The Portland daily press., 1894-08-16
A GERMAN HOME.
The Noble and Charming Wife of the
Theologian Tholuck.

An American Students "reminiscences of
T. Life in Her Family-The Courtship of
| the Observation-Disclosures to Students.
Rev. DR.. Henry S. Burrage, of this city,
has contributed to The Independent a
delightful sketch of Mathilde Tholuck,
widow of the famous German Theo-
Logan, and the beloved friend Of the
| students of Halle. Portions of the sketch
are here reproduced:
| DR.. Friedrich Augustus Tholuck, the
celebrated German theologian, died at
his home in Halle, June 10th. 1877.
Tidings now come to us that his devoted
wife, the good Frau Ratin, SO well
known to almost two generations OF
students at the University of Halle, has
| followed him to the heavenly land. Il
1t was my privilege, while studying at
Halle, in 1S6s-69, to live in the family
| of DR.. Tholuck, and the announcement
of Mrs. Tholuck's death awakens many
delightful memory of that charming
Christian home. 1t was dou btless
letter OF Introduction given to ME by
the late DIR. Horatio B. Hackett, dear
friend OF the Tholucks, that secured to
me this privilege. From the first was
treated With such kindness that was
made to forget that was a stranger in
a strange land.
Mrs. Tholuck was then fifty-Jwo years
of age and DR.. Tholuck nearly seventy
A more beautiful home-life than was
theirs have never known. Mrs.
Tholuck understood her husbands
needs, and she cared for him as moth
er cares for her child. They had no
children of their own. This was dis
appointment to Mrs. Tholuck, as she
once told me. For she had many hours
each day when she. was necessarily alone;
but 1T was otherwise with the doctor.
He did not wish any one to come in be-
tween him and her, she said. No one
ever did.
Mrs. Tholuck, whose maiden name was
Mathilde Won Gemmingen, belonged to
an old Roman Catholic family in the
south of Germany; but her father Julius,
Baron Won Gemmingen- II agenschiess
near the close of the first quarter of the
present century, renounced the faith OF
his fathers, and with his family entered
union of the Lutheran and the Reformed
churches of Germany in the second
decade Of the present century. A me-
mortal of him, entitled Aus dem
Tagehuch des seIigen Freiherrn Julius
v. Gemmingen- Hagenschiess, which
Mrs. Tholuck gave to me when l left
Halle, gives one delightful glimpse of
her fathers earnest, consecrated life. In
1886, Mrs. Tholuck published, in s. vol
| ume of little more than two hundred
and sixty pages, privately printed. a
very interesting sketch of her fathers
| life.
| Among
THE STUDENTS AT HALLE
this story was formerly told concerning
the way in which Mr.. Tholuck made the
Frau Ratin's acquaintance. He was
travelling in the cars, and she, young
lady, was in the compartment, with
other friends. AS is customary with
Germans under such circumstances, all en-
! tered into conversation. AT length a
4 reference was made by one of the party
| to recently published work Of Tholuck's
and the daughter Of the Baron Won
Gemmingen, in her admiration for the
| author, exclaimed: sThere is man whom
! I could marry,n Whereupon DR.. Tholuck,
with great satisfaction, informed her
| that he was that man!
| The facts. however, as they are given in
Tholuck's Life by White, are hardly less
| romantic. In August, 1888, Dr.
| Tholuck made summer journey with
the late DR.. Henry B.Smith, then stu
dent at Halle, and afterward go long
connected with the Union Theological
| Seminary in New York. Coming to
| Kissingeu, the celebrated watering place
| in Southern Germany, they remained
| there three weeks for the use of the
| waters. The young baroness, Mathilde
Won Gem mingen, with her sisters had just
for no ayoa
| Through friends they soon made DR..
Tholuck's acquain tance, and saw much
of him every day. A lady, who knew
| that Fraulein Won Gemmingen had met
| Dir. Tholuck, asked her one day if it was
| true DR.. Tholuck was a wdower. Oh
no." answered the young lady, @such
man never thought of matrimonyl!"
| TholucK was, however, widower, his
| first wife having lived but short time
after their marriage. Within less than
| two weeks after the arrival Of the young
baroness in Kissingen she received from
nr lro in offo o<