Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1905-07-19

are bare, with white washed walls
and we'll planned but unpainted
wooden benches. For the smallest
church-goer there are no backs to the
seats, but the older ones, wearied in
well doing, have rests for their backs.
On every Sunday and every holi-
day there is this meeting in the
morning. another in which the three
congregations join in fourth large
meeting house in the afternoon, and
separate prayers again at & 80. The
women and girls always sit on one
side of the house. with the men and
boys on the other. ranged according
to age, with the youngest in front.
The sober garb prescribed by rule
for the women. big and little, is a
dark worsted or calico dress. accord
ing to the season. and for church a
little shoulder cape whose points fall
over the shoulders and down in back
and front. A little tight fitting hood
is worn under the sunbonnet in sum-
/
For ordinary wear the little cap may
be left off, though it seldom is, but
anything less somber than the dark
dress and black apron tied about
the waist might call down the GEN.
sure of the elders upon the offender.
1t might but nowadays it probably will
not. The spirit of restlessne SIS has
ruffied the quiet waters of the un-
worldliness of this little group of
| 1S00 Germans, and the elders, re-
gretful. must overlook lapses in dis
cipline not dreamed of in earlier DAYS.
In the church the singing is with
out accompaniment. led by high
shrill> woman's voice with strangely
plaintive note in it. The melody is
really very simple, but the leader
quavers and improvises slow chroma.
tic scales, until you wonder that the
others are able to follow, unless you
are permitted glimpse at the notes.
Each member of the congregation has
part in the service. in reading
from the Bible or in the little pray
ers in verse which pass from lip to
lip among the kneeling worshippers.
| A sweet peace pervades the quiet
room. but underneath the dull, plain
gowns up near the front rows
is mUch dainty lace and beribboned
lingerie. and the hearts that beat
under the demure little capes are not
always in unison with their fathers
and mothers farther back.
Each village has its own school. but
the best is at Homestead, their station
ON the Rock Island road. Here Mr..
Seifert, who as IA young man taught
in Germany before coming to the
United States has held sway for
twenty-five years and is one of the
powers of the community. The state au-
thority allows the colonists to conduct
their own schools in their own way,
and the children 60 to school every
day i'll the year. except Sundays and
holidays, summer and winter from the
time they are big enough, the girls
until they are I3 and the boys IA.
Then they are examined in the re-
|ligious tenets III which they have
received instruction. are received in
to the church. and for them schooling
is at an end
The school room is like any country
school in America, little better built
probably for it is not isolated, but
is room in larger house. The
boys sit on one side and the girls ON
the other, at ordinary double desks
and with all the accoutrements for
study and for making noise necessary
to the school bov. The master sits
on raised platform in front, with d
shelf of books high up on the wall
behind him. All the instruction is
when the pupils wrestle with their
English construction and learn towrite
our English script. This English
hour is the only time many of the
children speak the language, for the
speech of the colonists among them
selves is entirely i'll their mother
tongue. Mr.. Setter is very particular
about his pupils penmanship and
the hour is strenuous one. The
Spencerian letters are analysed aloud.
first by the boys then by the girls then
all together drawling i'll a sing song
voice as they write their w, Double
u, Elm. zwei, drei. double u, elm,
zwei, drei," until the page is filled.
School begins at Z O'Clock in the
morning and is dismissed for lunch at
8 80. At half past IL they are back
again for longer session, until at 3
the little girls are taken into a
knitting school by several of the old
women. and the boys go to help in the
orchards. In the winter the boys.
too, finish the day by learning to knit.
The money put into the society by
its founders is inherited by their de-
scendants, and at any time they wish
to leave the colony their share may
be withdrawn, without interest or
claim for wages. So great Lumber