wholly unlike ihc ceremonies ot any other lee
g,u body ia the country. II 5 perhaps because they
have preserved many OF the customs and traditions 81
the fholuI their entirety that there d such ,la-
cular attract yeucs5 about them. Ana their Easter ser
vices are among tic moe, striking which they have, and
the most Impressive IN their simplicity ana tender
poetry.
Going TO Bethlehem and staying at ono OF the quiet
little hotc. there ono Is aroused early Easter morning
by the sound music This year II was az o'clock that
e heard the tromboncs Of the choir playing w Ia the
bciry Of the church. old chorac, TO awake tic sleep
ing world aud I'm accordance with old German GUS
tom 10 proclaim that Christ ri.cu" Heard from
distance through the stiffness tho night. there
something wonderfully beautiful and touching % TIN,
first announcement 81 Our Lords Resurrection.
Again at O'Clock, and tncn az 4. th' play
ing o the troinbouos repeated and and 10 quarter
10 ) the lrst service took place iu the church And
there Is another custom which, among some Of the Older
members al ie asst Is sin preserved that ~ saying 10
each one whom they meet Easter morning
on their way to church, "Christ IS nsrn,'
and tuCy who are greeted thus. reply, Christ
is risen indeed" The church Itself crowded; people
come from all the ncghboI!ng country II TINS service,
and Dy two or three oc ocs they could be heard driving
into town The pulpit was protly decorated with low
crs and green's but that all The early service IN the
church was II English and lasted rather over half al
hour; there were prayers, reading % the Bible,
aud hymns sung to noble old German chO-
raI, al. full Of the br ght and iubut Easter spirit
impressive part Of te ccrmonIor % the day inc
sun had not yet risen, but the daylight was AZ
Who'll GonssTeaIa io G He, F[-gg D br 9'
| grOund-thcrc among tie graN,s Of those that
! tAty had loved and lost, 10 'Oil "a service "
rr cling and 10 testify 10 their nrn confidence IN the
rr.u rtctiun OF the dead. more lovely scene nave
hardly ever secn-thc pure fresh morning air, the
bird, twtcrug and singing amous tho trees The grass
ali studded win blooming yio!cts, distant hills and
tees touched with the gro wing 80, with tha
food Of Easter thoughts aud memories which rushed IN
| on one lent "a beauty Hud mprcs5lYrHc-s To the
| service which II Is hard TO convey any Idea OF.
Thc service itself was short with a7 before, some pray
ers Bible lessons, and much singing, but grand IN
It's pure slmpicS and when II WAS over the congrc-
ton Dispersed many Of them going about decorating
the graves Of their friends with flowers aud vines.
The Moravans were somewhat conscrya
tive and decidedly exclusive people, until com.
paratiycly recently; for instance, no one was
permitted 20 hold real estate In Bethlehem who not
member Of the church in full standing So 1t that
many Of the old customs be preserved long
the services OF which, indeed are still preserved
Until quite recently, the services held IN German,
| and the practice was In force Of dividing the
sexes in church, the men sitting ON one
| side, and the women the other In
certain OF the services the hymns are st sung after the
old fashion, the minister reading TWO lines, when are
sung by the congregations tlth TWO more arc ih htu
tomay with many sccts my years ago Inc tunes arc
very admirable kind The organ always used 10 be- and
great still j., reinforced By the trOmbOnes,
with few yioins and bases. The music IL CongregI-
oLai aud very hearty, everybody sings and, what was
very surprising, almost everybody sings correctly /
have never he rd congregational singing where there
the musical instinct from their German ancestors
Tho church. which large square building, seating
about twelve hundred persons, situated on the main
street OF the town, until about twelve years ago.
plain and bare as a barn, with pews only benches.
Since that time II has been decorated pews have been
put IN carpets laid down, ana large organ, decorated
after the most modern fashion, has been put In The
church thus lost much Of its peculiar characters
but there DtlOhEhb 10 tic
Morayians which are, IN point Of quanidess
and delightfully."- old-iashioncd air, all that
one could ask for. The most interesting OF
these by far ia tho Sisters House, which
with rs quaint little quadrangle, It's heavily buttressod
walls aud odd dOrmer windows, stands just by the
church There was never SisiefhOld, properly speak
ing but such OF the young women OF the community as
chose whether they were without OF their
own or without immediate relatives lived together IN
the ssters' House bound by no VOWS, 81
! liberty to leave when IL seemed good TO
| them, but agreeing 10 be governed by Ger
tain rules which necessary IN an asiembago oil
the kind These were 1t is true strict enough according
10 our modern notions, at least but they were women
| who abounded IN good works, and among whom Tue
spirit OF devotion very strong There were prayers
| I'M the chapel OF the House night ana morn
| ing and there was @ sort Of Mother Superior,
| w6ose sole duty n was 20 look after their
spiritual welfare They were famous needle-wonlen,
and xcclled In peculiar embroidery indeed, there IS
one highly romantic story told Of them when is etl
bd,ed IN LOngfellOw's ballad OF "PulaskIs Banner"
Ys ilte chapel tue house, the scene OF the occur
rcnca that the poet tells stirrngiy bore but little
| resen,blance, alas to his description or It.
nor 9ltarall Of which wonld probably have been con-
sdered abomina0ns by The good bsters and the whole
bottom has unfortunately, been knocked out OF the