Pine Needles Read online

  CHAPTER III.

  "'What did this man do in the daring of faith? He first got permissionof his superiors; then he went aboard of a little boat, took nothingelse with him but his Bible and his Prayer-book, his few tools, afishing net, and food for several days, and then dropped down the Weser,all alone, intending by that way to get to the Eastphalians. But hischief strength was prayer, in which he lived day and night. When he cameto the place where the Aller flows into the Weser, he quitted the Weserand went up the Aller, that he might look at the spot where those 4500Saxons were cut to pieces by Charlemagne, and on the ground pray for themurdered men. For at that time it was believed that even the dead couldbe helped by prayer, as is still the erroneous teaching of theCatholics. Leaving that place, he wished to visit the "stone-houses,"that he might pray there too, where the captive Franks had beenslaughtered by the Saxons; and so he went on up the Aller and from theAller into the Oerze, all the while living upon the fish which hecaught.'"

  "Had he no bread?" said Maggie.

  "How should he?--going through wild woods and countries lone in hisboat? He would come to no bakers' shops, Maggie."

  "Just living on fish! Well, go on, Ditto."

  "'But all along on this journey he had not only caught fish, but alsoeverywhere preached the Gospel. And then must have been the first timethat the sweet name of Jesus was ever heard in our region. Perhaps whenyou look at the map you will ask, why Landolf went this difficult way bywater, which was a very roundabout way besides, to get to the"stone-houses," when he could have come across from Verden by a muchnearer and straighter route? Our chronicle gives two reasons: first, thewhole interior of the country at that time was almost nothing but thickforest and deep morasses, through which there was no going on foot; andsecondly, he had been told in Verden, that if he wanted to visit the"stone-houses," he must first go to the Billing of the long-leggedHorz-Saxons, who lived on the river Horz in Harm's "_ouden dorp_." Nowthis river Horz is the Oerze; and the name, the chronicle announces,comes from the fact that this river runs and leaps like a _Horz_--thatis, a horse; and because a great many horses were pastured on its banks.For the chief wealth of our Saxon ancestors consisted in cattle,especially in horses, which they used not only for riding and in warexpeditions, but reckoned their flesh a favourite food. And were a horsebut entirely spotless and white, it was even held to be sacred. Suchwhite horses were kept in the sacred forests of oak, where they wereused for nothing but soothsaying; for by the neighing of these whitehorses the heathen priests prophesied whether a business, or a campaign,that was in hand, would turn out happily or unhappily. For this reasonalso our Lueneburg country since the earliest times has borne the free,bounding horse in its escutcheon; and for the same reason most of thehouses in the country of Lueneburg down to the present times have theirgables adorned with two wooden horses' heads; and it is only lately thatthis custom has somewhat fallen off.

  "'The Saxons, or as the chronicle writes, _Sahzen_, were called"Horzsahzen," either because they lived on the Horz, or Oerze; orbecause they were almost all of them horsemen and owned a great manyhorses. They bore besides the honorary title of the "long-legged," forour forefathers were distinguished by their unusual stature. It isremarkable that the name "Lange" is still the widest spread family nameof any in our region, so that there are villages that are almostexclusively inhabited by "Langen," among whom a goodly number might yetbe called "long-legged;" though many also have grown something shorter,while they nevertheless bear the name of _Lange_. Well, that is allone, so they only keep the old, tried faithfulness and honesty, and themanly holding to their word, and the beautiful pureness of morals, forwhich our forefathers were renowned.

  "'But now, what sort of a man is the _Billing_? Our chronicle translatesthe word into Latin; _curatos legum_, that is, the "guardian of thelaws." _Bill_, you see, in old low German or Saxon, was a "law" whichhad been confirmed by the whole assembly of the people; and the man whoproposed these laws, and when they were confirmed had the charge ofseeing that they were not transgressed, was called the _Billing_. TheBilling of the Horzsahzen was at this time a man named Harm, that isHermann; and he lived in Harm's _ouden dorp_--or Hermann's old village.The spot where this old village of Hermann stood is now a cultivatedfield, about ten minutes away from the present Hermannsburg; and thisfield is still called at the present day _up'n Ollendorp_, and liesright on the Oerze. To this place accordingly the brave Landolfrepaired, and was received kindly and with the customary Saxonhospitality by Hermann the Billing.

  "'Hermann's dwelling was a large cottage, surrounded with pens forcattle, especially for horses, which were pastured on the river meadows.There were no stables; the animals remained day and night under the opensky, and even in winter time had no shelter beyond that of the thickforest with which the land was covered. The pens themselves were merelyenclosures without a roof. Landolf was entertained with roasted horses'flesh, which to the astonishment of his hosts he left untouched. For bythe rules of the Christian Church at that time it was not permitted toeat horse-flesh; they reckoned it a heathen practice.

  "'When Landolf had made his abode with the Billing for a while, he foundout that his host was in fact the principal person in all that districtof country, and as guardian of the laws enjoyed a patriarchal andwide-reaching consideration. He was indeed no _edeling_ (or nobleman),only a _freiling_--a free man; but he possessed seven large manors; onwhich account later writers, as for instance Adam of Bremen, give theBilling family the name of _Siebenmeyer_.' (_Sieben_ means seven,Maggie.) 'The oldest son, who regularly bore the name of Hermann, wasthe family head; and after the death of his father the dignity ofBilling descended to him. The younger brothers were settled in some ofthe other manors, remaining nevertheless always dependent upon theoldest.

  "'Now Landolf preached the Gospel zealously to the family whose guest hewas, and they listened to him with willing ears. But when he would havedeclared his message also to the Saxons who lived in theirneighbourhood, Hermann explained to him that by law and usage he mustnot do that, until permission had first been given him by the regularassembly of the people. As the house-father he himself could indeed inhis own family allow the proclamation of the Christian faith; but apublic proclamation must have the decision of the people upon it, thatis, of the assembly of all the free men. Landolf had arrived in theautumn--the stated gathering of the commons would not be till spring,and indeed not till May; in the meanwhile he must be contented. Hard asit was for Landolf to wait so long, for his heart was burning to convertthe poor heathen to Christ, he yet knew the people and their customs toowell to contend against them. So all winter he abode with Hermann. And ablessed winter that was. It was the habit of the family, when at eveninga fire was kindled in the middle of the hut, that the whole household,men, women, and children, even the servants and maids, should assemblearound it--the master of the house having the place of honour in themidst of them. The house-father then generally told stories about theheroic deeds of their forefathers; about the ancient laws and usages,the knowledge of which was handed down from father to son; and Landolfsat among them and listened with the rest, but soon got permission totell on his part of the wonderful things of the Christian faith. So thenhe profited by the long winter evenings to tell over the whole Biblestory of the Old and New Testaments. And with such simplicity, and withsuch joy of faith and confidence he told it, that the hearts of hishearers were stirred. In addition to that, he often sang the songs ofthe Christian Church, in a clear, fine-toned voice; and presently someamong them, the younger especially, began to join in the singing. HisBible stories were in all their mouths; and the people had such capitalmemories that, he says himself, he needed usually to tell a thing butonce or twice, and all of them, even the children, could repeat italmost word for word. This is a common experience among people who haveno written literature; they are apt to be uncommonly strong in power ofmemory. And when he prayed too, and he did it daily upon his knees, hewas never disturbed, although he prayed in the cottage, whic
h had onlyone room for all; instead, he soon had the joy of seeing that manykneeled down with him and with him called upon Christ, "the God of theChristians," as they phrased it. So the winter passed, May came, ice andsnow melted away, and everybody got ready to attend the great assemblyof the people. It was to be held at the stone-houses. Landolf travelledthither as Hermann's guest, under his protection--Hermann even lettinghim ride his best horse, by way of doing him honour before all thepeople. With a noble train of _freilings_--that is, of free men--they setforth.

  "'The first day, however, they went no further than about a quarter ofan hour from Harm's _ouden dorp_, to a sacrificial altar which wasplaced close by what was called the Deep Moor (Deepenbroock, thechronicle says). There Landolf was to be spectator of a terrible scene,which shows as well the frightful savageness and cruelty of the Saxonsas their noble purity of manners. By about noon of the abovenamed day,all the free men of that whole region had gathered together at the altarof sacrifice. This altar consisted, as may still be seen by theso-called _stone-houses_ now standing, of eight slabs of granite, set upin a quadrangle; with four openings, or doors, towards the four quartersof the heaven, broad enough to let a man go through; and covered overon the top with another great granite block. The young warriors broughtup two prisoners, who had been taken in a late campaign and fetchedalong. One of them was made to go under the sacrifice altar through thenorth and south doors, the other through the east and west doors. Thenstepped forth two priests, having their long flowing hair bound with amistletoe branch, and a sharp knife of flint in the hand. You must knowthat the mistletoe, which is still to be found in plenty in our woods,growing especially on birch trees, was held among our forefathers to besacred. For since it does not grow upon the ground like other plants,but upon trees, birches particularly, it was believed that the seed ofthis plant fell down from heaven; and this belief was strengthened bythe remarkable manner of its growth, so unlike other plants, with itsforking opposite branches and shining white berries. After solemnprayers, which were half sung half said, to the two gods Woden and Thor,and the two goddesses Hela and Hertha, the captive men were one afterthe other laid each upon his back on the altar, so that his head hungdown over the edge of the altar.'"

  "Oh, stop, Ditto!" cried Maggie.

  "Why?"

  "It is too horrible."

  "It is pretty horrible. But men did it, and men suffered it. Can't youhear it?"

  "Men were dreadful!"

  "Men _are_ dreadful where the light of the Gospel has not come. 'Thedark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty.'"

  "Tell me about those gods and goddesses."

  "Were those Saxon Druids?" Flora asked.

  "It sounds so. But I don't know the gods of the Teutons as well as I dothose of the Greeks; I can't tell you much about Woden and Thor, Maggie.We'll look when we go home. Now, am I to go on?"

  "I suppose so. Oh yes, I want you to go on. But it is dreadful."

  "Well, the captives were laid on the altar, as I read, 'and the priestscut their throats with their knives of flint. When the quivering victimhad ceased to bleed, the body was taken up by the young warriors andcast into the Deep Moor, where it immediately sunk in the bog. Landolfhad not recovered from the shock--for he had never seen a humansacrifice before, having gone while yet a boy into the country of theChristians--when his attention was fettered by another dreadful drama.

  "'Some of the young men fetched a long and broad hurdle, woven of firbranches, laid it down before the altar, and went away; but came backagain presently with a man and a woman, who had been accused andconvicted of breaking the marriage vow. An accuser stepped forth, andrepeated the charge before the Billing. The Billing then asked theaccused whether the charge was true? and admonished them to confess thetruth, since never yet had a free Saxon told a lie. And when the guiltypeople had owned their guilt, first their relations came forward andspat in their faces; then the man's weapons were taken from him, hishands and feet and the woman's were tied together: and so tied they werethrown into the Deep Moor, the hurdle covered over them, and this andthe underlying bodies, by their nearest relations first of all, weretrodden down into the deep morass. So came the marriage-breakers to ashameful end and received the reward of their sin.

  "'Hermann told Landolf afterwards that there were three crimes whichthey punished on this disgraceful wise--marriage-breaking, lying, andcowardice; because such people were not held worthy to die thehonourable death of a warrior, and be slain with weapons. Landolfanswered "O Billing! you are terrible people! yet even as heathen youhate the sins that you know. What would you be, if you were onceChristians, and the Lord Jesus gave you His light!"

  "'And as I write down these words from the old chronicle, I could castmy eyes to the ground for shame and weep tears of blood over the deep,shameful apostasy of the German Christianity of the present day. Christgives us His light now; we are Christians now; but where have purity,truth, and courage hid themselves? Are there ten in a hundred GermanChristians that keep a pure life, true lips, and a brave heart? I do notthink it. Open and secret impurity, coarse and polished falsehood,disgraceful cowardliness, fear of men and men-pleasing, have infestedthe whole German Christian nation, and will soon bring down the judgmentof God; for "the bruise is incurable, and the wound is grievous." Greatand small, men and women, old and young, all are tainted with theplague. Our heathen forefathers were better and cleaner in these thingsthan we Christians--they will condemn us at the last judgment, and weshall have to stand abashed before them. And you that read this, if youprize the name of a German--if, as you should, you prize a thousandtimes more the name of a Christian--ask your conscience whether it hasnot been uneasy under the foregoing narration; and if it has, thenrepent, you degenerate German, you hypocritical Christian; repent insackcloth and ashes, and on your knees implore your God, the livingSaviour: "Jesus, my Lord, thou holy God, give me a pure nature, a lip offaithfulness, and a bold heart, through the faith that is in Thee."

  "'And now I must go on to tell what more befell that same day, in whichthe devilish nature of heathenism among our forefathers was shown asfrightfully as in their murderous sacrifices. Far behindhand as ourancestors at that time were in all civilisation, they neverthelessalready understood the art of preparing intoxicating drinks. For thispurpose they used especially the wild oats which grew all over, and thedarnel grass, of which a strong, intoxicating beer was brewed; and tomake it yet more stupefying, they added a certain marsh plant. Andscarce ever was there a sacrifice that was not concluded with adrinking-bout. So it fell out at this time. Many writers tell, how amongthe old Germans it was even made a boast to spend eight or even fourteendays, one after another, in such carousals. On the occasion of which weare speaking, indeed, they lasted only over the rest of that day andthrough the night; for the next day the intent was to go on to thestone-houses. But what horror must Landolf have felt even in that shorttime! When all of them had got drunk, a quarrel sprang up; and as eachman had his weapons with him, his war-axe especially, the quarrel cameto duels between man and man; and soon blood was flowing from most ofthe people, and several corpses lay here and there. The bodies wereburned, their ashes buried, and a round hillock of earth thrown up overthem; for, as it was thought, they had fallen in honourable fight, as itbecame men to do. And when Landolf, full of astonishment, asked theBilling, who of all the crowd was the only one that had remained sober,whether they did not then punish people for murder? the Billing inwonder retorted by the question, where the murderers were? There hadbeen nothing but an open, honest fight, which was to the honour of thoseconcerned in it.

  "'Yet another abomination Landolf saw on this occasion, which, however,was in a remarkable manner mixed up with truth and noblemindedness. Imean that while this drinking-bout was going on, a number of men, youngand old, amused themselves with gaming, of which they were passionatelyfond. To be sure they had no cards, neither dice. But they had littlelongish, square cornered, wooden sticks, shaved white, and with certa
inmarks painted on the upper side. Each man took a certain number of thesein both hands, shook them, and threw them up in the air. When they fellon the ground, they were carefully looked at to see how many of them laywith the painted side up, and how many with the unpainted; and whoeverthen had the most sticks with the painted side up, he had won. Upon eachthrow they set some of their cattle, a hog, a cow, or an ox, or a horse;perhaps at last a specially prized drinking vessel, made out of a ure-oxhorn; even finally, what they held to be most valuable of all, theirweapons; and at last Landolf saw a young man, who had lost all he had,cast his freedom upon the last throw; and when this too was lost, he sawhow frankly and without grumbling he gave himself up to be the slave ofhis fellow-player; so fast the German, even amid the bewilderments ofsin, held to truth and the inviolable keeping of his word once given.Liberty was truly his most valuable and precious possession, for whichat any other time he was ready to die, arms in hand. And yet he yieldedthis treasure quietly up, when he had lost it at play, rather than breakhis word and his faith; if he were the stronger, he did not defendhimself; he did not take to flight, though he might have a hundredopportunities--the free man who gloried in his freedom, became a slave,that he might keep faith. This was how Landolf found things among theheathen; he wept bitter tears over it; but he never desponded: so muchthe firmer grew his resolution to preach the Gospel to this people, andmake the true God known to them. For the thought always rose in him,what might come of a people whom God had so nobly endowed, among whomeven in the abominations of idolatry there shone forth such traits ofpureness of manners and nobleness of thought, were they but once renewedand born again by the glorious Christian faith.

  "'But if Landolf were to come to light again in these days, when we_are_ Christians, what would he say of us? Outward culture truly hewould find--the face of the earth would indeed have changed. But if hecame into the inns, where drinking and gaming are going on, into theso-called _Maybeers_, into the assemblies for eating and drinking, andplaying at weddings, and housewarmings, and christenings; or into theprivate drinking and gaming parties in people's houses, the gaming hellsat the watering-places, the drinking carousals of students, thecompanies of the noble, the so-called entertainments with whicheverything must be celebrated in Germany--how confounded would he be, tofind that the drinking and gaming devil is still the ruling devil inGermany! but, on the other hand, faith and truth are extinguished. It istrue what the old song says--"Most are Christians only in name. God'strue seed are thinly scattered, those who love and honour Christ and doHis pleasure!" Well, God mend it!'"

  Meredith shut up his book.

  "Ditto," said Maggie thoughtfully, "is it so bad here?"

  "How do I know, Maggie?"

  "But what do you _think_?"

  Flora lifted up her head. "Now, Meredith, don't go and say somethingabsurd."

  "What do you want me to say?"

  "Why, the truth! that there are a great many nice people in America."

  "I have no doubt, so there are in Germany."

  "Then that talk is all stuff."

  "Pastor Harms never talked stuff."

  "How do you know?"

  "I have read enough of him to know. He was one of those he calls God'strue seed."

  "Then what did he mean? Or what do you mean?"

  "Well, Flora, I will ask you a question: How many people do you know wholive to do Christ's will?"

  Flora did not answer immediately. Maggie on her part went tocalculating.

  "I know--I know--three!" she said slowly.

  "_Three!_" said Flora. "Who are they?"

  "That's not the question, Flo," said her brother. "How many do _you_know?"

  "Well," said Flora, "Mr. Murray is one, and you are another, I believe;but there are other nice people in the world."

  "I know people drink," said Maggie, so gravely and sagely that theothers laughed. "I do know. I have seen them at our house. You needn'tsay anything, Esther; I have once or twice when I have been at dinner,when you were not at home. Not papa, of course, and they don't do itnow. Papa won't have wine on the table at all, but I saw how they did.Some of the gentlemen began with whisky and water, and one took brandyand water, before dinner began."

  "Oh stop, Maggie!" Esther exclaimed.

  "No, but I want to tell you. Then they took Greek wine or Sauterne withtheir soup. Then they took champagne with the dinner. Then they hadport wine with the cheese--oh, I recollect, Esther--and then they hadMadeira and sherry with dessert, and claret and Madeira and sherry withthe fruit. And some of them drank every one. I am glad papa won't havewine at all now. Uncle Eden wouldn't, a good while ago."

  "People used in England, not very long ago, to drink a bottle or two ofwine after dinner each man," said Meredith; "but it is not quite so badas that nowadays."

  Flora was vexed, but silent; she too remembered bowls of punch andbaskets of champagne in _her_ father's time.

  "And gaming--" said Maggie, and stopped.

  "What?" said Meredith.

  "I was thinking how fond Fenton was of it."

  "Oh hush, Maggie! he wasn't!" Esther exclaimed.

  "It was just the same thing, Uncle Eden said."

  "Where is Fenton?" said Meredith.

  "He's coming to-morrow. He likes champagne too, and other wine when hecan get it. And Bolivar--Bolivar put something in his lemonade!"

  "Why, Maggie," said Meredith, smiling and passing his hand gently overthe little girl's head, "you are taking gloomy views of life!"

  "I was only thinking, Ditto. But it seems to me so very strange thatpeople should be worse now than when they were heathen Saxons."

  "People are a mixture now, you must remember. The good part are a greatdeal better, and I suppose the bad part are a great deal worse."

  "Worse than the heathen!" cried Flora.

  "Well, judge for yourself. But darkness in the midst of light is alwaysthe blackest, and not only by contrast either."

  "If you think people are so awful, I should think you would go to workand preach to them," said Esther.

  "I will," said Meredith calmly.

  "Then what will you do with Meadow Park?"

  "Oh, he proposes to turn that into an hospital."

  "An hospital!"----

  "Flora is romancing a little," said her brother. "There are noinfirmaries put up yet. How sweet this place is! Do you smell the firtrees and pines? The air is a spice-box."

  "The air a box!" cried Maggie laughing.

  "I mean it is full of perfumes, like a spice-box. And these old stones,laid up here by the soldiers' hands of a hundred years ago, just make adining place for us now. But it's pretty! And the air is nectar."

  "You can choose whether you will smell it, or swallow it," remarked hissister.

  "By your leave, I will do both. Well, shall I go on?"