Page:Mennonite Handbook of Information 1925.djvu/62

 Where it was convenient, two or more families joined in a season of worship on Sabbath days. In such homes the large quarto-sized family Bible held first place on the center table. Still there were other books constituting the library of these pioneer homes, such as the Book of Martyrs, Psalm books and Prayer books, the Wandering Soul and others, most if not all of which were in German, and were brought along over seas from Europe.

Up until a certain period in the History of America it is evident that as a nonresistant and nonproselyting people the Mennonites are known to have more often fallen victims to persecution and disturbance from their white brethren of different customs and practices from their own, than from Indian attack.

It is evident that the six hundred Palatinates who were sent to the Carolinas as mentioned in the story of Rudolph Cronau, penetrated into the interior of the states until they came in full view of the Blue mountains in what are now Guilford, Yadkin, Watauga and Catawba counties, where the family names of Heatwole, Hildebrand, Weaver, etc., prevail that are familiar with Mennonites in other states.

This section of North Carolina, in years past, was visited by John S. Coffman, M. S. Steiner, J. F, Brunk, and C. K. Hostetler, and they found people who were religiously nonresistant in sentiment and faith, but otherwise and to all appearance have long since been swept wholly into the common mould of Americanism.