New-York tribune., 1882-08-15
PILGRIMAGE TO BAYREUlH :
VISIT TO THE SHRINE OF WAGNLA--''' Hr
AMERICAN WOMAN'S EXPERlENCE,

An o,o,g the way between New-1orA " r.;
,suth We fell IN with pilgrims to the s- .hs Grst
cal where Parsifa" is brought ou' ~. ~ com
Eme IN Wagner's own theatre anu M M. ,,o dis.
'~o.or,o srnervision First on the steani'i W w :;
poser Sr''' ,bIa signs of destination IN
coNei7u '"o ,;hro,,o which young man cariled
- h;s saa chair Who ever goes W
- Cor the first time needs close aseoo'"-
.,, ,ovt and score for month previous oo'"o
80. coming here from devotion 10 TINS mas
w. ,a,-,,od a deyotee Wagner devotee can oe'
~ trrd ont several times. Others came Ho,"
oios,tv and not few because II Is TINS summer
fashionable pilgrimage. AS vet, cannon soo w.
one comes to Bayreuth except for muS'e"i -
roont. but we have been here but two Gays Ii,
seen little Of the town. and perhaps n''U
onera TO get IN tune with the place Ala
,.t,,n, here was delightful. Germany j. '"o
- Int ,fnI country in the world-seen Iro,n ''i
-. We stopped over in little toWn loi
,.,,iDc German christening is a very pIc''y
oe.ir and one of much importance IN lhe l"'"iy
r.. =. hr ,vas not taken to church but baptlzeu Ii
the manor house where 1t was born anu ~ va"
an event celebrated IN the whole village. HIis
- # ,p-sts were present and there was an
elaborate dinner served lasting Tor hours WIN
+be other sweets the infant was brought 10 tao'e
"a nondod from one guest to another until 1t bad
,assed entirely around The httle thing was co'neu
=; dress worn by ITS father and each member oil lis
fathers family at similar ceremonies. and this same
dress will be carefully kept until II shall DE needeo
ON n like occasion for another generation Ii was
then inserted in pillow. with a case IKE
or epvelope-a marvel of costly Lace
ond e,nhro,dery-and securely bound with
r1hoos looking for all the world
lie tine newest and sweetest of mpmmies IL
amused me TO see how gngerly some OF the young
officers took the baby and with what rehel tneS so'
rid of il TO their neighbor After the dlrner tno'e
was dancing until a very late hour. This was sun
day and in a Lutheran household The pastor anu
each OF the god-mothers and god-fathers heid the
child in turn many presents were given the baby
ond a number of pieces Of beautiful jewelry were
given the mother with the undersi andlng that ihe
child should inherit them for his BRIDE
several hours before we came to Bayreuth we be-
gan to feel the effect of the festival upon 'he ua'o
Trains were late and were crowded. mere "as
specal for the Duchess of Edinburgh and some o'her
Grand peope which got in our way,-nobody, not
even royalty, has a right to get III ones way VIII
ont preyious notice 80 that we may keep out OF
theirs 1t was the day before the first private re-
,reSeptation Kind hearted and interested Ger
man fellow passenge 5 began TO inquire anxlOusly
If we had secured our rooms and concluded that
we were milonares when we informed them that
we had abed for rooms, and dinner seats and opera
tickets.
1t was money thrown away on our tckets' lor
cable and commission brought them to nearly
double their cost, and was met at the station by
man who offered me better seats at
mar and we easily secured good
nlaces for Others IN party after
arriving. The directors Of the festival took no
mains 10 give Us the seats early kilograms de-
mauded But we were not IN Bayreuth au hour be-
fore we found il had lost its head, If ever it had
head to lose.
There had been misunderstanding about our
rooms at the one fashionable hotel where we had
asked for them, aud We were gwen lodgings near,
By the Dwelling Committee. III the house OF mer-
chant dealer in hardware. Everybody III Bey-
reuib Is taking lodgers just now. and we are To-
cated in the parors of a weIl-iO-do citizen where
beds have been placed for the time beng
Once in the rooms, they are really
handsome and we have opportunity tc see how
these people 1--we. Though take all our meals
except the early Fruhstuck," at the hotel, we
pass through the family Kitchen often, ana cannot
but see the family sleeping apartments as we go
bark and forth. Here are educated-l might say
cultured-peOple, speaking foreign tongues ana
knowing much of music and other arts, with fine
piano a cabinet of beautiful family silver, we'll
filed bookcase aud many evidences of refinement
and good taste scattered about their roous, which
are given I'D 10 u.s. The entrance to their abode,
which IL I'd one flight, is long and dark from the
street through sort of court through
winch we pick way among ton OF
iron ID all shapes We do 1t resignedly during
these two weeks since they do it cheerfully all
their lives. Their kitchen is lighted only from the
roof other sleeping apartments have no light ex-
cept from q corridor, and their drainage and sanl
tary arrangements are such that cannot stop for
moment in their part OF the house, where they eat
and 5 eep. This Is a typical home of the small Ger
nan merchant.
have 10 time TO get statistics OF would ascer-
tam just how much the sanitary condition or want
of sanitary protection hae to do with human life
over here 1t is beyond all telling the condition Of
these small German towns where, as at
Coburg and Eisenach, the sewerage flows
through the open gutter. One grows sick
at the thought of the hlthiness OF the
lower classes and the utter disregard OF the higher
classes of the health and comfort of the community
In vain have l searched during my recent journey
through Germany for fresh face among the
working classes. Except from its stature, often
could not tell if the face of ten year-od child be-
lOnged to a child a woman. glrl of fifteen
looks haggard and yellow and frequently thirty
years of age. have watched them Tor hours at a
time at the fountain before my window carrying
awav on their backs casks of water for family use
never a trg girl a tidy among them.
How 1t is possible for people made In the image of
the Creator to be repusively hldeous IA are the
lower classes IN Germany canot conceive!
It's high carnival at Bayreuth just now. The
little town is in perfect furry For these two
rooms with four beds for four persons, we pay
s. 80 a day each and for table dhote dinner also
81 each. These are very high prices for Bavaria
Our breakfast. Of coffee and roll, Is served by
Our landladys maid in rooms at 10 cents apiece.
Whatever else we get to eat Bayreuth pick
We sighO Off fora nEppc he