El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1915-01-16
GERMANS MEET
IN WAR PRAYER
Impressive Service, Attend
ed Only by Women, Held
Nightly in Berlin.

Berlin. Germany, Jan. 16.-Ihe war
prayer hour has become a feature OF
the capitals daily life. 1t is one OF
those institutions Of the war whose
inauguration nobody noticed in the
first excitment, but which since then
have forced the attention Of the public
by virtue of being helpful The war
praver hour is at nine every evening
and is held in most of the churches
of Berlin.
The people who attend the hour
make a most interesting crowd, Whlch
could not be better described tnah was
done by the VOssisChe Zeituug;
cover the maze Of streets hangs d
heavy and wet evening, in whose IhIsls
the street lamps look like so Ilany
suns surrounded by sneafs of RED rays;
Under them moves busy CROWD anu lL
bustling traffic-nOt quite so large as
at other times. The stream OF nu-
manfty on the sidewalk seems lnde-
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. 1t is made
up of business people following their
daily habits, Of soldiers VINO carry
arms in white and black sings. off,
GERS in smart city uniforms anu
Church Bells Call to Prayer.
"Over it all breaks of a sudden the
deep. metallic voice Of the church bells
calling upon man TO 4OOk rum -
things on earth to those above IL Is
nine-the hour of the war prayer.
Through the main portal Of the
church the crowd begins to enter
large families mostly and now and
then a venerable couple. But through
the small side doors enter hundreds OF
wOmen-the timid. the lonely.
Dark still reigns in the pOmpous
church interior, hiding the glistenlng
mOsaiCs and the other stony splendor.
II . Il ID n
is crowded long before it is time Tor
the service to commence-crOwded with
those who seek comfort and cOnsola-
ton.
War Prayer Hour Comes.
THE clock strikes nine-the war
the lights in the vaults flash up. fill
ing the interior with a light as strong
as that of day. And with this comes
the mighty flood of the organ, rising
and rising until it has reached a sub
lime and Overwhelming volume IN
Glory be Unto God on High
Light floods the church and in 1t
faces and expressions may be studied.
1t is surprising. though easily ex-
planned, that three-quarters Of those
present are women There are old and
wrinkled mothers; pale and sad girls,
young and beautiful women. And each
of them brought her own sorrow, her
own trouble to the holy place; all
or impending fare in this abode Of
spiritual elevation and sublime IN
wOrldliness.
Only Women Appear.
Women, women. nothing but wOm-
en- out on the fields of the enemy
fight n united people Of brothers, and
here within cold walls suffers, so it
appears, a united people Of sisters
"Out on the street they are all
strangers to one another Here in the
house of God they stand one another
near. In the silent thrOng beat a thou
sand pulses, but in the tempo OF a com
mon misery and a common longing for
consolation and a lessening Of their
burden There is the mother who
trembles for her son, the wife fears for
the life companion and the father, and
the girl who prays tor the future hus-
band.
THE man in the pulpit Utters kind
and timely words. and when the or
gan peals forth: We Come Before Thee
with Prayer they all answer with
resignation and the decision to accept
their fate as lot cast by the supreme
When the last tones of the organ die,
it is no longer fear the thrOng senses
but reverence and consolation.