Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1873-09-16
For the oxford Democrat
Foreign Correspondence.
lIoHENPEIssENBRRG. BAVARIA,
Aug. 9th. 1873.

ing Deu ptSteT, aHu utt my JfeHoS' :
Sitting in the Observatory on the roof OF
the parsonage adjoining the Pilgrimage
Church, on level with the church tower
whose bell has just tolled out 80 A. NJ,
overlooking this beautiful, fertile land, its
forests, lakes, villages AID grain fields; (;
aud the long line of Alps on the south
stretching away into the haze of east and
west; amid loveiness, n sublimity that
ought 10 soothe any aching heart, mise
goes back anew to friends and home.
We arc on mountain 1900 feet above
tho surrounding country, more than three
thousand above the sea level; but the
summit spreads broad, highly cultivated
fields, and the garden is as bright and
blooming with rosos. carnations. monks
hood and evening primrose ss if on
the lower lands that spread their golden
grain amid the grass on every side.
have never expected TO SEQ anything in
Gel many SO like home. so like our
beautiful New England. Indeed it is
more like the view from Paris Hill, or
the top OF streaked Mountain than | had
expected il TO be. Below are smiling
valleys and plains thickly dotted with
villages and shining lakes, clusters oil
trees and broad forests OF dark Norway
pine; and farm houses lie around in the
green fields among their shady trees, in.
stead of being clustered wholly in vii.
lages as in other places | have seen.
Church lowers too arc.iu every village,
as our spires at home. Here. loo, for
the first time We see cait.u ut pasture on
the mountain sides. The sound of their
bells comes up 10 us in the clear. still
morning air like the tremuous tinkle Of
a music box
Beyond, on the south, the mountains
rise, chain beyond chnin, rs those on our
western bon der. But these fields are un.
broken by fences; their patches OF green
are rs the summer mist; their patches OF
grain OF the most golden hues; their
little villages. their castle walls and
hoary summiis old in story aud their
Alps climb higher than uar mountains
into the heavens. The peaks are sharper
too. more broken, drawn in straight lines
instead of the tender curves.of our White
Hills. Tharwendelsebirgo, the ZuyspiIze
WetteIstein. and bali dozen more 60
up eight. nine, len thousand feet. and
Venediges. crowned with GLACIERS, dimly
seen far off among the mountains of the
Tyrol is nearly 300 feet OF the near
and lower Bavarian Alps some seem TO
rise sheer precipices above the plains.
and the misty morning clouds seem
struggling TO climb up their sides.
We are about "lhree hours" out from
Munchen by rail TO the southwest. Dis
tanccs here are always given in hours. 1t
Is not more than forty miles. As we
walked slowly up the mountain. Mrs. ).
and |. passed Bad Sulz, celebrated for
its mineral water, past the entrance
OF The coal mine half way up. where we
stopped 10 rest on bench with an aged
pair before their cottage door. aud where
the woman followed and called TO US
after we left 10 point out the right path !;
we stopped often to enjoy the loveliness
Of the scene; and saw-The Tempta
tion; when our Saviour was taken up
q high mountain and shown 1.-The king
doms Of tho world, aud The glory OF
them"
The top of MISUNDERSTANDING has a
pilgrimage church" finished in 1904
(the corner stone ot the small chapel
which iorms n part was laid nearly a
century earlier0 parsonage oil three
stories in which the fchoOl is kept and
two or three houses, and little bnrial
ground. The inn, is large long
house of two stories, the farther end
being occupied. rs IS usual in the farm
houses, as a barn. A nice and well kept
barn We find it, too, with Il cutter lor the
food, and the cattle nicely stalled below,
on floor of bricks. and the dressing
carefully corded outside. The pilchIorks
are Of peculiar make, the large spread
Ing tines being of wood pointed with
steel. We take our meals under n no bic
linden tree in the yard. or in II summer
building looking towards the Alps.
The Pilgrimage church is very strong
ly built to stand against the high northern
winds that blow ovci the mountain. Ii
holds many pictures, large aud small.
some beautiful, and some tho offerings,
doubtless. of devotion and poverty. II
has. like all Roman Catholic churches,
many painful pictures, purposely painful,
designed to heighten the devotion of The
worshipels; such rs "Christ bearing his
cross. 1.-The Crucifixion," The descent
from the cross" "Mary embracing the
lifeless form Of her son." &c. 1t has
also, in common with others, opening
from the little chapel sort CT grotto,
dark. with the image OF Christ's body
after it had lain in The tomb, decorated
with offerings. such us artificial wreaths
and jewels; it has skulls aud crosses,
bones and crucifxes. In this little chap.
el was picture under the organ loft of
Mary sitting OH cloud with the infant
Christ in her arms; four lovely cherub
faces, with hints Of wings, peeping, in
pairs from behind the clouds on either
side on The right, at her feet, a large