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Show FROM GERMANY, INTT-JUiSTING LETTER FROM ELDER EL-DER CHAS. H MILES. To the Editor: Two copies of the News reached ine this morning:, the first received, and I do not think I could have enjoyed a home letter more than this, our homo paper. In looking through its columns, I see that as yet, you are not burdened with missionary letters so can conclude that a few- lines from the German ''Kaiserstadt," where two of "Dixie's" sons, Elder Geo. C. Gardner of Pine Valley and the writer, are located, would not be uninteresting to your readers. It is now nearly two years since I set foot in the ''Fatherland" and some twenty-six months since leaving Zion's peaeeful vales. The first fifteen months of my mission were spent in Nuremberg, in the Kingdom of Bayern: from there I wa3 called to Switzerland, where I spent about three months in the city of Basil and in traveling with Pres. Lotensock through that beautiful little republic. At the beginning of the present year, the Swiss a;id German Ger-man mission was separated; and I was called' to Berlin to continue my labors. Here I was met by Elders D. H. Chris-tensen Chris-tensen of Payson, Utah, and A. J. Stewart, Stew-art, Jr., of Provo. Since then outranks out-ranks have been increased to seven, E. H. Ashton Salt Lake City, T. C. Winn Nophi, Geo. C. Gardner, who came here from Hanover, and T. W. Jones Cedar City, arriving in order named. Berlin with its 1,700,000 of people offers a large field ior missionary work. We haye all the freedom we could desire, except perhaps the privilege of street preaching', and I hardly think either of us is particularly hankering for that. ' Regular, systematic- traetsng has been carried on here for the last two years, but in looking over the district covered, one conies to the conclusion that it will take "a long time to acquaint ac-quaint the people with our message of truth iu this way. But this is not the only channel through which we reach their eyes and ears. Two well advertised adver-tised conferences have been held during the last two years, which were reported by at least a dozen of the leading papers of the city. Our conference this year was held July 3rd in one of the principal princi-pal hotels. Pres. Rulon S. Wells of the European mission and Pres. Lout-ensock Lout-ensock of this mission, together with st.veral Elders from other conferences were present. Two meetings were held, the attendance averaging about lli-i.0 hundred. .The iV-ual Berliner does not care to be bothered with religion; re-ligion; plenty i.o eat and good beer to drink and he is satisfied. It is estimated estimat-ed that about one tenth of the population popula-tion attend the churches. Notwithstanding' Notwith-standing' this general indifference to matters religious, we still find one here and there who is willing to hear and render obedience unto the plan of salvation. sal-vation. Our little hall at Hochste St. 8 is crowded twice a week, and this eveninff we lead another candidate in- to the waters of baptism, making twelve additions to our branch during the last quarter. Berlin i3 just taking oil her mourn? ing apparel, donned in true and genu-, ine sorrow for Germany's greatest sou, who passed out of this life at 11 o'clock on the night of July 30th. Flags have been at half mast on seemingly half the houses in Berlin. Bismark's draped drap-ed bust and picture can be seen in scores of windows, and hawkers of Bismark postal cards, with cuts and sayings of the 1;Iron Chancelor" on them, can be heard on every hand. Some of these sayings, as, "Wo Germans Ger-mans fear God but'nothing else in the world." "I will die happy, since I have helped to unite my country and make her great and mighty," etc., etc., show him to hare been a German in all the word implies, and the desire to serve his country to have been paramount para-mount with him. The following which I transulate from his utterences indicate indi-cate the religious tendency of his nature, and his great faith iu his Maker: ''I cannot understand how a man. who thinks about himself and still knows nothing of God and wants to know nothing, no-thing, can hold out his life against ted-iousness ted-iousness and contempt. 1 do not know how I have held out heretofore, if 1 should live now as then, without God, without wife, without children, why for a fact 1 do not know why 1 should not lay this life down as a dirty garment." gar-ment." And again: "Life wonid have no value if death here below were the last of us."' As husband and father his example is worthy of emulation; bow tender and beautiful are theo words: 'The health of niv wife is mv own health." The consolidation of the German states was a master work and Bismark's was the master hand. Germany "'ill wail long for a greater. The Elders in this conference arc-well arc-well and happy in their labors. Elder Gardner and 1 send love and greetings to friends and acquaintances, and call attention to the fact that letters from them adressed as follows will reach - us all right. Needless to say the Xkvvs will always be a welcome visitor. Ciias. H. Miles. Hochste-trasse 8, Berlin, Geimany. |