The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-01-01
srockRRIoag,s FESTIVAL.
Gho leo Glon Procession Is First Among
American Festival PGGennis.


American Ecsti-al Pascnnts.
III point of seniority tho ice glen
procession Mt Stockbridge, Mass,
and tho tub parade at Lcnox should
10 awarded first place among tho
festival pngeants of our country I'M
dortallen and carried out by tho cul-
tivatcd class of society.
That tho Stockbridgo affair dates
back to long ago wo wero pleasantly
reminded by a reference i'll Mrs.
Hawthorno's lotters published in
Tho Century for November, 1894. 1t
appealed first to my sonse of tho
beautiful and picturesque i'll tho
summer of 1874. Wo drove ovor to
that "lovcliest village of tho plain"
from Lenox, her rival loveliost viii
lago of tho hills, to rendezvous at
nightfall with gay party of people
in fancy costume, in an open grassy
space at tho entrance of the glen,
amid an amphithoater of hills pur-
pied with twilight and lighted by q
youthful moon. Tho host of rovelers
was marshalGd, / remomber, by q
fair leader clad in tho bravery OF
stars and stripes, wearing liberty
cap and carrying a long alpenstock
tipped with another American flag.
1 recall but ono othor costume-tho
flmy draping of an East Indian wo-
man, through which fajntly cleaned
silver bangles and native ornaments.
But in no ballroom, undor no gas or
lamp or candlostick, could havo boon
produced tho effect of that group of
fantastic torch bearing figures
among tho scattered bowlders at the
mouth of tho glon, whoro in chill re.
cesses leo can DO found, it is said,
oven at midsummer.
A procession being formed, led by
band of musicians, we penetrated
tho forest gloom, to follow steep,
messy path through brake, through
brier," tho longth of tho glon, omerg-
ing finally in u meadow path ut tho
farther end. AS tho fairies black,
gray, green and white" tho "moon-
shine rovolors and shades of night,
filed betwcon tho black treo boles,
tho tender groen of moss and leaves
in tho arcade turning to vivid emor-
aid i'll tho glare of tho torches, tho
sceno was wonderfully fine.
On another occasion drove away
from tho meet of tho masquoradors
to u point in tho village whonco wo
had Wow of tho procession rs it
camo out of tho glen to wind like n
fiery serpent over tho meadow on it's
return. Onco year tho placid littlo
Housatonic river, which beneath tho
olms of Stoclibridgo meadows con-
torts itself Enthusiastically into tho fa.
nous Ok Bow bend-a bit of Amor
ican rural scenery that awoko en-
thusiasm in tho gontlo soul of Dean
Stanloy-is bright with " charming
procession of decorated bouts. Track
ing tho mirrorliko bosom of it's mar
row way hardly moro than would II
swan i'll it's imperial progress, tho
flowery chain of boats glides be
tween sheets of vcrtluro sown with
wild flowers and dotted with grazing
cattle. TO SEQ it como and go and
finally vanish beneath low hanging
boughs of willow is to sigh for tho
briefnoss of this glimpse of Already.
During II recent season Stock bridge
added to tho annual attraction of the
ice glon procession an outdoor play
tho 'MusQuo of Comus" -given
upon tho lawn of dwelling in tho
village. Tho play, revised for thouso
of modern amateurs and accompa-
MED by music, part of which was
from an original manuscript of 1884
lent by Harvard university for tho
occasion, is said to have furnished n
picture of ideal beauty. American
Rural Festivals" by Mrs. Burton
Harrison. III Century.