The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-04-07

a filthy, ungodly city, with little to interest
except the cathedral The narrow alleys
and grimy looking houses would be more
fascinating to the eye was not the sense of
smell so offended by the foul odors that
arise from bad drainage and uncleanly
streets. We strayed into the cathedral at
noon to hear the famous clock, mammoth
i mechanical toy, which is quite similar in
construction to the one at Berne; but has
very consecrated external appearance, adap-
ted to the Christian era, in that the puppets
personate Christ and his disciples, instead
of bears, the object of ancient pagan worship
in Switzerland. Beneath the clock are
three globes, terrestrial, celestial and lunar.
all moving as orderly as in an orrery. Above
the clock is a semicircular opening, in the
centre of which stands figure Of Time
! holding a bell. AT quarter past each hour,
an image of a child steps forward and strikes
the bell, then retires, when youth advances
and repeats the stroke at the half hour; he
is followed by manhood at three quarters,
who gives place to old age at the full hour.
At twelve the apostles move in jerking
step, like walking doll, around figure of
Christ, seated upon q throne; they bow as
they pass to receive blessing by the laying
on of his hands. While this is going on, a
rooster, which quite likely has escaped your
notice in the vaulted roof, crows so Justify
that you start. supposiDg chanticleer in some
| neighboring barnyard, is Dragging over bid
dy's new-laid egg. This is the best part of
it, but what an homogeneous, queer attach
ment to a church! As the closing strains of
a OF.
one the people strayed into the recess behind
the altar to secure the best places. When
| the last priest retired to his retreat there was
| general stampede from the cathedral, until
every inch of standing room was damned
with spectators. We truly believe there
were twice as many people to see this sacred
| show as were gathered during the whole day
| at the masses. 1t seems very much like
| apologizing for Sunday entertainments and
| out of door concerts with the plea that 0rato-
| rios of great masters and sacred music ele-
vate the soul. Now this will probably seem
very taking thing to many wishful boy or
girl, for WHOSE benefit alone we have taken
| so many words to describe it. 1t really is
only puppet show, which once seeing
would satisfy, even a child. Perhaps some
boy will say that is no comfort to have
somebody else see it that once for me-"
The cathedral is grand and the music very
| impressive; but as we listened to a service
conducted in Latin for the benefit of these
simple folk, we longed for the time when
| they could listen to spontaneous prayer in
| their own tongue, which must touch the
hearts and purify the lives better than these
sounding words and tinkling cymbals. We
remember hearing with CONSERVATION, aud
| joining nthe great wall that rent the hearts
! of arts devotees throughout Christendom,
when news came in 1870 that the Germans
were bombarding Strasbourg, and the cathe-
dral would be demolished; but to-day we are
iconoelasts, and might be comforted if all
these grand cathedrals, beautiful and inspir-
ing as they are, were demolished, and SIM
| pier form of worship substituted, which
would be better adapted to the needs of the
fallen race. if the change would only hasten
the chariot wheels of the millennium.
| While we were here at Strasbourg conven-
| ton of doctors from all parts of Europe was
| held in the city. In honor of this gathering
the citizens illuminated the munster spire
on Sunday night. Every point and pinnacle
| ground, would at times throw out gorgeous
rockets; from every window and open lat
tice would shoot Roman candles; ever and
anon the whole would be wrapped in raih-
bow tints, and then again we could hardly
| persuade ourselves the entire structure would
not be consumed in one grand confiagration.
| The very stars faded out of sight in the
| black heavens beside such glory. To chill
| dren of the Puritans, who kept the fourth
| commandment with literal Sacredness, it
| looked passing strange for Christian church
to give pyrotechnical entertainment on
| Sabbath evening to its members, who are
taught to look up to their magnates as pat
terms in holy living. But why should not
these people close the day with such grand
| finale? All day long, without remonstrance
from their civil or ecclesiastical superiors,
they buy and sell; not driving trade as on
Monday, but briskly enough to make it pay !;
| picture galleries and all places of amuse-
ment are open, the public houses thronged
with men drinking and playing cards, and
| social life fuller of frivolities than all the
rest of the week.
The little people at home will want to hear
about the Strasbourg storks. Poor things
the cruel Germans killed half their colony
| in the last bombardment; but their old hab-
| its could not be easily broken, and the re-
| mainder, about one hundred and fifty, have
persevered in coming each season as soon as
warm weather is established They send
three scouts ahead; one lights always on the
munster spire, the highest in the world, the
other two taking lofty positions near by.
They spend one day in surveying the land
and discussing the pros and cons of occapy
ing their old haunts or seeking new quar-
tiers, then soar away, and are sure to return
in few days with the whole flock.
They build their nests in the chimney
tops, where the householders put out
little frames to strengthen their work,
where they rear their young, and at
the same time are supposed to confer similar
blessing in the cradles beneath the roofs. In
early autumn, as soon as the young birds are
strong, they seek warmer climes to escape
the chilly winds, to which their lofty abodes
are exposed. Like the bear at Berne, the
stork is stock in trade for the merchants. 1t
is wrought into tapestry, painted, cut in
gems and marbles, stamped in embossed
leather, printed in ink and combined in
everything. M. G. P. B.