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2 (148) T H ? P
Summer Holia
REV. BUTTY AN M'LEOD, PH. D. PASTOR FIH
More and more every year Europe becomes,
for the summer months, the recreation ground
of Americans. The past summer saw a pro
gram exceedingly attractive to the general
tourist?Olymnie iraines. Stockholm? Mn&i.
ciau's convention, Nuremberg; Wagner's
music festival, Munich aud the great aviation
coutests at Geneva. The writer was not attracted
to Europe by any one of these but Wiu
fortunate enough to reach Geneva in time to
enjoy the latter.
Wishing to reap the benefit of direct intercourse
with Germany, Tyrolese and Frenen
Alps and Switzerland we take a whizzing express
train from Amsterdam to Cologne. From
our hotel, Excelsior Ernst, we had an exceptionally
line view of the Cologne Catnedral li e
finest model of Gothic architecture in the
world. It was late afternoon when we visited
it. Our guide took great pains in showing us
the many things that make the Cathedral a
veruauie snrine to tnose ot tue itoman laitu?
the shrine of tiie wise men who brought frank
incense and myrrh to the Christ Child and a
part of the chain that bound Peter in prism.
The Church of St. Ursula also afforded the interesting
sight of the bones and skulls of the
eleven thousand virgins murdered by the Iluns
in the tifth or sixth century. It was with real
regret that night came on and too that we
were obliged early next morning to leave this
charming city behind; but we are going to
add some new regions of Europe's beauty to
our acquaintance, viz., the famous trip up the
Rhine.
At nine A. M., we boarded one of the fine.
Rhine steamers and directly we were passing
castles, ruins and vineyards and over all shone
the hot July sun. The Rhine has a warm spot
in every heart who has sailed up or down its
stream. "When you pass an old castle, ruin
or some charming spot you immediately want
to know the legend connected therewith. Allow
me to quote one. At the foot of the old
Drachenfels, near Bonn, is the lovely little valley
of lionnef. Here your ears are filled with
the delightful songs of nightingales. This has
been their meeting place for many, many years.
llie old legend teds as why. lliey formerly
sang by the old Abbey Himinerode and many
a monk, who heard their seductive songs, had
awakened in him many of the sinful pleasures
he had renounced. One day St. lieruhard came
to the Abbey, lie was distressed to learn of
the monk'8 turning from the saintly path. 11m
went out into the forest and cried "Go from
lierel Ye are a curse to us." Soon there was
a stir in the forest, hundreds of nightingales
rose from the branches and again filled the ah
with thnir enlrutic.imr sou:/. Thev lel't the
Abbey Forest and settled in the valley of
lionucf where their nllunug warbles are now
heard. This uud muny oilier legends afford
you much pleasure urnid those charming landscapes
and ruins.
From Mainz we continued our journey to
two of the renowned watering places of Germany?Wiesbaden
and Baden-Baden. These
arc attractive and fashionable watering places.
delightfully situated in a fruit and vine country.
lu the former there are several hot mineral
springs in different parts of town; the
waters, used for drinking and bathing, have a
beneficial and restorative effect. In the latter
is the hot spring in the Kurhaus which has a
powerful diuretic and strong aperient action.
Its uses are recommended by German aud
French physicians for digestio, respiratory,
1
RESBYTSRIAN OF THE 80
hys in Europe
1ST PRES ClIURCn, I1ARRODSBURQ, KY.
and liver troubles, rheumatism and gout. The
concerts and varied entertainments, and the
loveiy country, wmi tnc glamor ot legend
clinging to the Black Forrest, surrounding
them, make a vacation at either Wiesbaden or
y
Baden-Baden an unforgettable pleasure.
A tourist's time is limited and he must
hasten on. The next place of interest is Heidelberg.
Heidelberg is a beautiful town in the
Rhine valley, the swift Neekar dividing it.
One poet thus sang its praise:
Old Ilcidclbcrg! Thy beauty
Is crowned with honors rare; (
Ao town on Iihine or Acckar
Can unto thee cotnpaie.
neiucioerg casne is nail way up a forest
clad lull and is a magnificent sight to behold,
from some of the dilapidated windows of the
castle ruin, the enchanting beauty of the Khineluud.
The oldest part of this castle was built
about 1300 by liudolph I. During, the thirty
years' war it sutfercd much from the French
urmy and in 1131 it was struck by lightning
and rendered uninhabitable. The ruins, however,
show two things, the extravagant lavishncss
of the owners and the excellent architects.
The town has an interesting history. It was
Vtnrn I .lit linr lmM liio I'o rnnna /I nhntn in <l??
MV4V MuiMVA aswAtA U1|] luiuvuo uvvuvw iu itiu i;vuventioa
of the Augustine friars; here lived
Otto Henry who advocated so zealously the
Confession of Augsburg; here lived Frederic
111 who established the Iteformed (Calvinistic)
doctrine and who was instrumental in gelting
the celebrated Heidelberg Catechism
formulated. In the town are two interesting
churches, St. Peter's church where Jerome of
Prague posted up his thesis on its door in 1406;
the Heiliggcistkirche which was, during the
reformation period, an object of bitter strife.
ju i/uu a nappy solution was reached by dividing
it into two parts by a wall, tho Catholics
using the choir part and the Protestants
the Nave.
But the chief object of attraction is the university.
It was cur good fortune to visit tho
town while the summer was in session. Two
of the outstanding features of university student
life are Career (student's prison) and
fencing which is a form of duelling. A student
is never killed fenciucr but !u? troia mnnu /I la
figuring cuts on his head and face. This fencing
is done between corps and strange to Ray
the students are extremely proud of their scars
and their lady friends are prouder still. The
Career contains many reminiscences dating
bach three and four hundred years. This pr'13
on is a part of Heidelberg student life and no
young man considers himself a member of llie
student body unless he lias spent sometime in
the Career. Rowdyism, disobedience or any
petty offense may render them liable, and
when the student is sentenced, he selects the
most convenient time for liiin to spend in the
Career.
Leaving Heidelberg we visit several of the
most picturesque towns of Bavaria?the second
largest province of the German Empire.
The first in order was Nuremberg?a town deriving
as much or more glory from the past
as from its industrial importance of the present.
Its imposing castle, its beautiful churches,
its Kathaus with an underground walk to
the well of the castle, its narrow streets and its
historic inn arc n few of the rich sights that
may be seen. But its connection with the reformation
also interested us. It was the first
0 T H I February 19, 1913
town in Bavaria that accepted the reformation
doctrines. Melaucthou labored in this city and
his statue now stands in front of the old Gymnasium.
The intluence of lians Sachs, the shoemakcr-poet,
counted lurge in this movement,
llis 4' Wittenberg Nightingale'' becume the
war cry of l'rotestautisin all over Germany.
ltothcnbcrg, auothcr charming Bavarian
town, is one of the oldest walled towns in Eu
rope. 11 is one ot the most ideal spots in the
world. Artists, poets und historians will tind
in it a place abounding in opportunities for
their gifts and talents. Do not overlook Rotheuberg
in your tour through Germany. Munich,
the capital of Bavaria, is a beautiful town.
It abounds in line churches, art galleries, palaces,
museums und many places of interest.
Augsburg, short distance frouj Munich, is another
important town of Reformation period.
We took great pleasure in standing on the
supposed spot where the confession of Augsburg?written
largely by Luther and Melanc
tliou?was placed in the liauds of the emperor
aud it served only to strengthen our Protestant
faith.
Charming as was Bavaria the weather was
oppressively warm aud right glad were we
that our itinerary carried us into the Tyroiese
Alps. It was our jileasure to spend several
days in the Alpine capital of Europe?Inns- ,
bruck?enjoying the snowy peaks and cool
wiuds which remind you of the delights of an
A i - i *
xxjpmu bumiuur. xi is a spot par excellence lor
rest and recreation. God has made creation
everywhere beautiful but nowhere is nature so
grand and so awing as among the Tyrolese
Alp* _ 1-"^
We will purposely omit the Swiss Alps with
its picturesque Slaiiserhorn near Lucerne, its
majestic Jungl'rau near interlaken, Montreux
at one end and llmievji ??t tl?<? Atimr Kno.it;
iul Lake Leiuau and puss into the French Alps
to (Jliuinouix the most picturesque village in
the world. There are scenes of our lives that
seem to pass iulo the memory, aud there translix
themselves with a strange power. This
scene at (JhamounLx is one of them, it was,
with grcut pleasure that we found ourselves
uiigliliug from the tram at this little village in
the vale of (Jhauioumx. We wandered down
I lie country road to weave our iaucies of this
bcoue without interruption. Facing Mt. Blanc
rose the glacier des liossoiis to our right and
Mcr de (Jlucc to our left; behind us another
raugc of the minor French Alps and a turbulent
stream, fed by the glaciers above, llows
through the green ineudows of the valley. Before
us, rising in incomparable majesty was
snow cupped ^lt. Blunc. The next day found
us disciplining our nerves by a descent from
Montavert to Mer de Glace. Several hours of
this experience sufficed and we reluctautly
closed our Alpine vacation. We will never
forget the happiness this vacation brought nor
the wonderful beauties of Alpine scenery, for
we felt that we fouud the link between nature
and the supernatural
ETERNAL JUSTICE.
i wo men carved on two shapeless blocks of wood.
Each doing all be could to make him fair.
And one carved what men called both great and good.
The other carved, but carved unto despair.
? %
And when the finished statuettes were brought
Unto the Master?whom all men call Lord?
He kept them both, to lllui each one was art.
And gave unto both men the same reward!
?John R. Moreland.
I am not careful for what may be a hundred
years hence. lie who governed the world before
I was born will take care of it likewise
when I am dead. 'My part is to improve the
present moment.?John Wesley.