the new year, which is a time of much excitement and gaiety in
Washington, when the President holds a "reception," and there is a great
deal of visiting from house to house. On the evening of that day my
husband preached at the Foundry Church, from Exodus xvii. 1-7, when,
although it was a time of so much pleasure and amusement, between 700
and 800 people were present. On Jan. 3rd we visited Wayland Seminary, a
few miles from Washington, where he addressed 97 male and female
coloured students, who were being trained for missionary work: a deeply
important service. As they possessed great taste for music, and
considerable vocal talent, it was quite a treat to hear them sing; for
music--in the Lord's service--being carefully studied at this Seminary,
the sacred pieces which they sang were exquisitely given. In the evening
Mr. Mueller preached at Dr. Mitchell's Church, from Romans xii. 2, where,
after the service, one of the pastors came up to him and said: "God sent
you to America, dear Brother. That's _just_ the kind of teaching that we
want; something that will rouse and wake up _Christians_ as well as the
unconverted. God sent you to America, Sir; of that I am certain." On
Jan. 4th he preached at the Calvary Baptist Church, and on the 5th we
went to the Virginia Episcopal Theological Seminary, near Alexandria,
about 11 miles from Washington, and were driven three miles from the
railway station to the Institution in an open carriage in bitterly cold
weather, the thermometer being six degrees below zero, that is, it
registered 38 degrees of frost. There, in the presence of their
professors--4 in number--and the President, my husband addressed 41
young men, students, who were preparing for the ministry and for
missionary service; and about 40 young students from the High School
besides, who, with their tutors, had been invited to attend the meeting.
On Sunday, the 6th, he preached three times: in the morning at the
Metropolitan Church, a very large one, which was crowded; in the
afternoon at Lincoln Hall to about 1,500 persons; and in the evening at
the Foundry Church.
On the morning of Jan. 10th, at half past 9, we accompanied Mr. Shipley,
of Cincinnati (by appointment), to the White House, to be introduced by
him to the President and to Mrs. Hayes. They received us with much
courtesy, and, after making some inquiries about our work in England,
the former entered for half an hour into conversation with Mr. Mueller.
Mrs. Hayes afterwards conducted us through the White House, a large old
mansion, and showed us the State apartments, with the various objects of
interest which this residence contains.
On Jan. 11th Mr. Mueller addressed about 1,000 Christian Workers, at the
Lutheran Memorial Church, for an hour and 20 minutes; and on the 15th
spoke to the coloured students at Howard University for an hour, where
the work carried on is of a most important character. During the whole
of our stay at Washington, his time was fully occupied, and he preached
every evening, and sometimes twice a day, as long as we remained. On the
19th we visited the Capitol, which has a dome nearly 400 feet in height;
from the top of which the river Potomac, Mount Vernon, Alexandria,
Washington, and the whole neighbourhood could be seen, and afterwards
walked through the Government Buildings, public offices, etc. On the
morning of Sunday, Jan. 20th, Mr. Mueller preached at the First Baptist
Church, and in the afternoon at 4 o'clock gave a farewell address at the
Lutheran Memorial Church to a very crowded audience.
On Jan. 21st we left for Salem, in Virginia, 239 miles from Washington,
and on our way passed many of the places which were the scenes of
deadly conflict between the Federals and Confederates during the civil
war that raged in the United States many years ago. Near the line of
railway Cemeteries were to be seen, filled with long rows of graves
placed close together, and marked by white stones, where the corpses of
those who were slain in battle lie interred. Alas! what an awful,
melancholy war was _that_! After travelling for twelve hours, at 8 p.m.
we arrived at Salem, a small secluded town, 1,450 feet above the level
of the sea, situated in a beautiful valley amongst the Alleghany
Mountains. On the following evening my husband preached at the Lutheran
Church to a most crowded congregation, consisting of pastors,
theological students, ladies, country people, negroes, children, the
visitors from the Duval Hotel--where we were staying--its three
proprietors, the servants (one woman only being left at home); and an
elderly Welch minister from Merthyr Tydvil, for 30 years a resident in
the United States, walked seven miles from the country to be present at
the meeting. All who could possibly attend turned out to hear George
Mueller, of Bristol, England, who preached for upwards of an hour, and
was listened to with the liveliest interest and attention. On the
evening of the 23rd he held a second meeting at the Lutheran Church, and
addressed a densely crowded congregation, when the appearance of the
building plainly showed that it is not necessary to go to large cities
in order to have vast audiences. Hundreds of young men were present,
most of them students from Roanoke College and the Theological Seminary,
many of whom were standing at the entrance closely packed together;
whilst others sat upon the pulpit platform side by side. The gallery was
thronged. At the back of it several young men were standing upon forms,
with their heads near the ceiling, and upon the edge of the front seats
in the gallery a few boys were perched, with their legs hanging over the
pews, in a somewhat dangerous position. Mr. Mueller spoke for an hour and
35 minutes, giving (by particular request) some account of his life and
labours, and the meeting, which lasted two hours, was a very blessed
one. The next morning he spoke at the Theological Seminary to the
students, and in the evening preached for the third time at the Lutheran
Church, his particular object being to address the young men from
Roanoke College and the students of the Theological Seminary. The
portion of Scripture from which he spoke was Eccles. xi. 9, 10, and
chapter xii. 1.
On Jan. 25th we rose at 4, left the railway station--at some distance
from our hotel--at a quarter past six, and travelled, _via_ Lynchburg,
Dundee, Salisbury, and Charlotte, to Columbia, in South Carolina, where,
after a long, fatiguing journey of 378 miles, which it took 21 hours to
accomplish, we arrived at half past 3, early on the morning of the 26th,
and (by special invitation) went to the house of Chief Justice Willard.
The next day, (Sunday,) Mr. Mueller preached in the morning at the
Presbyterian, and in the evening at the Methodist Episcopal Church,
where, though the congregations were small compared with those in the
North, they were large for the Southern States. On the morning of the
28th we went through the State House, the Capitol of Columbia, and were
introduced by Judge Willard to the Governor, the Secretary of State for
South Carolina, the Comptroller-General, and other government officers.
We visited the Senate Chamber also while the senators were sitting, and
the House of Representatives, where, on the following morning (by
particular request), Mr. Mueller opened the deliberations of the day,
according to custom, with prayer. At 1 o'clock he addressed the young
men and lads at the Reformatory Prison, and, before our departure from
Columbia, preached four times at the different churches, giving an
address besides to 41 students, with their President and professors, at
the Theological Seminary on Feb. 21st. Columbia _was_ a fine city once;
but two-thirds of it were destroyed by fire during the civil war, and
the place, though now re-built, has never thoroughly recovered its
former beauty. It is situated on the Bluffs of the Congaree, and used to
be celebrated for its delightfully shaded streets, its lovely
flower-gardens, and the model plantations in its vicinity.
On the afternoon of the 1st we left Columbia for Charleston, the
metropolis of South Carolina, seven miles from the ocean; and after a
journey of 135 miles, arrived there on the 2nd, at half-past 12 in the
middle of the night. There, on the morning of Sunday the 3rd, Mr. Mueller
preached at the Citadel Baptist Church, and in the evening at Trinity
Church; but in consequence of the rain, which fell heavily all day, the
congregations were only small. On the two following evenings he held
meetings at the Second Presbyterian Church, addressed the orphans of the
Charleston Orphan Asylum on the 6th, in the presence of their teachers
and a number of gentlemen and ladies connected with the Institution, and
on the evening of that day preached at the First Baptist Church. On the
following evening he held a meeting for Christian Workers, and on the
8th preached at Morris Street Coloured Baptist Church, with great help
from the Lord, to 1,000 negroes and coloured people, and about 60
whites. On the morning of Sunday, the 10th, he preached at the Bethel
Methodist Church, and in the evening at the Citadel Baptist Church, a
very large building, where a union service or mass-meeting was held,
which was crowded to overflowing, most of the churches in the town
having been closed, that their congregations and ministers might be
present. On the following morning he addressed a meeting of pastors for
an hour and 10 minutes, preached in the evening at the Old Bethel Church
for coloured people, and on the 12th held a meeting at the Centenary
Church, where an immense congregation of negroes and coloured persons
assembled, many of whom stood in the aisles and outside the doors,
whilst numbers were unable to get in.
On Feb. 13th we left Charleston for Savannah, the chief city of Georgia,
and travelled all day slowly by "accommodation train" through one of the
great American swamps, a morass with stagnant water and luxuriant
vegetation on each side of the railway.
"This route lies within a few miles of the coast, and passes through
many of the seaside and lowland towns and villages of the State,
situated in the midst of the wildest, richest scenery. For miles the
rails are laid on piles passing through marsh and morass, and crossing
swift rushing streams; but it is in regions of this nature that the
grandest and most tropical vegetation is to be found. In this country of
miasmas, fever, and excessive heat, where, in the summer months, few but
the negro can exist, the most profuse and abundant vegetation thrives
luxuriantly. Extensive pine forests, lofty cypresses wreathed with
garlands of grey moss, the bay and the laurel covered with the vines of
the wild grape or ivy, and immense live oaks, line the road on each
side. Wild flowers grow in profusion during the spring and summer, and
the canebrake rises to a height of ten, twelve, or fifteen feet. In
these regions alligators abound, which delight in the muddy, stagnant
waters, and find in them a river home."
We passed many negro log-cabins, built where the ground was tolerably
firm; but they were wretched-looking habitations, damp and miserable,
many of them being mere hovels of a most unhealthy character. Though the
rice fields, cotton, sugar, and tobacco plantations may be benefited by
a constant supply of moisture, the damp heat produced by the sun's
scorching rays in summer, as they fall upon this marshy ground, is
exceedingly unhealthy, and produces yellow fever, which is often most
fatal in the Southern States.
Upon our arrival at Savannah--a beautiful city with plantations of
orange and lemon trees growing in winter in the open air, and adorned
with geraniums, creeping plants and various choice flowers--we accepted
an invitation to the house of Mr. Charles Green, a Christian merchant;
and during our short stay were entertained at his mansion most
hospitably. Whilst there, Mr. Mueller preached at the Baptist,
Independent, Presbyterian, and Methodist Episcopal Churches, gave
addresses to the girls of the Episcopal Orphan Asylum, of Whitefield's
Orphanage in Georgia, and spoke to the children of the Preventive Home.
Before our departure from Savannah, we took drives to Buonaventura
Cemetery, to Plantation, and to Thunderbolt, and particularly noticed
the luxuriant, but peculiar-looking, Spanish moss which attaches itself
to the trunks and branches of the trees, and grows in great profusion
all through the Southern States. Being of a grey colour, it is unlike
European moss, and forms a long, deep fringe, a kind of sweeping,
mournful drapery, which, as it is waved about by the wind, has so
melancholy an appearance that it seems appropriate for cemeteries, where
it is found in great abundance.
On Feb. 25th, Mr. Mueller gave a farewell address at the Presbyterian
Church, and on the 26th we went on board the "City of Bridgetown," an
"inland route" river steamer, in which, with 136 other passengers, we
sailed (via Brunswick and Fernandina) for Jacksonville, in Florida. By
the term "inland route," is meant a voyage down the river Savannah,
across lakes, estuaries, and along wide streams, but inside the land
which forms a boundary to the Atlantic Ocean. Our voyage proved,
however, most tedious and intricate; for several times the vessel
grounded, and as it was necessary to wait for the tide to rise and set
her afloat again, great delay and inconvenience were occasioned; but on
the afternoon of the 28th, after steaming through a most tortuous
water-course, a perfect labyrinth of winding streams, we got safely into
the St. John's river, and in the evening reached Jacksonville, after a
voyage of 350 miles, which it took 52 hours and a half to accomplish. We
arrived too late, however, for Mr. Mueller to preach that evening, though
the service had been advertised. He held meetings therefore in this city
five times only, all of which were numerously attended; and at Polk's
Hall, on Sunday evening, March 3rd, there was a union or mass meeting,
where a vast audience assembled, which was said to be the largest
congregation ever known in Jacksonville. Here, and in Florida
generally, vegetation was most luxuriant; for, as some parts of the
coast are only 130 miles from the West Indies, the climate of this State
is tropical; and flowers, fruit, and vegetables were in season, that in
most other countries can be obtained only in the summer.
On March 4th, at 3.45 p.m., we left Jacksonville, and travelled all
night in a train where the sleeping arrangements were more comfortable
than usual. The following day we crossed the Chattahoochee River, and in
the course of our journey became interested in a gentleman, very ill in
consumption, whose severe cough had reached us often in the night. He
had been staying in Florida for the benefit of his health; but, as he
said, "I can't talk," we ventured to hand him a couple of tracts;
"Eternity," and "How is it with you?" which there is reason to believe
he read. The train stopped at Dawson, Eufala, and many other places; and
at 9 o'clock on the evening of the 5th, we arrived at Montgomery, in
Alabama, after a tedious journey of 483 miles. Here, desiring to get on
quickly to Mobile (in Alabama) Mr. Mueller preached a few times only;
and, on the morning of the 9th, we rose at half-past 5, in order to
continue our journey further South. In the course of it we passed
several large cotton plantations, where cotton of the previous year
still remained upon the plants; peach trees in full blossom were growing
wild in great abundance, fir and pine trees by the million lined each
side of the railway, and occasionally "turpentine orchards" containing
the fir trees from which turpentine is made, were close at hand. At a
distance of about 20 miles from Mobile, we crossed the rivers Alabama
and Tombigby--fine broad streams, filled with water to the brim--a few
creeks, and a great quantity of marshy ground; and afterwards entered
one of the great "swamps," with which the Southern States abound. At
length, after 11 hours' slow travelling by "accommodation train," at 7
p.m. we reached Mobile, 180 miles from Montgomery, and were most kindly
received there by Judge Horton and his family, to whose house we went.
In this city, Mr. Mueller held a number of meetings, which (for the
Southern States) were numerously attended, and had daily happy
intercourse with Christian friends.
Our stay, however, was but short, for on the morning of March 15th we
bade them all adieu, and set off for New Orleans, Louisiana, 141 miles
distant, where, after stopping at 25 stations, travelling through inlets
of the Mississippi Sound, much swamp and water, and crossing the Bay of
St. Louis (a portion of the Gulf of Mexico) by a railway bridge two
miles in length, we arrived at a quarter before nine, on the evening of
the same day.
At New Orleans my husband held many meetings, including services at the
Canal Street Presbyterian, Carondelet Street, and Methodist Churches; he
preached also in German, at three different places of worship, and gave
two addresses, one to the 250 coloured students of Leeland College, and
the other to the coloured students of Straight University, 215 in
number. New Orleans, which is the chief cotton mart of the world,
contains a large Roman Catholic, French, and Spanish population, and is
said to be the most wicked city in the United States. During our visit,
Popish processions frequently passed along the streets, and little or no
regard was shown for the Lord's Day, when business was carried on as
usual. Before our departure we visited the Orange Groves and Lake
Pontchartrain; but with this exception, saw very little of the
neighbourhood.
On the afternoon of March 29th we went on board the "John Scudder," a
large river steamer, and at 6 p.m. left New Orleans, and started on a
voyage up the Mississippi, for Memphis, Tennessee. The room we occupied
was rather large, and was one of a great number of cabins ranged along
the sides of a very long saloon, used as a general sitting and
dining-room by the passengers. It had two berths, six little windows--or
ventilators--close to the ceiling, and two doors, one of which opened
into the saloon. The food provided for the passengers was excellent, but
no drinking water was to be had on board, except the unfiltered water of
the Mississippi; and this was so full of impurities, and muddy sediment,
which formed a thick deposit on the bottom of any vessel where it was
allowed to stand, that we could neither make up our minds to drink it
cold, nor in the form of tea or coffee, particularly as it was said to
have an injurious effect upon the health. We therefore obtained a jug
filled with ice, allowed the ice to melt, and after mixing a little wine
with the water, to take off the coldness of it, procured a wholesome
palatable draught. On the evening of March 31st, Mr. Mueller (by
permission) held a meeting in the saloon, when he addressed the
passengers, coloured servants, and as many of the ship's company as were
able to attend; but though there were a few Christians on board who
appreciated the service, the passengers were chiefly worldly people, who
amused themselves every evening in the saloon with music, singing,
dancing, and card-playing, from which there was no escape, as in our
cabin, we could distinctly hear, even if we did not see, all that was
going on. The voyage, however, though slow, was a pleasant one upon the
whole. The Mississippi, or "Father of Waters," from its source in
Minnesota, to its mouth in the Gulf of Mexico, is 3160 miles in length;
but the _Upper_ Mississippi is considered much more beautiful than the
lower portion of the river. Whilst on board, Mr. Mueller was occupied a
few hours every day in writing the new Report, and on April 3rd, at 6
p.m., we landed at Memphis--situated on one of the Chickasaw Bluffs of
the Mississippi--after a voyage of about 800 miles. There we passed the
night at an hotel in very _un_comfortable quarters, and, at 11.15 on
the morning of the next day, left by rail for St. Louis, Missouri, a
city of more than half a million of inhabitants, where, after a journey
of 327 miles, we arrived at 7.15 a.m. on April 5th, and went immediately
to the Planters' House.
On Sunday, April 7th, Mr. Mueller began his work by preaching in the
morning at the Second Presbyterian Church, and in the evening at the
Pilgrim Congregational, when, upon each occasion, the audience was
immense. On the 8th, he gave an address on prayer at the Methodist
Episcopal Church, to crowds of hearers, and preached at Pine Street
Presbyterian Church on the evening of the 9th. On the 10th and 11th, he
held meetings at the Second Baptist and at Lafayette Park Presbyterian
Churches, and on the 12th addressed an assembly of at least 2,500 at the
Centenary Methodist Episcopal Church, the largest in the city. On the
13th, at the German Protestant Orphan Home, nine miles from our hotel,
he spoke to 161 orphans in German, in the presence of their teachers and
other persons; on Sunday morning the 14th preached at Dr. Brookes's
Church, Walnut Street, on the second coming of Christ, and on the
evening of that day, at the Mercantile Library Hall, addressed a mass
meeting of Germans, about 2,000 in number. On the morning of the 15th,
he attended a meeting for pastors--when he spoke to 150 for an hour and
20 minutes--and in the evening preached at a German Church, at the
corner of Autumn and Tenth Streets. On the 16th, a meeting for Christian
Workers was held at the First Presbyterian Church, when he addressed a
congregation of 1,200, and on Wednesday evening, April 17th, preached a
farewell sermon at Dr. Brookes's Church, from the Epistle of Jude,
verses 20-21, with great power and solemnity. Throughout the whole of
our stay at St. Louis the meetings were exceedingly large, on week
evenings as well as on Sundays; and the interest and attention
manifested throughout the whole series of services were most
encouraging.