# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1853 07 19_S167
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

167

Her father was a heathen,
Endeavoring to part his child
From the LORD Christ.
Then she said gently and mildly:
"My father, one must name
Things as they are:
Therefore I too will confess myself a Christian."

They led her away captive
To the gloomy dungeon.
She saw with terror and dread
The horrible place;
Yet when she soon composed herself —
They had left the child with her there —
She said: To me the dungeon has become a palace.

Once she beheld in a dream
How she trod on the dragon,
And to the realm of heaven
Mounted on a golden ladder.
The LORD says: "Welcome!"
And shares His food with her:
Then all earthly hope was taken from her.

Then her father came again
To draw her away from the LORD;
With tears he sank down
And said: "Lady!
Hear now my entreaty,
Let go thy lofty mind!"
She said: "What God wills, shall be done to me."

And with the child he draws near,
As she goes to the judge.
"Ah, spare thy little one!" he begged,
And the judge himself implores:
"Then sacrifice for the honor
Of the emperors!" — She confesses:
"I will not do it, for I belong to the LORD."

Her sentence is pronounced,
And joyfully she hears it.
As if broken with grief
Her father then appears.
The daughter laments with pain
The unhappy man:
"As if I suffered it myself, so it goes to my heart."

2.

How Perpetua and her brother Saturus were comforted by heavenly visions.

Then she sees in a vision
How she wrestled very hard
With a wicked one,
Until she at last overcame him,
And heard "Peace!" spoken.
Then she perceived with thanks:
Now she would victoriously smite Satan.

Yet Satur also was to obtain
Paradise,
Her brother, whom they had thrown
Captive into the dungeon,
To whom God showed the glories
Of the blessed heaven,
To strengthen them for the holy conflict.

They departed from life;
And behold! angels draw near,
Upon whose hands they are borne
Toward the east.
They see a sea of light shining,
And Saturus begins:
"We have now received the promise."

They see the fairest garden,
Which is full of waving roses,
Where angels await them.
"They are the ones, they are the ones!" resounds
Joyfully from every mouth:
"Come in now at once,
And greet the LORD!" They enter in that hour.

There tall walls arise,
As if built of light;
There resounds without end
The thrice holy aloud.
In the immeasurable sea
Of light is beheld
The LORD and round about the holy hosts of angels.

They float forward and kiss
The LORD of glory;
The angels also kiss and greet them:
"Wait for the time!
And go now and be merry."
Perpetua says, rejoicing:
"In the flesh I never felt so glad."

3.

How steadfastly Perpetua suffered and obtained the martyr's crown.

And so it also came to pass. —
The number of the martyrs was seen
Before their death to celebrate
The holy love-feast,
Whereat they earnestly pointed
The people to that torment
On the day of wrath, and praised their fetters.

The day of judgment had come.
They went forth with such calm
To the amphitheaters,
As if going to heaven.
They trembled for joy
That they should ascend to the LORD in a moment
After the short suffering.

Then they wished to clothe them
In the priestly garb of Baal.
Perpetua cried to the heathen:
"Behold! for this we are here,
Having come of our own will,
And for this we die,
That our freedom be left to us unimpaired."

When they then strip her
And put her in a net,
She was so chastely concerned
How she might cover herself modestly,
That she even moved the heathen
Thereby to pity:
They let her dress herself fully again.

So she was exposed;
And upon her rushed
The wild cow, goaded.
She fell at the first blow.
Yet when her garment was torn,
Her care was great,
And she bashfully busied herself to cover it.

When they brought her back
Then toward Carthage,
It was as if she awoke
From deep sleep.
"When shall I be exposed
Once to the wild cow?"
She said, till she saw she was wounded.

So she suffered heroically,
Since God was her helper.
Then she kindly and lovingly
Exhorted the company of Christians:
"Be strong and steadfast in the faith,
And love one another truly and faithfully;
Let not our torment rob you of courage."

Yet the heathen still wished
To see Perpetua die,
To feast their eyes upon it.
She had to go again
To the amphitheaters;
There she was seen standing
With quiet calm and joy in her countenance.

Thereupon she received
The death-stroke composed.
So she entered
Into the blessed kingdom of heaven;
There she now wears the crown,
Glorified, like the angels,
And rejoices in the LORD over the reward of grace.

Hermann Fick.

Receipts for money received.

1852.
Nov. 13. From Mr. Barthel, payment from Stegelmann, church collection $26.00
Dec. 23. From Mr. Barthel, payment from Pfau, 69.48
1853.
Jan. 26. From Mr. Barthel, mission money received in N. P. 10.00
Feb. 10. From Mr. Barthel, surplus of moneys for Ludwig 63.64
March 9. From Mr. Barthel, payment of Mr. Past. Brohm for "Lutheraner" 13.00
Payment of Mr. Pastor Brohm for Mr. Löber 2.50
April 30. From Mr. Barthel, payment of Mrs. Stegelmann for mission $1.00., payment from Hebel and Allen for the burnt-down church in Neumelle $1.25 2.25
Payment from Mr. Pastor Brohm for "Lutheraner" 1.00
May 13. From Mr. Barthel, remittance 331.80
From Mr. Barthel, surplus of your remittances ulto. 1852 259.89
From Mr. Barthel, surplus of your remittances for Ludwig 50.00
$829.56
Nov. 13. From Stegelmann, for books sold for the New Yorker congregation $8.00
Jan. 14. From Stegelmann 6.00
June 28. " Mrs. Stegelmann 10.00
Nov. 24. " Pastor Ernst 5.00
Dec. 10. " J. Dobler 4.23
" 16. " Pastor Diehlmann 11.25
April 6. " " " 18.00
June 25. } " Brickner and others in N. York 9.37
Dec. 16. }
" 31. " Pastor Saupert 32.55
June " " " " at the Synod 9.15
Dec. " " Professor Crämer 25.00
Jan. 24. " " " 20.00
April 6. " " " 0.53
Jan. 7. " Pastor Keyl 38.00
" " " " Kalb 10.00
" 17. " Brauer 5.00
Feb. [illegible]. " " 14.0[illegible]
March 4. " " 15.00
May 2. " " 15.00
May 26. " " 10.00
Jan. 18. " Pastor Pinkepank 13.00
" 31. " " Wunder 5.00
April 18. " " " 1.00
June " " " in Cleveland 6.70
Feb. 10. " " Hattstätt 4.75
" 19. " " Trautmann 6.94
" 22. " " Albaugh 6.00
March 9. " " Brohm 8.00