The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-16
A STRANGE RELIGION.
TALK WITH A FOLLOWER OF THE
SWISS SEWING SPlNSTER.


up their religious observances in this city
AT the house of worship, 1 ,12S South Elev
enth street. the congregation holds regu
lar Sunday services. The congregation
through death of old members, has dwin
died down to eighteen, and at yesterday.
service but seven persons were present.
The services were similar to those ont
would witness in any German church. Tn!
members opened services by singing from
the German Evangelical Hymnal. PhiliE
Becker, one of the members, then lifted ur
the voice of prayer. He prayed earnestly
that truth might be sent to the member:
of the congregation, thanking the Lord fol
| the plentitude of goodness he had bestowed
on them.
The only peculiar part of the worship is
| the reading from book the writings OF
Merra Meta. The selections read took
| the place of a sermon, comment being
made upon them by the members The
| exercises were marked throughout by a
spirit of deep sincerity. The lessons, as
read, touched upon the unity of God, OF
his revelations and of recital of Biblical
stories-the fall of Lucifer and of man
principally.
DEVOTED DISCIPLE.
Nothing could be more simple and un.
affected than the service of the congrega-
ton. The spirit of simplicity the worship
ers carry out in their lives.
Mrs. Eliza Munzert, widow, and the
most devout of Merra Meta followers,
gave an extended account of her whom
they worshiped- In the story, tradition
and Biblical account were most strikingly
intertwined, Merra Meta being, accord
ing to their belief, the third person in the
holy trinity. Mrs. Munzert at first talked
in a low, earnest tone, carefully guarding
every statement that might appear incred-
ulous. As she progressed, however, she
became animated, particularly so when
she told of most wonderful acts performed
by Merra Meta.
Eyes" she began, 81 have devoted my
whole life to the service of Merra Meta.
OF course / have been abused The disci-
pies of our Lord were stoned and beaten
But think of this, that the eternal life to
.ome is of more moment than this tran
Sient earthly existence. In Merra Metals
service | shall always labor. When my
mother died she clasped my arm, told me
that should never leave her service, and
babe me promise at her dying moment that
would always work in the cause. prom
ised. When my husband died, he said: 4
see it all Merra Meta is divine. Stay by
her. / confirmed my previous promise,
being requested to do SO with his dying
breath.
STORY OF MERRA META.
'Merra Meta was born in Swiss farm
house. She was not well learned in book
knowledge, so you see what she professed
was true and not the invention of a bril-
liant mind. She was well versed in spir-
itual things, however. She came to this
country and obtained employment as a
dressmaker. That was good many years
ago. Yes, / should say it was more than
forty years ago. You know dressmakers
received poor pay then, and Anna Meister,
as she was then known, was worked almost
TO death to gain livelihood. Still she
always found time for prayer and for the
study of the Bible.
lone day friend of my mother, who
was also dressmaker, called to see Anna
at her lodgings. She lived with family
named Burke near Ninth and Callowhill
or Race streets. really forget which of
the two streets it was. She went to Annals
room and finding the door open was about
to enter. She heard Anna communicating
with some one about religion. She didn't
want to obtrude so she peeped in. She saw
Anna sitting with her back to the door
Her sewing lay confused before her. Annals
hands were rigidly extended from her, the
palms were turned outward. Anna still
kept on mumbling, but now and then the
listener could catch some words from
which she learned that the talk was on re-
hgiOn. The caller coughed to attract at
tention, but did not get it, and Merra Meta
still kept on talking.
After awhile the visitor entered. Then
Anna broke out into tears and repeated a
story about her angelic visitors who told
her never to work any more, but to preach
what was told her. You know in the book
or John, in chapters Is and 10, it says that
the Holy Ghost should recount what was
revealed from above The visitor became
convinced of Anna Meister's divine calling
She said: Yes, | see it all. | believe in
you. But come, will take you to friend
of mine who is verse6 in such matters
HER DIVINE PowER.
1.-THE friend to whom Anna was then
taken was my mother.
when mother saw her she closed her
eyes and said: L see a train of golden |
angels of marvellous beauty streaming be- |
hind you. But in front stand three OF |
most transcending beauty, beautiful be- |
yond compare OH | have never seen such !
beautiful angels And on their fair brows |
see written, on the one Raphael" on the |
other Michael" and on the third Ga |
briel." Michael bears an opened book, |
printed in golden letters. On his brow |
are written characters of gold. j. Elinor |
Nerra Nafra which y,,aa nc stSauf bv Cod - |
and on your hrows, my dear Anna, see i
-he same words, y. Elinor Merra Meta"
You shall sfrerward be called y. Elinor
Merra Meta 49,
'Merra Metals divine attributes were
often shown, She cured the lame. the sick |
md the blind. When lame person came
'he would pass her hand over the manned |
BART and say, Walk When a particular
lerb would be required for the sick she
would tell me TO go down q certain street,
Up another, and through third and fourth
md more Then she would describe par
ocular spot and tell me. There you will
ind an herb, I don't know its name. but
| Will cure this sick person l always
ound it, and it always cured.
Her revelations would be made in this
7ay: She would pass her hand over
able. There would be revealed 20 my
mother golden characters. unintellicible 10
nvbody else. Thus she told Us always TO
axe care of her. I: was ordained that she
hould never work more. and we supplied
er with all her needs Philadelphia !
'resS
A Wonderful Place for sleep.
Ludwig of Bavaria had the most expen-