Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1882-02-04
BROTHER STOLZ'S BEAT.
The Moravian Graveyard at Beth
lehem. Pa.

Under the title "Brother Stolz's
Beat" the February midwinter Cen
tury contains an interesting paper by
FL. H., on the old Moravian settlement
at Bethlehem, Pa, where the grave
yard is the public park, and the scene
of Easter services
This graveyard is the pleasantest spot
in all Bethlehem. 1t lies in the very
heart of the town, shaded by great trees,
and looking toward the sunset as a
graveyard should. 1t is simply field
of solid green turf, with wide, we'll
kept walks, and rows of green mounds,
close together, and all of the same size.
Here, without distinction or separation,
except of sex, the dead Moravians lie,
i'll the order of their dying. 4 man
might happen, thus, to lie at last by the
side of his worst enemy-if such a
thing could be as enmity under the
banner OF the "Unitas Fratum," and,
doubtless, they did have their quarrels
and dislikes, like the rest of us. One
would think, however, that the every
day seeing of this common and undi-
vided final dormitory must have been a
great check upon neighborhood squab-
bles-sometimes, also, q pang to weak
human hearts that would like so much
better to be buried close to their own
beloved, than by the side of people for
whom in life they had cared but little.
On every one OF the old mounds lies n
small marble slab. bearing either a
number or au inscription of n name,
dates Of birth and of death-nothing
AIa ha,.cl, rx.Nr1 EEl1n1i' 80
seen always the kinder and truer word
departed, for which there is the au-
thority of the Apostle Paul. as well as
of all poets.
1T Is an unconscious tribute to the
beauty of the Old Moravian faith, aud
the inalenable truth of their view of
death, that the towns people of Beth
lehem find this graveyard pleasant to
sit in women bring their sewing, chill
dren their toys, and spend whole after
moons there in the summer and lively
social chat goes on with sort of home
like freedom, which would seem impos-
sible in any public park, but seems in
explicably natural in this sunny old
graveyard. Part of this strange atmos-
phere of good cheer may be owing to
the effect of the joyous ceremonies which
are held in this graveyard at sunrise on
every Easter morning. 1t would seem
in no wise unlikely that their deep
seated gladness should outlast q short
twelve months time, and linger from
Easter round to Easter again aud again,
in a sacred bond of worship and trium-
phant contentment.
If the influence of the North Penn
sylvania and the Lehigh Valley Rail-
roads, and the institutions and occupa-
tions kindred and incidental to them,
should ever crowd out or degrade these
beautiful Easter ceremonies. the loss to
the Bethlehem people would be greater
than they perhaps dream. But up to
this time, the ceremonies have suffered
no change. Long before daylight, on
Easter morning, men playing from.
bones go through the town. They play
a sweet and solemn tune, to which are
set the words
Christ is risen from the dead.
Thou shalt rise too, saith my Saviour
OF what should be afraid
| with him shall live forever;
Can the dead forsake his limb,
Ard not draw me unto him.
Walked by this music, the MoraVlans
gather in their church, where part of
the Easter Litany is said. At the pas
sage, "Glory be to Him who is the
resurrection and the life," the congre-
CATION ses and moves in procession to
the graveyard The little children go
first then the singers and the trombone
players then the clergymen then the
women lastly the men. Slowly sing
ing by mns, they walk through the
streets, and enter the graveyard with a
burst of music at the instant of sunrise,
swiftly aud quietly taking their ap.
pointed places on the different paths,
the women still separated from the man,
they sing aud chant the remainder of
the Litany. Sometimes there are pres
ent at this service more than two thou
sand persons.