The Sunday herald. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1866-1887, 1880-06-13
MARK TWAIN.
A TRAMP ABRoAD-lv.
German Customs at the Opcrn-IcnrI
Ing to Like Wagner.

| MAXIM VAIN.
A TRAMP ABRoAD-N.
German Customs at the Opcrn-Lcnrn
Ing Ia Like Wagner.
One day we took the train and went dow
to Mannheim to SEQ "King Lcarn played In Ger
man. II was n mistake. We sat In our seats three
whole hours and never understood anything but tn,
thunder and lightning, and even that was reverse I,
suit German Ideas. For the thunder came first ant
| the lightning followed after.
The behavior of the audience was perfect. There
was no rslings, or whlsperings, or other little dis
tuances each act was listened To In silence and the
appiauding was done after the curtain was down. Tht
doors opened ut half-past four, the play began
promptly at haif-past Ave, and within two minute.
afterward all who were coming In their seats,
and quiet regned. A. German gentleman In the train
had said that slakospearean play an appreciated
treat In Germany and that we should find the house
filled. II was true all the six tiers were filed, and
remained so to the end-which suggested that II is moi
only balcony people wholike Shakespeare In Germany.
hut Those Of the pit and the gallery, too.
Another Time we went to Mannheim AMI attended a
siivarce-oherwlse an opera-the one called Lohen-
grim The banging and samming and booming and
crashing were something beyond belief. The racklng
and pitiess pain of II remains stored up In my
DRY alongside the memory of the time that had my
teeth fixed. There We're circumstances which made
II necessary FOR me to stay through the -four hours to
the end, and staid; hut the recollection OF that long,
be- 10 have to endure 1t In silence, aud sitting stil
made II all the harder. was In the rallied conlart-
lnen WIN eight or ten strangers Of the two sexes
AMI this compelled repression; yet at times the pain
was 50 exquisite that could hardly keep tho tears
back. Al those tunes, as the howngs and wailings
and srekings of the Singers, and the ragings and
ings and explosions of the vast orchestra higher
and higher, and wilder and wilder, and hercer and
iercer, could have cried II had been alone Those
strangers would nut have heen surprised to a
do such Il thing who was hepg gradually skinned, but
they would have marveed at 1t here, and made re-
Sa.t
IN the present case which was advantage over being
skinned There was wait of half an hour ut The end
of the first act and could have gone out and rested
during that time, but could not trust myself to do 1t,
for felt that should desert and stay out. There
was another walt OF half an hour toward O'Clock,
hut hal gone through much by that time that /
had no spirit left, and so had desire but to he let
alone.
do not wish to suggest that the rest of the people
there were like mo, for indeed they We're not.
Whether II was that they naturally liked that noise or
whether 1t WAS that they had learned to like II by
getting used to II, did not know, but they did
like it-this was plain enough. While " was going
on they sat ana looked as rapt and grateful a cats do
when one strokes their backs. and Whenever the cur
tain fell they rose TO their feet, In solid mighty
multitude, and the air showed thick with waving
handkerchiefs, and hurricanes of applause swept
the place This not comprehensive to me. OF
course there We're many people there who were not
~, combustion to stay; yet the tiers were as full at
showed that the people liked it.
IL was curious sort of play In the matter of
tunes and scenery 1t was fine and snowy enough hut
not much really done, II was only talked about, and
always Violently. y was what ole might call nara
ance and none were reasonable about it bit ali In an
offensive and n1governabe state There was little of
ina, aont % customary Thug Where te tenor and the
blended voices, ana keep holding out their arms to-
ward each other and drawing them hack and spread
Ing both hands over first one breast and then the other
with shake and pressure-nO II was, every rIoter
for himself and no blending Each sang his indlctve
narrative IN turn, accompanied by the whole orches-
uhAnth hnIa al,
Tor some time, and one was hoping they might come
to Al, understanding aud modify the noise, great
break forth, and then during yUo hinHesahd some
Times tree iivei oyer again MI thai had suffered
the timc tho Orphan ssy um burned down.
We only had one brief little season OF heaven and
heavens sweet ecstary and peace during all this
long and diligent and acrimonious reproduction OF
the other place. This was while a gorgeous pro-
cession Of people marched around and around and
a,oind' In the third act, AMI sang the Wedding
Chofns' 10 my nntulored ear that was WGs;c-
almost divine music. While my saslea sod was
u seemed to me !lat tGdd Amidst issuIer the tor
again; IleEe y where the deep Ingenuity OF the
operate idea Is betrayed II deals so largely In pain
mat It's scattered delights are prodgionsly augmented
by ihe contrasts. pretty air la opera preter
there han II could be anywhere else suppose lust
IA an honest man Ia politics shines than he would
elsewhere.
ha,. since found out that there "a uo,h,ng the
nsimams 'ihe so in'h rs az 0Eea rhey Ike II, not
~ q MIA AMI ,i.hl.ra,e way, but with their whole
hearts ihis " legitimate result OF habit and e,uca-
ton Our nation VIII like the OPERA too by and by
no Doubt one In any of those who attend our operas
ntes u already, perhaps, Int think good many of
le other Oy- go IN order TO learn like IT, and
the rest Ia order Ia be able To talk knowingly about It,
Tho latter usually hum tho airs while they a,G being
sang 80 that their neghbors may perceive that they
nave been 10 operas before. The funerals OF these do
not occur often enough.
gohilo old maldish person aud a sweet Young
gioi seventeen sat right Ia iront III that night at
.i.e Mennhsi'n opera These people talked. be-
tween the acts, aud I understood them Though
! nm Ina
distant Stage. A. mai they were guarded Ia their
i.il but after They had heard my agent AMI
feising ~ English they droppai iloir aud
picked np many of their iiiio conhjences no. mean
n'any Of hsr little conhlunces-ineaning tho elder
lug mods, bal never SAT-, ward. How pretty she was
ai'I how sweet she was wished she would speak. Hut
r,liehiy sho was absorbed 10 her avn thoughts, her
avn lnuhg- gil dr.ailh, and found dear pleasure In
filen.o, Hul lie nas Ani dreaming sleepy dreams
hn ahe Wa awake, alive aluii, IA. onll nOi ~ sim
a Ilonohi, rho was sH enchanting study. Her
gown was NJ huli white fiiky Hiuu that eiug 10 her
toutl young hgnio like is's skln and II was rim
ls over wiil, tho gfaocfalleai little irngy aims of
l,fei sue had drrl, i"ldef eyes win long, curved
iishcsi ahd siie had Ie.rhy cheeks, aud diinplod
chin, aud sch 'lsar little dewy rosebud Of monlh'
- .ssei s sS"ssg o sa s 10 Es'1'oa. i
niEhIlb wish slio NpiNf le.i, ARa ~ asl Alo did:
NC ,'q w lnls ala aAi isap. hes ihoaehls-and
VIA eAth 4 snoic-- sisi picilS enthusiasm, i0o
lne ~ '
nus was probably over ihs average. Yes, u must
have lssh Neiy much the average. The average
AZ THAI iie Ia the urad nleiY at Maiden WAS oriy-
h.c ~ l"ahg prlrui when anne, according tn the
nMfih estimate ~ ihH llune Secretary luf thai Year;
The average ior Older people was shly and indeler-
,nln-hsr, iur Whenever wholesome young girl came
Into ihr ltcrrnor 81 he elders she ilnine,llatey
i'N"iis ihslt average ahd raised hei oNn. She be-
came snit oi ruiltflhuiieu iseK. ILis dear Young
ihns ih tho thusifa had hssn sitting thnrc unenii-
s',ouslY taxing W oulrstien. Mani slinny OH
brins Va of neighhoihsi sas the happier and the
fcstiniirI for hrf coming
la that large aadlcnce that nlgi there we're eight
sefy conspicuous Iooplc. thea Wers lades who had
thcif hats nf hulaets What q blnssed thing u
N"uil Ia n iadN could make herself Conslculs la
our thetifr. by HcsIihg hef hat a y not usual ia
laiee a. ali"N lins and gentlemen 10 take b0nuois
hals ofefeeas, sahes of nhrelias into the andilo-
nuin ba Ia hanhAsim ihs fulc was nDl enfOte,a t4-
Gauss Tho audience Nefe largely pasla IN ol paopla
lt"m disiahre and anaons tllo.e acre Awaysa iew
iimd Adlss sho sefn afIai4 tAai Il they had 10 10
into az Nhie inoia 60 SET Ihelr tngs Nhen The PLAY
Has oNe lhe1 ~uuli uiss thr train, Hut The rIoaI
naAss 81 lheso Who rAun fTon distance always ran
tbs iisk Ai1 -k the chslees pTolcrflng Inc los ~
isf 81 bcng anploesany censl ieuous daIihs stretch
% thIus 90 fuaI hUgfs.
ihise "a iouf hoaTa Thsi l. lang tl,ns AZ Al in
AaAe li4te Nhstirt Niic h. conspicuous "a not sci
.onAe % N.gnri nneiaa bang aippg sor ia whole
hesi 'en ltetsh Hat the lcile ~ theic aud enloy
IA Anhich TODD hoe that I-l.sa caslld nal lks Mag.
~ iln,'' a. art Val slas 81 ihSoaFh tho e.,lei-
40 pHcfH ~ lrsfuiug 81 Aks "a. t.cn Us v,,,.l has,
hla tsis isuafd fl heI h. IA lrAllal 81 lt ID he
hsaii hnHssf tef " .na nesa - alo % 90 unaagh
~ u. nhe AID that ~ heaFs - Mafpof was Ia ~
aleaAa ", wsh. she aid that lhll eanlIa.sel haa
made ppmllor fctsniiaA ~ inaslC AID Wai bay lag
ths 90 laasi.gs ~ ode An4 40 sslI laal m az
nst pIrfas dinctci iipa Al alhsrs IA ,,lc uoabls
teslee ava itAt kas thal they Ncft NJ, uofeF .ttsl