the moravians in georgia-第31章

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But　unkind　words；　delay；　uncooked　food；　thirst；　were　not　all　that　Spangenberg　and　his　companion　had　to　bear；　for　actual　danger　was　added　to　their　experience　from　time　to　time。　　High　waves　broke　over　the　ship；　winds　tore　away　the　sails；　and　a　water…spout　threatened　total　destruction。　So　late　was　the　ship　in　reaching　port　that　she　was　given　up　for　lost；　and　word　was　sent　to　Pennsylvania　which　caused　much　grief；　　needless　grief；　for　Spangenberg's　days　of　service　were　not　to　be　ended　thus。　It　sounds　almost　trivial　to　say　that　in　the　midst　of　trials　of　body；　mind　and　soul　Spangenberg　occupied　himself　with　making　buttons；　but　no　doubt　the　homely；　useful　labor　did　its　part　toward　rendering　endurable　the　seemingly　endless　days。

At　last；　on　the　7th　of　August；　the　ship　ran　on　a　sandbank　near　Tybee；　and　the　Moravians；　hearing　that　Spangenberg　was　on　board；　took　a　boat　and　brought　him　to　Savannah。　　They　had　asked　him　to　go　to　England；　he　had　disregarded　their　request　and　come　to　Georgia；　but　he　was　dear　to　them　through　many　months　of　united　service　and　mutual　help；　and　they　gave　him　a　hearty　welcome；　ignoring　all　cause　for　complaint；　and　taking　him　at　once　into　their　full　confidence。　　He　and　Toeltschig　sat　up　all　of　the　first　night　carefully　discussing　the　condition　of　affairs　and　what　could　be　done　to　remedy　them。　　Their　views　were　very　different；　for　Spangenberg　thought　they　had　been　too　hasty　in　deciding　to　leave　Georgia；　while　Toeltschig　felt　that　it　was　a　reflection　on　the　lot　to　try　and　hold　them　in　Savannah；　when　the　lot　had　said　〃go〃。　But　Toeltschig　possessed　the　rare　art　of　seeing　a　disputed　question　through　the　eyes　of　those　who　did　not　agree　with　him；　as　well　as　from　his　own　standpoint；　and　now；　with　no　petty　self…assertion；　he　quietly　awaited　developments；　and　told　Spangenberg　all　that　had　happened　since　Neisser's　departure。

As　the　alarm　concerning　an　immediate　invasion　by　the　Spanish　had　died　away；　the　inhabitants　of　Savannah　had　regained　their　composure；　and　the　wild　outcry　against　the　Moravians　gradually　ceased。　The　wagon　and　oxen　which　had　been　taken　for　work　on　the　fort　had　been　returned　to　their　owners；　after　seven　or　eight　weeks　of　hard　usage；　and　the　hope　that　starvation　would　shake　the　resolution　of　the　non…combatants　had　signally　failed　of　fulfillment。　　The　ship　which　was　to　bring　the　town　supplies　had　been　twelve　weeks　late　in　coming；　and　the　stock　in　the　store…house　was　almost　exhausted。　The　authorities　therefore　had　announced　that　provisions　would　be　sold　only　to　those　who　were　helping　build　the　fort。　　This　entirely　excluded　the　Moravians；　but　instead　of　suffering　from　hunger　they　had　been　able　to　share　with　some　of　their　neighbors。　　The　prices　charged　at　the　store　in　Savannah　were　always　high；　so；　as　he　was　passing　through　New　York　on　his　return　from　St。　Thomas；　Spangenberg　had　asked　a　friend　to　send　the　Moravians　two　thousand　pounds　of　flour　and　salt…meat；　for　which　they　were　to　pay。　　The　merchant　at　that　time　knew　of　no　ship　sailing　for　Savannah；　so　in　Philadelphia；　Spangenberg　had　arranged　that　two　thousand　pounds　of　meat　should　be　sent　from　there　at　once　on　a　year's　credit。　　Meanwhile　the　New　York　merchant　found　an　opportunity　to　send　what　was　ordered　from　him；　so　the　Moravians　had　been　surprised　by　a　double　quantity；　which　proved　to　be　just　what　they　needed　during　the　general　scarcity。　　When　the　friends　in　Pennsylvania　heard　that　provisions　had　been　sent；　but　not　enough　to　last　until　the　next　harvest；　they　gave　thirty…six　hundred　pounds　of　flour　to　Spangenberg　to　be　taken；　as　a　present；　to　the　Georgia　Moravians；　and　when　word　was　received　that　Spangenberg's　ship　was　lost；　they　sent　an　additional　eighteen　hundred　pounds；　so　the　〃Society〃　was　well　supplied　with　this　necessary　article　of　food　for　some　time　to　come。

In　their　household　affairs　the　Moravians　had　had　various　experiences。　Hermsdorf　had　been　so　thoroughly　frightened　by　the　demonstrations　against　the　Moravians　that　on　the　16th　of　May　he　had　sailed　for　Germany；　regardless　of　Toeltschig's　efforts　to　persuade　him　to　wait；　as　his　wife　might　even　then　be　on　her　way　to　join　him。　Not　only　did　he　fear　the　townspeople　so　greatly　that　day　and　night　he　stayed　in　his　room　〃as　in　a　prison〃；　but　he　was　still　more　afraid　to　face　Gen。　Oglethorpe；　who；　it　was　said；　would　soon　return。　Only　once　had　he　joined　in　the　devotional　exercises　of　the　household　after　his　return　from　Frederica；　and　it　was　rather　a　relief　when　he　left　for　home；　having　first　repaid　the　amount　of　his　passage　to　Georgia。　He　seems　to　have　retained　his　connection　with　the　Moravian　Church；　for　he　was　in　Herrnhut　when　Wesley　visited　there；　and　showed　him　many　courtesies；　and　he　is　mentioned　in　1742；　as　bearing　letters　to　the　〃Sea　Congregation〃；　then　about　to　sail　for　Pennsylvania。

On　the　6th　of　June　a　four…year…old　English　boy　had　been　taken　into　their　household。　　He　was　an　orphan；　and　they　meant　to　bring　him　up；　but　the　little　fellow　died　on　the　23rd　of　July。

On　the　10th　of　June　the　matrimonial　troubles　of　George　Waschke　and　Juliana　Jaeschke　had　been　happily　terminated　by　their　marriage。　Waschke　had　been　one　of　the　discontents　ever　since　the　arrival　of　the　second　company；　but　when　his　marriage　was　finally　arranged　he　professed　himself　contrite；　and　promised　all　obedience　to　the　rules　of　the　〃Society〃；　so　long　as　he　stayed　in　Savannah；　though　he　retained　his　desire　to　leave　as　soon　as　possible。　Juliana　also　had　greatly　improved　in　her　behaviour　before　the　wedding。

This　marriage　was　the　cause　of　a　very　interesting　discussion　among　the　Moravians；　as　to　who　should　perform　the　ceremony。　〃In　the　afternoon　the　Brethren　met　to　decide　who　should　be　appointed　to　marry　Waschke　and　Juliana。　　Properly　Br。　Peter　（Rose）　should　have　been　ordained　by　Br。　Anton　（Seifert）　to　the　office　of　a　〃Diener〃　in　the　Congregation；　that　he　might　marry　and　baptize；　but　the　Brethren　did　not　think　it　necessary　to　ordain　him　on　Waschke's　account；　and　voted　that　Toeltschig　should　marry　them。　　He　objected；　but　they　said　Toeltschig　had　been　made　a　‘Diener'　of　the　Congregation　at　Herrnhut。　　He　protested　that　he　had　not　been　sent　to　Georgia　to　marry　and　baptize；　and　did　not　wish　to　do　it。　　The　others　insisted；　and　asked　that　the　lot　be　tried；　Toeltschig　agreed　to　submit　to　their　wish；　and　the　lot　drawn　read　‘he　shall　marry　these　two'；〃　which　he　did　the　next　day。

Parallel　with　this　is　the　baptism　of　Rose's　twin　daughters；　Anna　Catherina　and　Maria　Magdalena；　who　were　born　on　the　16th　of　September；　1737；　　Anna　Catherina　dying　later　in　the　same　year。　Of　this　Toeltschig　wrote：　　〃I；　at　the　request　of　the　Brethren；　baptized　them　in　the　name　of　the　Father；　the　Son；　and　of　the　Holy　Ghost；　after　Br。　Anton　（Seifert）　had　ordained　me　a　〃Diener〃　in　the　Congregation。〃

It　frequently　happens　that　a　puzzling　action　becomes　clear　when　it　is　considered　from　the　standpoint　of　the　man　who　has　done　it；　but　when　the　motive　can　not　be　fathomed　many　things　are　hard　to　understand。　That　Seifert　had　been　empowered　to　delegate　to　another　member　a　duty　usually　reserved　for　the　clergy；　was　reasonable；　though　unusual；　for　his　serious　illness　or　death　would　have　left　the　Congregation　without　ministration　until　word　could　be　sent　to　Germany；　and　some　one　else　could　come　to　take　his　place；　　a　matter　of　months；　　but；　when　the　〃Aeltester〃　was　present；　in　full　health；　in　entire　accord　with　his　Congregation；　and　when　he　in　person　confirmed　candidates　for　Church　membership；　why　did　he　not　marry　and　baptize　directly；　instead　of　ordaining　a　〃Diener〃　especially　for　those　two　offices？　There　must　have　been　some　regulation　in　the　Congregation　at　Herrnhut　which　led　to　it；　for　the　idea　that　Seifert　himself　should　marry　Waschke　and　Juliana；　and　baptize　the　Rose　children；　evidently　did　not　occur　to　them；　but　the　rule　can　not　now　be　found；　and　there　is　no　clue　to　the　strange　proceeding。

Soon　after　the　Waschke　affair　had　been　settled　to　the　satisfaction　of　all　parties；　serious　trouble　had　arisen　with　Jag　and　Haberecht。　It　was　reported　to　the　Moravians　that　Jag　had　engaged　himself　to　a　Swiss　woman　living　in　Savannah；　and　when　questioned　he　admitted　that　it　was　true。　They　argued　with　him；　and　pled　with　him；　but　to　no　avail；　and　finally　told　him　plainly　that　they　would　not　al