the moravians in georgia-第24部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


bandoned。　　Oglethorpe　objected　on　account　of　the　danger　that　they　would　be　intercepted　and　killed；　it　being　a　fourteen　day　land　journey　to　reach　the　Cherokee　country；　and　he　positively　refused　to　let　John　Wesley　go　because　that　would　leave　Savannah　without　a　minister。　　Toeltschig　says　Wesley's　interest　in　the　Indian　work　failed；　and　another　writer　says　he　gave　up　the　work　because　he　could　not　learn　the　Indian　language；　but　Wesley　lays　all　the　blame　on　Oglethorpe。

In　January；　1737；　the　question　of　going　to　the　Upper　Creeks　was　submitted　to　the　〃lot〃；　and　the　Moravians　were　bidden　to　wait　for　another　opening。　　Meanwhile　an　actual　beginning　had　been　made　among　the　Lower　Creeks。　　On　the　7th　of　May；　Ingham　and　John　Wesley　went　up　the　river　to　the　home　of　Mrs。　Musgrove；　the　half…breed　woman　who　at　this　time　was　of　such　great　use　as　interpreter　and　mediator　between　the　Indians　and　the　English。　　Arrangements　were　made　by　which　Ingham　should　spend　three　days　of　each　week　with　her；　teaching　her　children　to　read　in　exchange　for　instruction　in　the　Indian　language。　　The　other　three　or　four　days　were　to　be　spent　in　Savannah；　communicating　to　Wesley　the　knowledge　he　had　acquired；　Anton　Seifert　sharing　in　the　lessons。

On　the　19th　of　June；　the　Moravians　held　a　meeting　to　determine　whether　the　time　had　come　for　them　to　take　up　the　Indian　work　in　earnest。　The　〃lot〃　was　appealed　to；　and　the　answer　being　that　the　language　should　be　learned；　Seifert；　George　Neisser　and　John　Boehner　were　appointed　to　make　diligent　use　of　Ingham's　instructions。　　The　frequent　visits　of　Tomochichi　and　his　people　to　Savannah　gave　them　an　opportunity　to　practice　speaking；　for　the　Moravian　house　was　always　open　to　the　red　men；　and　food　and　drink　were　theirs　at　any　time　of　day；　a　fact　of　which　the　visitors　were　not　slow　to　take　advantage。

The　〃lot〃　had　so　great　an　influence　on　the　progress　of　affairs　in　the　Moravian　Congregation　at　Savannah　from　this　time　on　that　it　is　necessary　to　understand　how　the　institution　was　regarded。　The　use　of　the　lot　was　common　in　Old　Testament　days；　and　in　the　New　Testament　it　is　recorded　that　when　an　apostle　was　to　be　chosen　to　take　the　place　of　the　traitor；　Judas；　the　lot　decided　between　two　men　who　had　been　selected　as　in　every　way　suited　for　the　place。　Following　this　example　the　members　of　the　ancient　Unitas　Fratrum　used　the　lot　in　the　selection　of　their　first　ministers；　and　the　Renewed　Church　did　the　same　when　the　first　elders　were　elected　at　Herrnhut　in　1727。　It　was　no　uncommon　practice　in　Germany；　where　many　persons　who　desired　special　guidance　resorted　to　it　more　or　less　freely；　and　Count　Zinzendorf；　among　the　rest；　had　used　it　from　his　youth　up。　Gradually　it　came　into　general　use　among　the　Moravians；　and　at　a　later　period　in　their　history　had　its　definite　place　in　their　system　of　government；　though　the　outside　public　never　fully　understood　it；　and　still　holds　erroneous　views；　despite　the　plain　statements　that　have　been　made。　　By　degrees　its　use　became　more　and　more　restricted；　and　has　been　long　since　entirely　abolished。

In　its　perfection　the　lot　was　simply　this；　　human　intellect　solving　a　problem　so　far　as　earnest　study　and　careful　deliberation　could　go；　and　then；　if　the　issue　was　still　in　doubt；　a　direct　appeal　for　Divine　guidance；　in　perfect　faith　that　the　Lord　would　plainly　answer　his　servants；　who　were　seeking　to　do　his　will。　　This　standard　was　not　always　maintained；　but　the　leaders　of　the　Moravian　Congregation　in　Savannah　had　the　early；　absolute；　belief　that　God　spoke　to　them　through　the　lot；　and　felt　themselves　bound　to　implicit　obedience　to　its　dictates。　Their　custom　was　to　write　two　words　or　sentences　on　separate　slips；　representing　the　two　possible　answers　to　their　question；　and　after　earnest　prayer　to　draw　one　slip；　and　then　act　accordingly。　Sometimes　a　third　slip；　a　blank；　was　added；　and　if　that　was　drawn　it　signified　that　no　action　should　be　taken　until　another　time；　and　after　further　consideration。

Some　time　in　July；　Peter　Rose　and　his　wife；　（the　widow　Riedel）　went　to　live　among　the　Lower　Creeks；　giving　all　their　time　to　learning　the　language；　and　teaching　what　they　could　about　religion。

On　August　9th；　Mr。　Ingham　went　to　the　Moravians　with　a　new　plan。　Gen。　Oglethorpe　had　agreed　to　build　a　schoolhouse　for　Indian　children；　near　Tomochichi's　village；　with　the　idea　that　it　would　give　opportunity　also　to　reach　the　older　men　and　women　with　the　Gospel　message。　The　house　was　to　contain　three　rooms；　one　for　Ingham；　one　for　the　Moravian　missionaries；　and　one　to　be　used　for　the　school；　and　it　was　suggested　that　the　Moravians　undertake　the　erection　of　the　building；　the　Trustees'　fund　to　pay　them　for　their　labor。　The　proposition　was　gladly　accepted；　and　preparations　were　at　once　made　to　send　the　necessary　workmen。

On　Monday；　the　13th；　Toeltschig　and　five　others　went　to　the　spot　which　had　been　selected　for　the　Indian　Schoolhouse；　usually　called　‘Irene'。　The　site　of　this　schoolhouse　has　been　considered　uncertain；　but　a　short　manuscript　account　of　〃the　Mission　among　the　Indians　in　America〃；　preserved　in　the　Herrnhut　Archives；　says　distinctly　that　it　stood　〃a　mile　above　the　town　（of　Savannah）　on　an　island　in　the　Savannah　River　which　was　occupied　by　the　Creeks。〃

When　the　carpenters　arrived　the　first　act　was　to　unite　in　prayer　for　a　blessing　on　their　work；　and　then　they　began　to　fell　trees　and　cut　down　bushes；　clearing　the　ground　for　the　hut　in　which　they　were　to　live　while　building　the　schoolhouse。　The　hut　was　placed　on　the　grave　of　an　Indian　chief。　〃The　Indians　are　accustomed　to　bury　their　chiefs　on　the　spot　where　they　died；　to　heap　a　mound　some　24　feet　high　above　them；　to　mourn　them　for　a　while；　and　then　to　abandon　the　spot；〃　and　this　little　elevation　was　a　favorable　site　for　their　hut。　　Until　the　hut　was　finished　the　men　lodged　with　the　Indians；　Tomochichi　himself　taking　charge　of　their　belongings。　Toeltschig　returned　the　same　day　to　Savannah；　going　back　later　with　a　supply　of　provisions。　　The　Indians　made　them　heartily　welcome　to　their　neighborhood；　and　the　Moravians；　even　in　the　midst　of　their　building　operations；　began　to　teach　them　the　English　alphabet；　at　the　same　time　putting　forth　every　effort　to　learn　the　Indian　tongue；　in　which　Rose　was　rapidly　becoming　proficient。

By　the　20th　of　September　the　schoolhouse　was　finished；　and　Ingham　and　the　Moravians　held　a　conference　to　plan　the　future　work；　and　decide　what　duties　each　should　assume；　as　he　proposed　to　move　thither　at　once；　and；　with　the　approval　of　the　lot；　Rose　and　his　wife　were　to　do　the　same。　　Morning　and　evening　they　were　to　read　the　English　Bible；　accompanied　by　silent　prayer；　morning；　mid…day　and　evening　an　hour　was　to　be　given　to　the　study　of　the　Indian　language；　and　Rose　and　his　wife　were　to　have　an　hour　for　their　private　devotions。　　Mrs。　Rose　was　to　teach　the　Indian　girls　to　read；　and　the　boys；　who　had　already　begun　to　read；　were　to　be　taught　to　write。　In　their　remaining　time　they　were　to　clear　and　plant　some　land；　that　they　might　not　be　too　long　dependent　on　the　Congregation　at　Savannah；　and　on　the　friendly　Indians；　who　were　giving　them　much。

The　next　day　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Toeltschig　escorted　Rose　and　his　wife　to　their　new　home；　and　at　Ingham's　request　united　with　them　in　a　little　prayer　service。　　Four　days　later　fourteen　of　the　Moravians　went　to　the　schoolhouse；　which　was　solemnly　consecrated　by　Seifert；　the　Chief　Elder。　　That　evening；　in　Savannah；　Rose　and　his　wife　were　formally　set　apart　for　their　missionary　work；　and　the　next　day　they　returned　to　〃Irene〃；　as　the　school　was　called；　to　enter　upon　their　duties。

At　first　everything　was　encouraging。　　The　children　learned　readily；　not　only　to　read　but　some　to　write；　they　committed　to　memory　many　passages　of　Scripture；　and　took　special　delight　in　the　hymns　they　were　taught　to　sing。

The　older　Indians　looked　on　with　wonder　and　approval；　which　stimulated　the　missionaries　to　new　zeal　in　mastering　the　language；　and　in　taking　every　opportunity　to　make　the　〃Great　Word〃　known　to　them。　Zinzendorf　wrote　a　letter　from　Herrnhut　to　Tomochichi；　commending　his　interest　in　their　message；　and　urging　its　full　acceptance　upon　him；　the　Indians　gave　some　five　acres　of　land　for　a　garden；　which　Rose　cleared　and　planted；　and　everything　looked　promising；　until　the　influence　of　the　Spanish　war　rumor　was　felt。　True　to　their　nature；　the　fighting　spirit　of　the　Indians　rose　within　them；　and　they　took　the　war…path　against　the　Spanish；　for　the　sake　of　their　English　allies；　and　perhaps　more　for　the　pure　love　of　strife。　Then　Ingham　decided　to　go　to　England　for　reinforcements；　and　Rose　was　left　in　charge　of　the　work。　　He　seems　to　have　been　a　well…meaning　man；　and　much　beloved　by　the　Indians；　but　he　was　not　a　man　of　much　mental　strength　or　executive　ability；　and　the　Congregation　at　Savannah　soon　decided　that　he　and　his　wife　should　be　recalled　until　the　way　opened　for　one　or　more　of　the　others　to　go　back　to　Irene　with　him。


　　The　〃Society〃。

In　their　personal　affairs　the　Moravians　were　experiencing　the　usual　mingling　of　light　and　shadow。

Dober's　effort　to　make　pottery　was　a　failure；　for　lack　of　proper　clay；　but　through　Gen。　Oglethorpe's　kindness　a　good　deal　of　carpenter's　work　was　given　to　them。　　They　built　a　house　for　Tomochichi　at