Bethlen Naptár, 1950 (Ligonier)
Paul R. Pontius: Our neighbors in the Bethlen Home
BETHLEN NAPTAR 245 that there was some semblance of agility in my linguistic gymnastics. We were so captivated by the charm, intelligence and Christian consecration of the Kecskemethys, that we were perfectly willing to think of ourselves as a committee that had been “catched”. We found ourselves calling Mrs. Kecskemethy by her first name, Elizabeth. Though we have not picked up enough courage to call Mr. Kecskemethy “Joseph” or “Joe”, yet we do use such words behind his back. And we learned to know their boys, Joseph Jr. and Stephen. We had heard that Elizabeth had taken several of the children of the Home to some nearby congregations of our Reformed Church to put on an evening’s program, assisted by Joseph Jr., who is an accomplished violinist. So we made it our business to learn more about the family. We found that in Elizabeth’s family line there had been clergymen in every generation for 400 years! That was almost breath-taking! In my own family we have had clergymen for 100 years and we were conceited enough to think that was unusual; but what was that compared with 400! A friendship is often cemented because of mutual acquaintance. When I mentioned to Joseph and Elizabeth that while in Mersersburg Academy and Franklin and Marshall College I listed among my friends such names as Dokus, Harsány and Horvath, we began to feel a common base. And it caused considerable laughter when I told them of how Gabriel Dokus and I studied Vergil’s “Aeneid” at Mercersburg in my bedroom, how I would sweat, and how Gabriel would chew tobacco! A matter of deep concern to both the Kecskemethys and us was the need for relief among the Hungarians of Europe. Something should be done by us Americans of the Reformed faith. So arrangements were made whereby the women of my congregation would hold their annual picnic on the grounds of the Bethlen Home. Then at the annual meeting of Trinity’s Women’s Guild held at our home in Greensburg, we arranged for Mr. Kecskemethy to tell the story of the widows and children of pastors of our Reformed Church in Hungary. The result was that 48 bundles were sent from my parish to Europe. The clothing was brought by my members to my Church and the men of Trinity looked after its transportation not only to Ligonier but also to Debrecen. Being just eighteen miles east of Greensburg on the Lincoln Highway, the children as well as the old folks of the Bethlen Home are our neighbors. They are near us geographically. I have seen them and they have seen me; but the dif-
