The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06
STORY or THE WALOENSEs.
The Descendants of People Who Were
Prosecuted for Religion.

Prosecuted for Religion.
The Rev. DR.. Teofilo Gay, minister Of
the Waldensian church. in Rome, is a
small, black bearded man, who in ap-
pearance and speech might be mistaken
for German rather than an Italian.
His English, spoken in full, round voice,
is fluent and clear. An idea of his work,
as given by himself, is as follows:
You have all read of the unhappy Wal
denses. Long ago they fed from their
homes in Switzerland across the lofty
Alps and down into our Italian valleys,
there to find refuge from persecution
and cluster of their own brethren.
For, years previously, branch of the
Waldensian church had been established
on the Italian side of the mountains.
In the dark centuries Of the Middle
Ages our forefathers would accept moth
ing but the Bible, which was their
strength and JOY, and at the same time
the cause 10 them Of sore trials and trib-
ulations. The Waldenses have always
believed and felt that the Bible was
worth far more than anything else. and
in that belief they have never faltered.
Even in the earliest times they had
theological school, in which the students
learned by heart whole books of the
Bible. Then, leaving their native val
leys, they iourneyed over the mountains
to their colony in Calabria, acting as
colporteurs on theroad. You know how
they entered the castles as merchants of
gems and precious stones. and how, ex-
tolling the Word of God as the most
precious gem Of all, they left the good
book with many great lord and lady
who had hardly heard of it before.
The Calabrian colony was destroyed
by the Inquisition, but the Piedmontese
valleys survived the persecutions-the
thirty-three terrible prosecutions TO
which they were subiected-until they
were finally liberated less than half
century ago.
You have heard too, of the fearful
Waldenslan massacre, after which only
1000 out of l4,000 prisoners escaped 20
the mountains, and of the GLORIOUS re-
turn of our fathers 10 their valleys in
1899. That event. the most celebrated
in our history. was cOmmemorated by
our people on the occasion Of the 20Oth
anniversary.
Today, on three valleys nesting to-
gether on the Italian side Of the Alps
very near 10 Turin. the capital of the old
Piedmont. there are $4,000 Waldenses.
descendants of the early champions Of
the faith
Napoleon the Great, when he was
crowned king Of Italy, earned our last
ing gratitude by granting us land and
privileges beyond any we had before en-
joyed. He then declared that the return
of our fathers was the most wonderful
feat in military history, and Napoleon,
with all MS faults, was an expert in mil
itary affairs.
Charles Albert, king of Savoy, when
he gave his people new constitution
now the constitution Of Italy-in 1873
was obliged to grant civil and religious
to the Waidenses. and it
was only at that date that our struggles
ended and our new era Of happiness and
prosperity began.
We have now, in our chief settlement,
a theological school and high school
for young ladies, and Waldensiau schools |
we have everywhere. Travelling through
our valleys you will at once guess you
are IN n Christian country. You VIII see
children going 70 Sunday school with /
their New Testaments under their arms /
You viii see men and women, dressed |
in holiday costume, coming down from !
the mountains to 20 % church. You |
viii find the valleys dotted with the eIi- |
fees devoted to our pure and simple |
worship.
We don't leave our valleys When |
9. 600 or 1900 Waldenses went away
across the seas 70 foynd a colony in Uru- |
quay people predicted the depopulation |
Of our native land; but there - no dan
ger Of that. Our mountains are not |
elastic. They viii nos hold more than
5000 people within their high and ever
lasting walls. some Of the Waldeuses.
therefore, are compelled from time - /
time 70 euigrate.
But though separated from Is b. 4
thousands u miles n earth and ocean. |
Inc colouists "A Uruguay form one q /
he seventeen parishes Of the church o.
he valleys, and send a deputy every
september % our sy-Od.
Outside q our owl territory we have
llanted the SEED q our faith. and reaped
abundant fruit n ninety-seven different
places throughout Italy. including al
ne large cities and many less important
towns. Boston Herald.