Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-24
First Christmas in Delaware
the First Swedish Settlers the Chrstiana
in he Yea
BY j. BARTON CHEYNEY.

The first celebration of Christmas m
! Delaware was by no means an occasion for
! loIlIty There seemed little for which
| 10 be grateful or thankful on the natal
! day of our Savior in the year 1893, when
| the Rev Reorus Torkillus gathered his
| little flock of God-loving pioneers from
| Sweden in the tiny rough structure
| dedicated TO the worship of the Infinite
| and which was also used as a haven OF
| safety from the Leni-Lenape Indians
! who resented in measure the coming
of the whites, the invasion OF their fertile
! hunting and fishing grounds, theirs since
! the dawn of time and held undlsturbed
/ by them for more generations than ls
! recorded The red men of nature 8
| rearing sensed in the approach OF n people
/ who came IN sailing ships out of the
/ unfathomcd distance as 8 rival who
| bespoke superiority, md they saw In the
| Incoming OF these strangers danger
! that gave them food for meditation and
cause for apprehension The Indians
! who inhabited this section were favored
| far above most of their fellows in America
! for here they had n rich, fertile country
with the Christiana and its twin stream,
the Brandvwinc, flowing into the mighty
| Delaware, giving them fresh and salt
water almost at the doors of their
Wigwams. All tecmed with fish and all
! of the sea foods indigenous 10 the great
| central zone of tho country and the
! climate here was sufficiently varied TO
bring the delightful changes OF seasons
without violent extremes either towards
heat or cold.
Little could they be cepsurcd for their
hostility toward the newcomers, which
however, never assumed very violent
form, for they had everything in the way
of q rich heritage Of landed possessions to
lose and nothing to he gained so far rs
they could discern
When the Rev Rcorus Tori1llus muster
eci his band 0f Christians 10 come 10 the
celebration OF the anniversary Of the birth
OF the founder and exponent OF the doc
trine he taught, be saw before him q
congregation 81 plous folks who had
endured many hardships and self denrals,
and who were heartsick and turned with
longing thoughts back 20 the old home
more than 5000 mllco across the ocean, n
journey oi grave p1rl occupying many
weeks in the year l6}$.
The only bright side 70 this gloomy
picture, a picture that would have dis
heartened the sturdlesG pioneers was
the sublime faith that God the Father
and Delivercr was with them N this lar
of world just as surely Is he guided and
protected them when ~ their Sweden
homes in Chrlsuana.
To he III a strange land that was IN
habitcd by savagcs, whom they believed
II be cannioalS and infested, as they sup
posed with dcv0uring beasts that ran
Wild nv night and hv day, and with
the unhr0ken forest 50 TAR as the eve could
Il. =
bog and seeping marshes With long
stretches Of the river 10 the cast and south,
completed a sonber mental and physical
picture that seemed unrelieved by single
ray Of promise All they had upon which
a. build pictures Of the future was their
absolute faith in the omnipotence and
otnnlnresence Of God indeed the great
est al Ill assurances-an this they uulIZ-
ca tQ the full even after It must have seem
led to those Of lesser understanding that
God was after al far of and uncertain
in the nolr 81 greatest.need.
The church edihce at that time was
little more than a shelter from the weather,
and a place OF rcpose and communion.
II, too, was the gathering point o1 the
colony where all of the affairs Of the public
were discussed. and where the councils
for the future conduct Of the community
we're held Ii served IS q stoc6ade IN
case al an attack bv the Indians q danger
that always threatened, but never Hatcrl-
allied 10 a narious extent There We're
Sits in the block house or stockade out
Of which missiles could he hurled n the
Red Men should they come in war pant
bent on massacre. and there Were openings
under the caves of the roof from which
freb-aad- could be dropped down on the
savages if they approached to such
close range with hostile intent. 20 the
church served multiplicity % purposes
Il kept the peoples Thought on the In
fu.;" ard perhaps demonstrated IN
pain W3v. with respect to tho surround
ING dangers. the Srriptural Injunction
that Gou helps those VINO help them-
selves
Eycn 70 those seasoned and tried fol-
lowers of the Master there seemed scarce
awning for which to return praverful
thanks II gratitude and overInach for
which the iuterccsgt0n Of the heavenly
father uas TO be petitioncd for. Despite
the biting cold Of that carly thust-
mas morn there were no sbsentces from
that first service ia Delaware ID com
Ircrnoration Of the birth Of our SAVIOR,
and when the dcvout and deeply beloved
minister OF the flock read aloud, II the
mother tongue. one OF the hymns that
ms good people had learned and sang
in their homes as children every member
ot he little colony was within hearing
distance Of the far-rcachlng voice OF the
Rev Rcorus Torkiiis \ voice thai
uttered the old truths Of Christianity
with the fcrvor and JUNCTION that cnarac-
terized The preaching later Of Whitfield,
or of Wesley or Of George Fox. This
primitive pulpit orator was man of
force. of big vision a mighty man with
a big soul and big purposes, big enough
to leave for q prosperous congregation
and the comforts Of civilization and come
as guide and wayshower, TO his nelghbors
and to the new world. He was one OF the
real Di0neers of the infant nation and In
those days-three hundred years ago
he sowed the seed, that with other, like
wise planted, subsequently made this
country the greatest, richest and best
that has ever been evolved from the
energies, and aspirations Of men.
" hen the Rev Reorus Torkilius fin.
ished reading the hymn, having special
reference to the nativity, that he selected
for the opening Of the services the con
gregation took up the tune and sang with
3 fervor and zest, such as could only
have come to those who a last had found
a balm for homesck hearts No music
ever found such Jealous interpreters and
no voices ever seemed to carry prayerfui,
ioyful tones 50 near to the throne Of grace