The state chronicle. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1883-1893, 1891-04-08
EASTER CERbMlNIES
OF THE HUg.tIAN 1iItRtlI IN
THE Qt AMT OLD FVwN
oT>tLfh-
Glimpse of the oid Church EAR 0u
Old Hors.ia--Dr. RoadthaIer 10 b..
Made n Bishop.
Special to STATE CaaoxIcLE.l

time y buSlDtss enterprise, q WAS rnY
good fortune 10 De pres NJ a. the Easter
ceremonies Of the Moray.au church in the
qnaint old town OF Salem. which ad-
1ins this new and bustling municipal
i,y on tie south There may have been
grauder and more elaborate services In
many more pretentious churches
throughout the land this bright aud
beautiful Easter day, bat doubt If there
could have been found an ob eiSance
more plcturesqlely pleasing 10 the
stranger. or Que in which the partici-
pants were more palpabiy imbued with
the calm reli. .ious JOY and fervor which
!s expected to peryade ali Christian
churches on this occasion. lnaular aud
long exposed To the harishlps OF from
tier settlement and often to the perils Of
wars, and the attacks of savages, the
community of Moravians here were
naturally most closely drawn toward
each other and Kept alive to the tradit
ions and customs OF their fathers, and
thus it happens that the visitor OF 10 day
finds this church In the daily practice
and regular observance of all the forms
and ceremonies which were brought here
century and quarter ago. Indeed, 1t
almost As if one were tran ported t.
- home of the old church n far { fl
Moravia, and allowed a ghmps1 lie
ime when expressions anu pets' cato IS
welded into the band OF s.mple, faItaful
followers 4 power they might not Las,
| otherwise possessed and gave them
al which has far outlastoJ ,ne e rem tn
of the orpressor-
Drawing tnelr inspiration and forms
of worship from the primitive cLuguh,
from which the Roman Catholic as well
as the Greek church adopted much,
many of their customs are similar to
those of the churches which have come
down through the Roman Catholic line;
but with the Moravian church Lent Is q
season of unusually serious reflection on
the life and mission of the Lord Jcsus,
rather than an occasion of fasting or
sadness. The observances of the occas
ion are intended to be as typical as posi-
BILE of the events of the time AS narrated
| in sacred history. Thus the services of
Good Friday are held at 3 O'Clock in the
afternoon about the hour of the crucifix
ion, and on the afternoon of Saturday a
| love feast of the brethren is held, as
| typical of the apostolic gatherings.
But it is after midnight of Saturday
| and before the Easter sun has risen that
| the most striking and distinctive fea-
| lures occur. About three o'clock in the
! morning band Of musicians starts out
and on every corner in the populous
portions of Salem a Moravian hymn is
played to announce that the Easter
morning now is breaking. The Mora
| vians have all of the German fondness
| for music, and musicians among them
are plentiful. | was told there were -
pieces French horns in the band which
| made the rounds this morning, and the
weird and awe-inspiIing music which
| breaks out on the stiffness of the night
and floats away to mingle with ones
half slumbering thoughts produces an i'm
pressive effect wholly indiscribaole. As
| the last strains of music die away, there
| is hustle on the streets and
an activity which betokens an
occasion of more than ordinary
interest. For days the hotels
and boarding houses of these cities have
| been filling up with visitors from far
and near, and they, with multitudes OF
| the populace, low turn their steps to-
ward the old Moravian burying ground,
where the resurrection services are to be
| held
In the half dim light OF early morn
| the pastor meets his flock in front of the
| church in which their fathers and grand
fathers worshipped at the b. ginning of
| the century. Mounting the steps, he
impressively gives to them the greeting.
The Lord is risen," to which the as
sembled worshippers respond. "The Lord
| is risen indeed" these expressions being
those with which the early Christ ans
| greeted each other 1900 years ago in the
| streets of Rome Then follows hymn,
| with horn accomplishments, prayer and
| the reading of the litany, which consists
| Of a confession Of faith, an elaboration
| the Apostles creed. Presently the line
is formed for proceeding to the cemetery
With great care and precision the sex
tons and the ushers see that this work is
impressively carried out. The process
sion is arranged four abreast, and is
| headed by the band of twelve brass
pieces. Next comes the minister, then
the church choir of fifteen voices,
then the Sunday schools, numbering Z
about $50 children. then the boarding
pupils of the Salem Academy for young
ladies, about 200 strong; then a delega-
ton of Davis Military School cadets,
mum bering about 300; and lastly mem
friends. more than a thousand in num-
Der When all this is in readiness
the column moves up toward the
graudIy beautiful cedar avenue,
.oad, graveled walk, leading the whole
length of the cemetery, and bordered on
either side by magnificent cedars which
wer planted there before the birth OF
the Republic. The band plays hymn as
the procession moves along, and soon
the central gate Of the buryiug ground
is reached. This spot IS called Gods
acre" and the simple tastes and humble
faith of the Moravians is shown in the
arrangement here. The plot is laid off
in squares, and at each intersection of
tie narrow paths have been planted four
cedars. Only low mounds OF uniform
appearance are seen, and a plain, small
marble slab, with merely the name, date
Of birth and death, is the only stone per
mitted to be placed there-carry ing out
the Christian idea that death is, in5et4 ,.
j a leveler of all ranks. II is a bean
tifal Eastern custom bare oi,--rv,-
to CAREFUL, - c.e4r -s.~i, H, sr --af4 .
the SATURDAY. be.ore Z -st-r ant pee
upon the graves handfule of the choicest
flowers to be obtained.
F ,--i-o =" ,aetery the pastor and
IL ui4s g4, roceed to the extreme
/ = - o tie y az, and those following are
7 %. ICED t.. tie form OF hollow square
faciag the pastor. Many of the towns
people had stopped at the cemetery ther,
{ to await the arrival Of the procession
and it is estimated that on this occasion
there were as many as four Thousand
people present. all told.
: as the first rays Of the morning sui
breaks upon the scene, the service