Evening star., 1933-09-17
BY JULIA E. SCHELLINC.


ard Wagner, and Johan Brahms,
and now it l. about to celebrate the
415th anniversary of the birth of
Martin Luther, the greatest religious genius Of
the sixteenth century.
The writer has attained her ambition if she
can sketch the intensely human aspect of this
great man; the elemental vitality, the simple
piety "the divine brutality of brother Martin"
as Hene calls it.
What tremendous courage Martin Luther dis
played when he hurled an ink stand at the
devil 400 years ago! The devil was reality
in those supersttious times; he was all power
full. Protected by all the magic arts, he was
indeed the most fearsome of all things living
or dead. And yet young Martin alone in his
prison tower in the Castle of Eisenach sur
rounded by enemies, a price upon his head,
braved the greatest of all enemies-the devil
and crying "be gone! hurled an ink stand at
the appariton.
THE writer has stood in the tiny cell in the
medieval castle of the Wartburg at Eisen-
ach, made famous in time by Richard
Wagner. who staged the story of Tannhauser
in this glorious old castle. One may see today
the stone bench, the chained Bible and the
ink spot the wall.
The same courage which marked this demon
straton of bravery on the part of Martin
Luther dominated his life. He was born in
the Theringian pine forests of the Hartz Noun
tains at Eisleben, November 10, 1483-450 years
ago His father. Hans Luther (Luder, Lyder,
Ludher). was an enterprsing peasant from
the mining town of Mohre, who worked
only a German peasant knows how to work,
smelling the gold and copper from the mines.
Later on he leased primitive furnace from
the mine owners and one day became an hon.
ored member of the village council.
Martin, his son, grew up among the poor,
coarse surroundings of a mining camp. He
shared the superstitions Of the time and the
simple education of the Brethren of the Com
mon Lot. When sent to school at Eisenach,
he lived in the hospice rent free and had the
privilege of begging bread from door to door,
in return for which privilege he was permitted
to sing as chorister in the church to which
the school was attached He was said to have
sweet voice. and winning smile.
His father, proSperins in his mining ventures,
sent Martin to the University of Erfurt in
1901. Ink must have been good in the six
teenth century for one may still read in the
matriculation book "MartinuS Ludher ex Mans
felt" written by the hand of the great reformer.
PiouS parents taught simple faith and yet
fear seemed to brood over the people of Ger
many. Plague devastated the undrained towns,
spreading disease and death. Fear of the Turk
was ever present, people believed in crude
shrine. 1ndulgences were bought and sold.
Luther, longer hampered by poverty, be-
came hard student and brilliant preacher,
possessing the rare power of communicating
his enthusiasm to others Soon his fame
reached other universities. He was spoken of
philosopher" a musician" His fame
even reached Rome.
Destined for the law, he studied Greek,
Latin philosophy and, of social disposition,
he was a favorite with his fellow students.
Then, suddenly, he E:Nged into the monastery
of Augustenian Eremites and, taking full orders,
became a monk So startling was this step
that the various accounts of it have become
almost legendary.
COCIALISM was beginning to be felt in Ger
- many Martin Luther sent to the
University of Wittenberg, where his eloquent
preaching attracted the attention Of Frederick