Show HERR TERR KATE I I I how ilow martin luther wooed and won his worthy wife I I A memorial leaf for the fourth Centon centennial nial I for alio llio yew year years HERALD I ii it will be only less one year the laih of november 1883 that tb world will celebrate the fourth cen tennial anni errara of the birth of martin luther of him who among the hosts of reformers reform era of the catho I lie church stands rids preeminent as the most successful and he one whose I influence reached widest ind nd whose energy pierced deepest de pst into the oci all al political and religious life not on I ly of his fellow follow citizens and bontem por porres aries but of the nations abroad and tiia the generations to come in the life of th ahn great Ro reformer former whose energy made auch such avast a vast and lading lasting impression upon I the history of mankind for already three and one half centuries wo no ties four epochs which stand out in bold relief as lind land arks in bis ith I creer career the posting of the 97 theses these on the castle church in wittenberg oct 1817 his appearance at the th diet of worms april and 1521 the publication of hia his translation of the bible 1522 1521 24 and 1534 15 ard his marriaga marriage with catherine kato of bara bam juno june ith 1525 I nowadays in our enlightened century it sounds very hardler harn bar nit ler t luthers marriage but if we consider the condition ot of that age the inveterate prejudices tho the almost almot count less hosts opponents and adversaries who menaced him from all aides sides then bis his step must be designated as a rare proof of manly courage an act of unequaled independence and conscientiousness luther himself was well aware of oi the consequences of his dupre of the sacredly ober observed ved custom ot of celibacy of priests under date of nov noy 30 1524 he wrote wrol a that as for marriage he was wits neither of wood nor of stone but he had sc se u ples to take to him a wife as then he could not be safe for a day from the snares oi of borne rome at that time through a pro prod fessor on the university ha be was yei yet wearing the cassock of an augustine monk but as early earl as ivo five months later his resolution was mature dand on april I icib 1525 he wrote ina ins fa cadiou ca tiou letter to the same friend that he had ridded kidded himself of two of the three monastic vows and would henceforth cling to woman anis inep he did not only take in defiance of bis his foes but also re regardless gardle sit of the cautions of many of his friends carried aloft only by his con convection that he was doing right and rejecting at au unnatural restraint he did it to bear a practical testimony for the honor I with which he was about to endow and invest matri matrimony molly in his wedding there is little fire of passion it is rather reason which leads him as its wo we will learo from the following narrative it was a heavy time of misery war was raging through the land luther him himself belf though only 42 year years ot age I felt himself old and deemed that death was not far distant moreover he was annoyed by frequent plots against his life he was still living in the convent almost totally esolat ed with bis his frequent in dispositions 11 he be required nursing with his often recurring melancholia he needed the I I sympathy of a cheerful companion hence in spite of all difficulties luther resolved to break the barriers barriere and to enter iha the state of main matri mony but how this happened how doctor marinus Mari nuB came by his hi I frau fran kate or as he called her in ir pleasantry herr kato ia is odd enough born in the year 1499 catherine had bad been placed in the nunnery at near grimma as a girl oi of nine or ten tan years of age and in in 1515 she had been initiated and conse crated as a nun probably against her will this indeed by bf no mean meant agreed with her own bui bUL was wag only a consequence of the custom of the times by which girls from noble but impoverished families w ane e given a secure berth by installation in a convent catherines own out I sequent confession indicates thai tOut though outwardly faithful to the ob servance of the rules and ritual oi I the order sho she nr her soul entranced I or enthused by the ilaena ry y rel bious ideals in her mind ae as in in many of her monastic mates the dissatisfaction with their must have havo been strong I even before luthers declarations of tile invalid and offen offensive sivo character ohr acter of monastic vows cached beached them in the neighboring town of elgrim orian ma ins which openly indorsed endorsed indor sed th boube of reformation luther hd bad crepea repeated td ly preached and anti moreover there was among the thesis sisters tera of the convent a niece of jhn von staupitz the protector and adviser of if luther no wonder than i hat the writings of the rf reformer form e r found round their way into the fp amion aaion of the convent the effect fit thice writing was powerful in oi sequence thereof nine young nun among whom catherine voi vot B bora ara formed the tile firm resolve to bid dieu to convent lifs and to return no tito the world with its duties and arid dainties lit in iles privations and find pleasures laving in in vain appealed t ther relatives for liberation they choe anothny tri othey method they commini com muni ca cited ted their purpose to luther him elf who did not refuse the assist anco they asked for with hia his characteristic energy the reformer look took their cause in hand and conceived a plan for their deliverance which was success successfully rully executed A councilor Coucci lor of leonard kopew known to luther as a true ind sturdy adherent of the cause ol 01 the new gospel was wis drawn into i he secret and be he assisted the tho con vent sick maidens in their escape As the road from to tor gnu iu led through the domain of george eorge of saxony A zealous rapist the andert king was the more difficult however all preparations were made so that the intended escape remained a secret and finally succeeded when everything had been arranged koppe koppel in company banyol of two ts appeared in front odthe of the nunnery it was in the night of holy friday april and assisted the nine nuns over the walls into libe liberty arty the torgau counselor had with him a covered frei frel ht wagon load efem of empty ty cask a sin in which the tile fugitives hid themselves them selve one in each and off went the team with heir their human cargo toward borgqu every time that the wagon was wa stopped on tb the e journey and in inquiries into the contents were made mado koppe answered barrels of herrings the th goal of their flight was wit enberg tenberg where luther awaited them having secured hospitable reception for them in worthy b ir ghera families in an open circular the reformer appealed to the parents of the tile maidens to receive the maidens to their homes and not consign them to the unnatural doom of celibacy but only few parents responded and lut luther her had bad to care for the outcasts catherine of bora lound found an asylum in the house of tho the Bur gomas ter philip reichenbach cb where she conducted herself decent and do mure luther or c me frequently Y I in in her socie society tIr but without conceiving a a special id lection for her neither her exterior nor her whole being were fascinating while one of her liar lives eve of Sch confeld was endowed anh physical charms and noa blAd u cation at first luther endeavored to bring about bout a union between kate and one of his friends and adne adherents rents first an engagement was en into between kate and hieronymus a wealthy young stu student bent from nuremberg when he be however left wittenberg JIB nis affection soon cooled and the i e lation which had never been an in in timaly macy was broken off entirely thereupon t uther favored the wooi wo ing of another the preacher r e a c cher dr apar a par glatz who decler declared p d his big wil dingness lin gnes gness to lead her tier to the altar this plan boin bowsier bo weier ei er failed through kites own aversion te to a friend of luther who wan was advising with her on the matter she avowed candidly that she could not give ive her hand to glad but if luther should dega deg her worthy of his confidence and hnud tinier enter into honorable wedlock with her she would not hesitate for a mom moment ent but heartily consent from this day luther became more attentive toward catherine and found that sho she was much more amiable than she appeared and that beneath her dignified reserve and measured conduct thero there were a truly good heart and i it sterling cha character the thought of becoming married and selecting catherine for his spouse pon took firmer root in his ilia mind and at laal matured into resolve on the ath of luther doffed coffed iho the monks cassock which ho he had mid still been wearing and donned a lay habit three days after he wrote to Blung if you have still a mind to get got kate be quick and come hither else also another will lead her in his house but methinks it were better that you did thus for she may yet think well wel I of you but this warning of the conscientious friend was unheard resigned katea kates band hand and the die was cast over luther luthe es s future on june luther made his woo wooing open according to the custom of the age luther in company with three intimate friends repaired to toe tire house of reichenbach where kate was still residing and had his hand offered her in her a she first took the offer for a joke but when luther assured her of hiscar his ear nest desire to make her hia his spouse she joyfully consented thus the two were Letro betrothed thed the same day in luthers dwelling on he the formal wedding was held at nt which many friends and admirers from abroad and anil also municipal dignitaries took part the ma gia gi tracy stracy of wittenberg c g sent the deft ner couple four our butts of mal malm m icy cy as many of rhine and fienco wine also three barrels of good beer the university sent their re vered protessor professor a large silver cup richly ornamented with gold this es well as the wedding rings are still preserved as precious relics relies quick and with the greatest po ihle care to avoid all public publicity iti luther had executed bis his resolution and arid be had bad go oil d reason for it ati later or time h expressed himself as follow allowe it I bad had not held the wedding fart forthwith and without Nit hout public boniv known to few people they would all have prevented it for all my best frienda friends cried not thi this woman but another one I I IL it how ahou about these derogatory judg ments of catherine were the mends of i uther right had he mido an unfortunate selection or did tier sequent c induct a ai as s wife mother prove that she oad nad been misjudged d were only half true of what the reformers numerous circulated about his marriage he lie I certainly certai uly could not dot have fared woree worse than with runa ill y un 11 etwas it was palpably heir inlet interest I to utilize luthers bold i tep for their purposes anil anti indeed catholic writers down to the present day have never lacked in calumnies calum nies ind and slanders dlan deia deis about tile tie courageous oui wedding which wai the me death blow ol 01 ill i he compulsory celi celibacy bicy of gripo prietta ts for the first tit thing in g they would not recognize the tie marri barrise mar rise tige the wed ding had not nol been be fore an altar of the ebu church relo cl and arid on the other ha hand nd neit neither tier lie a a mon nor alio ax a nun ila had according tr to roman dagnia any right to enter it wedlock kearon enough for lu liters enemies to cover rover both looth parti with the most vituperative oppre haium of which malickl ia capable dr Hieron mu Sc hurff fT a monas tie ic preacher exclaimed on the pul put pit when inn this monk m married aried th tit devil laughed and all bell made merry but I think be lie herewith therewith pul lei leih h down what h ha himself had wickedly built up in a similar tone others expressed themselves it was the chief aim ol 01 of luthers detractors to depre sent hit ilia matrimonial union as asanon an un fortunate and ill starred one and to picture catherine as a woman who had lived in constant quarrel with her husband luthers general ex pres iiona on the hardship of wedlock were interpreted as referring to his own matrimonial misers even so to harmless a pleasantry ai that when dr marinus Mari inus facetiously called bis his wife herr kate ha ever and anon been used aa na an argument against the informers spouse but all 11 these tallies sallies and degrac tion of malice and envy come to naught when we study thereal the real con coil of things and especially when we take luthera Iut bers own testimony I hav have says he be been fortunate thanks to godt lor for I have bave a pious faithful wife upon whom the husbands hda heart can call belv she has not only nursed me truly as a good wife bui but has oil eit to me as a faithful handmaiden sho she wan to him himi submissive obedient serviceable and he esteemed her higher than tho kingdom of france or the dominion of the venetian until his death he preserved tho the tender sst af affection for or his affie and he call ed her in his letters my darling darl ipg ug my friendly dear kate my beloved housewife once ho he wrote you havo have a husband who loves you katti katt i you have more than many an am km press nobody will deny that catherine babber bad her peculiarities or even her foibles as every human has bag but nobody can impugn her faietti faithful ful devotion to the man of other her choice the most conscientious discharge ot of her joni estic duties and the most self er sacrificing care for bar children her character was r rather strong than then womanly tender and she BOO could not dazzle with great in culture but oho she always evinced sound glod good tense sense and it was by no means a small thing to tote te the wife of a luther it is evident that a man inan wao had been born with some inherent vo ve hermence he mence who was constantly at war with a who whole e world and not wt wah h him elf and who moreover guttered under the opp oppression rs of physical ills of a painful nature it is evid evident ni we wo pay thai that such a man ba baj not a few heavy hours hour of ill humor and often put ut inn oits patience to tho the teat test miu over catherine as the head of arge and tr hou household houe abold hold bad no light ark task letb laihr r himell him ell elt buys on that head i have a curi oua oud household I consume moe than that mv ine income orne every year I need guilders builders guil ders for the household in tit the itch lichen n be besides giles the clothes comforts and aim and yet my whole annual salary amounts only to 00 guilders builders guil ders I am illy adapted adopted to hous keeping I am made kor by tho necessary hospitality to my kindred and anti the hiilis of my friends frie nils this was unavoidable with the ent public which luttier luther now occupied before the whole but just under theao these very dif difficulties Ticul ties the econom economical icil management of a thrifty housewife was a blessing it behoove th us u not to have riches said dr martinus Ma ninus hence ho he very often refused to the last the large honorarium boffl offered ered him by publishers publish era fi fr r his literary works for be thought bethought it sin to make merchandise out of ones intelligence As therefore the income was not sufficient to cover the expenses of the doctors household houte houke bold hold tho the deficiency ficle fici ney ency had to be eked out by tak ing ngn in boarders from among tao t ao students and thib certainly not agree abl part ot of the domestic duties lay entirely on catherines shoulders deri but ifera kato kate made the moat most of her tier means |