Moravian Lives

But our Joy did again not last long, for in May 1752 our
Brn had to return again to the Catacombs |: subterrarious Vaults:|
on account of the Misbehaviors of another Prisoner. We Sisters
viz. Sr. Helderhof and I had however Leave to visit & to nurse
them. Nov. 2nd. the same Year they and we came into great Distress
by Water, the Nerva swelling to such a Degree that the Water rose
in the Catacombs up to the half of the Windows, & in our House
so that I stood up to the Belly in Water, & thus had to retire
to the upper Story of the House, without being able to put on
dry Clothes. To my great Surprize Surprise I continued well & healthy
& the next Morning I could go to the Prisoners, who to save
themselves had got up on the Wall, where they had to continue
2 Nights & one Day in the open Air in great Cold, Snow & Rain.
We brought them & also to other Prisoners some Refreshments to
make them warm; but we could not come to them without great 
Danger of our Lives, the Stream having torn the Bridge leading
to the Fortress in such a Manner that scarce a Soldier ventured
to cross it. Similar Inundations happened the 6th. and 11th. of Nov. 
but against which better Precautions were taken. Dec. 30th. we
had again the Joy to obtain Leave to live together; Secretary Na,
bakof having procured free Lodgings for us in the Suburbs, in
which we could live very comfortably.
     Oct. 3rd. 1753 our Savior gave me a little Daughter, & this our
little Fellow Prisoner was baptized by the Rev. Mr. Buzow
Minister of the great lutheran Church in Petersburg, during a
very blessed Feeling of the near Presence of our Lord. She was

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called Johanna Christina. The Minister recomended her with
particular Affection to the Preservation & Protection of our Savior here
in this strange Country; Many Tears were shed upon this Occasion.
     We lived yet sometime very chearful & in Sickness, & the va,
rious Frights, which never were wanting, were so much the easier
to be born, because we could still live together. But still in the
same Year it pleased our dear Lord to take our faithful Friend
Secretary Nabakof out of this World. He believed in Jesus. During the
Direction of his Successor, who did not know us, we were first more
confined, and in the Night of the 28th. of Aug. my Husband and the Brn
Helterhof & Fritshe were fetched & carried away, without knowing
why & whither. I myself had to assist in putting my Husband who
was sick unto Death into an open Boat, & see him thus carried away
on the Water in Storm & Rain. We two Sisters spent the Night weeping,
& when the next Morning Enquiry was made of those who had carried
them away, whether they had been brought; we were still more frighted
by fearful Accounts of their Fate. At last we received the joyful
News, that they had been brought to their former Prison, & that we
might visit them. We hastened directly to them, to bring them 
some Refreshments. This proved to be a great Joy to see those
yet alive whom we believed dead. To my great Astonishment
I found my Husband a little better, tho' sometimes so weak, that 
I went away in the Evening with the Thought of having seen him
the last Time. I spoke confidently with our Savior about there
Circumstances, and He convinced me that it was according to His Heart