another stage waggon, drawn by five horses, was continued. The early
morning air was cool and pleasant, and the sky unclouded; but our new
driver urged on the horses also to their utmost speed, and, after
rattling up and down steep declivities, and galloping along rugged
roads, we reached the end of a stage of about 18 miles, and got into
another waggon. Our next coachman, happily, was of a different mould,
for _he_ conducted us slowly and carefully along. At 12 we reached the
dinner station, and at 1 set off again in another waggon, with five
fresh horses. At 3 o'clock we alighted at some "Big Trees," the largest
of which was 66 feet in circumference, and 420 feet in height; and,
through the trunk of a tree partially burned down, a road was being
made, wide enough for two carriages side by side to be driven between
the outside portions of the stump. After leaving the "Big Trees," our
journey was continued, and, having gradually all the morning been going
up hill, an elevation of about 8,000 feet above the level of the sea was
shortly reached, where much snow lay upon the ground. At about 4 o'clock
we began gradually to descend into the Valley; and, as the waggon was
slowly driven down hill, the wonders of the great Yosemite (pronounced
Yozemitty) at every turn broke in upon us. Stupendous perpendicular
precipices, as we advanced, reared their gigantic summits, like enormous
walls into the sky; the Bridal Veil Waterfall, with its rainbow hues,
looked beautiful; whole ranges of rocky peaks and towering heights were
seen; and one Cataract succeeded another, until at last, soon after 6
o'clock, we drove up to Barnard's Hotel, exactly opposite the Falls of
the Yosemite.
The next morning (Sunday, May 26th) Mr. Mueller preached in the large
dining-room of the hotel, where he addressed the visitors of the house,
and of the two other hotels in the Valley. A gentleman from San
Francisco, another from the Eastern States, a lawyer from Washington,
two gentlemen from England, some ladies, and a number of other persons
formed the congregation. After the service we conversed with several,
and distributed little books and tracts amongst them, which were
gratefully accepted. Being without hymn books, there was no singing; and
our only music was the thunder of the Cataract close by.
The next morning we surveyed the "Falls of the Yosemite, three in one,
formed by a stream of water which takes a leap of 1,600 feet from the
top of the rock into a vast basin of rock, where, gathering strength, it
again leaps forth a distance of 434 feet, and, falling between the North
Dome and the Three Brothers, rebounds, and takes its final plunge of 600
feet into the Valley. Twenty-four thousand gallons of water roll over
the edge of the cliff every minute; and probably no Falls in the world
can be compared with these in _height_." During our brief sojourn in the
Yosemite, we visited all its chief points of interest. "This Valley is
on the western slope of the Sierra Nevadas, and is a narrow gorge about
10 miles long and half a mile in width, enclosed within gigantic granite
precipices like monstrous walls, which rise, almost unbroken and
perpendicular, to a height of from 4,000 to 6,000 feet above the green,
quiet vale beneath. Its most remarkable features are its perpendicular
walls, and their great height, as compared with the narrow width of the
Valley. In the spring and early summer it is one vast flower garden, and
plants, shrubs, and flowers, of every hue, cover the ground as with a
carpet. El Capitan is the most prominent attraction it contains, which,
though not as high as some of its giant neighbours, is remarkable for
its isolation, height, prodigious breadth, bold shape, and defiant
attitude, as it stands up like an enormous wall, the Great Chief of the
Yosemite. It is 3,300 feet above the Valley,--which is itself 4,000 feet
above the level of the sea--is solid, massive, seamless, thousands of
millions of tons in weight; and its grey granite sides, destitute of
vegetation, are perpendicular."[B] The Bridal Veil Waterfall leaps a
distance of 940 feet into the Valley, and a beautiful rainbow was
produced by the sun's rays as they fell upon it. From Artists' Point and
Inspiration Point, a fine general view of the Yosemite is obtained; and
three miles off is Mirror Lake, at the foot of, and between the North
and South Dome, which reflects every rock, ledge, and mountain like a
mirror. The Cathedral Rocks, the Sentinel Rock, the Three Brothers,
etc., also form a portion of the mountain scenery. The Vernal Fall (or
Cataract of Diamonds) and the Nevada Falls, in wild, romantic
situations, are also grand and beautiful; but, as the wonders of this
neighbourhood, if entered into fully, would require a volume, a minute
description of them cannot be attempted.
[B] "Nordhoff's California."
On May 29th we rose at half past 4, and at 6, after taking outside
seats, started, with ten other passengers, in a stage waggon, drawn by
five horses, on our return journey. Our drive _up_ the mountains, which
was slow and gradual, occupied several hours; but in the afternoon we
began to descend them on the other side, when the road became wider and
the route less solitary, and at 4 o'clock a cart approached, in which a
man and woman were seated. They drew up on one side of the road to let
us pass, when, just as our waggon reached the spot, the woman stood up
and eagerly called out, "Is that George Mueller?" "It is," was the reply.
"Then I _must_ shake hands with you, Sir. I have read your 'Life of
Trust,' and it has been a _great blessing_ to my soul." With this the
good woman leaned forward and stretched out her hand; we shook hands
also with her husband; but who they were, and whence they came, we knew
not, nor was there any time to ask. Her last words were, "Pray for me!"
After changing horses twice, towards evening we reached a district upon
level ground, which had been cut up into a vast number of furrows and
channels for gold digging, where hundreds of acres had been cleared
completely of the precious metal. At 6 o'clock we reached Priest's
Hotel, and were afterwards driven at a rapid rate down the steep hill
close to it. A ferry boat then conveyed us across the Tuama River whilst
seated in the waggon; the horses waded through Wood's Creek, and at last
we reached the Garret House, Chinese Camp, where at half past 7 we
alighted for the night. The next day we rose at half past 3, and at a
quarter before 5 were again "en route." At the Union Hotel,
Copperopolis, we arrived in two hours and three-quarters, and at half
past 10 reached Milton, from which place we went on immediately by rail
to Stockton, where our luggage (which had been telegraphed for) was sent
to meet us at the station.
At a quarter past 12 on the same day (May 30th) we left for Sacramento,
the capital of California, 48 miles from Stockton, where Mr. Mueller
preached at one of the Churches in the evening to about 1,000 persons.
The next morning, at 10 o'clock, he held another meeting, and in the
evening preached, for the third and last time, at Sacramento to a very
large audience.
On June 1st, at 2 p.m., we set off by the Central Pacific Railway for
Salt Lake City; on the 2nd distributed little books and tracts amongst
the passengers, by whom the train was crowded; and at 8 a.m., on June
3rd, reached Ogden, where, branching off for Salt Lake City, the
capital of Utah--1,068 miles West of Omaha, and 916 East of San
Francisco--we arrived at 11.40 the same morning. "It lies in a great
valley, extending close to the Wahsatch Mountains on the North, with
more than 100 miles of plains stretching towards the South; beyond
which, in the distance, rise snow-covered mountains, the highest of
which is 11,400 feet above the level of the sea. The waters of the Great
Salt Lake are _so_ salt, that no living creature can exist in them. The
city covers an area of nine square miles, its streets--or roads--are
long and very wide; and, as each dwelling has a garden, or orchard, the
whole place looks like one large plantation." In the evening, at the
Congregational Church, Mr. Mueller preached the gospel in this city
(which is the great stronghold of Mormonism), in the plainest, clearest,
most decided manner; and on the following day had interviews with
several Christians.
Before our departure we visited the great Mormon Tabernacle, said to
hold 13,000 people. It is of wood, and has 46 pillars of red sandstone,
with an immense dome resting on them like a roof; but it did not look
large enough to contain more than from 9,000 to 10,000 at the utmost.
Lion House, the former residence of Brigham Young, was also pointed out.
His body lies buried in a miserable, neglected piece of ground--a sort
of back yard--and his grave is covered by a large, flat stone, bearing
an inscription; but what the epitaph upon it was, we did not care to
ascertain. The residences of his 18 wives are also in the city. From
Camp Douglas, a military station which stands upon an eminence outside
the town, Salt Lake City appears embowered in trees, and little more
than the roofs of the houses are visible.
In the evening Mr. Mueller preached at the Methodist Church, where he
addressed a large congregation, including several Mormons; and after the
service conversed with many of the hearers. Having been told that his
ministry was more needed at Salt Lake City, than at almost any other
place in the _world_, he greatly regretted being unable to hold other
meetings; but as our time was limited, and engagements had been made for
other places, we could not possibly remain. The morning of June 5th,
therefore, was fixed upon for our departure, when we rose at a quarter
before 5, and at 7 o'clock left by train for Ogden, 35 miles distant,
whence, after engaging a "section" in a Pullman's carriage, we set off,
at 10, by the Union Pacific Railway, for Omaha.
The train (a very long one) was full of passengers, and, when seated in
the carriage, we heard that a gentleman, an invalid, had died suddenly
the night before, whilst travelling on the Central Pacific Railway.
After he had retired to his berth, a violent fit of coughing came on,
which occasioned the rupture of a blood vessel, and in three minutes he
was dead. He was not accompanied by any relative or friend. Some
railway officials carried his body immediately into the smoking
compartment; but though the circumstance was concealed from the other
passengers as much as possible, the sad event soon became generally
known. On the 6th we breakfasted at Rock Creek; reached Summit House,
Sherman, 8,235 feet above the level of the sea, at half-past one; dined
at Cheyenne; and, after travelling for some hours, reached the prairies
on which there were a few wild antelopes and immense herds of cattle,
followed by men on horseback keeping them together. At 2 o'clock, on
June 7th, we reached Tremont, and at 4.30 arrived at Omaha, a journey of
1,032 miles from Ogden. At a quarter before 5 our journey was continued,
when, after crossing the Missouri, we went on to Council Bluffs, and
there got into a train with an hotel car attached to it, containing a
kitchen and a dining-room. On June 8th we rose early, breakfasted at 7
in the dining-room, reached Davenport at 11, and, after crossing the
Mississippi, arrived at Rock Island, the other side of the river. Later
in the day we crossed the Illinois, and at 4 in the afternoon arrived at
Chicago, after a journey of 503 miles from Omaha.
On Sunday morning (the 9th) Mr. Mueller preached at the First
Congregational Church, to about 1,500 people; and in the evening held a
meeting at Mr. Moody's Tabernacle, which seats 3,000. It contained an
immense audience, and numbers--including the choir--were on the
platform "Hold the fort, for I am coming," was sung with great spirit
at the opening of the service, the vast audience joining heartily in the
chorus; and after prayer and the reading of the Scriptures, my husband
spoke for an hour with much help and earnestness. When the meeting was
over, William Howell, an orphan, formerly on Ashley Down, who left in
1860, came up to shake hands with us. He was delighted to meet his early
friend and benefactor.
On the following afternoon, Mr. Mueller spoke at Farwell Hall for an hour
and a quarter to an audience of about 2,500, including many pastors;
after the meeting we shook hands with multitudes, amongst whom were two
more Orphans, formerly on Ashley Down, and on the morning of the 11th,
we took a drive with some friends through Chicago, when the scene of the
great conflagration of October, 1871, was pointed out.
"It had its origin in a small wooden barn or cow-shed, in the Western
district of the city, and, the fire gradually increasing, the flames,
fanned by a strong westerly wind, at last raged like a furnace, sweeping
everything before them; so that stone, iron, brick, and other hard
substances were burned up like chaff, the intensity of the heat being
indescribable. From the very outset the fire had been completely beyond
the control of any human agency, and it was only after it had raged with
the utmost fury for upwards of four and twenty hours, that a great storm
providentially drenched the city, and stopped the progress of the
flames. The number of buildings destroyed was 17,450, and 98,500 persons
were rendered homeless; but the hearts of millions were touched by the
catastrophe, and from all parts of the world contributions for the
relief of the sufferers were sent in. Three millions and a half of
dollars promptly came to hand, and were the means (under God) of saving
Chicago from the horrors which usually follow such an awful calamity."
On the afternoon of that day, Mr. Mueller preached again at Farwell Hall;
and in the evening we attended a "reception," at a gentleman's house,
where about 50 Christian friends had been invited to meet us. On the
morning of the 12th my husband addressed about 200 pastors and ministers
for an hour and a quarter; and in a note from a hearer received
afterwards the writer said,--"The meeting this morning was one of
_power_. I do not know of better days in the churches and in Farwell
Hall than these. The witness our Lord has sent by Mr. Mueller is one of
our greatest blessings." In the evening my husband preached at Dr.
Gibson's Church from the Epistle of Jude, verses 20, 21, and on the
following morning spoke (for the last time at Chicago) at Farwell Hall,
on the Second Coming of Christ, to nearly 2,000 people, a subject which
led many to inquire about this truth, who afterwards obtained light
respecting it.
In the afternoon at 5 o'clock, we left by rail for Cleveland, Ohio, 353
miles from Chicago; travelled along the shores of Lake Michigan--a
great inland sea, 500 miles in length, and from 90 to 100 miles in
breadth; and on June 14th, at 7 a.m., arrived at Cleveland, where Mr.
Mueller preached six times at the great Tabernacle to immense
congregations, occasionally numbering about 3,000. His last address, on
June 17th, was upon the Second Coming of the Lord, when he spoke with
great help and power. At Cleveland we remained a short time only; for
having (when at San Francisco) received an earnest invitation to return
to Washington, on account of the blessing which accompanied his ministry
during our first visit; on June 18th, at 5 p.m. we left, and after a
journey of 524 miles, arrived at Washington the next morning at 9
o'clock. Here Mr. Mueller held seven meetings, including services at
Lincoln Hall, the Calvary Baptist, Wesley, Fourth Presbyterian, and
Lutheran Memorial Churches; and, on Sunday evening, (June 23rd,) at the
Metropolitan Church, he preached a farewell sermon from 2nd Tim. iv. 7,
8.
On June 24th we rose at half past 3, left Washington by an early train,
and reached Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, at 11 a.m., where we visited the
field upon which, on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd of July, 1863, the great
battle was fought between the Union forces of the Americans under
General Meade, and the Confederate army under General Lee, when the
latter was defeated with a loss of many thousands of men. "In the
National, or Soldiers' Cemetery on the hill, there is a monument 60
feet high, around which are ranged, in semi-circular slopes, the graves
of many who fell during the war. The divisions between the States are
marked by alleys and pathways radiating from the monument to the outer
circle, the rows of graves being divided by continuous granite blocks, a
few inches high, upon which are the name and regiment of each soldier,
as far as could be ascertained. Originally about 32,000 corpses were
interred in this Cemetery, but eventually the Southern States removed
the bodies of their own soldiers and deposited them elsewhere." To look
upon this burial ground, literally _sown_ with the corpses of the slain,
was an affecting sight; but Jesus is coming and the resurrection, when
"_all_ that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and shall come
forth; they that have done good unto the resurrection of life, and they
that have done evil unto the resurrection of damnation." This Cemetery
is kept in beautiful order by the Government.
After leaving it, we returned to Gettysburg, and in the evening a
meeting was held at the College Church, when Mr. Mueller addressed the
students at Pennsylvania College, the students of the Theological
Seminary, and a large number of other persons for an hour and 20
minutes. On June 25th, we rose at 5, and leaving Gettysburg by the 6.45
train, reached New York the same afternoon, where we remained until
Thursday, the 27th, and on the afternoon of that day, at 2 o'clock,
sailed in the "Adriatic," (White Star Line,) for Liverpool. On Sunday
morning, June 30th, Mr. Mueller gave an address from John xiv. 2, 3, to
the cabin passengers, ship's officers, and a few steerage passengers in
the saloon, and held a conversational meeting likewise in the afternoon.
On the following Sunday morning, July 7th, he gave another address in
the saloon, a service which closed his labours for that tour. In the
course of it he spoke 308 times in public, and we travelled nineteen
thousand and fifty miles by land and water altogether. At 3 p.m. we
landed at Liverpool, returned the following day to Bristol, and upon
arriving in an open carriage at the top of Ashley Hill at half past 4,
found a little army of the Orphan boys and girls, with almost all our
helpers at the Orphan Houses, waiting to receive us. There, as we slowly
drove along, the boys cheered heartily, and the girls waved their
handkerchiefs, determined (as a by-stander remarked) to give us "a right
royal welcome"; and at the entrance of New Orphan House No. 3, a crowd
of children closed around us, with loving, friendly greetings.
FIFTH TOUR.
CONTINENT OF EUROPE.
_From Sept. 5th, 1878, to June 18th, 1879._
After remaining at the Orphan Houses on Ashley Down for eight weeks and
three days, (a period which gave Mr. Mueller time to attend to business
connected with the Scriptural Knowledge Institution, and to resume his
public ministry in Bristol,) on Sept. 5th, 1878, we went to Dover,
crossed over to Calais the next morning, and reached Paris by rail at 6
p.m. On Sunday, the 8th--morning and evening--my husband preached in
English at the Chapelle Evangelique, Rue Royale, and held another
meeting there on the evening of the 9th. On the following day we left
Paris for Dijon, and passed the night there; rose at 4 the next morning;
and, after continuing our journey to Neuchatel, proceeded thence to
Berne, where we arrived at 7 o'clock. On the evening of Thursday, Sept.
12th, Mr. Mueller preached in German at the Salle Evangelique, which was
crowded to overflowing, the lower part of the building, galleries, and
staircases being thronged. On the 13th, he held a meeting at the Eglise
Francaise; on the 14th addressed some poor people at a small Institution
at Muri, near Berne; on the 15th, 16th, and 17th, preached at the great
Eglise Francaise to very large congregations; gave an address on the
morning of the 18th, at a Seminary near the Fest Huette to 65 young men
who were being trained for teachers; and at 2 p.m. the same day we left
by rail for Thun, 18 miles from Berne. From there we drove to Gurzelen,
a village on the mountains, three miles from Thun, in a lovely situation
near the Alps, where, for the benefit of the poor of that locality, my
husband held two meetings at a Vereins Haus, which was crowded with
people from the country. On Sept. 19th we returned to Berne, and the
following evening attended a social meeting of Christians at "Die Enge,"
where he gave an address, and afterwards answered some important
questions that were put to him. On the afternoon of Sept. 21st he spoke
to between 600 and 700 Christian workers--including 300 teachers of
different denominations--at the Salle Evangelique; held a meeting on the
afternoon of Sunday, the 22nd, at the Fest Huette, and on the evening of
that day preached a farewell sermon, at the Eglise Francaise, to an
immense audience. On this occasion his subject was the Second Coming of
the Lord, on which he was enabled to speak with great power, and much to
the profit of his hearers, as we heard afterwards. At the close of this
meeting, before the benediction, Colonel von Bueren rose, and, on behalf
of the Christians of Berne, thanked him publicly for his visit to the
city; and here, before proceeding any further, it seems desirable to
make the following observations:--
Some of the readers of this Narrative may possibly feel inclined to
say--"With so much travelling from place to place, so many public
meetings, and such continual intercourse with strangers, how does Mr.
Mueller find time to attend to his _own_ spiritual welfare? Whence does
he obtain refreshment for the inner man _himself_? How do matters stand
between his _own_ soul and Christ?--because persons who are continually
engaged in ministering to others, more than any class of individuals
that can be mentioned, require divine grace and wisdom for
them_selves_." The reply to such inquiries is this. Through the goodness
of the Lord, he is a man _given_ to the reading of the Scriptures and to
prayer. Whether travelling or at rest, a day _never_ passes, without his
devoting as much time as possible to the diligent, prayerful study of
the word of God. He is a man of _one_ book; and that book is the Bible.
Besides reading the Scriptures regularly together early in the morning;
in the course of the day, whenever there is time, my husband employs it
in studying the Bible, in meditation, and in prayer. He waits habitually
upon _God_, and thus it is, that day by day, his spiritual strength and
vigour are renewed. This opportunity is taken, however, of commending
him earnestly to the prayers of the Lord's people; whether he may be
known or unknown to them personally.
On Sept. 23rd, at 9 in the morning, some sweet singing outside the door
of our room announced the unexpected arrival of Dr. Bloesch, a party of
Orphan girls belonging to the Institution he has founded, and four
teachers, who all stood outside in the passage until the German hymn was
finished; when a large bouquet of flowers from the gardens of the
children was handed in, a wreath of ivy, and an address in German,
beautifully written, congratulating Mr. Mueller upon the approach of his
birthday (on the 27th) and giving him Isaiah liv. 10, as a Scripture
portion. These young girls brought a small contribution also from their
own little pocket money, for the Orphans on Ashley Down. Their whole
visit was of a most touching character. After my husband had spoken to
them for a few minutes, they sang another hymn; we then shook hands with
them all, and the whole party took leave of us.
On the 24th, we left Berne for Thun, at 10.40 a.m., proceeded thence by
steamer to the other end of the lake, and afterwards went on by rail to
Interlaken, where we arrived at 2 o'clock. There, at half-past 3, Mr.
Mueller preached at the English Church in German; but, as the weather was
unfavourable, the congregation was very small. On the evening of the
following day, however, when he held another meeting at the same Church,
the audience was about five times as large as it had been on the
previous afternoon. Interlaken is in the vicinity of the glaciers of
Grindelwald, the Faulhorn, and the Wengern Alp; and is within a few
miles of the waterfalls, Giessbach, on Lake Brientz, and Staubbach in
the Valley of the Lauterbrunnen. The Jungfrau also, and other mountains,
can be seen from the town. From Interlaken, on the 26th, we went to
Thun, the chief town of the Bernese Oberland, where, on that evening and
the next, he addressed crowded congregations at the German Methodist
Church. On the 28th, by particular invitation, we returned to Gurzelen,
where, on Sunday morning (29th), Mr. Mueller preached at the village
Church to a congregation of country people, some of whom had walked many
miles to hear him. This place of worship was a quaint, old-fashioned
building. An hour-glass on a stand (intended, probably, to remind the
preacher of the flight of time, and to admonish him not to be too long
in delivering his discourse) projected conspicuously from the pulpit. In
the evening, my husband held a meeting at the Vereins Haus, and there
addressed a very crowded congregation.