ered Haerter's family
circle, and his life became clouded and darkened, he was called as a
pastor to the largest church in Strasburg. He entered upon his new
pastorate with a heart heavy and sad, and not until after ten months of
struggle, in which the depths of his soul were stirred, did he come
forth strong, confident, and positive as never before that "Jesus Christ
came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief." Henceforth
there was force to his life, conviction in his words, and never-ceasing
energy in good works.

When he heard of Fliedner's new undertaking below him on the Rhine he
remembered the difficulty in finding Protestant nurses for the hospital,
and declared that Strasburg must have a similar institution. He won the
support of a number of Christian men and women, and the house was opened
in October, 1842. From its beginning many branches of charitable and
religious work were undertaken. Especial attention was at first given to
preparing Christian teachers, and the schools in connection with the
deaconess house were filled with pupils. The success in this particular
aroused apprehension lest the deaconesses should be diverted from their
legitimate duties in caring for outside interests, so for a time the
schools were discontinued. They have been resumed, however, and are
to-day prosperous as of old.[42] There are also a hospital, a home for
aged women, a servants' training-school and a foundling asylum under the
charge of the deaconesses. They are, as a class, of higher social rank
than these of Kaiserswerth, the preponderating number of whom are from
the lower grade of social life. They are also better educated. This is
partly a necessity, from the fact that the city is on the border-land
between two great nations and if the deaconesses are to be effective
they must be familiar with the spoken and written speech of both
peoples. Strasburg continues to be a great and powerful center of
deaconess activities, having a number of branch houses and various
fields of work.

The affiliated house at Muelhausen has obtained an especially good report
for its successful use of parish deaconesses. No other house has so
systematized their labors or developed their possibilities as has the
deaconess house at Muelhausen. All the authorities on deaconess work
agree that the office of the parish deaconess is the crown and glory of
the diaconate, and approaches most nearly the type of the deaconesses of
the early