Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-12-26

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years Of age Luther was one OF the
most popular and prominent students
at the university. He exeeiled in
music. debate and in the Latin classics.
He was a great favorife with the pro-
fessors as well as the students.
.Musician, Poet and Orator.
He was the finest musician among
the undergraduates. wa a poet and an
orator. which. with his social qualities
and kindly disposition, made him very
popular. In describing his oratorical
lie holds the one truth he IL contend
ing for, and at that he charges with a
force compounded OF the ponderous
weight Of his will and the velocity Of
lis thoughts, crushing whatever comes
in his way. scattering whatever es
ing how the scattered forces may be
reunited and form in his rear
Hans Luther was very proud Of his
boys ability, and desired him to study
Jurisprudence. believing he would be.
come a famous lawyer, but fate decided
otherwise.
During his student days Luther
showed deep religious temperament,
which was increased by several Incl
dents. One of them was the assassina-
other was his own narrow escape from
death on two occasions. and when he
was twenty years old he saw and read
the Bible for the first time. He was
says: Il was reading a place In Sam
uel when 1t was time to 60 to lecture.
would fain have read the whole book
through. but there was no opportunity
them
It appears that he was looking over
the books in the library Of the uni
versity in search Of something to read
when he made this discovery. 1t was
tho first copy Of the Bible he had ever
seen, and he told q friend that he
that our faithful God would one day
bestow upon him such book OF his
own
Gratitude Made Him a Monk.
On the LIST of July, 1905, when he was
returning to Erfurt from visit to his
home, he was overtalken by a thunder
storm near a place called Stotterhein.
When a tree vas struck by lightning i'm
mediately In front Of him he was 50 over
come with gratitude to God for preserv-
ing his life that he then and there made
q VOW to st. Anne, mother OF the blessed
liz
Immediately after. against the protest OF
his father and family and his professors
at the university, he entered the mon,
astery Of the Augustians at Brfurt and
took his vow as Brother Martin the sec
ond year Of his probation.
For two or three years he performed
such mental offices as opening the gates
Of the monastery in the morning ana
locking them up at night. winding H: me t,,e
stoves, sweeping the chapel and the
cloisters. and frequently. when the supply
Of foed was low. he was sent out with q
bag to beg for bread from house to house
in the streets Of Erfurt: Having served
his novitiate. he was allowed to preach.
and his talents as an orator. which had
been developed in the university. soon
gained him a great reputation. When he
had been 1--WE years In the astery he
was transferred to the university at Wit
tenberg ~ an instructor
Professors His Followers.
During his later life he visited Erfurt
frequently. The distance from Witten-
berg was not far. and his former profess
ors in the university were among his
earliest and most ardent adherents.
When he passed through Erfurt on his
Journey to Worms, to attend the diet
Of Charles V, he was received with great
enthusiasm. A committee, headed by the
director of the university, met him at
the gates, bestowed upon him the free
dom Of the city, escorted him to the great
square and there presented him with an
address of confidence and esteem.
Erfurt IL very proud Of it's association
with Martin Luther; but it is prouder of
it's commercial fame and influence in the
present as well as the past. 1t does not
pretend to be an intellectual center like
Halle, nor a musical center like Weimar,
nor the home Of romance like Eisenbach,
but the people are confident that their
town Is a rival Of the great Leipsig, and
will tell you how much more cloth was
woven, how much more hemp. fax and
oil seed were sold, and how much more
leather was tanned In Erfurt than in any
other place OF Its size In the empire.
Several sections Of the city are very
picturesque. small creek called the
Gera. which runs through the oldest
business and residence sections, Is con-
flned BY solid walls Of masonry, and Is
crossed by quaint old bridges. Several Of
them have been serving their purpose for
a Thousand years. Many old-fashioned
houses with high gables and little dormer
windows in the roofs overhang the river
bed, like those At Nuremberg, and offer
tempting models for artists.
There are several good hotels In Err
furt, but they are patronized more Oy
travellers than BY tourists:
but the place Is we'll worth visiting, and
any one who wishes to take a motor trip
the Thuringian forest can rent
a car much cheaper there than anywhere
else.