356 AUTHENTIC HISTORY 



House called Saron, to wliicli is attached a large Chapel, and "Saal," for the purpose 

 of holding the Agapas or Love Feasts. A Brother's House, called Bethania, with 

 which is connected the large meeting room, with galleries, in which the whole Society- 

 assembled, for public worshii), in the days of their prosperity, and which are still 

 standing, surrounded by smaller buildings, which were occupied as jn-inting office, 

 bake house, school house, almonry, and others for different purposes; on one of which, 

 a one-story house, the town clock is erected. 



The buildings are singular, and of very ancient architecture — all the outside walls 

 being covered with shingles. The two houses for the brethren and sisters are very 

 large, being three and four stories high: each has a chapel for their night meetings, and 

 the main buildings are divided into small apartments, (each containing between fifty 

 and sixty,) so that six dormitories, which are barely large enough to contain a cot, (in 

 early days a bench and billet of wood for the head, ) a closet and an hour-glass surround 

 a common room, in which each sub-division pursued their respective avocations. On 

 entering these silent cells and traversing the long narrow passages, visitors can scarcely 

 divest themselves of the feeling of walking the tortuous windings of some old castle, 

 and breathing in the hidden recesses of romance. The ceilings have an elevation of but 

 seven feet; the passages leading to the cells, or '■'■ Kammern,^^ as they are styled, and 

 through the different parts of both convents, are barely wide enough to admit one 

 person, for when meeting a second, one has always to retreat; the doors of the Kam~ 

 mem are hnt Jive feet high, and twenty inches wide, and the window, for each has but 

 one, is only eighteen by twenty-four inches; the largest windows afltbrding light to the 

 meeting rooms, are but thirty by thirty-four inches. The walls of all the rooms, in- 

 cluding the meeting room, the chajiels, the saals, and even the kammern or dormitories, 

 are hung and nearly covered, with large sheets of elegant penmanship, or ink-paintings — • 

 many of which are texts from the scriptures — done in very handsome manner, in orna- 

 mented gothic letters, called in the German Fractur-scliriften. They are done on large 

 sheets of paper manufactured for the pvirjiose at their own mill, some of which are put 

 into frames, and which admonish the resident, as well as the casual visitor, which ever 

 way they may turn the head. There are some very curious ones : two of which still remain 

 in the chapel attached to Saron. One represents the narrow and crooked way, done on 

 a sheet of about three feet square, which it would be difficult to describe — it is very 

 curious and ingenious: the whole of the road is hlled up with texts of scripture, adver- 

 tising the disciples of their duties, and the obligations their profession imposes upon 

 them. Another represents the three heavens. In the first, Christ, the Shepherd, is 

 represented gathering his flock together; in the second, which occupies one foot in 

 height, and is three feet wide, three hundred figures, in the Capuchin dress, can be 

 counted, with harps in their hands, and the heads of an innumerable host; and in the 

 third is seen the throne surrounded by two hundred arch-angels. Many of these Prac- 

 tur-schriften express their own enthusiastic sentiments on the subject of celibacy, and 

 the virtue of a recluse life, whilst others are devotional pieces. 



In the rooms which any sister has occupied, and is departed, a piece, which is framed 

 in imitation of a tablet, is put up, expressive of the character and virtues of the de- 

 ceased, or some feeling memorial of love is inscribed. The following is one I found in 

 the Kammer, which had been occupied by Zenobia — a very beautiful, lovely, and devout 

 sister: 



ZENOBIA: 



Wird Grueuen und Ge- 

 deyen, ihre Arbeit wird niclit vergeb- 

 lich, noch audi ihre Hofl'nuug 

 verlohren seyn, ihr Erbe bluehen 

 mitten unter den Heiligen. 



