The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1880-07-01

groupS The doctrine of he Seventh
day worship did not obtain among
them until many years later, when the
, pioneer. Conrad B,issel, effected the
change. For wears he lived recluse
inhabiting a cave on the banks OF the
Cocalico. His leadership was soon ac-
knowledged and one by one of the
faithful iiocked to his standard. The
monastic life OF his association began as
early as 1882, when a temple or Saal
was erected for public worship AL
most century and a half has passed
over its peaked gables, but 1t still
stands a marvel ofquaintnesS, ingenuity
and strength. 1t occupies bit of pic
| turesque ground on the banks of the
Cocalico, surrounded by a hundred
acres of fertile land, from the cultiva-
ton of which nearly all the necessaries
of life were obtained. To tits attached
a large four-storied structure, known
as the sister house, which, as its name
implies, was devoted to the exclusive
use of the females. All the buildings
are OF medieval style of architecture.
The Saal and the Sister House occupy
q position alOOf from the others and are
more pretentious ediflces. Heavy oak
timber was used for the walls and
floors, and poplar for furniture. The
windows are set in on an irregular line
some having four, some SIX and others
eight paneS Of glass to frame. There
is no accounting for this freak. An
other peculiarly is that these windows
/ originally turned on wooden hinges.
Their knowledge of the uses of IRON
was extremely limited. All the locks,
bolts, hinges, latches, door handles and
fasteningS were Of wood, generally of
oak and made by hand. ..
Entering the temple you stoop through
the low door and make your ascent to the
/ upper floor by steep, crude stairway.
You tread on floors filed in with NOR
tar and which from age have billowy
mevenness. Traversing the narrow
and unfrequented passages of the .'Klos-
ter into which the feeble light darts
and vanishes with ghOstlke preSump-
ton, you are reminded of some Old
World castle where the captive, with
gyved heel, was hurried through dark
and tortuous ways to a Subterranean
dungeon. And this illusion is not cas-
lily dispelled by the gardener who chap
erOns you. Taking you into one of
the many compartments or Kam-
mers," he points to the rough bench at
one end and informs you that his an
ccsters slept there, with nothing for
pillow but a rude block of wood. He
! dressed in the habit of a Capuchin monk,
which, with some modification, was the
| garment worn by the /" Schwestern'
Descending to the first floor we are in
the temple of worship, where the Dun
Eers held their love feasts. The furni-
/ ture is like that of a Quaker meeting
| house. 1t requires no stretch of the
| Imagination to see the throng of deyOut
wOrshipers, in their CapUchin robes,
| file through the open door and take their
seats on the low-backed benches. From
the desk the grave BeiSsel or intellectual
| Peter Miller holds forth on the doctrines
of trine immersion. peter Miller, by
| the by, is credited with having transla-
| ted the Declaration of Independence
| into seven languages). And now the
music SWeilS in harmOnieS more inspir-
ing than that of the 4Eolian harp, for
| the Dunkers had trained vocalstS, and
| their choral services are represented Is
singUlarly beautiful and pathetic. Con-
corning this music it has been written
that the style was taken from the tones
of the EOlian harp.
1.-The tones issuing from the choir
initiate very soft instrumental music,
conveying a sOftness and devotion al
most superhuman to the auditor. All
the parts, save the bass, are lead and
sung exclusively by females, the men
being confined to bass, which is set in
two parts, the high and the low bass,
the latter representing the deep tones
of the organ, and the first, in cOmbina-
ton with one of the female parts, is an
excellent imitation of the concert horn.
The whole is sung in the falsettO voice;
the performers sat with their heads re-
clined, their countenances solemn and
detected, their faces pale and emaciated
from their manner OF living, the cloth
inc exceeding white and quite pictur-
esque and their music such as thrilled to
the very soul" Their musical cOmpo-
sitiOns have been preserved, but the in
toned service is never used. There re-
mains to be told their curious skill in
penmanship. The walls of the saal are
hung with mementoeS of the art execu-
ted on parchment sheets about three
feet by four, in an elegant Gothic text.
Some of these are Bible extracts; some
importune to celibacy; others, again,
are sentiments breathing spirit of de-
votion.
Die Lieb ist unser kron und heller tugend
Die We shelf unser Lust, und reines Gottes
Segel;
DaS Lamen ist Unser schatz wir uns an YER
traucu,
Und folgen SEMEN Yaug ais reinste jung
fraueu.
One of the more pretentious and la
borious pieces of work represents the /.
three heavens. In one Christ IS gath /
ering his flock; then we have three /
hundred Capuchins with harps and in |.
the last is the throne, with archangels |.
surrounding it. The task of executing
these pen pictures, as well as all the /
ornamental writing, devolved upon the |
sisters, several of whom devoted their |
entire time to it.
Stepping over into the Sister House, !
chance may bring you into contact with |
the venerable Sarah Bauman, now past |
three-score. Her face is the idealiza-
ton of peace, purity and contentment, |
and her conversation is beautiful with |
wisdom and goodness.
The burying ground of the associa-
ton adjoins the public road. The J
Dunkers' manner of sculpture was 7
somewhat singular. Their dead were
buried in close contact and if small .
groups. All the Inscriptions are in (
German and begin with "Hier Ruben" .
A quarter of mile to the west of the
associations grounds is little knoll .
wherein the Konigniachers and other
-r,;,.s+nI r,ln nnH nn--r.l,