314 HISTORY OF 



workmanship ; it is ornamented with a neat spire, and 

 has a town clock, which is remarkable, because it strikes 

 the quarters. It has two entrances, at one of which the 

 Brethren, and at the other the Sisters enter. Its interior 

 is plain and very neat; there are no pews in it, but 

 benches with backs. It has two galleries, and is pro- 

 vided with an excellent organ. Originally, there was no 

 pulpit in the church, but merely a table, covered with 

 black cloth, at Avhich the minister officiated. It being 

 Mty years in 1837, since the church had been conse- 

 crated, various alterations were undertaken in that year, 

 and among others, also, that of placing a pulpit in the 

 place of the table. After all the repairs were com- 

 pleted, the congregation celebrated the fiftieth anniver- 

 sary of their church on Sunday the 13th of August, 

 1837. A brief account of such a celebration among the 

 Moravians may perhaps be interesting to the reader ; we 

 shall, therefore, attempt to give some description of this 

 church festival. The church was previously beautifully 

 adorned with various inscriptions, and most tastefully 

 decorated with flowers and evergreens, and the musicians 

 selected and practiced their best sacred music ; and to 

 render it still more harmonious, invited a number of the 

 best vocal and instrumental performers from Bethlehem 

 and Nazareth, to assist them on the occasion. On the 

 evening of the 12th, the congregation met for the pur- 

 pose of solemnly closing the remarkable period of fifty 

 years, during which the Lord had permitted them to 

 worship in this sanctuary. Early on the morning of the 

 ■ 13th, all the inhabitants were awakened bv solemn 

 music, announcing to them the approach of the happy 

 day, for which old and young had been looking wi'h 

 such joyful anticipation. At eiglit o'clock, the congre- 

 gation met for the first time, in the new period of their 



