The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-10-02
AMONG THE GERMANS.
Dresden, Berlin and Gottingen and
Their Attractions.
A VISIT TO THE STUDIO OF HERR
HOFFMAN.

Opera in Dresden-A Glimpse of the Ger
man Kaiser-A visit TO the Tombs of
Royalty-The Home of List.
Especial Correspondence of the PREss]
Mannheim, Sept. IL realize fully the
1mpropriety of beginning with the first
person singular, but it's done with de-
liberate premeditation, and in the outset
let me state that this letter will, inten-
tionally, bristle with 'I's" being confident
that when my reason is known 1 shall
have the deep sympathy of all woman
kind. For more than forty eight hours,
not once have spoken to fellow being,
SO as to be comprehended. I've solilo-
quized, till Selkirk's attempts seemed as
nothing, but now, individually, and in
the first person, I must talk to the
PRESS. 1t is all mistake to suppose
that A. Selkirk's position was hard, one
expects-only soliloquy on a desert island
But the situation that is misery, is to
be surrounded by nephews. nieces and
cousins, and al their friends an |, though
not deprived Of the power OF speech, yet
to be unable to utter an Ineligible word
that is time which makes an unin-
hao1ted spot the most desirable place in
ne world. To change slightly the old
Sunday school hymn-'I have brother
in the German land my--brother called
me, and went to meet him, in the Ger
man land" thrusting aside and ignoring
the consciousness that could not speak
MS language, and he knew not one word
OF English. "There are the children, Of
course they study it in school, said,
laying my burden on their young shout
+ r,rv hat 81
fashioned German village. miles from the
direct line of communication with the
great cities, and SO not feeling the need
OF English Never did I know, until I
met that brother, how much could be said
In hand-shake. We shook hands over
come, mine-"I'm glad tn come" I
told him of long absent brother with q
hand-shake and after forty hours exhaus-
ton from not talking, the only way I
could relieve the tension was to shake
him by the hand Before leaving F. 1
had one inning at the station, which
afforded me much qualification; pom
pous looking official stepped toward me,
and began long haran !ue. I shrugged
my shoulders, to signify did not un-
derstand, all to no purpose; when he
paused for breath, I began with rapid
ity and vigor Of speech which long
silence can give, and talked my native
longest words without regard to meaning,
l spoke quietly, evenly, steadily, but so
etfectually, that the man first stared
then backed, and finally, fled, as from a
dangerous lunatic.
The journey from Bayreuth to Dresden,
seemed SO much longer than we thought
1t ought that several times we gathered
our belongings, and adjusted our wells
preparatory to alighting. and were only
prevented from doing SO by timely en-
auiry. When finally the official relieved
us of our tickets, 1 said with upward in
for confirmation, Dresden? If had I'M
Willingly said "Skowhegan' the man
could not have looked more utterly be-
wildered; lutte by little however his
brain became illumined, and light ir-
radiating his broad face, he uttered a
glad "act,' adding reproachful, en-
phatic, long drawn out "Dra-a-sden jah p
l fattered myself that if in America a
German had enquiringly said '.Bo-o-s-
ton" l should have jumped to the con-
| clusion that only 'fthe Hub of the uni
verse" could be meant, but silently we
picked up our bags, thankful at last to
see "Dra-a-sden." This city's second
pride and glory, the famous opera house,
we saw on our first night there. when we
listened to Perron's fine representation,
Of the principal character in Rubenstein' s
seldom given, but intensely striking
opera,E The Demon" 1t is difficult to
understand why this work is SO rarely
heard; the music is most expressive, the
Demons love song haunting one for days,
while the situations are powerful the
libretto being unusually strong. We can
easily understand Americans delighting
in an extended stay in Dresden especially
music lovers, who can hear fine singers
in the best operas, for the trifling sum of
twenty-five cents; and how artists must
| in, %bo mir ON1
| was one young woman, at the same Pen
sion as ourselves, who must have come
| abroad at too early O stage in her art
studies, for she found the Sistine Ma
donna disappointment, sit is so crude
in color" she said. Every moment we
that gaze in thoughtful, child-like, won
der up at the Madonna, holding in her
arms the Divine Child, whose expression
makes us feel that already He sees diinly
His Gethse1nane and Calvary. We could
not leave the gallery and not look at
Hoffman's, "Young Christ in the Tenn
ple,'' and while there. an acquaintance
who was with Us turned and said:
"HoffIuan's studio is always open Sun
DAYS, from twelve to one, it is pity it is
now too late to go, but it is past one'
ct mean to try" l answered, and in
a moment three excited beings We're
rapidly descending the marble steps into
tllc sG ueaIe, lOOklIG 49, eSAA tOA Niic
usually ubiquitous draschke. Not one
was visible, We chased each other round
Flour corners, we waved three handker-
chiefs, then beckoned vigorously as ut
length we saw one in the distance; But
it is not supposable that it app cached us
in an instant, it takes time, Tor me Ger
man droschke drivers mind to work. and
when he finally grasped, the e.. situation
leisure that his sleepy steed moved toward
US. By bombarding him with such small
shot as "schnell' and ''rasch'' we made
him try to quicken the animals pace, but
the life long habit of a horse cannot be
changed in a moment, ana it was vas past
two before we reached NO. 6lsmark
Strasse' and tremblingly rang the bell.
10 our surprise the maid admitted us,
and while we were absorbed before e1 that
young man." door behind US opened,
and an elderly man entered, whom we
THE OLD STORY
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