# Der Lutheraner_St. Louis Missouri_1849 08 21_S201
# AI translation — CHI Digital Archive (demonstration)

Der Lutheraner.

"God's Word and Luther's doctrine shall pass away never, nevermore."

Published by the German Evangelical Lutheran Synod of Missouri, Ohio, and other States.
Edited by C. F. W. Walther.

Volume 5.  St. Louis, Mo., August 21, 1849.  No. 26.

Terms: Der Lutheraner appears once every two weeks at the yearly subscription price of One Dollar for out-of-town subscribers, who are to pay the same in advance and to bear the postage. — In St. Louis each single number is sold for 5 Cents.
Only those letters which contain communications for the paper are to be addressed to the Editor; all others, which contain business matters, orders, cancellations, money, etc., are to be sent hither under the address: Mr. F. W. Barthel, care of C. F. W. Walther, St. Louis, Mo.

(Contributed.)
Luther and the Count of Erbach.
(After a Legend.)

Still ever fresh and bright there wells
From German folk-history's ground
Herr Doctor Luther's fount of joy,
And ever still new things are made known
That in his years of faith he learned
From his God's hand.

What will ye give me? Then I will tell you
Of a noble fruit of blessing,
Which on worldly shrubbery
Will be sought in vain all life long,
But which yet from the branches
Of the Luther-tree could bend down. —

Once it happened that our Doctor far
Set out upon a journey;
Toward the region of the Main, full of vigor,
His little steeds went at their traveling trot,
Whereupon, cheerful of mind, in a wide curve
He journeyed to the little town of Miltenberg.

That a zealous Catholic heard,
Count Erbach, pledged strictly to the Pope;
The zeal rose into his neck,
So that in silent wrath he raged:
"The arch-enemy, the outlawed heretic!
This time I am the wolf's hunter!

"He is surely passing through my domain, —
There my mounted men lie in wait for him,
And when he rides on in safety,
I will cast him down upon the road,
That in the deep dungeon of my castle
He may well enjoy his heretic's honey." —

In armor he rides forthwith
To Miltenberg, to spy him out,
First says not a word to a living soul,
Until he has marked out his prey;
And, hidden quietly in the inn,
He awaits the following morning.

The morning comes with golden gleam;
The Count has awakened early, . . .
Then he feels himself wholly seized
By a sweet power of love:
He hears, as if it sounded from heaven,
Close at hand lovely songs.

So deep, so pure, so full of soul
The psalm-tone breathes through him; —
He knows not where to turn,
His whole heart becomes full of it, —
Now it grows bright to him, now dim,
And his eyes overflow.

He steps to the window, — behold:
Directly opposite in the house
Is the strange singer near to him, —
A man, venerable beyond measure,
Who, singing, kneels upon the floor,
Folding his hands, looks upward. —

A dear, ah, a pious man,
Who lays down before God the toil of life,
And can sing himself so blessed
In this holy early morning,
And childlike, reconciled to his LORD,
Sounds forth to Him with the lark an offering! —

In quiet devotion the Count stands,
Looks and listens lovingly to the singer; —
Each psalm-verse struck his heart, —
He says: "O precious soul that thou art!"
And at last it begins to burn within him:
"O man, I must get to know thee!" —

He strides with spurred step
Into the narrow neighboring house, —
Knocks, throws open the door kindly:
"Ah, Sir! be not angry
That you are disturbed so early:
I have heard your morning hymn!

"It has pierced to my heart,
So that I have come tenderly to love you.
If it please you, then say also, you,
What are you called, venerable man?
For gladly with joy would I serve
You, who have appeared to me so full of blessing."

Then with a bright countenance looks
The strange guest at the knight.
""I am called Luther, and according to duty
Have just performed my morning devotion.""
The knight hastens to embrace him,
His hatred of heretics is wholly gone.

"Ah, dearest Father, ah, forgive!
Only yesterday I meant it ill;
Now I offer you today my escort, —
The enemy has become a friend!
If you will but let me do it,
I will lead you gladly along your roads!" —

Herr Luther gave back the kiss
That the noble knight offered him.
Away they rode with the greeting of peace,
The two of them now in the morning red,
And soon in the beam of the sun
Our Count was won for Christ.

(Christoterpe 1846.)

(Contributed by Pastor Selle.)
Church News.

Dear Brother Walther!

On the 28th of June last there arrived at my house the dear gentlemen Volkert and Stubnatzy, who had taken their candidate examination at the Synod in Fort Wayne and had been assigned for the service of the Church in this region. To a man in the settlement at Coopers Grove I sent word forthwith that on the 5th of July I would be with them in company with the latter gentleman, and that divine service should then take place. Likewise I requested Mr. P. Brauer of Addison to meet us there at the appointed time. Unhappily he was prevented from accompanying the young brother to his place of appointment by indisposition, but especially by the intrusion of Methodists into his congregation. So we two had to set out alone on our way, on the afternoon of the 4th of July, with a hired coachman. Our first reception in the settlement concerned, 23 miles from here, was by no means a very encouraging one. Having misunderstood a description of the way to be taken in the prairie there, we had driven into an inclosed field. As we now, perceiving our error, were just taking counsel how at the other end of the property we should get through the fence, we heard behind our backs a loud outcry, with dreadful curses, such as our ear had not met with for a long time. Two men rushed after us, and the one, cherry-brown with rage, tore out of the ground a mighty pole that had had to serve as a scarecrow besides, with nothing less in mind than to chastise us with it. It would truly have gone ill with us, had not the angel of the LORD still encamped round about them that fear Him, and delivered them! A good word found a good place: a friendly request for forgiveness of our wrong, called to him even from a distance, pacified the poor man somewhat, especially when he heard that we were Germans. So we were then under our God's