The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1904-04-03
QUAINT SERVICES
ON EASTER MORN
Salem, n. c., Scene of I'm
pressive Ceremonies.
VISITORS THR0NG TOWN
Worshipers Form Hollow Square n
Center of Cemetery at Break
ing of Dawn
VISITORS THRONG TOWN

" THEN morning breaks on Easter
NV day in the little Moravian
town Of Salem. \. c.. one
of the most impressive religious cere-
monies I'm the world viii have begun.
The commemoration there of the DAY
on which the Saviour rose from the
dead is comparable with no other Db-
servance in this country. The nearest
approach TO it Is at Bethlehem. Pa.
which is the American stronghold Of
Unitas Fratum or the Moravian church
But even in SaxOny. where the church
had it's inception under Count Zinzen-
dorf, the subhmely quaint Easter ser
vices as practiced each year In the
beautiful Carolina community are with
out parallel.
Nature has made there a lavish setting
for a great outdoor religious scene. gent
ly sloping the land as II to rest the eye
from the huge crags Of the Blue Ridge
Of the Appalachians, which can easily
be seen twenty miles away in the clear
atmosphere.
Salem Means Peace.
Salem means peace. No other name
could so well it the community, now
numbering 5000 souls, which has been in
existence a century and a half When
war ragged in her borders Salem remain
ed tranquil. When Lord CORVALLIS
passed through in his fox and goose
chase after General Greene. a crafty boy
purloined the sword of an officer who
had seized for his own use a quaint bit
OF pottery, and the sword is preserved
IN the old archive house today. Outside
this overt act of aggression Salem has
indeed gone gently al her days" and
the Easter service Illustrates her char
acter.
Near the center Of the town reposes
Gods acre" where rest the remains
Of Salem's dead, and it is here that the
Easter ceremonies are held. From the
ancient home church, which stands
near the entrance to the avenue of
cedars. a great throng of worsbipers
viii file into the cemetery in the dawn
Of Easter morning. Visitors come from
near and far to attend-some from the
North and West, and some from the
quest for pleasure in Aiken's fox hunt
ing colony-tO pause from frivoHt,
awhile amid the Cedary shades
Simple Ceremonies.
The ceremonies are simple. While
darkness yet prevails on Easter morn
the silvery notes of bugle blown by
one Of the church band assembled in
the grassy town square. The sound IS
the signal for the beginning of the
celebration. Lights begin TO flicker here
and there in the windows. and a mile
away, in the hotels and modern dwell
ings Of Winston. the biggest tobacco
manufacturing center in the Carolinas.
the people are also besurring them
selves.
The church band is a notable organ
iZation, consisting Of trained musicians.
whose Teutonic names might stand for
roster in Herrnut Saxony, whence
their grandsires came. Appealing strains
OF Moravian Misereres they play and
the most Indifferent hearer becomes i'm
bued with some religious spirit
Fronting on the great square is the
home church, the bishop standing on
the steps as the worshipers come to
ward It from every thoroughfare Soon
there is a packed mass Of silent persons
stretching far back into the square
while fiaring torches fling their lights
here and there Then begins the cere-
monial The venerable white-haired
bishop Of the province reads how Christ
rose from the dead, and then the ritual
Of the church follows, responses being
made by the people. Only a short
while is occupied at the church.
Led by the Bishop.
LED by the bishop. the choir and band
the crowd passes by twos through the
quarter mile OF cedars. whose branches
meet above a white graveled avenue
From the avenue the assemblage enters
the cemetery with its acres OF graves
It was 10 this spot that George Wash
Ington referred after he had spent a
day and night IN the community while
en- route to the mansion of Governor
Martin Of North Carolina
''It IS a spot so calm and peaceful %
he wrote TO the brethren. as 10 make
one long for rest beneath those noble
trees
To the center Of the cemetery the
Eastertide worshipers make their way
and are formed in a hollow square. In
the middle Of one side OF which the
bishop takes his place. The choir sings.
accompanied in soft tones by the band.
and prayers are offered just as the sky
begins TO tighten with the coming day.
Then, as the dawn breaks, the solemn
oratory OF the bishop is heard, beginning
with the word. 7 am the resurrection
and the life. A benedictiOn Is given. and
the people disperse.
The spirit of reverence displayed by
all at these simple ceremonies in Gods
great outdoors gives one "A feeling akin
20 awe. The plaintive strains Of music.
the prayers. the silent throng gathered
IN the fresh morning air. are deeply
emphasized by the melancholy Of the
surroundings.
BRILLIANT RUSSIAN AUTHOR.
N-i~oraf RFiIrhaiIo.-sl-,- vr,trrl e,1,t