Huntsville gazette., 1886-05-01
EASTER In GERMANY.
The Solemn Scenes Witnessed in
the Churches Of Munich.

A rosy flush, deeper glow, then
warm, golden sunlight blest the morn
ing hour in Munich, Bavaria, on one
Good Friday preceding Easter, that day
of days in Germany. From the early
hour of four o'clock the streets had
been filled with pedestrians, but the
scene was unfamiliar. A noticeable
air of inattention to surrounding
worldly objects, look of deep solemn
ity, and even sadness, characterized
the countenances of the people, as with
prayer-books in hand they hurried on to
pay their devotions in the various
churches. The women who at that
early hour were daily seen with laden
market-baskets,. from which usually
protruded fish and soup-bones, were
not then thus equipped; for the people
were not to break their fast until the
sun had set. None staggered under
the weight and height of enormous
loads of fuel. The rugged old milk
woman, who, with her two black goats
and clumsy wooden-wheeled wagon,
ratified over the pavement each morn
ing with music of wooden shoes and
rattling tin cans, had relinquished her
accustomed employment, and, exchang-
ing her long whip for devotional book,
joined the worshippers.
..How very odd It seems" said a
petite, piquant American girl to her
two companions, as, having made hasty
toilets, they gazed out into the street
upon the throng.
"Why, actually, here is the proprie-
tress of the itinerating lacteal char
lot, not in her bright red dress and
white cap, but in some dark stuff, actu-
ally unaccompanied by her goats. Do
you know, they say she leaves her
goats, enters, says hereprayers and
comes out to find her steeds patiently
waitingp And here, to-day, she is even
going to do better than that. What
are we? Why tarry we here idle?"
'Pagans, real heathens, if we don't
soon join their ranks" replied the
other maiden, and so it came to pass
the Joyous girls and their staid auntie,
as chaperone, sailed forth to gaze upon
what were to so many people solemn
scenes.
First, they made their way through
Marion Platz to the exceedingly beau
tiful Allerheiligen Kirche, or Court
Chapel. Stepping from the dazzling
sunshine outside, its darkness seemed
really sepulchral. From pavement to
ceiling the walls were draped in SOM
bre folds of black with gilt festoons.
Innumerable waxen tapers glimmered
and dispelled the darkness. At the
farthest end of the room was sepul-
cher or cave, representing tomb hewn
out of solid rock. In the center was a
space or opening, in which lay an inn
age of wax representing the body of
Christ. The tomb was covered with
green leaves, plants and wreaths, with
white and scarlet flowers in great pro-
fusion. Over the tomb were two life
size silver angels, with beauteous shin
ing wings.
At the two ends of the grave were
stationed two soldiers, with large silver
helmets or hats They wore uniforms
of pure white, trimmed with light blue,
long white gauntlet gloves covered
their hands, in which they held long
spears upright, so motionless and i'm
movable that it was only after the
closest scrutiny that they were recog-
nized as of real flesh and blood. These
guards were relieved from duty every
two hours by two others who were the
exact counterparts of the preceding
ones. The stiffness of death chamber
prevailed, save when some poor peni-
tent souls, overburdened with grief,
gave vent to their feelings by audible
walls and means. A feeling of contri-
ton, devotion and awe, crept over the
throng, and became inseperable from
the hour and the place, and as our
American party emerged from the
sacred precincts, the quizzing, saucy
eyes of the younger ones were dimmed,
and the chaperone, with reverent look,
carried not as she entered her ''Baed-
eker" prominently, but, almost uncon-
sciously yielding to the spirit of the
place, had slowed it away beneath the
folds of her mantle.
Feelings of interest as well as of curl
osity determined the trio of sight-seers
to do as every one seemed to be doing,
and visit as many of the churches as
practicable, and ere long at the Fraun
Kirche, in the subdued light, there
were listening with thoughtful faces
and rapt attention to the "Miserere, .
which was very impressively sung by
choir Of altar boys in the gallery. The
youngest of the party, as her cameo
like face made light silhouette against
the dark, massive carvings of the wall
and the high-backed, antiquely-carved
chair in Which she sat, with a ray OF
light falling full upon her from high
ly-colored window, and with the won
drous melody filling all about her.
seemed the veritable St Cecilia in
ecstay.
Ludwig's Kirche was the next one
visited, In the recess over the tomb
herein three hpndrsd and eighty