:AD m 'yy»y^:>» 'i^A Digitized by tine Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/ashmeadsorscenesOOande Ashraeads. Page 166. STATUE OF CHARLES XII.— STOCKHOLM. Frontispiece. i ■I* The Ashmeads ^^ SCENES IN NORTHERN El HOPE. /f - 'J E. IP. J^ PHILADELPHIA: j^^merioan [^aptist Publication Society, ',5 w #1 Y THE ASHMEADS; OR, SCENES IN NORTHERN EUROPE, BY E. P. A. PHILADELPHIA : AMEEICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, 1420 Chestnut Street. Entered according to Act ol Congress, in the year 1887, by tne AMERICAN BAPTIST PUBLICATION SOCIETY, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. 4j 7 b 'J A^ k4 UBKARY Of COIIORB8S WASHINOTON J CONTENTS PAGE. CHAPTER I. Mrs. Ashmead's Reception 5 CHAPTER II. The Ashmeads Off for Europe 19 CHAPTER III. First Views of Antwerp 30 CHAPTER IV. A Continental Sunday 43 CHAPTER V. Among Friends in Hamburg 57 CHAPTER VI. Mr. Meyer's Family Circle 74 CHAPTER VII. Visit to the Rauhes Haus 81 CHAPTER VIII. A Day Under Mr. Morley's Escort 90 CHAPTER IX. Sorrow and Disappointment for Hartley Gifford... 114 3 4 CONTENTS. CHAPTER X. PAGE. The AsIIMEADS in CorENHAGEN 1^^ CHAPTEK XI. Through the Gotha Canal 141 CHAPTER Xn. Amusing Search for a Friend in Stockholm 158 CHAPTER XIII. A Cordial Welcome at Waxholm 185 CHAPTER XIV. On the Way to the Swedish Norrland 196 CHAPTER XV. A Farm in the Swedish Xorrland 210 CHAPTER XVI. Harry Loses Himself and Finds a Friend 234 The Ashmeads. M CHAPTEE I. MRS. ASHMEAD'S reception. Y dear Anna, there is no use talking any more about it. It is absolutely out of the ques- Having uttered this remark in a very peremptory tone of voice, Mr. Ash mead laid his paper on his crossed knees, and waited with frowning brow to hear what his wife would say next. Mrs. Ash mead did not look at all like a- woman who was determined to have the last word. I^ow she went on with her needle-work quietly ; but there was a slight quivering of her gentle lips, which showed that she was feeling deeply, though she said nothing. As Mr. Ash mead's positive assertions had been intended as a beginning of an argument, rather than as a complete closing of the subject under discussion, he soon resumed, in a milder tone : " You must surely see, Anna, that it is the only 6 THE ASHMEADS. way to settle this affair. We caunot have the young fellow dangling about here, and saying afterwards that he has had encouragement." " No, certainly not," replied Mrs. Ashmead ; '' but if we make a change, and treat him suddenly with marked coldness, I fear it will not be the way to gain your object. Mary would be sure to wonder at any change in our manner towards him; and — in fact, dear John, other people would notice it also. It would cause remarks, and it would be hardly fair to Mr. Gifford, who is really a very estimable young man." '^ Oh, yes ! estimable enough, no doubt," answered Mr. Ashmead, testily; "and so was the Rev. John Smith, who used to preach for us such sleepy, good sermons. Nobody could say any thing against the man, except that he was an awful bore. How w^ould you like to see our Mary a pastor's wife, like Mrs. Smith ? " "Oh, John !" exclaimed Mrs. Ashmead, her gentle blue eyes filling with tears. ''You know I did not mean that." " Well, then, just take my advice," said Mr. Ash- mead, softening at the sight of his wife's distress. " Let young Gifford alone. Don't invite him here any more, and don't let Mary go where she is likely to meet him." ''Shall I then not ask Mr. Benson, or Mr. Clarke, THE ASHMEADS. 7 to our receptions, as formerly ? '^ inquired Mrs. Ash- mead, earnestly. ^' Oh, yes ! You must of course ask Harry Benson, the son of my old partner ; and as for young Clarke, you know I promised his uncle that I would look after him ; and I begin to fear that he is a little bit inclined to be wild. We must do all that we can to keep him out of mischief," answered Mr. Ashmead. " Then, how can I pass over Mr. Gifford, who has been intimate with both of them all through their course, and has really done a great deal to restrain Frank Clarke's wild .tendency ? *' said his wife, gently. " If I do so, it will be treating the young man as if he had proposed and been refused, and this simply be- cause we are afraid he thinks too much of Mary." "Why in the world could he not have been some- thing else than a theological student?" exclaimed Mr. Ashmead, irritably. When a man's logic is found in fault he gener- ally grows cross, while illogical woman rises serently above such small considerations, and is happy in pro- portion as her logic fails; therefore the world at large should be profoundly grateful that such a disaster rarely happens to the masculine mind. Mr. Ashmead now threw his paper on the table and rose from his chair. " We mio-ht have made somethino; of him if he 8 THE ASHMEADS. had taken the ordinary course, like Benson, and Clarke ; but I do really believe that tliese theological students at liiverton Seminary take to the ministry because they have not the capacity for anything else.'^ " Oh, my dear, I am sure you do not mean that," expostulated Mrs. Ashmead, gently. "I know that there are truly Christian young men among the theo- loo-ical students at lliverton." " Yes, yes, I know. But which of those young fellows could manage a business concern, or show the pluck and push necessary for a young man who would get on in the world now-a-days.? However, that is not the question. With your woman's wit you can manage this matter. All that I want is, not to hear of any nonsense about Mary and this young fellow. She has had good advantages, and she is above the common run of girls. If she marries, the fellow must be in- telligent and well informed, as well as a Christian. I have no intention of allowing her to be carried off and buried in some country parsonage with a man who cares for nothing beyond preparing a sermon or two a week, and where her chief enjoyment may be a tea- party, at which the women talk about their children and missionary flannel underclothes, while the men get in a corner by themselves and talk of crops and church debts, and delinquencies in general. Well, you understand ; and now I leave it all to you." THE ASHMEADS. \) Tills long speech had the good effect of restoring Mr. Ashraead's equanimity. He nodded pleasantly to his wife, and as Mary's voice was heard outside in the hall the subject of conversation was changed very quickly. The subject itself, however, could not be as quickly or as readily dismissed. The Ash meads ranked among the most hospitable, as well as the most intelligent and agreeable people in Kiverton. To be shut out from intercourse with a family where intelligence and all the social refinements were heightened by the spirit of true Christianity, would be counted a misfortune by any one in River- ton who had ever had the privilege of enjoying that intercourse. And the very fact that Mrs. Ashmead was accustomed to extend to all her guests a quiet and cordial hospitality, mingled with lady-like reserve, made it an impossibility for her to act with apparent rudeness or caprice towards any of them. Hartley Gilford stood well in the esteem of the Professors at Riverton Seminary, and was considered by them as a thoroughly good young man. He had been brought up, on moderate means, by religious parents ; but, in his home circle, there had been no remarkable amount of intelligence. His parents in fact looked upon their son's fondness for books as an evidence of extraordinary talents ; and when he felt that he ought to enter on the work of the ministry, they 10 THE ASHMEADS. inude every effort to enable him to follow his desire and to attain a thorough preparation for his work. With this object in view he entered E-ivertou Seminary, and when there he studied iiarder tlian most of his fellow students. But, it must be confessed, that for some time he had a tolerably good opinion of his own acquirements. A turning point, however, came. When the Ashmeads returned from a visit to Cali- fornia, where they had spent several months, for the benefit of Mrs. Ashmead's health, Hartley Gifford's industry in study and earnest Christian spirit attracted Mrs. Ashmead's attention, and caused her to take an interest in him; and when, a little later, Henry Clarke came to the Seminary, recommended to Mr. Ashmead's special care, and formed a close friendship with Hartley, both the young men were cordially wel- comed at Mr. Ashmead's. In this refined and intelligent home circle, a new^ world seemed to open to Hartley Gifford. Subjects in history, literature, and art, wdiich he had labori- ously studied, and on acquaintance with wdiich he had rather prided himself, were chatted about as naturally and as easily as old Job Pyle, the blacksmith at home, used to discuss the likelihood of Squire Martin's new mare having tender fore-feet ; and even the boyish chatter of little Harry Ashmead, who, at that time, was hardly ten years old, showed that he was taught THE ASHMEADS. 11 to tliiuk and to notice, as a bright child quickly learns when lie is in the company of intelligent and thoughtful people. And now that Mary had grown to be a lovely woman of twenty, and Hartley Gifford was looking forward in three months to his graduation, when his vague plans for the future must begin to take definite and practical shape, Mr. Ashmead had been startled by a look or a tone from Hartley, or a deepened color in Mary's cheek, and perhaps by a jesting remark from some officious neighbor. He did not state the exact match tliat had set flame to his suspi- cions ; but, at all events, it led to this announcement to his wife, that Plartley Gifford must not be invited to the reception that she was to give shortly. Mrs. Ashmead felt as strongly as her husband, that the man who might seek Mary's hand ought to have some better prospects and something more to depend on than a mere diploma of graduation; but all the wit of ten thousand women could make it nothino^ but sheer rudeness to drop young Gifford now from the list of guests invited to this large reception. And, moreover, the wit of this one woman was quite suffi- cient to assure her that this would be the readiest way to excite wondering protest in the mind of her daughter. As to Mr. Ashmead's further suggestion, that their doors should be permanently closed against X2 THE ASH MEADS. ]Mi-. Giiford, and that IMary slioiikl be kept away from all places where she would be likely to meet him; that idea was certainly worthy of the masculine estimate which is inclined to suppose that his wife can do nothing that he can do, and, per contra, that she ouo-ht to be able to do every thing that he cannot do. There was one way by which to cut the Gordian knot, but INIrs. Ashmead did not wish to suggest it, as she knew that sooner or later Mr. Ashmead would himself speak of it, if it were possible. When the time came to send out invitations to the recei)tion, her husband remarked, pleasantly: "It will be well to ask that young man, Anna. Of course we want to be civil to him; and I have a plan that will settle the matter we talked of the other day. What do you think of another trip across the water?" " I know^ the children would enjoy it ; and if you can go, I think it will be very pleasant," replied his wife. " Very well ; I will arrange it. But don't say anvthim^ about it for a week or two, till I get mat- ters definitely settled." The result of this decision was, that on a lovely, mild evening in April, Mr. Giiford found himself in ]\[rs. Ashmead's brilliantly lighted rooms, receiving the usual kindly welcome from host and hostess. THE ASHMEADS. 13 His opportunities of speaking witli Mary were, however, very slight. She Avas too much occupied with their numerous guests to give more than a few words at a time to any one of them. She did, how- ever, ensure him an interesting companion ; for after exchanging a few words with him, she said, pleas- antly : '' I see Mrs. Leroy standing alone. I must go and speak to her ; but first let me introduce you to the Kev. Mr. Carleton. He is a delightful old gentle- man. In talking with him, one finds out fifty ways of doing good that one had never thought of before. Jt seems to me that his mind takes up the different objects of church-work, each in its turn, as naturally as we girls think of our bonnets as the seasons change." While speaking thus she crossed the room to a table, where a tall, white-haired gentleman was turn- ing over some photographs of noted buildings and scenes in Europe. Having given the introduction, she flitted away to give pleasant words and cheerful smiles to a stiff and rather unamiable looking lady, who AA^ould often be left entirely to herself if Mary Ash mead did not stop to listen courteously and reply brightly to her some- what tedious speeches. Mr. Gilford was half inclined to wish that he was 14 THE ASHMEADS. prosy Mrs. Leroy; but he soon found that his com- panion well merited all the praise that Mary had given him. Mr. Carleton did not forget that he had once been a voung theological student himself, and he possessed the cheerful, kindly nature that makes its owner sym- pathetic with both young and old. Hartley Giffbrd soon found himself talking quite naturally and openly about his plans, and his ambi- tion to do well in the noble work upon which he ex- pected soon to enter. From talk of himself, his hopes and aspirations, they quickly drifted to the wider sub- ject of the work to be done for the Master all over the world, and Mr, Carleton spoke of the struggles of Baptists in the old countries of Europe, where the truth is imprisoned like Enceladus under an Etna of prejudices and habits confirmed by the growth of centuries. " It is hard for us in this young and free country to imagine what it is that they have to fight against over there,'' said he. "But you," he added, turning to Mr. Ashmead, who had joined them, "can under- stand this better ; for you have been to Germany and to Sweden, and you have seen for yourself what we only read about." '' Oh, yes," said Mr. Ashmead, a little embarrassed, " I have heard about the Swedish and German Mis- THE ASHMEADS. 15 sions. But we did not go to Sweden when we were in Europe, and — let me see — was the German Mission begun at that time? I don't remember hearing anything about it. I know that I have given to- wards its support, but I think that was since we came home/' " Ah," said Mr. Carleton, pleasantly, " if you go over there again, you must look up our brethren in Hamburg. I have just been reading a touching ac- count of the difficulties the students there have to contend with and the hardships they endure.'^ " Ah, indeed ! '^ replied Mr. Ashmead. He seemed rather embarrassed, and Mr. Gilford wondered a little what could cause his host's usually genial manners to be so constrained. Mr. Carleton, however, went on quietly speaking about the state of the churches in Sweden, and his great desire to see the strange and wonderful land of the midnight sun. When Mrs. Ashmead left them to attend to other guests, Mr. Carleton remarked to his young companion : ^'People often do not improve all their opportuni- ties of giving a helpful word and kindly sympathy where such are much needed. As I cannot myself go over the ocean, I try never to lose an occasion to enlist the personal interest of those who are likely to be near our struirsrlino^ brethren." 16 THE ASHMEADS. This remark awakened in Mr. Gifford's mind a stron^r desire to know more about these missions in Northern Enrope ; but it suggested no idea of any personal connection with his own life. It was not until this delightful evening was completely gone into the past that he discovered what a break in his own almost unconscious happiness was to follow. He was studying hard for the final examinations, and thus several days had passed without his seeing the Ashmead fomily, when one evening his friend Clarke came into his room, saying : " Have you made your party call on the Ashmeads yet, Gifford?'' " No," he replied ; " I have not. I have been as busy as I could be ever since their reception ; but I am going to-morrow." ^^ Well, you had better be quick about it. They are going away," replied Clarke. " They are to sail for Europe pretty soon." Hartley Gilford took the news quietly enough, and Clarke soon sauntered off to find a more talkative companion. But it was not his studies that kept Gif- ford silent. He never before had such hard work to understand what he was reading. He was amazed at himself to find how those few words of Clarke's had taken his heart out of his work. At last, angry with himself, he planted his elbows on his desk and covered THE ASHMEADS. 17 his ears with his hauds, so as to nail his attention to the work before him. Bat thoughts could hardly be governed thus. It was very late that night before he closed liis book. Eager, anxious plans of what he would say on his visit the next day would press in, filling his brain and dispersing all thoughts of study. Perhaps it is needless to add that he was not planning how he should say Good-bye to Mary. As it proved, however, there was no opportunity to say good-bye, or anything else. It was Mrs. Ash- mead alone who came forward to greet him when he called at the house on the following afternoon. " I suppose you have heard the news ? " she said. ^' We are to sail next week; and, as Mr. Ash mead gives us but a short time in which to get ready, I had to send Mary on to her Aunt Cornelia, in New York, to do some necessary shopping before we leave. I hope that we shall not have a rough passage ; for I am but a poor sailor." " Is she — is Miss Ashmead coming back this week?" asked Mr. Gilford. '' Oh, no ! there is no time for that. We shall pick her up there, as we intend to sail from New York," replied Mrs. Ashmead ; and then she went on chatting in her usual quiet tones. In her heart she was intensely sorry for the young man, and she did her best to help him to recover him- 18 THE ASHMEADS. self. He (lid his best too; but he never afterwards could remember in the least what they talked about, and his voice sounded to him very strange and hoarse. " We shall see you again before we go," said Mrs. Ashmead, as he rose to take leave, and Mr. Gifford answered : " Oh, yes ! certainly. This is not good-bye." But here again was a good-bye that was never uttered ; for on the day that the Ashmeads steamed out of New York harbor, Hartley Gifford was standing by his father's death-bed. CHAPTER II. THE ASHMEADS OFF FOR EUROPE. TT was a bright and cool morning in May, as the Ashmeads, after saying "Good-bye" to relatives and friends, stood on the deck of one of the largest of the ocean steamers, Avaving hats and handkerchiefs in company, though not in strict time, with several score of their fellow-passengers. This has become more of a conventionality than anything else — a kind of survival from the old coach- ing days, when every little journey of ten or twenty miles was made the occasion of a great airing of pocket-linen. It is becoming more and more out of date as time goes on, more's the pity ! There is some- thing about the custom which seems to render us — for the time, at least — not so much of living automata. In point of fact, Mr. Ashmead, having traveled much, and crossed the ocean many times, thought scarcely any more of the voyage than a Philadelphian does of the ferry-boat passage to Camden; and he swung both hat and handkerchief spasmodically and perfunctorily. Mrs. Ashmead felt much the parting from her only sister, and she waved adieus with as 19 20 THE ASHMEADS. much energy as slie could muster, considering her dread of the sea-sickness, which she had an idea might attack her at any moment, as if the infection germs of the malady, were somehow mysteriously contained in the sides of the ship. Harry was in his element, and perfectly overjoyed. He perched himself wherever he thought he would be most conspicuous, tied his handkerchief to the end of his umbrella, and shouted "Good-bye!" in exactly the same tone and with fiir more readiness than he would have said, "How do you do?" Mary Ash- mead stood near her mother, and kept her gaze stead- fastly fixed on the little group standing on the wharf. As she gazed, her eyes almost filled with tears. Even to herself it was a surprise— that parting from her aunt and her young cousins, whom she had hardly known until the previous week, should occasion such deep emotion. By this time the steamer was far out in mid-river. People on shore were no longer distinguishable, and there was much of interest in watching the move- ments of other steamers that were starting at the same time. One of the " ocean greyhounds," as they are called — the steamers that drive across and through the water at the rate of four hundred miles a day-^passed them, to Harry's great disgust, soon after they left the bay. THE ASHMEADS. 21 He consoled himself with the thought, " They will not get a chance to do it again this voyage.'^ The days sped swiftly away. The weather was charming, with the exception of one day near the " forties,'' when the sea was somewhat heavy, and the ship seemed to labor, without making much progress — " like going through a hay-mow,'' as Harry whim- sically expressed it. His father, who had been silently watching the toss- ing waves, called this simile a descent from the sublime to the ridiculous ; but to Harry, who had spent two summers on a farm, the figure seemed most fitting and appropriate. "Though, of course," as he confided to Mary, " anybody who never had to tramp hay as fast as it was unloaded, away back in the darkest and closest part of the barn, on a stifling hot summer day, couldn't be expected to see the sense of it." The petite beauties of the Isle of Wight, the inviting outline of the south coast of England, and the charac- teristic Channel scenery, with its multitude of vessels passing and repassing, w^ere lost to Mrs. Ashmead, who did not venture on deck until the vessel was safely within the sheltering arms of the Isles of Zee- land, floating with many a sharp turn and correspond- ing change of speed up the broad bosom of the historic Scheldt. 22 THE ASHMEADS. On the last day, however, as she was enjoying the novel scenery with its long stretches of unbroken flatness, and its comb-like rows of trees sharply de- fined against the distant horizon, Mr. Ashmead came forward, accompanied by a gentleman, whose genial manner and dignified bearing gave the impression of one well acquainted with the world, charitably dis- posed towards his fellow men, and well assured of his own mission among them. ^' This is Mr. Morley, of whom I spoke to you," said Mr. Ashmead, stooping to pick up a book which had slid from the chair at his wife's side. " He is going to stay a day or two in Antwerp, before leaving for Hamburg ; and he tells me it would be well worth while for us to spend a week or two in this city, if we could so arrange it." ^' Yes/' said Mr. Morley, after having made the usual inquiries as to the lady's health, and having ex- pressed his regret that they had not been favored with her presence at table and on deck during the voy- age : " I know of no more delightful place than Antwerp, in wliich to recover from the effects of the voyage. With its quaint old buildings and historic associations, it is as restful, and at the same time as interesting, as the old city of Chester, to wdiich so many travelers hasten immediately on arriving at Liverpool. Here you have a Chester right at hand." THE ASHMEADS. 23 ^' I am surprised to hear that/' said Mrs. Ash mead. " I had the impression that Antwerp was a generally uninteresting, sleepy sort of a place, with no attrac- tions for strangers, except Ruben's wonderful picture and the Cathedral which contains it." " That certainly is the greatest of the art treasures preserved here/' replied Mr. Morley, " but there are countless other objects of interest, which are well worth the attention of the intelligent and cultivated tourist." " You spoke of a museum and a collection of an- tiquities, did you not ? " suggested Mr. Ashmead, ad- dressing his friend, and at the same time motioning to him to take a chair and sitting down himself. '^ Yes, the Plantin Museum and the interesting col- lection at the Steen, the old Castle of Antwerp, are among the finest tilings of their kind. The old Castle itself, as it now stands isolated on the broad quays that have recently been constructed, forms a striking and picturesque object. A few years ago it was sur- rounded and very much hidden by houses, but these have now been torn down in building the new quays, and the Castle stands out prominent and isolated, a striking object to meet the eye of the traveler as he approaches the docks." " Yes, there are, no doubt, museums and galleries, and other places of that sort," said Mrs. Ashmead ; 24 THE ASHMEADS. ^' but what I meant by uninteresting and sleepy was, that 1 have been told by friends who have passed through Antwerp that the houses looked as if no one lived in them; and, in short, that there seemed to be no life in the place. One of my friends, who is nuich interested in philanthropical work, remarked the absence of public institutions and libraries." ^' Ah, I see,'' said Mr. Morley, smiling. ^' Your friend thought that a city might.be a little too restful, and he would have liked to discern signs of present, as well as of by-gone, human interests. Well, I do not know what opportunities the person of whom you speak had to make himself acquainted with the real, actual life of the city. But, I can say this, that to imagine Antwerp destitute of modern interest, is an error into which a stranger may easily fall ; and I would like to give you some idea of the real state of things in this quiet looking city." He then proceeded to give some account of the creches, or infants' homes, the Mariner's Bethel, the liospitals, the public gardens, the library, and other benevolent and popular institutions, interspersing his remarks with so much pleasant personal reminiscence and lively description, that his hearers found them- selves exceedingly interested, and hardly noticed the rapidity with which they were leaving the broad stretches of the river behind them, until Harry came THE ASHMEADS. 25 runinng up, with Mary, followiDg him more quietly. His errand had been to get his father's field glasses, that he might through them look at the tall, slender shaft visible in the southeast, which they had told him was the spire of Antwerp Cathedral. This had dis- tracted his attention from the contemplation of the "houses built down cellar,'' as he called the towns and villages on the banlcs of the river, surrounded with their high grass-covered dykes. The conversation was thus broken up, and the en- tire group was soon engaged in scanning the distant horizon. " I never could understand why some writers have referred to the toppling spire of Antwerp Cathedral," said Mr. Morley, as he handed the glass to Mary. " It seems to me the most beautifully proportioned tower I have ever seen.'' " I have heard," said Mr. Ash mead, " that the lofty spire of St. Michael's in Hamburg is higher than the Antwerp spire; yet it gives nothing like the same im- pression of its height." " That is quite true. I have seen both ; not to mention having ascended both," said Mr. Morley ; " and the difference is quite as marked under both cir- cumstances. The Hamburg tower, Avith its broad, easy flights of wooden steps, does not seem half as difficult to the climber to ascend, as the Ant- 26 THE ASHMEADS. werp tower, with its narrow, steep, spiral stone stair- case, " And then,'' chimed in Mary, " what is the use of beincr tall if one does not show it? I do not think it looks in the least toppling, either. It looks beautiful, and just right. Do you know how high it is?" ^' It is higher than St. Paul's in London," replied Mr. Morley. " It is more than four hundred feet in height. St. Michael's, I think, is four hundred and thirty-two; which is nearly a hundred feet higher than St. Paul's." ^' I wish we could see more of the city itself; it seems to be all spire from here," said Harry, who, to tell the truth, was a great deal more interested in Avatching the boats that they passed, than in discuss- ing the respective heights of towers. '^Oh, that must be Liefkenshoeck," exclaimed Mary, as they approached the last curve but one, be- fore reaching the docks, and noticed a band of soldiers emerging from a fort; *'just listen to that music; does it not sound romantic? It must have been just here that that young officer of the Prince of Parma was thrown unhurt across the river by the explosion of the fire-ship." "You have read Motley, and remember him too," remarked Mr. Morley ; and Mrs. Ashmead, who was making use of her return to the upper deck to observe THE ASHMEADS. 27 quietly this gentleman whose name she had frequently heard from her husband and children when they tried to enliven her seclusion in her state-room, noticed the look of interest and respect with which he turned toward the bright, girlish figure beside him. "Yes, and I have thought how appropriate it was to load those fire-ships up with great stone and marble slabs, so that the same explosion which blew the Spaniards up would also provide them with tomb- stones." Mr. Morley could not help laughing at this conceit; and, replying in the same spirit, soon found himself in a lively conversation with his young companion, and was much interested in explaining to her the great changes which had of late years been made iii the aspect of the river front, and the wonderful growth of the city as a mercantile power. A small tug had come alongside, and the huge steamer soon passed between the T^te de Flanders and the mighty Cathedral, and was slowly warped in toward the dock. Meanwhile, Mr. and Mrs. Ashmead had been con- sulting together as to how much time they could spend in Antwerp before going on to Hamburg. From what Mr. Morley had said, they felt sure that a lengthened stay would be both pleasant and profit- able; but there were other considerations which seemed 28 THE ASHMEADS. to reuder this impossible at present. The end of May was already approaching, and Mr. Ashmead had been sufficiently influenced by his talk with Mr. Carleton on the night of the reception to make him desirous to spend some time in visiting the more northern cities of Hamburg, Copenhagen, and Stockholm. "Besides,'^ said Mrs. Ashmead, glancing in the direction where Mary was standing, ^Uhis Mr. Morley seems very pleasant and well informed ; and he is going on to Hamburg, you say, on " " Monday," replied Mr. Ashmead, completing the sentence. "This is Friday, and that will give us Saturday for sight-seeing, and Sunday to rest. But I see they are going on shore now ; '' and so saying, he went to look after the luggage. There was now a great deal of hand-shaking and hurried attempts at a few last words by those who had no friends to meet them; while most of those who were expecting friends or relatives to welcome them, had little time to spare in taking leave of mere compagnons de voyage. The Ashmeads were soon safely stowed in a voiture de place, or cab, and were rattling oiF to their hotel, after having received a promise from Mr. Morley to call for them on the following morning. They passed by the Porte Regia, standing at the entrance to the Place St. Jean, and drove rapidly THE ASHMEADS. 29 down the Rue Hiiute, when Harry's attention was attracted by a stone tablet affixed to a tall, ancient looking, six storied building ; and he called to the coachman to halt. They stopped for a few minutes, and read tlie inscription, in gilt letters: '' Geboorte- huis Van Jacob Jordeans, KunstSehilder, 1593-1678," wdiich Mary's knowledge of German enabled her to decipher as ^'Birth-house of Jacob Jordaens, Artist." They looked with interest at the house in wdiich the celebrated painter was born. But underneath they saw an inscription of a very different sort, informing the public that this is an estaminet, and that vins et liquers can be obtained here, and lodgings also ; so that, if the visitor desire it, he may doubtless sleep in the very room where the great master first saw the light. *' Drive on," said Mr. Ashmead, after gazing for a few moments at the house. But again he consented to be detained as, at the end of the street, Harry's keen eye descried a similar inscription affixed to a smaller building : " Geboorte-huis Antoine Van Dyck, 1599-1641." This also was occupied by a vender of Steerke Dranken, the strong drink which is one of the greatest curses of the fair ]and of the Belgians. CHAPTER III. FIRST VIEAVS OF ANTWERP. rriHE uext morning found the four travelers up bright and early, and assembled in the cosy breakfast-room. " How did you sleep, Mary ? '^ inquired Mrs. Ash- mead, helping herself, as she spoke, to one of the dainty little pats of delicate, saltless butter, and spreading half of it critically on a crisp half roll. " Not as well as I expected,'' replied Mary. '^ I had been thinking how nice it would be to sleep once more on terra firma; but really it seemed as if every- thing in my room rocked and heaved quite as much as the things did on board the steamer." In this view Mrs. Ash mead and Harry both con- curred. "And I,'' said Harry, "was almost smothered — not under the weight, but by the size, of a big, puffy bag of feathers on top of my bed. It fairly haunted me." "Why didn't you take it off, if it bothered you so much ? " asked his father, good-humoredly. " Oh, I didn't think of that ! " cried Harry. "Why, so I nn'ght ! " 30 THE ASHMEADS. 31 At this they all laughed; and Mr. Ash mead went on with his breakfast, listening to their conversation with the amused smile of an old and experienced traveler. When Mr. Morley called, a conference w^as held as to the day's proceedings, and it was decided that Mrs. Ashmead and the young people should go out with him to do some sight-seeing. Mr. Ashmead could not go out in the morning, as he had some necessary and important correspondence to attend to. "Should you like to look at the Cathedral first?" asked Mr. Morley, as they stepped out from under the wide-arched porte cochere into the narrow, winding sweep of the Vieux Marehe au BU. On receiving a general assent from the little party, he added : " Well, then, let us turn to the left. It will be but a step further, and we shall thus reach the short street leading right up to the west front, which is much better than approaching it first on the side from the Place Verte." The view which they soon obtained by following this course amply justified Mr. Morley's statement. Passing down the short, slight incline of the little street that leads from the Vieux Marche au BU, they stood at the apex of the triangular space of which the massive west front of the Cathedral forms the base ; and seen from this point, the proportions of the ma- 32 THE ASHMEADS. jestic building produced an effect not to be compared with that obtained from any other point of view. The contrast between the small, picturesque old houses^ which formed the two sides of the triangle, and the Cathedral itself, was marked in tlie extreme ; and the eye, traveling thence up the delicate tracery and wonderfully wrought lines of the single com- pleted steeple, gained an impression of amazing alti- tude and grandeur, simply overpowering in its sublimity. The spectators stood for some time in almost awe- struck silence. Even Mr. Morley, familiar as he was with the scene, felt strongly the indefinable fascina- tion whicli held them all. Harry w^as the first to break the spell, which he did in true boyish fashion. " I tell you, it makes a fellow's neck ache to stand with his head thrown back in that way. I wish I Avas where I could see it all without having to look up so." " But perhaps in that case you would not like it half as well," suggested his mother. " That is true," said Mr. Morley. " The steeple is in that way a true type of our ideals. If we get to a point where our ideal is no longer something to be looked up to, we are very apt to find that its value is correspondingly diminished, and that we still are in THE ASHMEADS. 33 need of something higher — something hard to look up to/' " Yes, and is it not strange," added Mary, " that by our very efforts to render the enjoyment of any- thing more easy, we should so often lose half of the enjoyment itself?" Mr. Morley could not avoid giving a glance of hardly concealed surprise at the speaker. It was astonishing to him how readily this young girl en- tered into any train of thought started, and how aptly she expressed her opinions. Harry, however, who had merely been calculating how high a platform, built over the adjoining houses, would be necessary to give liim the point of vantage from which he could get the fullest view with least risk of a crick in his neck, did not perceive the relevancy of all these consequent remarks, and again took up his share in the conversation by calling atten- tion to the number of mean-looking little shops, which were built up against the walls of the corner of the south tower. Mr. Morley explained that these buildings, having been at one time permitted, still retained a sort of tra- ditional right to existence in such close proximity to the sacred edifice. In truth they seemed out of place, clinging around the base of the heavenward pointing spire, like the 34 THE ASHMEADS. traces of earthly passious still clinging to some noble soul as it soars upward, striving to escape from their unholy influence. But the time was slipping away ; they now entered tiie Cathedral and viewed the interior, imposing and unique from its vast proportions and extreme sim- plicity. Thev lingered long in silent admiration before Euben's magnificent painting, " The Descent from the Cross,'' and then, at Mr. Morley's suggestion, they proceeded to the Hotel de Yille. Mr. Morley was acquainted with one of the chiefs of the departments; and, leading the way up several flights of stairs, he knocked at the door of a room situated immediately under the roof. On sending in his name, Mr. Morley and his party were admitted into the sanctum where is kept the ponderous and richly mounted Golden Book, in which daily, from the year 1866, are entered the names of distinguished visitors to the City of Antwerp. Here they saw the signatures of King Leopold, of Henry M. Stanley, and of many other noted personages. The courteous occupant of this quaint retreat called their attention also to the vast number of rare and valuable works relating to the history of the city; and finally, going to the deeply recessed window, he pointed out the Cathedral's giant form rising just across the market- THE ASHMEADS. 35 place against the southern sky. After all, Harry had what answered very well the purpose of the platform in mid-air, on which he had been cogitat- ing; but even he was obliged to admit that the view, though singularly enchanting, and one with which not all visitors are favored, was not nearly as fine as the one from the little open place far out of sight below. On returning to the hotel, they found that Mr. Ash mead had been called out unexpectedly, and had left word that he would not be home till evening. " Oh, isn't that too bad ? " exclaimed Harry, who had been looking forward with pleasure to another excursion under his father's guidance in the afternoon. " We cannot go anywhere by ourselves, because we cannot talk French or German." ^' Parle pour toi-meme! speak for yourself, Harry !" cried Mary, gayly. " Just because you wouldn't study Levizac and Collot, is no reason for including: everv- body in that helpless category. Besides, mother knows enough German to help us out if my French fails." Mrs. Ash mead shook her head somewhat dubiously at this statement, and turned to ask Mr. Morley if he could not stay to take lunch, and go out with them again in the afternoon. " I fear I must deny myself that pleasure, as I have made a previous engagement for this afternoon/' he 36 THE ASHMEADS. replied, with such sincere regret in his tone that Harry whispered to his sister : ^'I don't believe it is an importtmt engagement. He will stay if we all ask him. He is first rate ; he knows such a lot, and he can understand these people. I think that is a great deal harder than talking. Does mother really understand German ? I did not know it. Now there, he is saying no again. You tell him, Mary, that we can't get on without him." Marv, Avho was scandalized at the rudeness of whis- pering in company, and found herself flushing most unaccountably and uncomfortably at the idea of urging Mr. Morley to stay, caught at part of this speech that she could most easily answer, and replied aloud, with good-humored sarcasm : " No, I didn't suppose that you knew all that mother knows, and I'm afraid you'll never know anything if you don't take more pains. Why, mother used to read German every day, at home. Is it possi- ble that you have never noticed the book of German poetry that she reads almost every day there?" " Well," exclaimed Harry, '' mother must know all about German if she can read that. Poetry is hard enough to understand in plain English." In the laugh that followed this very prosaic re- mark, Mr. Morley took his departure: and as they went up-stairs to prepare for lunch Harry received a THE ASHMEADS. 87 private lecture from Maiy, on the impropriety of taking advantage of the Ivindness of a stranger and urg- ing him to break an engagement, in order to accompany them in visiting places tiiat were not new to him. "Stuff and nonsense/' replied Harry, who with great pride in his sister's general wisdom could also display that lack of reverence for her opinion in a particular case which is sometimes to be remarked in the fraternal mind. "If the places are not new to him, at least he likes to hear what we say about them ; and I am sure that what you say is very often new to him. Besides he isn't a stranger now, and I believe he wanted to stay. He only made up that engage- ment because he thought it wouldn't be polite to let you know that he wanted to stay, and you thought it wouldn't be polite to let him know that we wanted him. People are a great deal too polite," he concluded as they reached his mother's room; and he flung himself into a chair with a comical grimace of disgust. " Then I am afraid that I cannot include you among ' people,' Harry," said his mother, with a sig- nificant smile as she glanced at his tumbled hair fall- ing over his forehead as he had pushed his hat towards the back of his head, forgetting in his indignation to take it off. "Are you going to watch us take off our bonnets, and then keep us waiting while you brush your hair and wash your hands?" 38 THE ASHMEADS. Mrs. Ashmead knew that Mary could easily have seconded her invitation in a frank and pleasant way, and perhaps she also shared Harry's opinion as to the effect that it would have had upon Mr. Morley's decision ; but she lield the old-fashioned ideas that young girls had better err in the direction of shyness than of forwardness, and she was content to despatch Harry to his room, and thus to end the discussion. After lunch the three went out tos^ether, trustino^ in the possession of good eyes, a guide book, a map, Mary's knowledge of French, and Mrs. Ashmead's acquaintance with German. This time they bent their steps away from the older portion of the town out toward the handsome new boulevards in the northern and eastern part. Harry, who, if not very quick about books, had a sharp eye for almost every thing else, was amused with the way in which the laborers carried bricks where building was going on. Instead of a hod, each man had a narrow piece of board on which he piled bricks, to the number of thirty or forty, in the form of a pyramid. Then he shouldered it, balancing the front end with his hand, and mounted solemnly aloft. He was also much interested in watching the num- ber of dogs that were employed to draw little carts along the streets. Some of these seemed quite (!om- THE ASHMEADS. 39 fortable in harness, and trotted along contentedly, only looking back ever and anon to make sure that their master or mistress was following, and doing his or her full share in the necessary matter of propulsion. After visiting the little park, which is so skillfully laid out that one can hardly realize how limited is its extent, they took the tramway, and enjoyed a breezy ride, behind a stolid Flemish horse, out to the northern gate of the city. They passed through the massive portals and over the numerous draw-bridges, out into the smiling country beyond. A complete and sudden change, such as is only to be found in the precincts of a walled and fortified city. They gazed on the huge earth- works and wide moat with interest; and their interest w^as increased when Mrs. Ashmead reminded them that they were looking on a series of fortifications that are considered to be unsurpassed by anything that modern military science has been able to produce. She went on to tell them that the moats, now only partly filled, and bearing on their placid and somewhat stagnant surface great quantities of water-lilies, could, at a moment's notice, be so flooded from the neighboring river as to render the city as inaccessible to an enemy advancing by land, as if situated on an island in the midst of the sea. It was growing late, however, and the declining 40 THE ASHMEADS. sun warned tliem that it was time to retrace their steps. Soon after they reached the hotel, Mr. Ashmead also arrived ; and at the table he listened with interest to the account of what they had seen and done during the day. There was much to be told and to be com- mented on, and Harry was eager to excite his father's wonder over the electric clocks at the street corners. Mr. Morley had told him that there were between three and four hundred in different parts of the city, and that they worked very well, with the exception of slight irregularities when there was electrical dis- turbance of the atmosphere. Mary spoke with much interest of the work of a lady whom they had seen under the trees in the Place Verte distributing tracts to working-men, servant girls, shop boys, little street boys, and, in short, to any one who came forward to receive them. " She had several different kinds of tracts, printed in two or three languages ; and when any one held out his hand, she would ask which language he wished for; and she tried to give to each a tract in the lan- guage which he could understand. But the people crowded round her so eagerly, and so many hands were stretched out at once from all sides, that it must have been very difficult." "Yes," said Harry, '^I noticed that some even THE ASHMEADS. 41 reached over her shoulder, and took them out of the bundle she held in her arms." ^' I noticed, too,'^ said Mrs. Ashmead, " that though they crowded around and jostled each other in a way that seemed almost rude, it was really only the result of their eagerness to obtain a paper or a tract ; and often I saw, when one had by mistake received two copies of the same, he would hand one of them back, or give it to anotlier who had not as yet obtained one. We went up and spoke to her afterwards, and found that she was an English lady, one of the six or seven hundred English inhabitants of Antwerp. She had chosen this very effective way of doing good and spreading abroad the useful Christian literature pre- pared by the great Tract Societies." Mrs. Ashmead had been painfully impressed by the great number of small drinking-shops in the streets, and they had seen one of the deplorable results of their trade in a drunken brawl, which took place in front of a groggery in one of the suburbs. Harry remembered this vividly ; for the street-car had stopped most accommodatingly for some minutes, while both conductor and driver ran to help to sep- arate the wretched fighters. On their homeward way they had seen the prepa- rations for the celebration of high mass the next day in the open air. At the narrow end of the Place 42 THE ASHMEADS. de Meir, workmen were busy erecting an altar, the top of which was to be as high as the surrounding houses. A broad flight of steps led up to the plat- form, above which rose a figure, designed to represent the Virgin Mary, facing the wide, open space where on the morrow, thousands of deluded people were to congregate to look on at a glittering theatrical spec- tacle, under the impression that they were thus engag- ing in an act of true worship. " Nothing," said Mary, '"' that we have yet seen, made me realize so distinctly that we are in a foreign country. Indeed, it seems to take one back into the Middle Ages." i CHAPTER lY. A CONTINENTAL SUNDAY. Il/TR. ASHMEAD'S ignorance concerning the work of tlie Baptists in Germany and in Sweden had been due in great measure to the carelessness into which truly Ciiristian people often slip in the fatigue and absorbing interest of travel, whether for business or for pleasure. It was certainly not to be ascribed to any deliberate intention to ignore his brethren : for he believed in worshiping with those of his own de- nomination wherever he could find them. In fact, he never thought of doing anything else. The snob- bish idea of attending any other church than his own, just because the other happened to be larger, hand- somer, more fashionably situated, or attended by more fashionable people, never occurred to him. If it had occurred to him, he would have had too much sterling good sense and real piety to be influenced by it. Fashion is one of the most empty of all empty de- lusions ; yet many seem to forget that it is people who make fashion — not fashion that makes people. If any one had suggested to Mr. Ashmeiid not to attend his own church in such-and-such a place '' because it is small, and in straitened circumstances, and they are 43 44 THE ASHMEADS. not very nice people anyhow," he would have replied, with characteristic straightforwardness : " It is not too small so long as I can find standing- room in it. By contributing our mite, the straitened circumstances will be so far relieved. And as for the people" — and now would be seen a flash in the speaker's eye that generally made meaner spirits feel rather abashed and uncomfortable — "as for the people, they are the Lord's people ! " So it happened that one of the first questions which Mr. Morley was called upon to answer, when he ap- peared on the following day at the Hotel du Grand Miroir, was : "Where is the Baptist Church ?" "The Baptist Church!" repeated Mr. Morley, in a surprised tone, adding quickly, " There is none ; and, moreover, I think it is exceedingly doubtful if at this moment there is another Baptist besides ourselves in all this o^reat Belo^ian citv." " I suppose 1 might have known that if I had only thought for a moment,'^ replied Mr. Ash mead. "Bel- gium is, I believe, one of the most exclusively Roman Catholic countries on the continent. I have seen, somewhere, a statement that out of a population of four or five millions, there are but sixty-six thousand Protestants in the whole country." " It does seem strange, though, that Baptists should THE ASHMEADS. 45 be working witli energy, and pushing off into heathen countries, yet leaving this field in the very centre of one of the most enlightened and prosperous, though perhaps one of the smallest, of the European nations, comparatively untouched,'^ said Mrs. Ashmead. " Why do they not send down colporteurs from Germany, I wonder? They are so much nearer to Belgium than even England is." ''Ah, madam," replied Mr. Morley, ^' they have as yet quite enougli to do in Germany, in order to supply the men needed for their own country. You will see that before we have been long in Hamburg. That town is the great centre from which Baptist teachers and preachers must come in the future to extend the knowledge of the truth throughout their own land, and over the adjoining countries. Our people at home ought to do what they can to strengthen the Baptist institutions established in the city on the Elbe ; and J am glad to see that some of them are beginning to understand the importance of so doing." '^But cannot they go on of themselves by this time?" inquired Mr. Ashmead, who had been study- ing up the subject carefully since his interest had been aroused. '' They have already had much help, and have now been long established. I understand that mission was begun fifty years ago; and it seems to me that it should be self-supporting now." 46 THE ASHMEADS. ^' It rather appears to me," said Mr. Morley, " that the very growth of the work is of itself one reason why the Baptists in Europe should not be left to go on by themselves. It is true, this work has grown largely, and has spread far and wide. I never knew until lately how rapid the progress has been, nor just how widely it has extended. I am deeply thank- ful for what has been done, and for the possibilities that I see in the near future. It would be a great pity if, in dealing with this question, our brethren should repeat the mistake of King Joash.'^ " What do you refer to ? '^ asked Mr. Ash mead. ^' You remember the account of his visit to the dying prophet Elisha, when he was told to take a bundle of arrows and smite on the ground. He smote thrice and stayed. Elisha was wroth, and asked why he did not smite five or six times; for had he done so, he should have smitten Syria until he had consumed it. As he had stopped so soon, he should only smite Syria thrice. ^' The moral of this narrative is, I think, plain. In work for the Lord, we must use vigorously the means that he has put into our hands ; and we must not pause too soon if we would not lose the fullest fruits of our labor.'' '• Well," said Mr. Ashmead, " I had not thought of it in that wav before. I shall feel much interest in THE ASH MEADS. 47 seeing how things are going on with our Baptist brethren in Hamburg.'^ At this moment the conversation was interrupted by the entrance of Mary, who came to remind her mother and the gentlemen that it was time to go out. They decided to go to the English church, which is situated in the Rue des Tanneurs. As they walked along Harry noticed certain streets that were strewn with white sand, rose leaves, and small snippings of colored paper; and he asked what that meant. Mr. Morley explained to them that this marked out the route that w^as to be taken by a Roman Catholic pro- cession, in which the host was to be carried. Our American tourists were little accustomed to the sights and sounds in a Continental city on Sunday. The streets were full of pleasure seekers, the stores seemed to be all open, and the street cars were crowded with people hastening to the different pleasure resorts, where, as usual on the Continent, the most attractive programmes had been arranged for Sunday. They found it a great relief to turn from the noisy streets aud enter the doors of the quiet English church, where a small congregation of worshipers was assembled, listening to the words of truth and h)ve from the Holy Scriptures, joining in the responses prescribed by the prayer-book, and ever and anon mingling their voices in melodious strains of praise, 48 THE ASHMEADS. supported by the solemn tones of the pealing organ. An hour or more passed thus in prayer and praise, the benediction had been pronounced, and the congregation was issuing from the door. What are tliose notes that strike so harshly and dis- cordantly on the ear? The loud blast of trumpets is heard. The street is filled with people. It is almost impossible to pass. In a loud tone Mr. Ash mead manages to overcome the surrounding uproar suffi- ciently to tell his little party that it is better to wait quietly until the procession has passed. For it was the processional march. The open air mass had been celebrated while the little congregation were quietly worshiping, and now down the street came the gorgeous spectacle. First came eight or ten trumpeters, followed bv several men in white upper garments, bearing aloft large banners, each of them requiring the services of three men, one to hold upright the heavy pole, which rested in a little leather pocket attached to the front of his surplice ; and one on each side to steady the pendant wings. Then came a great number of men, with no peculiarly distinctive dress, carrying candles, some of them blazing, while others had gone out, the holder meanwhile trudging along in blissful uncon- sciousness that his light was not "trimmed and burn- ing.'' If, however, his attention was called to the THE ASHMEADS. 49 fact, it was easily remedied. He walked over to his nearest neighbor and got lighted up again. Some- times two or three would gather around, trying to light their candles from one which was itself almost extinguished — fit emblem of those who still strive to draw their spiritual sustenance from Rome. A brass band followed, which, however, was just at that moment resting from its noisy labors; then came more priests, and more candle-bearers, and more crucifixes, until at last came the richly ornamented Baldachin, under which the host was carried. This was preceded by three youths, walking backwards and incessantly swinging censers with burning incense. As this part of the procession approached, most of the spectators, a large proportion of whom were women, knelt down, the men reverently uncovering their heads. Tliis was the supreme moment. As the awe-inspir- ing symbol was borne along, the populace knelt down before it, and rose up behind it in one great, sweeping wave. Sixty men, marching in the form of a hollow square, brought up the rear, bearing aloft an equal num- ber of magnificent gold and silver lanterns. The trum- peters were now nearly out of hearing, having turned a corner of the street far in advance; the citizens took in the bouquets which had adorned the front of their houses, and blew out the candles insBsthetically fixed D 50 THE ASHMEADS. in the very centre of the blooming flowers; little children ran to gather up what they could of the flower-leaves and pretty scraps of paper, with their newly acquired accession of religious associations; women stepped briskly past, with baskets full of long, stick-like loaves, each one looking like an actual staff of life; the shop-keeper resumed his selling, and the customer his bargaining, and the busy rush of life went on as before. Mr. Ashmead and his party breathed a sigh of min- gled relief and pity, as they turned their steps home- ward. Very little conversation ensued. Even the irrepressible Harry felt somewhat the saddening effect which the hollow pageant had produced on the minds of the older persons. The afternoon was spent quietly in-doors, in read- ing and in conversation. And in the evening, at the instance of Mr. Morley, they attempted a longer ex- cursion to the Mariner's Bethel. This is situated near where the northern end of the semi-circular sweep of the Boulevards approaches the river front. As the party passed the wide Avenue du Commerce, as the Boulevard is called at this part, they heard the distant shrieking of a fife ; soon the crowds began to grow denser, the noise of brass instruments was then heard, and the deep bass of a drum close at hand. The visitors found that again their desire to engage in THE ASHMEADS. 51 quiet worship had led them iuto the very thick of a Continental Sunday. Tliis time, liowever, it was not anything under the guise of religion, but a genuine, out-and-out, noisy, merrymaking, quarrelsome, brawl- ing, giddy, distracting Flemish fair, or Ker-mess. The Boulevard, which was fully two hundred feet wide, with two road ways and a broad central walk, shaded by fine trees, gave ample room for the erection of the canvass booths that lined each side of the way, and vied with each other in offering their attractions to the thoughtless crowd. Here is a booth dedicated to the ^' Book of Destiny ^' where a fortune-teller plies his, lucrative trade. Here is another where mermaids are exhibited ; a third invites the passer-by to step in and behold the marvelous exhibition of a woman with her body cut off at the waist, and resting on a board suspended in mid-air. Several large merry-go- rounds are in active operation, one with four wooden horses in a row, and twenty of these rows, propelled by a dingy white horse, mysteriously concealed behind a dirty curtain, underneath which only his feet appear as he treads inside his little compartment, the Aveary round, which appears to be such a merry one on the outside to the laughino^ children and servant-maids. For the sum of one cent one can generally enjoy ten revolutions of the circle. Huge quantities of fried potatoes and dough-nuts were consumed in some of 62 THE ASHMEADS. the booths, iu which brightly burnished metal stoves and pans were devoted expressly to the preparation of these popular ^' Delices de la Friture/^ There seemed to be an effort to have something of a religious element in the midst of the hurly-burly. Here was a tent bearing the title of the Inquisition, with far more horrors depicted on the gaudy canvass without, than could be seen inside, if the unsuspect- ing patrons had only known it. In one rather out-of- the-way corner, the attention of our visitors was called to an exhibition of ^'Les Enfers,'' — as they call the abode of Satan — which w^as persistently commended to the notice of the public by the loud-mouthed pro- prietor informing them repeatedly that many conver- sions had resulted from viewing this terrifying and convincing representation. After pushing their way through this Babel of sights and sounds for several squares, the party arrived at a neat two-story stone building, having over the door an open Bible with the inscription, " God's word.'' A lantern that was burning brightly showed plainly the name of the Mariner's Church and Institute. On entering, as they had come early on purpose, the chaplain had time to show them the offi- cers' room, with maps, pictures, and letter-box ; the reading-room, with papers and library; and the liv- ing-rooms, which he and his family occupied. THE ASHMEADS. 53 " I have heard a good deal about the floating libraries," said Mary to Mr. Morley. '^ Do you think we could see any of them here?" ^' Oh, yes I " said the chaplain, overhearing the question ; '^ we can show you that very easily." While he was opening a small closet, Harry whis- pered to his mother : ^' Wliat is a floating library, any how ? '^ " It is a small collection of books sent on board a ship for the use of the sailors during their long voyages." Harry now pressed forward to see what the chap- lain was bringing out of the closet. It was a strong, plain, deep wooden box about eighteen inches square. ^' We have shipped during the year thirty-six such boxes, filled with books. A ^floating library,' stowed away in the forecastle, is a real treasure to the sailors. And we have filled as many tract-bags with maga- zines, illustrated papers, and tracts, and placed them in the forecastles of sea-going ships. No one can esti- mate the good thus done." In the hall, Mary noticed a tablet erected by the Antwerp Society in commemoration of the heroism of Captain Robert Creighton in rescuing the five hun- dred and seventy-two passengers of the wrecked American ship San Francisco, in 1853. " Captain Creighton was the commander of the 54 THE ASHMEADS, ^ Three Bells/ was he notj who lies buried in the cem- etery at Kiel ?'' said Mr. Ashmead. " I well remem- ber what a profound interest was felt all over our country in the fate of the noble ship San Francisco, and the grand and humane exertions of the rescuers.'^ " YeSj and do you not remember the beautiful lines in which the poet Whittier has immortalized the inci- dent?'' And in a rich, subdued voice, Mary re- peated : Beneath the low-lmng night cloud That raked her splintering mast, The good ship settled slowly, The cruel leak gained fast. Over the awful ocean Her signal-guns pealed out. Dear God ! was that thy answer From the horror round about ? A voice came down the wild wind — " Ho ! ship ahoy ! " its cry ; " Our stout Three Bells of Glasgow Shall lay till dayh-ht hy ! " Hour after hour crept slowly ; Yet, on the heaving swells, Tossed up and down the ship-lights — The lights of the Three Bells. And when the dreary watches Of storm and darkness passed, Just as the wreck lurched under, All souls were saved at last. THE ASHMEADS. 55 Sail on, Three Bells, forever, In grateful memory sail ! Ring on. Three Bells, of rescue Above the wave and gale ! Type of the Love eternal, Repeat the Master's cry. As tossing through our darkness. The lights of God draw nigh ! " Beautiful ! beautiful ! '^ said the chaplain, in a low tone. " I never felt so deeply those charming lines. Thank you." At this moment some persons appeared at the doors, and Mary gladly perceived that the congrega- tion was beginning to assemble. She had not in- tended to repeat as many lines of the lovely poem ; but her father's pleased smile and whispered '^Go on" had induced her to continue. They now went up-stairs to the hall. During the sermon, though the weather was really warm, it was necessary to keep the windows closed ; otherwise, the din outside would have prevented the words of the chaplain from being heard. The discourse was a stirring appeal, well adapted to an audience of sail- ors. The chaplain pointed his hearers to the word of God as the chart on which their safe course over life's ocean is clearly mapped out. At the conclusion, when the congregation rose to sing the stirring hymn, ^' Light in the darkness, sailor. 66 THE ASHMEADS. day is at hand," the windows were thrown wide open, and the sweet notes of praise floated out on the even- ing air, as if in holy protest against the profaning in- fluence of the sounds that rose from the neighboring street. " I wished," said Harry, after they returned home, ^' that I had a hundred voices, so that we could have drowned out that horrid racket, and compelled those people outside to listen. Anyhow, I did my best, and sang as loud as ever I could." CHAPTER y. AMONG FRIENDS IN HAMBURG. T7 VIDENTLY Harry was right in his frankly ex- "^ pressed opinion, that Mr. Morley enjoyed their society ; for on the following morning, when they were preparing to leave Antwerp, he was at hand to assist in the care of the ladies and the luggage, and also to render valuable service in keeping sight of Harry. This inquisitive young gentleman was prone to dart off unexpectedly during any delays. He was amus- ing himself thus when Mr. Ash mead had to go to take the tickets and see the trunks weighed. On his return he exclaimed hastily : " Now come along quickly, and I'll get good seats in tlie train. — Where is Harry?'' Mrs. Ashmead and Mary, while peering intently through the crowd, could only reply anxiously : " He was here a moment ago ; he cannot have gone far." ^' I have been keeping my eye on him," said Mr. Morley, looking from his vantage height of full six feet over the heads of the people, and making a signal with his umbrella as he caught the boy's eye. Then, 57 68 THE ASHMEADS. taking Mary's satchel, be quickly piloted them to a comfortable coup6 in the train for Hamburg. The journey from Antwerp to Hamburg was long and dusty, and had it not been for the grateful noon- day stop at the pretty station of Wesel, the interesting glimpse of the city of Miinster, and the fine scenery during the latter part of the route, it would have had hardly a redeeming feature. ^^ I am sorry that we cannot stop here for a day or two," said Mr. Ashmead, as they approached the an- cient city of Miinster. " Yes," replied Mr. Morley, " it does seem almost like a waste of opportunities to pass a city fraught with such associations, just as if we could visit it any day." " But, after all," said Mrs. Ashmead, from her cor- ner of the railway carriage, "this is what every traveler must do at times. And indeed it seems to me that it is precisely the mistaken sort of feeling to which you refer that spoils so many pleasure trips. People think that they ought to see every place of in- terest alono; their route. Thev trv to do so ; and the result generally is that they see nothing to any pur- pose. If their time had been spent in knowing one place well, it would have been turned to much better advantage." " Well, we shall have to take our parting look at THE ASHMEADS. 59 the old city/' said Mr. Morley. "You can have a better view of it, by looking back on it, just after we have started." "'^here goes the whistle," said Harry. "The whistles, I mean. Just listen to them." And in truth they formed a singular concert. The conductor piped out a thrilling note on his shrill whistle ; the guard responded with another trill ; the engine shrieked like a magnified penny wliistle ; the guard whistled again to make sure that his in- strument was in good order ; the conductor trilled another roulade to show that he was not to be left behind. This was followed by a great slamming of doors all along the line of carriages, and they were ag^ain in motion. It began to grow cooler and more pleasant as the afternoon wore away. Onward sped the train, past the end of the Teutoberger Forest, with its masses of white trunked birches in striking contrast to the som- breness of the dark-leaved pines. " They suggest," said Mary, " the bleached bones of the host of Varus which, after their defeat by Her- man, were here gathered up and carried back by Ger- manicus, to be honored with sepulture at Rome." They rushed on past Osnabiirg, famous as the place where the peace of Westphalia was concluded ; and across the wide level stretches of the Luneberger 60 THE ASHMEADS. Heath, with its peaceful herds of horses pasturing, and countless flocks of snowy geese. Still they sped swiftly onward, and swiftly downward hied the setting sun, until the last stop was made at Bremen, where nothing could be distinguished but the outlined form of houses, chimneys, and spires, against the rich yellow glow of the evening sky. As our travelers approached Hamburg, but few words were spoken. They were tired, it is true, but it was not fatigue that kept them silent. There was strange fascination in those long hours of the evening twilight, the air filled with the softened sunset glow, marvelously prolonged, and shedding its enchanted glory over the fair fields and rich pastures. It was one of those scenes w^rought by the subtle magic of the setting sun, which have ever a touching and in- spiring effect on the human heart, saddening perhaps as the memories of departed days, yet rich in the power of awakening and strengthening every better hope and higher aspiration of the soul. The next morning, when the party assembled in the breakfast-room, with its large glass windows contrived expressly to afford an uninterrupted view of the beau- tiful Alster Basin, they could hardly find words to express their admiration. White swans were floating lazily up and down on the bosom of the transparent water; the broad esplanade was already alive with THE ASHMEADS. 61 people passing and repassing imJer the cool shade of the trees ; steamers were plying iiither and thither, and the entire scene was well calculated to excite the live- liest emotion of pleasure in the mind of the beholder. They could not, however, long be contented to play the part of mere spectators, and the conversation soon turned on the best way of employing their time. ^' I wrote from Antwerp to a friend of mine who lives not far from this hotel,'^ said Mr. Morley, "and after breakfast I shall call . Why, liere he is now !" — and with this sudden change in the construc- tion of his sentence the speaker rose from the table and advanced to welcome his friend with warmth and heartiness. " Now,'^ said he, after introducing the new-comer, a middle-aged man whose every tone and gesture be- spoke the courteous, intelligent, and prosperous busi- ness man ; " now, you may feel sure that we shall spend our time to the very best advantage. Mr. Meyer knows every thing about Hamburg, including the suburbs, which are in many respects the most in- teresting part of the city ; and whatever he tells us is worth seeing, you may be very sure will answer to his description/' Mr. Meyer modestly disclaimed the possession of the all-comprehensive stock of information ascribed to 62 THE ASHMEADS. him, and then proceeded to tell them of some of the interesting things that ought to claim their attention. " You wish to know about the churches, of course, and to visit them ; and I fear you may be disappointed, for here you will find us sadly modern.'' ^^ The modern things are the best after all," put in Harry, in a low tone, to Mary ; " the Baptists don't need to be old before they are worth much." " I was not referring to our own churches," said Mr. Meyer, who caught the words and glanced with amused interest at this sturdy young champion. "But here is Mr. Morley, who can tell you all about our publishing house and our theological school, and all the special Baptist interests in our city." " Do you mean," asked Mary, who saw that Harry looked abashed and came to his rescue, " that all the old churches were burned in that terrible fire ? " " Yes, indeed," replied Mr. Meyer, and there was sadness in his tones, " they were swept away by that awful fire in 1842. You know it lasted several days, from Thursday to Sunday. Never can I forget that fifth of May, when first it broke out, and those days of horror which followed, when in spite of every effort the raging flames continued their onward march till they had laid in ashes a large portion of our fair city. But I must not sadden you with these recollec- tions," he continued, in a more cheerful tone. " We THE ASHMEADS. 63 have worked hard since then to repair the ravages wrouo:ht bv the fire. Our churches have been re- built ; and St. Nicholas and St. Peter's are very fine buildings. They are in the Gothic style of the thir- teenth and fourteenth centuries ; but of course they have not that real antiquity which is so much prized and sought after by your countrymen.'' '^ So much the better, so much the better/' ejacu- lated Mr. Ash mead, in his quick, decided Avay. " I think you must sometimes feel half inclined to laugh at the way in which American tourists race through dozens of old churches, checking them oif in their guide books so that they may be able to remember when they get home how many they have seen. For my part, I like a church building to be suited for its purpose. When I went to hear Dean Stanley, in \Yestminster Abbey, I could not catch one connected sentence, not one ; and my feet were cold, and the place was draughty." ^' But, my dear," interposed Mrs. Ashmead, gently, ^' there is a charm, an indescribable influence, that I think we must all feel in such a place, where such grandeur and beauty are connected with so many associations of the past. I fancied," she continued, turning to Mr. Meyer, " that the lofty spire we noticed as we approached the city, could not belong to a new buildino^." 64 THE ASHMEADS. ^' No," replied that gentleman ; '' St. Michael's, it is true, escaped in the great conflagration. It is re- markable for its lofty steeple ; but then it only dates back to the middle of the last century." " Will they let us go up the tower ? " asked Harry, who had made a private resolution to emulate Mr. Morley in climbing. " Oh, yes ! and you will be rewarded with a splen- did view," replied Mr. Meyer. "You can see almost to the mouth of the Elbe." " Pray, take care what you say, ^Ir. Meyer," ex- claimed Mr. Ashmead. " U Harry is seized with the tower-climbing mania, I shall feel as though we were traveling with an inflated balloon. It is difficult enough to keep track of him, when he shoots off at unexpected angles on level ground ; but if he takes to mounting aloft at each tall tower we espy, it will be truly a hopeless case." " Never fear. I will go with him, like a sand-bag, to ballast him for the ascent," said Mr. Morley, good- humoredly; "and, meanwhile, you must look at the Town Library. The ladies will find much to interest them there, without risk of over fatigue." " I wish that I could go round with you and do the honors of our city," said Mr. Meyer. " I fully intended to do myself that pleasure, but I found at my office this morning a business-call to Berlin, which THE ASHMEADS. 65 will, I fear, detain me in that city during the rest of the week. I believe, however, that you intend to make some stay in Hamburg ; and, if you will allow me to do a little planning for you, may I suggest that you visit places of interest in the city first? You will, of course, wish to visit the Rauhes Haus. It is a pleas- ant drive, only about three miles out of town. If you will all come next Monday, and dine with us at twelve o'clock, it will give us a long afternoon, and we can go out and visit that institution. I expect my daughter home the end of the week, and I shall be very glad to be able to introduce her to Miss Ash- mead." " That would give me great pleasure," responded the young lady addressed. '^ But I am afraid she will be shocked at my bad German." ^' No fear of that ; and if she is, you will have a chance to be equally shocked at her English, though she has been diligently studying and practicing it for a year or two." Mr. Meyer's invitation was accepted with thanks, and it was decided that they should visit the Eauhes Haus on the following Monday. He then took his leave, with renewed expressions of regret that he was unable to accompany Mr. Morley and his friends in their rambles through the city. In the afternoon, Mr. Ashmead and his party, 66 THE ASHMEADS. under the guidance of Mr. Morley, went to visit the head-quarters of the German Baptist Publication So- ciety in the thriving suburb of Borgfelde. The horse-car railway — Pferde Bahn, as it is here called — soon brouoht them within short walkino; distance of the place. Here Mr. Morley introduced them to Dr. Philipp Bickel, the courteous manager, by whom they were shown through the various departments. They watched the presses steadily performing their import- ant, yet quiet work ; they visited the bindery with its number of busy and skillful workers; and looked into the offices and other parts of the large warehouse. " You seem to be doing a good work here in the way of printing," said Mr. Ashmead. " Yes/^ replied the manager ; " our work goes steadily on, and we find that it enlarges from month to month. We print here six different styles of Bibles and Testaments, and furnish them at prices ranging from three cents upwards.'' " I see you have also large piles of the Wahrheits- zeuge ready to be sent out," said Mr. Morley. " I am glad to see such a number of these silent messengers," said Mr. Ashmead, laying his hand on one of the piles. ^' Tlie power for good that lies in the evangelical newspaper can hardly be over-estimated." "That is very true," replied the manager; "and I J ^c THE ASHMEADS. 67 am glad to say that we fiud that our little paper is doing much good in its quiet, unobtrusive mission. But you will perhaps be surprised to learn that there are those who fear its influence, and who endeavor to cripple its power. Look at these," — and going into the office he brought out several copies that had been re- turned from Russian and Polish post-offices, with whole paragraphs completely blotted out. " It does seem strange to us Americans to see such things," said Mr. Ashmead. " Here is something that recalls days of trial and of persecution," said the manager. *^ This is a picture of the Winzerbaum," and he pointed to a print that hung on the walls of the press-room. '^ That is the old prison," explained Mr. Morley, turning to Mary. " It has a peculiar interest for us Baptists, for Mr. Oncken was several times imprisoned there for preaching and baptizing during the early days of the Baptist work in Germany." " Oh, yes ! I remember hearing of that," said Mary, and her father added : " We must try to see that building. Where is it situated ? " " The pictures of the old prison are the only vestiges of it which now remain," replied the manager. " The building itself has, with many others, been re- cently torn down to make room for the new quays. 68 THE ASHMEADS. The commerce of the city is increasing so rapidly, that it was absolutely necessary to build those quays." " By the way, I never looked at that building, and now I never see that picture," said Mr. Morley, " without thinking of the contrast between the action of Mr. Oncken during the great fire from INIay 5th to 8th in 1842^ and that of the authorities of Hamburg on May 15th, 1843. The fire, of course, left large numbers of people homeless. Mr. Oncken had, a few days before, rented a property that fortunately was not reached by the flames. He gave up to the sufferers three floors of this building, only retaining the one that was used as a place of meeting for the church. Sixty or seventy people thus found shelter that they sorely needed. Little more then a year after this Mr. Oncken was locked up in that Winzerbaum for pur- suing his Christian work. But a great change has been wrought, and a great step has been taken to- wards religious freedom since that day ; and great thanks are due to Dr. Oncken and to the Baptists for the victory of the truth and the right." Occasionally going out by themselves, but generally under Mr. Morley's guidance, the days passed very pleasantly for the Ashmeads. Harry's zeal for climb- ing inclined him to look with contempt at any views that could be obtained from an ordinary level. THE ASHMEADS. 69 If left to his management their excursions would have included every lofty pinnacle in the city; but Mr. Morley represented to him that it would not be very good manners always to plan fatiguing excur- sions, in which the ladies would certainly decline to accompany them. " Oh, well ! father will escort them/^ replied Harry ; '' he likes better going about in a quiet way to see something instructive. They are all going to the Library to-morrow ; but you have seen it, and I don't care to look at a lot of books." " What would you say to a tombstone with an ass playing the bag -pipe carved ou it?" asked Mr. Morley, somewhat irrelevantly, apparently. Harry laughed, and looked at his companion in puzzled surprise. "Oh ! I am not joking," Mr. Morley assured him. " I have seen it. It is a relic of the old Cathedral that used to stand where the Johanneum now stands. If you come with us to-morrow, you can see it your- self in the Museum on the ground floor, while the ladies are looking at the Library above.'' Mr. Morley's skillful ruse succeeded ; and Harry, with aroused curiosity, agreed to accompany them when they visited the Public Library at the Johan- neum. There, at tlie end of the large quadrangular court, 70 THE ASHMEADS. they gazed with interest at a fine statue which had been just completed, but was still partially screened from view. ^' That is a statue of Bugenhageu," said Mr. Morley. " He was one of the Reformers, was he not ? '^ asked Mrs. Ash mead. "Yes, Pommeranius, as he is often called, from the place of his birth. He and Melancthon were Luther's most active assistants in establishing and confirming the noble work of the Reformation." "But why are they thus setting up his statue just now?'' inquired Mr. Ashmead. " The four hundredth anniversary of his birth is approaching. He was born in June, 1485, and the event will be celebrated by the unveiling of this statue, with appropriate ceremonies, and by special services which are to be held in the churches," replied Mr. Morley. " And now, if you please, we will go on into the Library." When they entered the Library, Mr. Ashmead began looking over the catalogue of books with Mr. Morley, to obtain some general idea of the character of the volumes. He was interested in noting that the collection of works on Baptist history and principles was very extensive. And among them were several works by well-known American writers. Meanwhile Harry had ample time to investigate THE ASHMEADS. ' 71 the Museum of Hamburg antiquities, and to make the acquaintance of the musical ass so oddly figuring on the tombstone. He came to the rest of the party in the Library with various hieroglyphio marks that he had roughly scratched on the back of an old envelope, hij usual substitute for a note book, and requested a translation of the inscription on this ex- traord i nary stone. ^'I don't know where they could find any text in the Bible to suit, unless it is something about Balaam's ass," he remarked, as he showed the paper to his mother. " Oh, no ! they had at least the grace not to mix up the sacred with the profane," said Mrs. Ashmead. " This is not a text of Scripture." " No, I remember it," said Mr. Morley, coniing to her assistance, as she puzzled over the German, which was made more difficult for her by Harry's hasty scrawl. It only says, * The world is turned upside down ; and therefore I, poor ass, have learned to pipe.' " ^' Do you suppose that any irreverence was in- tended ? " asked Mary, as at Harry's suggestion they all went down to the Museum. ^' Very likely not," replied her father. *^ Many of these old inscriptions and pictures seem laughable to us, but really were intended to be solemn enough. 72 THE ASHMEADS. Were you ever in tlie Chapter House of Salisbury- Cathedral ? ^' he asked, turning to Mr. Morley. ^' Yes, and I believe I know what you are thinking of," replied that gentleman, — " those odd representa- tions of Biblical scenes all around on the wall just above the seats. The murder of Abel was, I think, the most extraordinary. Imagine,'^ he said, turning to Mary, " the figure of Abel kneeling patiently while Cain standing behind him plants one foot on AbePs back to steady himself, while he raises a sort of pick- axe preparatory to operating on his brother's head, as if it had been a large lump of coal." " I suppose a thousand years from now people will be laughing at our pictures and writings, just as we laugh at these old things," remarked Harry, sagely. *' Oh, no ! because we are more true to nature," replied Mary. " Are we ? " asked Mr. Morley, who always liked to draw out Mary's replies. " No ; she is all wrong, Mr. Morley," chimed in the irrepressible Harry. *^I've seen those instanta- neous photographs of horses and dogs and cows run- ning and jumping, with their legs all- tangled up or sticking out like wooden pegs. That is just what people will put in their pictures after a while ; and they will laugh at our paintings, and call them quite unnatural." THE ASHMEADS. 73 " Macaulay's New Zealander will come to pass judgment ou the artistic knowledge of a dead and gone race/' said his sister, merrily. But Harry was not quite clear in his own mind who this famous New Zealander was; so he willingly dropped the conversation, and was content to use his eyes for a time, and to let his tongue have a little unwonted rest. CHAPTER yi. f\^ the appointed day Mr. Ashmead and his party ^^ were punctual to their engagement at Mr. Meyer's house on Friedrich Strasse, and received a ^Yarm and hospitable welcome from the family party, which consisted of the host himself; his wife, a thor- ough German, who knew nothing of English, either good or bad, but a great deal about good housekeep- ing, and not a little about German literature and art ; the daughter, a pleasant, intelh'gent girl, with a real talent for languages, as Mary soon found wiien she engaged her in conversation ; and an elder brother of Miss Meyer's, a student in a medical college in Amer- ica, who was spending his vacation at home. The first thing that Mr. Meyer asked of Mary was: " Have you been to see Klopstock's grave ? " " Indeed we have," was the reply. *' We went out to Ottensen on purpose to visit it. But the day was very unfavorable; the clouds seemed to think it neces- sary to shed tears on the occasion. In fact, it just poured.'^ 74 THE ASHMEADS. 75 " I am very soriy. But what did you tliiuk of tlie inscriptions, or did the rain prevent you from staying to read them ? " inquired Miss Meyer, in perfect Eng- lish, notwithstanding a slight foreign accent. *' We had some difficulty in making theui out, on account of the strange style of lettering," said Mary ; *' but when we had succeeded in deciphering them, we could hardly avoid smiling.'^ " Why, what was so singular about them ? " in- quired the young man, w4io, as is often the case with people wdio live in a place, did not know as much about his native town as strangers did. '' In the first place, you must know that papa made a mistake, and bestowed all his wonder and admira- tion on the first grave to wdiich he came. With great reverence and in an awe-stricken tone he began to say, 'So here lies all that was mortal of the great and gifted poet.' But lie changed his tone when we called his attention to the fact that he was standing before the tomb of Victor Ludwig Klopstock, and not that of Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock, which is somewhat farther on." " But the inscriptions on the grave-stones of the poet's two wives — what did 3^ou think of them ? " said Miss Meyer, after Mr. Ash mead had hurriedly explained that it was only the illegibility of the in- scription which caused his mistake. 76 THE ASHMEADS. '^ Oh, they are very strange ! " cried Mary. ^' One bears the name and date of birth of his first wife, Margarita, who, in the words of the inscription, ' awaits him there where death does not enter/ And the other bears in a similar way the name and date of birth of his second wife, wlio is stated to have been * Meta's darling, like her in heart and mind ; and she also awaits him/ " " It does seem like a piece of uncalled-for irony to have put on record the fact that the second wife was at one time the first wife's darling,'^ said the young man, who mentally decided to make, some day, a pil- grimage to this singular shrine. " Perhaps," replied Mary, "it was considered all the more needful to call attention to the fact of the" second wife's former claim on Meta's affection, in view of the extreme probability of her having for- feited all claim to it in future." " Oh," said Mrs. Meyer, on the conversation being interpreted to her, " the children do not know what they are talking about; but they must have their fun, I suppose." The conversation ran rapidly from one subject to another, as general conversation is apt to do. Much of the attention of the host and hostess was naturally taken up in explaining to their guests from across the water, the thousand and one little customs which im- THE ASHMEADS. 77 pressed them as strange and different from those to which they were accustomed. Harry, who was much interested in dogs, wanted to know more about tlie dogs which they saw so gener- ally used as draught animals. " He has been observing narrowly the way in which they are harnessed,'' explained Mary, " and is only sorry that he had not seen these ingenious and simple little sets of harness some years ago, when he was laboring over the problem of attaching a little cart to Kover's burly and shaggy form. Rover could not have resisted the proceeding more stoutly if it had been a matter of attaching a tin can to his tail." " I notice one thing about it," said Mr. Ashmead; ^^ we do not see as many dogs drawing carts here as in Belgium." " An effort is being made to regulate, and if possible to suppress the custom," replied Mr. Meyer. "There are not more than twenty used now for a hundred that were formerly employed. There is a regulation by which the owners are obliged to carry mats for them to lie down on, and blankets to protect them in bad weather; but of course this rule is often evaded. On the whole, the poor dogs have really a dog's life of it." " Why, I should think they would be petted and taken the greatest care of; they seem to draw so well," 78 THE ASHMEADS. said Hany, who kuew well how kindly disposed he would have felt towards Rover, if that sagacious animal had only consented to pull a little cart, like those Hamburg dogs. ^'Ah, it is very seldom that they get any petting, and they die by the hundred from exposure and hard work. But I hope to see the entire custom done away with before long," said Mr. Meyer. " We ought to do away with it entirely ; it is put down in Copenhagen." Mrs. Ash mead was succeeding better than she had dared to expect in conversation with their hostess, and had brought up the subject of the daily papers. She said she had some difficulty in findino- the regular sheet of one journal ; there were so many " beilages," or supplements. "Yes!" replied Mrs. Meyer. "Many of the papers publish one or two supplements. People can buy any of them separately. Often three or four people subscribe to one journal and take turns in reading it. One gets it at seven o'clock, the next at nine, and the third the next morning." " I should think it would cause a good deal of dis- cussion to decide who should have it first," said Mrs. Ash mead. "Oh, no !" was the laugliing reply; "that might be the case in your fast country ; but here, you know, we THE ASHMEADS. 79 are slow and sedate. We appreciate the advantage that the one who gets it last has, for he is not hurried in its perusal." " Yes, indeed," said Mr. Morley. " I found that out once when I was staying with one of my English friends at his country house. I wanted to see if a certain steamer had arrived, and I asked my host to permit me to look at the Times, which had arrived a few minutes before. ^ Oh ! ' he exclaimed, ^ I wish you had spoken two minutes sooner. Old Mr. Main- waring has just gone into the library. I will send one of the children to see if he has got hold of the paper.' I protested that ten minutes later would do just as well. Little did I imagine that the worthy old gentleman would sit for two whole hours, diligently conning every word. Then he dropped asleep with the paper in his hand, and it was only when our host's wife skillfully purloined it, without awaking him, that any one else had a chance to glance at it." In the merriment and lively chat that followed, Mr. Morley managed to slip out of a discussion on politics which had absorbed the gentlemen, and Mrs. Ash mead noticed that most of his conversation until they rose from the dinner was either directly addressed to Mary, or of a nature to attract lier attention. She was there- fore not greatly surprised tliat, when it was proposed to divide into two parties for the afternoon, Mr. 80 THE ASHMEADS. Morley offered his services as escort to the young people. Mr. Ashmead and herself were going with Mr. and Mrs. Meyer to the ^' Rauhes Haus ; '^ but Miss Meyer had taken possession of Mary, saying : " We will take your brother as escort, and wander about at our own sweet will to any place you care to see in the town.'' " It is not fair," Mr. Morley remarked, pleasantly, "that Harry should monopolize two ladies; and I beg you will add me to the guard of honor." " Very well," said Mr. Ashmead. " Harry will take care of the girls, and you will take care of Harry. But I warn you that your one charge will need more \vatching^ than both of his." Mr. Ashmead had found that he knew some of Mr. Morley's relations, and the more he saw of the gen- tleman himself, the better he liked him. Notwith- standing his very keen sense of danger in allowing Mr. Gifford's visits, it did not seem to occur to him that Mr. Morley might be equally dangerous ; and his wife did not wish to vex his mind and to disturb his enjoyment of a congenial companion by any vague surmises. CHAPTER yil. VISIT TO THE RAUHES HAUS. A PLEASANT ride on the '' Pferde Bahn/' or horse-car railway, soon brought Mr. Meyer and his party within a short walking distance of the Rauhes Haus. Mr. and Mrs. Ash mead were hardly prepared for the sight which here presented itself to them. The name, Eauhes Haus (the Rough House), had suggested the idea of a rough, though perhaps a large, house. ^' Indeed, it was but a very rough and small farm- house," replied Mr. Meyer, to whom they expressed their surprise, " when Wichern and his mother entered it, on November 1 st, 1 833. By the close of that year they had received twelve boys, and the house could contain no more. But Wichern began his work in prayer and faith, and now you will see to what it has grown." Turning in at a neat gateway, they found them- selves walking through well-kept grounds of large ex- tent, planted here with vegetable and other small crops, there devoted to flowers and shrubs, and in F 81 82 THE ASHMEADS. other places laid out in smooth, well-cared-for lawns; while dotted here and there over the smilins; land- scape were the various buildings, private and public, devoted to dormitory, industrial, living, and school purposes. Passing around the picturesque fish pond, our party stopped at the head-quarters, where, after a short de- lay, one of the older pupils came to show them over the grounds. Most of the teachers were away on a short leave of absence. On the walls of the office he pointed out the por- traits of several of the patrons of the institution, and especially that of Mr. Sieveking, whose gift of the land and the old house, in 1833, first rendered possi- ble the carrying out of Mr. Wichern's cherished pro- ject. The lad remarked that they had probably noticed opposite to the entrance the handsome resi- dence and beautiful grounds which are still in the possession of the Sieveking family. They were then taken through the large and com- paratively new, two-story building, devoted to carpen- ter and locksmith work, and were much pleased with the general air of industry and order which seemed to prevail. As they were walking on through the grounds to visit another of the buildings, Mrs. Ashmead ex- pressed a desire to know more about the origin of THE ASHMEADS. 83 such an admirably conducted establishment, and what first gave the idea of such a work to Dr. Wichern. ^' To begin with the beginning," replied Mr. Meyer, " I must tell you that its founder, Johann Heiurich Wichern, w^as a native of Hamburg. He was born in our city on the 21st of April, 1808. He studied theology at Gottiugen, and after passing his examina- tion in theology at Hamburg, in 1831, he became a teacher; and he also undertook the charge of a Sunday- school in the service of the German Home Mission Society." *' I did not know that there were any Sunday- schools in Germany so long ago," said Mrs. Ash mead. " I thought they had only recently adopted the idea." "They had just been started," replied Mr. Meyer, " and it is an interesting fact that Dr. Wichern, the founder of this work which has assumed such mag- nificent proportions, received the idea originally while laboring in a Sunday-school, organized by our honored brother. Dr. Oncken, in St. George, which you know is a suburb of Hamburg. This was the first Sunday- school in Germany." " Here is the ^ Anker Haus '; will you enter ? " said their guide. " Certainly," replied Mr. Meyer ; and turning to Mrs. Ashmead, he added, " we will resume our con- versation on our way home." 84 THE ASHMEADS. They ascended first to the dormitories in the upper story, and noticed with satisfaction the completeness and excellence of the arrangements for ventilation and for heating. Down-stairs, they looked into the recitation rooms, and the room where each boy has his desk and a few books. At the end of the room was liang^inor a laro'e bird-caoje, containiuQj several finches and other feathered songsters. " This," said Mr. Meyer, who was evidently well acquainted with the working of the Institution, ^' is one of the recently erected buikiings. The funds for building it, which came from Schleswig Holstein, were provided on a liberal scale, so that this house might be a kind of model in its way. All its arrangements, as you have seen, are admirable." " Do you know how many pupils are in the Insti- tution?" inquired Mr. Ashmead. *'The total number of inmates," replied Mr. Meyer, "is about three hundred and fifty, and there are about ten teachers. The pupils are divided into five or six families, and each of these is under the charge of one of the older pupils." ** What do you consider as the chief object of this Institution?" asked Mrs. Ashmead. " The main and primary object," said Mr. Meyer, " is certainly to afford a refuge for morally neglected children ; to this has now been added the furnishing THE ASHMEADS. 85 of a boarding school for children of the higher classes ; and thirdly, the training of those who wish to fit themselves to act as teachers and officers in other public institutions." ^' The children are allowed to have pets, I see," said Mr. Ashmead, as they passed a boy who was feeding his rabbits. " Yes," said Mr. Meyer, *^ all harmless and rational amusements are encouraged ; and when a boy's birth- day comes round, if his relations send him eatables or other presents, he is allowed to have a table to himself, on which these are all spread out, and on it are placed as many candles as he has had birthdays." " That is rather a singular custom," said Mrs. Ash- mead. " I see every effort is made to keep up a home feeling in the pupils, and I think it is an excellent plan." In the school rooms they noticed, posted up con- spicuously, many practical bits of advice and pointed proverbs, such as: Pleasure in doing things aright, Makes both trouble and labor slight. One was in Latin — the curt sentence : Aut disce, aut discede. Either learn, or depart. In the new guard-house, where the gymnastic ex- 86 THE ASHMEADS. ercises are also carried on in bad weather, they saw such couplets as: Come and go, and joyful be, Without, within, God keepeth thee. Godly heart, goodly art. This room was handsomely ornamented with paint- ing's and frescoes, done by the pupils. It contained one hundred and fifty fire-arms, presented by a Prus- sian prince, as a token of the satisfaction he felt with the manner in which the school w-as carried on. They afterwards visited various other buildings — the laundry, the bakery, the hospital, the book-bind- ing and printing office, and the chapel. In the Old Rauhes Hans, they saw hanging up, the old cap of the original owner of the house — a man named Ruges, from which the building is said, by a slight change, to have taken its name. Dr. Wichern began his life-w^ork with the care of three poor boys; the work grew under his hand, and increased wonderfully. He little imas^ined, when he began, the extent and importance of the work. During the first fifty years, eighty-nine brothers have gone from this training-school, to accept positions in similar institutions. At the present time, there are one hundred and sixty-four houses of refuge in the German Empire, in which five THE ASHMEADS. 87 thousand, five hundred and eighty-seven children are yearly educated and cared for. Just as our party had left the grounds, and were about to turn their faces homewards, their attention was attracted by the sound of singing. On looking down the green country lane, they saw a large body of the boys belonging to the institution, coming back from their bath. They were marching in ranks four or five abreast, and shouting a not unmusical measure, which served the double purpose of marking time for their steps, and of preventing any disorderly talking or laughing. "An institution like this is an excellent way of settling the ^ tramp' question,'^ remarked Mr. Ash- mead, as they were on their homeward way. "I am a firm believer in the old saying, *An ounce of pre- vention is better than a pound of cure.' There are a great many ounces of prevention here ; but on each of these boys much more than a pound of cure might be utterly useless, if they were left to them- selves until they were five or ten years older." " That is very true,'' replied Mr. Meyer ; " but as we cannot bring back to boyhood those who have already grown to be men, we find that we must also try the pound of cure. And you will find this in our Arbeiten Colonien, of which there are eleven in dif- ferent parts of the Empire." 88 THE ASHMEADS. "What is their object?" asked Mr. Ashmead. "Are they places to which traaips can be sent?'' " Their object is to give work, shelter, food, cloth- ing, and encouragement generally to men who wish to get work and to return to a reputable way of life. What you call ^ tramps ' in America have little chance to thrive here." As he spoke he pointed to one of the houses they were passing, on which was a little metal plate with the inscription, "Member of the Society Against Mendicity." Mrs. Ashmead had noticed these little plates on many of the houses, and she now asked : " What is done with tramps here ? " "They are sure to be arrested," replied Mr. Meyer. " Here is where Arbeiter Colonien prove very bene- ficial. A man w^ill generally prefer to enter one of these colonies, rather than to be sent to the common jail ; and it often proves the beginning of a thorough reformation for the former tramp." " A reformation for tramps ! Pray let us hear about that, for this boy is the most incorrigible tramp I have yet met with," said a familiar voice behind them; and at the same moment Mr. Morley and the two young ladies joined them, while on looking back they saw Harry emerging from the cross street, out of which the rest of his party had just turned. THE ASHMEADS. 89 " There/' exclaimed Miss Meyer, merrily, to the boy as he came up. '' I told you that the others would be home before us, and you were sure that they would not be back for an hour yet/' '^ They may get home before you, but not before me," retorted Harry, darting forward at a brisk pace towards Mr. Meyer's house, which they were now ap- proaching. It was a convenient way of taking him- self oiF, just as he had been proved to be mistaken ; but no one contested the race with him. The rest of his party were rather tired with the amount of walk- ing and sight-seeing that they had done, and Mrs. Meyer insisted that they must come in and rest for at least a few minutes before returning to their hotel. As soon as they entered the parlor young Mr. Meyer appeared, nothing loath to have a little chat with the bright young American girl. His residence in America had enabled him to become tolerably fluent in English conversation, and he meant to ask permission to walk back to the hotel with her when the party left ; but here he found himself forestalled by Mr. Morley. That gentleman quietly took up his own hat and Mary's shawl, as soon as Mrs. Ash mead rose to take leave of their kind hosts; and it was very evident that he had no intention of losing sight of the owner of the shawl. CHAPTER VIII. A DAY UNDER MR. MORLEY's ESCORT. rpHE next day Mrs. Ash mead was obliged to rest, as -■- she dreaded an attack of her old enemy, nervous headache, that frequently came on after any unusual fatigue. Mary immediately announced her intention of staying with her mother ; but Mrs. Ashmead would not agree to this. ^•' We are going on so soon to Sweden, that you must not lose a whole day in Hamburg. Go with your father and Harry, my dear," she said. ^' I need nothing but rest and quiet." Yielding to her wishes, the three went out together. Mrs. Ashmead after a little while composed herself to rest, and indeed fell asleep; for she opened her eyes to find the afternoon well advanced, and to see her husband quietly sitting by the window, reading. " Ah, you have had a good nap, that's just the thing to set you up ; and now I will ring, for I promised Mary that I would see that you had something nice to eat," he remarked, cheerfully. ^' Where is Mary?" Mrs. Ashmead asked, rather perplexed. 90 THE ASHMEADS. 91 " Miss Meyer came a little while ago to invite us to tea, and to propose a walk to the cemetery afterwards. She thouglit Mary would like to see Dr. Oncken's grave ; so I told them all to go together and I would come back and take care of you/^ was the reply. "Was that quite safe, my dear?" expostulated his wife. " You know Harry is so heedless, and with only two young girls they may lose sight of him or get into some trouble.'^ "Never fear; Morley was going with them, and I could trust him to manage a dozen boys," replied Mr. Ashmead, confidently. "Now what will you have?'' Mrs. Ashmead agreed, in rather an absent-minded fashion, to whatever her husband chose to order, for at the mention of Mr. Morley her thoughts flew to Mary rather than Harry. Meanwhile the party of young people were passing their time very pleasantly. After tea Miss Meyer had taken them, as she proposed, to the cemetery in the northern part of Hamburg, where Dr. Onckeu was buried; and Mary was, as usual, improving the oppor- tunity to gain information from Mr. Morley. "How many Baptists are there now in Germany?" she asked, as they stood before the grave of Dr. Onckeu. "In round numbers, one might say twenty thou- sand," replied Mr. Morley. 92 THE ASHMEADS. " But the Baptist work begun here in Hamburg, in 1834, with one little church of sev^en members, has spread beyond the German Empire, has it not ? '^ " Yes, indeed," said Mr. Morley. ^^ It has extended into Denmark, Switzerland, Austria, and Russia. In the Russian Empire there are now three Associations — the North Russian, the South Russian, and the Polish. The whole number of members connected with the German Baptist Union was about thirty thousand last year." " What a grand harvest this is to have grown in fifty years from the small seed planted here in Ham- burg, and cherished and nurtured by one man ! " said Mary, enthusiastically. ^' That, however, grand as it seems to be, cannot be said to be all of the harvest," Mr. Morley added. '' The work that you will find going on so successfully in Sweden may be justly regarded as a part of the harvest. Mr. Nilsson, the pastor of the first Baptist Church in Sweden, was baptized in Hamburg. The five other members of that church w^ere baptized by Mr. Foerster, a Baptist minister who was sent from Hamburg for that purpose. Mr. Andreas Wiberg, who has labored so long and so successfully in Sweden, was baptized by Mr. Nilsson at Copenhagen, when he was pastor of the church there that originated from Hamburg. THE ASHMEADS. 93 ^^ It is a wonderfully iuteresting history, when you come to trace the way in which the good work spread and was blessed. And it has grown with very great rapidity too. Let me mention one thing, to show that you may well say it is a grand liarvest to have grown in fifty years from the small seed planted here in Hamburg. Have you any idea, Miss Ashmead, how many Baptists there were in the State of Pennsyl- vania last year ? or, how long it is since the first Baptist church was planted there? '' ^'I must confess that I have no clear idea on either point,'^ said Mary. "I only know that they have a very large number of churches, ministei's, and members. Of course with such a great number they must have been growing for very many years.'' "Yes, they have now been growing ever since 1688, one hundred and ninety-six years; and they have had no State Church to oppose them, and no civil persecution to hinder their growth. As a re- sult they had, at the end of last year, a little more than sixty-eight thousand members. Now, compare with that the growth of the German Baptist Union and the Swedish Baptist Union. They have been growing only fifty years, with great hindrances, and often cruel persecutions; but at the end of last year, they had fifty-seven thousand members. " Why, I am astonished ! " cried Mary. "I had 94 THE ASHMEADS. not the remotest idea that there was such a grand liarvest as that." ^' And I," said Miss Meyer, " should have thouglit, if I had thought about it at ail, that in your country, especially in such an old and prosperous State as Pennsylvania, the Baptists would have grown much more rapidly than they could possibly hope to do here." " These are the facts, however," said Mr. Morley, "and I think that the American Baptist Missionary Union may well be thankful that it was allowed to plant the seed of such a harvest in Germany; and the American Baptist Publication Society may consider it a high honor, that to it was given the privilege of planting the same seed in Sweden, and seeing its fields white, with a like precious harvest." " I am very, very glad," said Mary, looking at the tombstone of Dr. Oncken, with deep emotion, "that I have heard this, and heard it too in this sacred spot. I am glad and thankful too that no worldly display marks the resting-place of the serv- ant of God, to whom his Lord gave the high honor to be the pioneer in this work." "Yes," said Mr. Morley, "only the neat tomb- stone, with the simple inscription, as you see: 'Jo- hann Gerhart Oncken, born January 26, 1800, died January 2, 1884,' with the addition of the verse. THE ASHMEADS. 95 from Epli. iv. 5, ^One Lord, one faith, one baptism,' and that from Acts ii. 42, *They continued stead- fastly in the apostle's doctrine, and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers/ This seems much more suitable, and in accordance with the plain, sterling. Christian virtues of the great and good man." "And there," said Mary, "is another smaller stone somewhat in advance of the other. Whose is that?" " That is Dr. Oncken's son-in-law, Carl Schauffler, who, as you see, was born in 1819, and died in 1871. He was for many years Dr. Oncken's right hand man and chief manager." " The larger stone bears two other names besides Dr. Oncken's — Sarah Oncken and Philip Oncken. He was only a child," said Mary, as she read the dates. " Yes," said Mr. Morley, " he was, if I remember aright, burned to death by a terrible accident, wdieu only eight years old." They turned to go, after depositing on the grave the modest tribute of a few fragrant flowers. "The monuments and grave-stones are of exceeding variety of form and design, are they not?" said Mary. " Yes ; but I think the favorite device seems to be an open Bible." 96 THE ASHMEADS. " Why do they have so many chairs and benches in the plots ? " asked Harry. " That is for the accommodation of the relatives who often, according to an old custom, come to pass the whole day in lamentation and mourning when a death occurs in the family.'' Mary was struck by the apparent great extent of the burying-ground; but was told by Miss Meyer that there were really at the place six large cemeteries, all close together. " What shall we do now ? " said Harry, who, to tell the truth, had not been exceedingly interested in this part of their excursion, and would much rather have spent the time in the Zoological Garden just over the way. "You want some exercise, I suppose," said Mr. Morley; "something that will stretch your limbs, and give you some climbing to do. Well, let me see ; we have been to the Petri Kirche." " Which one was that ? " said the boy. " Oh, Harry, do you not remember the picture of Luther, and the inscription, * Magnus non est cui Martinus Luther non est magnus^f^^ "That? Yes, I remember. What was it Mr. Morley said it meant? That no one w^as great if Martin Luther was not ? '' " No, no ; not exactly that," interposed Mr. Morley, THE ASHMEADS. 97 laughing somewhat at the free translation. "Great is he not to whom Martin Luther is not great." " I knew it was something of that kind," said Harry. " Well, we've seen that ; what else is there to look at?" " Suppose we go and ascend the tower at St. MichaePs Church," said Mr. Morley. "We shall have a fine evening view, and you can hear the man play the chants too." " Oh, the man we heard playing last Sunday, when we were on our way to the Baptist Chapel in Bohmken Street? " cried Mary. " Yes, that would be very inter- esting." " And then we can see the outside, at least, of the house where Mendelssohn was born. You are fond of music, are you not. Miss Ashmead?" said Miss Meyer. " The house is in Michaelis Street, just a little way from the church." This plan was received with great favor; and, as they were all good walkers and not at all tired, they decided that it would be more pleasant, in the quiet, cool evening air, to walk, than to be shut up in a carriage or street-car. Miss Meyer, who found great amusement in Harry's good-tempered, but boyishly outspoken, criticism of everything that was new and strange to him, will- ingly suited her pace to that young man's rather G 98 THE ASHMEADS. erratic fancy, leaving it to Mr. Morley aud Mary more sedately to lead the way. " I wonder,'^ said Mary, thoughtfully, after they had walked for a short time in silence, '^ whether the men who begin a great work really feel from the first the magnitude of what they are undertaking, or whether they only go on, simply doing what presents itself, and then are surprised, as we are, to see to what it has grown." "It depends on what the work is," said Mr. Morley, who was more inclined to draw out his companion than to talk himself " I was thinking of Dr. Oncken, and also of tlie beginning of any important religious work that might be started by a minister of Christ," replied Mary. " Does any minister of Cln'ist start an important work, or perhaps I ought to say, can he do any thing that is not important w^ork, if he follows his calling?" remarked Mr. Morley, as she paused. -' Well, in some of the quiet towns and villages at home, there does not seem to be much important work to do. Now here papa is so thoroughly roused and interested because he sees the hard work that it is to fight against the superstition and the tyrannical habits of these old countries ; but I have heard people say that the theological students at home have rather easy work and no