No doubt poor Catherine Riedel's heart ached with loneliness,
and her tears flowed fast, when, at the close of that long and stormy voyage,
she heard of her husband's death, and stood beside his grave
in the Savannah cemetery; -- but there was little time for grieving
in the press of matters that required attention, for Spangenberg's long visit
was now to end, Nitschmann was to remain only until the organization
of the Congregation was complete, and there was much to be done
before these two able leaders took their departure.
Scarcely had Bishop Nitschmann greeted the members of the "first company"
in the dawn of Feb. 17th, 1736, when Spangenberg and Toeltschig
took him to the garden two miles distant, that they might have
a private and undisturbed conference. All too soon, however,
word was brought that Gen. Oglethorpe wanted to see Spangenberg at once,
so they retraced their steps, and Spangenberg received a hearty greeting
from the General, and many compliments on what he and his party
had accomplished. There is no record of the conversations among the Moravians
on that day, but they are not difficult to imagine, for the news from home
and from the mission fields on the one side, and the problems and prospects
in Georgia on the other, would furnish topics which many days
could not exhaust.
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