Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1915-08-19

long IrdmpS VIII SdSkS llllSu Win SiOhSS
and rocks, to accustom them to heavy
weights, and when you see them come in
after long march, with heads up, and
singing as when they went out, you be-
gin to understand how the German SOL
diers make such prodigious marches, and
perform such seemingly impossible feats
OF endurance. | don't suppose there IS
any nation in The world as well prepared
physically as these people for war. The
Frenchman, with all his fire and enthusi-
asm, and the Englishman, with all his
tenacity, can't expect to do as well in a
long, hard campaign, as man who is as
hard as nails, ready 10 march 80 miles aday,
carrying his gun and heavy equipment,
and fight at the end Of the day.
Several days have passed since | wrote
that last paragraph. They have been
very pleasant days, spent learning to know
my new family, which becomes more
charming each day. Always after our
bread and tea at tour, we take walk,
returning for supper at seven, after which
we all 90 wandering in the long twilight.
Ii is very beautiful all around, and these
twilight walks are very sweet. One al
ternoon we went 10 the RabenStein, or
Ravens Rock, which overhangS the river
about 100 feet. This stone has very
sinister history, for it was here, for GEN.
turies up TO the eleventh, think, that
condemned criminals were taken, and
standing there, bound hand and foot, were
pushed into space. ! hope they blind
folded them, too, for il would have been
the height OF cruelty t6 let them have as
their last view of earth, as beautiful, calm,
and peaceful a river valley as this. II is
fertile beyond description and the hills,
sloping down on either side, are thick
with pines and oaks, and almost every
kind of tree gRdc! heaaYyeE. heaven A EeaItifui
view, but too sinister for me, and the riv-
er below looks so black and cruel. About
the 18th century the RabenStein fell into
disuSe as such. Whether the walk was
too long, the climb 100 steep for both
condemned and spectators, or whether
the city had grown big enough and rich
enough TO afford something more elabo-
rate, don't know, but visit to the tiny
little city museum day or two ago in
troduced me 10 the official executioner's
sword, much in use during the 18th and
l4th centuries. II is an ugly beast, if
ever there was one: about six feet long,
and could imagine some hefty axman
swinging that thing right at my neck.
Good night
About three miles from here, down one
OF the prettiest walks in the world, lie the
ruins OF the convent OF Nimptschen where
for some fourteen years lived as nun
Katrina Won Bora, later Mrs. Martin Luth-
er, whom the DR.. called Mr.. Katrina, and
who must have been regular grenadier.
The DR.. himself preached many times in
the church here at Grimma, so both he
and the lady are very famiiarly known
hereabouts, and are spoken about very
much as though they had moved away
last week. II seems that in 1921, after
fourteen years OF rather unthrilling ex-
istence as nun, Katrina found she had
had enough. simultaneously some twelve
of the other nuns experienced the same
sensations, and they communicated those
thirteen throbs TO wine merchant OF
Grimma. This gentleman, one evening
about dark, happened along with a big
dray, on which were thirteen big wine
casks. The ladies were slipped in these,
some way or other, probably through the
bunghoIe, tho ha' my dootS, and were
trundled placidly down the road to safety
while the mother superior was sending
soldiers in every direction. Mini, Dora
and walked over there Saturday after
noon, and it was we'll worth while. The
ruins lie in the midst of pretty garden,
with gravel walks, and shade trees and
flowers, all OF which are within the ruins,
too. The walls are solid, hundreds OF
years old, and likely TO stand just as they
are many centuries to come. | Twas shown
the window through which the thirteen
emerged, but don't believe it. Dorothy
might squeeze through at pinch if she
were well creased, butt: would be a pinch,
and strongly suspect that out OF the thir-
teen nun ladies one or two were built on
more generous lines than Dot. The con-
vent stood at the foot Of a heavily wooded
hill, and around il stretch beautiful mead
ow lands and grain fields. ltis exquisite,
and yet Can imagine that il was rather
lonesome at times. One of our most in
teresting trips was to the prison camp
where the French and Russians are kept.
Early in the afternoon there had been
heavy rain, and the sky was fresh-washed
and cool. Our walk ran through the
mosts exquisite woods you ever saw;
then we crossed the river, and climbed
hill from whose top we could see many
miles of beautiful vistas, great deal Of
forest, and grain, grain, grain everywhere.
After little while we came 10 beautiful
old wood full Of big oaks, and we walked
through If until we came TO the little viii
lage of Doben, which lies behind and
owes its existence 10 the castle OF Doben,
built in ll45 by an arch-duke OF Saxony.
The castle in its original form stands firm
on its high rock and is fine old building.
Our way led US finally down steep hill
and on to a big factory paper, ] think
set out on a little island in the river, and
here were the prisoners. We could see
afew of them wandering aimleSsly around
a stockade, or hanging listlessly out OF
windows, and to see them better We went
In into the upper story station lunch