the moravians in georgia-第39章

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On　the　4th　of　August；　George　Schulius　died；　after　an　illness　of　eighteen　days'　duration。　　Boehler　was　in　Savannah　when　he　was　taken　sick；　but　returned　in　time　to　nurse　him；　to　soothe　him　in　delirium；　and　to　lay　him　to　rest　amid　the　lamentations　of　the　Purisburg　residents。　At　his　death　the　school　for　white　children　was　given　up；　for　Boehler　was　too　weak　to　shoulder　the　additional　load；　and　felt　that　his　first　duty　was　to　the　negroes。　　In　September；　Oglethorpe　was　in　Savannah；　and　after　much　difficulty　Boehler　obtained　speech　with　him；　and　succeeded　in　convincing　him　that　a　negro　school　at　Purisburg　was　hopeless。　　He　approved　of　Boehler's　plan　to　itinerate　among　the　plantations　and　promised　that　both　his　own　and　Schulius'　salaries　should　be　paid　him；　that　he　might　be　supplied　for　traveling　expenses。　　In　November；　when　his　health　was　restored；　Boehler　wished　to　make　his　first　journey；　but　the　storekeeper　declined　to　pay　him　any　money　until　the　expiration　of　the　quarter　year。　When　he　went　again　at　the　appointed　time　the　storekeeper　refused　to　pay　anything　without　a　new　order　from　Oglethorpe；　except　the　remainder　of　the　first　year's　salary；　now　long　overdue。　　Boehler　concluded　that　the　man　had　received　private　instructions　from　Oglethorpe；　and　that　his　services　were　no　longer　desired　by　the　representative　of　〃the　associates〃；　so　in　January；　1740；　he　gave　up　further　thought　of　obligation　to　them；　and　prepared　to　go　on　his　own　account。　He　planned　to　go　by　boat　to　Purisburg　and　from　there　on　foot　through　Carolina　to　Charlestown；　but　on　the　way　up　the　Savannah　River　the　canoe　was　overtaken　by　a　severe　thunderstorm；　and　forced　to　land。　Knowing　that　a　sloop　would　sail　in　two　days　he　returned　to　Savannah；　meaning　to　go　to　Charlestown　on　her；　but　on　trying　the　lot　he　received　direction　to　wait　for　the　present　in　Savannah。

While　Boehler　was　making　his　attempt　among　the　negroes；　some　changes　were　taking　place　in　the　Savannah　Congregation。　He　had　been　very　much　distressed　by　the　condition　he　found　when　he　arrived；　for　owing　partly　to　their　many　difficulties　and　partly　to　Seifert's　absence　among　the　Indians；　no　Communion　had　been　celebrated　for　a　year；　and　the　〃bands〃　had　been　dropped。　　The　Bible　and　prayer　gatherings　were　steadily　observed；　but　it　seemed　to　him　there　was　a　lack　of　harmony　among　the　members；　and　they　were　by　no　means　ready　to　take　him　at　once　into　their　confidence。　　Seifert；　too；　was　not　well；　and　had　been　obliged　to　leave　the　Indians；　and　return　to　Savannah。

The　Indian　work　was　most　discouraging；　for　the　men　were　careless　and　drunken；　and　in　January；　1739；　even　Rose　gave　up；　and　moved　back　to　Savannah　with　his　family。　　In　October；　Tomochichi　died；　and　was　buried　with　great　pomp　in　Percival　Square　in　Savannah。　　The　Moravians　were　asked　to　furnish　music　at　the　funeral；　but　declined；　and　it　was　hardly　missed　amid　the　firing　of　minute　guns；　and　three　volleys　over　his　grave。　After　his　death　his　little　village　was　abandoned；　and　the　question　of　further　missionary　efforts　there　settled　itself。

During　the　winter　John　Regnier　became　deeply　incensed　at　some　plain　speaking　from　Schulius；　and　decided　to　leave　at　once　for　Europe；　the　Congregation　paying　his　way。　　He　probably　went　to　Herrnhut；　as　that　had　been　his　intention　some　months　previously；　and　later　he　served　as　a　missionary　in　Surinam。　　In　after　years　he　returned　to　Pennsylvania；　where　he　joined　those　who　were　inimical　to　the　Moravians。

Peter　Rose；　his　wife　and　daughter　left　for　Pennsylvania　soon　after　their　withdrawal　from　Irene。　　They　settled　in　Germantown；　and　there　Peter　died　March　12th；　1740。　　Catherine　married　John　Michael　Huber　in　1742；　who　died　five　years　later　on　a　voyage　to　the　West　Indies。　Being　for　the　third　time　a　widow；　she　became　one　of　the　first　occupants　of　the　Widows'　House　in　Bethlehem；　and　served　as　a　Deaconess　for　many　years；　dying　in　1798。　　Mary　Magdalena　became　the　wife　of　Rev。　Paul　Peter　Bader　in　1763。

On　August　10th；　1739；　John　Michael　Schober　died　after　a　brief　illness；　the　ninth　of　the　Moravian　colonists　to　find　their　final　resting　place　beside　the　Savannah　River。

In　September；　General　Oglethorpe　received　instructions　to　make　reprisals　on　the　Spanish　for　their　depredations　on　the　southern　borders　of　the　Georgia　Province。　　He　rightly　judged　this　to　be　the　precursor　of　open　hostilities；　and　hastened　his　preparations　to　put　Carolina　and　Georgia　in　a　state　of　defense。　　In　October　the　British　Government　declared　war　on　Spain；　and　November　witnessed　the　beginning　of　fighting　in　the　Colonies。　　Of　course　this　meant　a　re…opening　of　the　old　discussion　as　to　the　Moravians'　liability　for　service；　a　repetition　of　the　old　arguments；　and　a　renewal　of　the　popular　indignation。　Oglethorpe　was　fairly　considerate　of　them；　thought　Zinzendorf　ought　to　have　provided　for　two　men；　but　added　that　he　did　not　want　the　Moravians　driven　away。　　Still　the　situation　was　uncomfortable；　and　the　Moravians　began　to　make　arrangements　for　their　final　departure。

By　this　time　Boehler　had　won　his　way　into　the　confidence　of　the　Savannah　congregation；　and　had　learned　that　he　was　not　the　only　one　who　had　the　Lord's　interests　at　heart。　　With　Seifert　again　in　charge　of　affairs；　the　religious　services　had　taken　on　new　life；　and　on　October　18th；　John　Martin　Mack　was　confirmed。　　Judith　Toeltschig；　however；　gave　them　great　concern；　and　her　brother　Michael　Haberland　sided　with　her；　so　that　the　company　gladly　saw　them　sail　for　Germany　in　the　latter　part　of　January；　1740。　　There　Michael　married；　and　returned　to　America　in　May；　1749；　as　one　of　the　large　company　which　came　to　settle　in　Bethlehem；　where　he　died　in　1783。　Judith　joined　her　husband　in　England；　and　in　1742　was　serving　as　〃sick…waiter〃　of　the　Pilgrim　Congregation　in　London。

This　left　only　six　Moravians　in　Savannah；　for　John　Boehner　had　already　started　for　Pennsylvania　on　January　20th。　He　had　a　very　sore　arm　which　they　hoped　would　be　benefited　by　the　change；　and　he　was　commissioned　to　try　and　gather　together　the　members　who　had　preceded　him；　and　to　make　arrangements　for　the　reception　of　the　remnant　which　was　soon　to　follow。　　He　aided　faithfully　during　the　early　days　of　the　settlement　at　Nazareth　and　Bethlehem；　and　in　1742　went　as　a　missionary　to　the　island　of　St。　Thomas；　where　he　labored　earnestly　and　successfully　for　the　rest　of　his　life；　and　died　in　1787。

Nothing　now　remained　for　the　members　still　in　Savannah；　but　to　so　arrange　matters　that　they　might　leave　on　the　first　opportunity。　Oglethorpe　had　already　bought　their　trumpets　and　French　horns　at　a　good　price；　but　they　needed　to　sell　their　rice　and　household　furniture　to　provide　sufficient　funds　for　their　journey。　　This　was　happily　arranged　on　the　2nd　of　February；　when　George　Whitefield；　who　had　reached　Savannah　for　the　second　time　a　few　days　before；　came　to　see　them；　promised　to　buy　all　they　cared　to　sell；　and　offered　them　free　passage　to　Pennsylvania。　This　offer　they　gratefully　accepted；　receiving　37　Pounds　for　their　household　goods；　and　on　April　13th；　1740；　they　sailed　with　Whitefield　on　his　sloop　the　‘Savannah'；　Captain　Thomas　Gladman。　Their　land　and　improvements　were　left　in　the　hands　of　an　Agent；　and　the　town　house　was　rented　to　some　of　Whitefield's　followers　for　a　hospital。

With　the　Moravians　went　the　two　boys；　Benjamin　Somers　and　James　；　who　had　been　given　into　their　hands　by　the　Savannah　magistrates　in　1735；　and　a　young　woman；　Johanna　Hummel；　of　Purisburg。　　The　two　lads　gave　them　much　trouble　in　Pennsylvania；　and　Benjamin　was　finally　bound　out　in　1748；　while　James　ran　away。　　Johanna　married　John　Boehner；　and　sailed　with　him　to　the　West　Indies　in　1742；　but　died　at　sea　before　reaching　there。

Boehler　and　his　company　expected　to　find　Spangenberg　and　Bishop　Nitschmann　in　Pennsylvania；　and　were　much　disappointed　to　learn　that　both　were　absent。　They　scarcely　knew　what　to　do；　but　Boehler　held　them　together；　and　when　Whitefield　decided　to　buy　a　large　tract　of　land　and　build　thereon　a　Negro　school；　and　a　town　for　his　English　friends　of　philanthropic　mind；　and　when　the　Moravians　were　offered　the　task　of　erecting　the　first　house　there；　Boehler　and　his　companions　gladly　accepted　the　work。　　Bethlehem　followed　in　due　time；　and　all　were　among　those　who　organized　that　congregati