The San Francisco call., 1899-04-09

been put on, there was brief period of
silent prayer.
The towels and tubs are removed and
the sisters bring in stcaming bowls of
lamb soup and dishes heaping with slices
of bread. The brothers sit with downcast
eyes and think, while the sisters arrange
the food on the white-clothcd tables. At
a signal the benches are carried to the
sides of the tables, and the sisters at
their table and the brothers at theirs sit
down to commemorate the symbolic last
supper of the Master.
Not a sound is heard but that of the
spoons and the earthen bowls as that as
semblage proceeds with the sacred feast.
Four persons eat from each bowl. AS
each one finishes there is another silent
prayer.
At signal every one rises from the
benches The brothers turn TO one an
other and silently extend the right hano
Of fellowship and at the same time salute
with the kiss of brotherhood. The same
rite is performed at the same moment
among the sisters. In silence the assem-
blage resumes the seats.
The four aged ministers break the
bread, and pitchers of unfermented wine
are brought in. The sacred communion
is then administered. The bread broken
in tiny bits is then passed in silence. Then
the wine is passed and slipped, followed
by brief moment Of prayer.
Lastly. following the Gospel narrative
of the Lords Supper. the whole assem-
blage sing song and go out and home
in silence.
There are about 300 Dunkards in South
ern California, and nearly all live in and
about the denominational colony at
LordSburg They have a college there.
and they are an unusually clannish sect.
They are always remarked by tourists
in Southern California for their stern Sc
verify of garb and their strange customs.
They call themselves brothers ard sisters
in Christ. The brothers kiss when taxi
ing leave of one another, and so do the
women.
Almost daily one may see at the Lords
burg station row of solemn-Iaced whis-
kered Dunkard brothers kissing a fare
well to a departing brother. No Puritan
Of stern Oliver CrOmwells time could
have held amusements in greater abhor.
renee than do these folk. They hold
themselves and their children so firmly
apart from 1t that they probably have
an exaggerated and distorted idea of the
Wickedness of the world. Any attempt TO
follow in the slightest degree current
fashion and manners Is looked Upon as an
awful lapse into sin. They allow no pub
lie money to be expended for their poor
or helpless members, but provide for them
among themselves
In Pennsylvania and Kansas the Dunk
ards are known as Dunkers. The Rus
sian Mennonites and the Amish sect of
the plains of Kansas and Nebraska are
closely allied to the Dunkards. The sect
had its origin in Germany, in the early
part of the eighteenth century, when
eight pious men. dissatisfied with the
pomp and vain formalities of the estab>
lished churches, entered into a covenant
to reject all spiritual authority beyond
that contained in the New Testament.
That they might be co1secrated in their
n ha t.rap
Eder, and were there buried with Christ
in baptsm-each one being immersed or
dipped three times, in accordance with
their Interpretation Of the mode pre-
scribed by the Gospel This form of bap-
tism to this day constitutes one of the
peculiarities of the religious practices of
the Dunkards, and upon which their name
is founded-being derived from the Ger
man tunken. meaning Ito dip"
Meeting with prosecutions in Europe
this peace-loving sect, whose sole desire
was to return to the primitive ways and
beliefs of early Christians, accepted the
friendly invitation of William Penn to
settle in his colony in the new world. BY
the year 1929 the entire fraternity found
itself settled in the vicinity of German
town, near Philadelphia. From this point
the Dunkers gradually spread out into
other sections of the country
The Bible is read literally by the Dunk
ards. There's no allegory there. Six BIZ
BILE days means six days, and all that
science says and modern preachers in
other sects say is pure blasphemy. Woe
TO him who tries to trip veteran Dunk
ard in the precise phrasing of Bible
verse The New Testament is the sect's
inspired and infallible guide in every
phase of life. They have no patience with
speculative theology. and while they are
intense arguers of their religious belief
they are seldom interested in anything
else. Few of them ever vote and politi-
cal argument is scarcely tolerated: Ihey
follow Christ's life closely. Because
Christ saluted his disciples with a kiss,
the Dunkards kiss one another in solemn
benediction. They believe heartily in nom
resistance. They will not go to law and
they will not prosecute one who wrongs
them without the consent of the church,