The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-12-08

A Curious Community I'm the Spree
vaId. Near Berlin.

Letter in New York Observer.
The next morning was Sunday, and this 3
tons the men and women come to the great
church at Burg, dressed IN their best
clothes. carrying their shoes IA one hand
and their hymn book in the other. Service
begins soon after o'clock. but for half an
hour before and after the hour the people
were gathering The men were dressed in
black frock coats with full gathered skirts
and short waists, and had round cloth caps
with leather visors on their heads. They
were mostly clean shaver. and some or the
skinned, except where tanned by exposure
TO the sun. But Solomon in all his glory
was not arrayed like the women. They
were dressed in short skirts of so many
folds that the effect was as If they wore
hoops. The outer skirts were OF costly and
with elegant circles OF rich ribbon. Over
the front of these skirts We're aprons. usual
ly OF q darker colored silk. Thus gor-
purple apron. and red silk petticoat would
be two-thirds surrounded by dark green
apron. Every color of the rainbow and
in these .petticoats. A velvet corsage with
lace or silk handkerchiefs crossed in 'front.'
and fastened with Jewels over the breast,
clothed the body. The arms were bare. and
saw no gloves on any of the women's
hands, but they wore black and pink stock
ings and low shoes of black velvet. Their
feet and ankles were small, their walk was
brisk and perpendicular, there was no mine
ing and no swinging OF. the shoulders. The
headdress was upon the whole the most
remarkable and indescribahle garment of
all. 1t was founded upon linen cap, which
fitted tightly over the Skull coming to the
very edge Of the front hair. To this was
appended in some wonderful way a stiff
starched triangular cape, which covered
the head and fell back over the neck and
shoulders.
When three hundred woman stood UP In
church with these bonnets On their heads
the effect from behind was as IL there were
three hundred little white-roofed cottages
in the pews. Woe to the sister who came
late and sought her seat in the middle of
pew The sea behind an Atlantic propeller
is not more billowy in blue and green and
white than that pew became, and the re-
marks made in her hearing were far from
complimentary: Looking into the faces OF
the congregation from the gallery behind
the altar. it seemed like an audience of
nuns who had taken no VOWS of silence.
A voluntary was played upon the organ,
toned the prayers, and the whole people
made response led by choir master and
o9e 1n organ; Inc ~ niS STOOD In front
stood before him. Then passage was read
from the. Scriptures. followed by short
and, led by the organ, sang a long hymn
The minister then assembled the pulpit and
preached short sermon founded on a pas
sage in the sermon on the mount; this was
followed by prayers and more singing.
Then there We're infant baptisms and fam
lily reunions. The, service was in Wendish.
though some Of the men sang in German.
The music was harsh and drawing, and
the leader had hard work to keep the peo-
pie up TO the tune. After the service began
the assembly was, reverent and attentive
throughout. The church was very full, for
it was a fine day, and the harvest was near
ly over. which enabled the men and women
to take their holy day in the house of the
Lord. at the communion seasons I'm Lent
and In time of mourning the women wear
black skirts. with white headgear; at we'd
dngs the brides rich dress of black
silk with curious round lace head-dress
and a myrtle crown. There was one recent
bride in the church. and her head-dress
looked as much like circular kite of white
lace or shade for Rochester standard
the wedding bfidesmaids wear black silk
aprons and a silk handkerchief over the
bodice. and on the forehead red cloth.
ing at a target, which sport usually lasts
far into the night At the wedding dinner,
IL the bride gives the husband her new
slipper instead of a plate, 1t signifies that
she means to rule, and hence comes pro-
verb: 'If the woman rules the house. man
stands under the slipper.
However it may be among the Wendish
people, among the Germans in general the
man is lord and master to a degree else
where unknown in civilized lands He is
usually kind and loving ruler. according
to his ideas and training, but he Is King in
his household. and there Is no thought or
disobedience or revolt among his subjects
Coming out of church, we read an inscrip-
ton in German upon a monument in the
ITO those who died for faith
erland' i'm the recent wars Of 1866 and $780,
So the Wendish men are faithful TO the en-
pire and have given their blood for it's sta
bility and glory. Among the forests of
ways, with sunbeams glinting through the
leaves, and an autumnal air calm and
sweet we floated in silence toward home
In the evening new moon shone out of
the orange sunset, and for a little its beams
on rivers and lakes, and then
night fell cold and dark.