St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1883-10-12
Celebration Of Martin Luther'S
Birthday at WiiIenberg.

LEIPSIC, Germany, Sept. II, 1888.
Last Wednesday evening, while Wis
iting at the room of Mr.. Gilbert-an
American gentleman-he kindly invit-
ed me to go with him to Wittenherg
the next day. | very soon decided to
go. That city was the home of Martin
Luther, while he was Il professor i'll the
university there, which has since been
removed and connected with the uni
versity at Halle. Thursday and Fri
day, Sept. I3 and IA, was Il great cele
bration in that city to his honor, the
four hundredth year since his birth,
Nov. 10, 1883. A ride of forty two
miles, and we were in ii crowded
'bahuh0f," where the Crown Prince of
all Germany was expected. There we
waited until he came, and fortunately
had fine view of himself and his ret
inue. The vast crowds of people
could not keep silent, but cheered and
cheered again, and ran after his carri-
|
We went to the old town hall, paid
the fee for admission to all the cere-
monies, and went into the old church.
There were probably thousand minis
ters assembled with black caps and
gowns. The singing was grand, and
the preaching successful in deli very,
rehearsing at great length the life of
Luther, his teachings and their effect
upon history. But the prince was the
great centre of attraction while he re-
manned in the city. After services in
the church, IA vast procession was form
ed which marched to a building that
was to be opened as "Luther hall''
by the Crown Prince.
The afternoon of Thursday was
taken up mostly with speeches from
These closed, we began to "espy" the
ancient city. A few minutes walk,
and we had reached the suburbs where
is all the park which the city can
boast-a quit, pretty ground, indeed.
1t was evening when we reached the
old market place and stood where
"silent generations" have stood. 1t is Il
vacant square in front of the town hall.
Every window around us had several
candles burning in it. The old hall on
our right-very long and plainly built
three stories in height, with five
two-story gables breaking up the
slant of the roof. In front of us and at
our left We're many old and quaint
buildings, landmarks in history, and
all filed with curious lights. Chinese
lanterns, and lanterns of every kind,
and illuminated pictures of Luther
were here and there and everywhere
Behind us, over the roofs of the houses,
appeared the twin towers of the
church, which are square with roun d
turrets rising from the centres, fly
ing buttress near the top connecting
the two. In the market place stand
statues of Luther and MelanctthOn.
which are cut i'll the same style us the
monument to Robert Burns in Edin.
burgh, but much less elaborate. The
outline of those monuments was shown
by great numbers of gas jets not al
inch apart. Blue and red lights burn
ed here and there almost constantly.
The stars were shining in perfectly
clear sky-the same stars which Luther
saw so very, very long ago from thi,
same court. A very bright one shOn,
through the space between the towers
of the church underneath the great
stone buttress-the old towers them
selves Luther and Melancthon, las they
are called-stOod out, dark and solemn
against the sky the moon was Just
rising over the house-tOps, full anC
round, adding beauty to the lights al
ready shining from heaven and earth
The market place was filled with peo.
plea quiet company, who were there
= in holiday attire, and with holida,
+ goodnature Il simple peasant anC
peasant-like company, to whom Sax
L ony is world as was the Roman EN-
e pire to the Romans. 1t was holida,
and also "A religious festival.
The day was sacred to the memor,
of "Our Luther" as this people deligh
to call him, and on every hand hi
reverent and devOut countenance an
peared, SO that none might forget tn
occasion for the assembly. Just be
fore the monuments the thrOng wa
greatest, and, with that as IA centr
and reaching out over the whole area
rose the sound of music. 1t was
h grand old German hymn, a hymn whic
l. every German knows as he knows hi
. own name, Luther's immortal hymn
"Ein Feste Burg list Unser GOtt,r-4
stronghold is our God,-of which til
manuscript copy we saw in "Luthe
hall ;" which then expressed the piet
of a single heart, tonight thousand
join with heart and voice in the spiri
: of the hymn. 1t expressed the nation