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and the fear and love of God, in a most touching manner. Sometimes we stood still to admire the beauties of nature, and at others to listen with earnest attention to his impressive discourse. One moment was particularly effecting; when, stopping about half way up the hill, he answered in the softest tone to our question 'Ja ich bin glücklich,' (Yes, I am happy). These words are seldom uttered by an inhabitant of this world, and they were so delightful from the mouth of one who is a stranger to all the favors of fortune to all the allurements of luxuryand who knows no other joys than those which religion and benevolence impart, that we longed to live like him, that we might also participate in the same happiness.

"The moon rose in all her majesty, and night drew on, before we recollected that the time to return was approaching; when pastor Oberlin exclaimed, 'If five years are necessary to bring a ray of light from Sirius to this world, though travelling at the rate of twelve millions of miles in a minute, how much swifter must the communications of Spirits be! (Dan. ix. 21.) What is so swift as thought?' and he then imaged to us the facility with which he apprehended we should approach one another in a future

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"The following morning we set off to return the visit which he had paid us on the preceding day. We found the worthy pastor in his morning gown; it was plain, but whole and clean. He was just on the point of concluding a lecture; his pupils had, like their master, something soft, indeed almost heavenly, in their look.

"The house stands well, and has, from the garden side, a romantic view; in every part of it that kind of elegance, which is the result of order and cleanliness, prevails. The furniture is simple; yet it suggests to you that you are in the residence of no ordinary man ; the walls are covered with maps, drawings, and vignettes, and texts of Scripture are written over all the doors. That above the dining room door is, 'Blessed are they who do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled.' And over the others, are texts enjoining love to God and our neighbour. The good man implicitly follows the divine command to write them over the door-posts. On our first entrance he gave us, each, as a welcome, a printed text, Abide in me, and I in you,' 'Seek those things which are above,' &c. His

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*

*See Deut. vi. 6, 7, 8, 9. and xi. 18, 19, 20.

study is a peculiar room, and contains rather a well-chosen, than numerous, selection of books in French and German, chiefly for youth. The walls are covered with engravings, portraits of eminent characters, plates of insects and animals, and colored drawings of minerals and precious stones; it is, in short, literally papered with useful pictures relative to natural history and other interesting subjects.

"The dinner commenced with a blessing. His children, two maids, and a girl who receives her instruction there, were at the table; there was a remarkable expression of softness in all their countenances.

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"Oberlin has a peculiarly happy method of improving occurrences, under the form of similies; and we are mistaken in supposing him a mystic. The Gospel,' said he, 'is my standard. I should be afraid of trusting myself alone without it.' He then related to us many of the difficulties he had to encounter, and the sacrifices he had to make, at the commencement of his career in the Ban de la Roche. 'But now,' continued he, checking himself, let me observe, it is as great a fault to talk of our own virtues as of the faults of others."

"It is surprising to witness the sound sense, refinement, and superiority of mind evinced by

these simple peasants; the very servants are well-educated, and are clothed with that childlike spirit, which is one of the truest tests of real religion. One of them, who is a widow, made many good remarks to us on the duties of married life. In order to introduce and preserve domestic peace,' said she, 'let us turn to Him who is peace.'

"I am writing this at his table, whilst he is busy preparing leather gloves for his peasant children. His family are around him, engaged in their different avocations; his eldest son, Frederic, is giving a lesson to some of the little ones, in which amusement and instruction are judiciously blended; and the Cher Papa, without desisting from his employment, frequently puts in a word. He took me this morning into his work-shop, where there is a turner's lathe, a press, a complete set of carpenter's tools, also a printing-press, and one for book-binding. I assisted him in coloring a quire of paper, which is intended for covers of school-books. He gives scarcely any thing to his people but what has been, in some measure, prepared by his own or his children's hands..

"He will never leave this place. A much better living was offered to him-No,' said he, 'I have been ten years learning every head

in my parish, and obtaining an inventory of their moral, intellectual, and domestic wants; I have laid my plan. I must have ten years to carry it into execution, and the ten following to correct their faults and vices.'

"Pastor Oberlin is too modest and generous not to bear testimony to the worth of his predecessor, who had begun to clear this wilderness, and to raise the superstructure, which he has so beautifully completed.

"Yesterday, I found him encircled by four or five families who had been burnt out of their houses; he was dividing amongst them articles of clothing, meat, assignats, books, knives, thimbles, and colored pictures for the children, whom he placed in a row according to their ages, and then left them to take what they preferred. The most perfect equality reigns in his house; children, servants, boarders, — are all treated alike; their places at table change, that each in turn may sit next to him, with the exception of Louisa, his house-keeper, who of course presides, and his two maids, who sit at the bottom of the table. As it is his custom to salute every member of his family, night and morning, these two little maids come very respectfully courtesying to him, and he always gives them his hand and inquires after their

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