The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-03-26
THE MORAvIAN EASTER
QUAINT AND IMPRESSIVE OBsERv-
ANCEs AT THE TOWN OF HOPE.
A Solemn Procession to the Cemetery
dents-GrectinG to the Dead.

| In the northeastern corner of Bartholo-
| NEW county and about fifty miles southeast
| of Indianapolis stands the town of Hope,
| place OF some 1850 inhabitants: it is the
| c., II. & G.. r. Railroad. branch of the
| c., c. c. & St. J.. At Eastertide the pretty
| little town is the central attraction of a
| wide territory, for it is here that may be
| witnessed. in all their purity and beauty
| the quaint observances of Easter as handed
| down directly from the primitive apostolic
| church.
| The distinguishing feature Of Moravian
| theology is the prominence given to the
| person and atonement OF Christ With the
Moravian Easter is the clmax-the crown
| ing festival of the ecclesiastical year, and
| over its celebration a solemn and plaintive
| coloring is thrown. binding it fast to the af-
| fections of the people. The readings of
Passion week, accompanied as they are by
beautiful and appropriate music, are at
| tended by full congregations who become
absorbed in the affecting narrative as it
proceeds onward through the vicissitudes
of the Redeemers life to the final sacrifice.
On the evening of Good Friday the ex-
quisite performance by the choir of 'Jesds
Bowed His Head takes place, compost
/
| produce the due effect
| Between 2 and O'Clock on Easter morn
1 ing the members of the trombone band
| assemble at the church, said trombone
band is an institution almost as old as
| Moravianism itself. and though in the old
| centers of the church, as Bethlehem, Pa,
| and Salem, n. c., bands consisting wholly
! Of this sonorous but somewhat harsh
| sounding instrument, perform the awaken
| ing service, the more modernized musical
| taste Of Hope has excluded all but one of
| the trombones and substituted the other
| usual band instruments excepting drums.
| BY the light of faring torches the band
marches through the town, stopping at GER
| tain corners to discourse those weird, but
solemn and sweet Gregorian hymns that are
as old as Christianity; they had been snug
| i'm the catacombs of Rome and by martyrs
| in the arena; they were sung by the great
| martyrs Of Moravianism-Huss and Jerome
| amid the cracklings of the flames; they
were the battle poems of HUSTLE warriors
in the Businesses of the Alps and Carpath-
| ians. Awakened by the early morning
| chorales of the band, and summoned by the
| bell, the people assemble at the church for
the indoor service held before break of day.
Within the large auditorium the air is
heavy with the scent of the floral decora-
tiOns. which. though profuse, are chaste and
artistic in design. The minister and his
guests-pastors of neighboring churches-sit
amid miniature forest of palms. The
| Easter costumes Of the lady members of the
| choir. as viewed through d dazzling glory
Of lilies. roses and flowers of all kinds and
| colors, show rather at disadvantage.
| AT BREAK OF DAY.
| nd Jou
show through the colored windows the rust
ling and fiuttering Of the large congregation
is suddenly hushed by a low growl as from
an aroused lion; deeper, nearer and broader
it swells. rafting the windows and Earring
| the pews; aroused by challenge, the
grand piano responds with a crash but
| presently joins it's mellow notes to the rich
notes of the great pipe organ. The melody
Of the instrumental duet rises and scars,
| and sinks finally dying as an echo from
| afar Now the choir arises and the match
| less melody of human voices joins the two
! grand instruments in the beautiful Easter
anthem: Then the musical feast is enriched
| by the hymn that issues in full-voiced har-
| mony from the congregation.
| At the close of a brief service the minister
| gives the signal and with the perfect order
and dispatch that comes from the practice
| of generations the congregation files out
and forms itself into a long procession head
ing toward the cemetery. When the wealth
| er is favorable this spectacle is replete with
| pathetic and lovely suggestion. The per-
| formers are not merely reading of the great
| event, but are enacting 1t over again under
| the inspiring influence OF the open air and
| In the gray of the dawning. Playing dirge,
| the band leads the procession down the long
| grassy avenue that leads westward to the
| cemetery. Unconsciously aroused and star
tied by the unwonted sights and SOUNDS,
| fiocks of robins, bluejays and blackbirds rise
| from the evergreenS that line the avenue,
| fly for the bare beeches and naples back of
| the cemetery and chatter and scold vocifer-
| DphOurlinU
| procession turns sharply to the north, and,
! traversing the part known as the new ceme-
| terry, approaches it's objective. the old ceme-
| terry, which occupies hill in the northern
| part of the cemetery. Here sleep the
| rows, no regard being paid TO family ties
| the men in one part the women in another
| and the children by themselves. The tomb
| stones are slabs placed horizontally, and,
| having been secured and polished the day
| before. their cleaning surfaces, viewed
| through the somber green of the pines and
| cedars, contrast beautifully with the bright
| verdure of the new spring grass. Growing
the highest part of the hill and at the inter-
| section of two avenues is the large slab
| that marks the grave of one of the pioneer
| ministers. Around this tomb the pastor,
the choir and the band station themselves.
| but the people, separating at the base of
| the hill. march around to the right and left.
forming in a hollow square-the living
| around the dead.
GREETING THE sun.
The ceremony is timed TO meet the rising
|
| solemn stiffness prevades the assemblage,
| when suddenly, awakening song bursts
from the choir, and, at that very instant. up
| leaps the sun from behind the town TO the
| eastward. The city of the living and the
city of the dead smile upon each other
| through the tears of departed night. The
most obtuse and Unconditional cannot resist
the mingled pathos and triumph of the spec
| tacle.
| 20 death, where is thy sting?
O grave, where Is my victOry?
a short prayer ends the service. and the
congregation disperses over the grounds TO
admire the decorations of the graves. The
| choicest products of the greenhouse have
| been saved to deck the abodes of the dear
| dead ones: nor do these products of skilled
| Horticulture monopolize the work of decora-
ton. Hyacinths and tulips Of many colors,
| arranged in beds OF various geometrical de-
| sign add their effect: Easter lilies, vioets,
blue bells, buttercups. daisies, crocuseS
and other hardy spring flowers romp over
the lawns play hide-and-seek among the
tombs.
But soon columns of silvery smoke aris-
ing from kitchen chimneys and the odors
OF coffee, ham and eggs whetting the
appetites of the people. Their desertion
breakfast they will don their best apparel
and return TO their loved ones. The occa sion
is a grand levee 10 the dead. Gayly-dressed