The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-07-05
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An INDIAN PASSION PLAY.
A Curious Christian Observance IN
Madras.

From Oberammergau to Madras is a far
cry, and the peasants of the German VII
lage are of a very different fashion from
the fishermen of the benighted city, but a
Passion play is a feature that is common
to both. The Passion Play" as they have
it in Oberammergau is of an orderly sort
1t is performed on a well-equipped stage,
the music is choice, and the actors have
been drilled TO the most scrupulous pre-
cision and the audience includes grand
dukes and archbishops, and gathers to-
gether hlgh-placed and wealthy slghtsecrs
from all parts of the world. In Madras It
Is different. The great majority of the
thousands of the audience, as ! saw them
were natives of a humble class, among
them there was a sprinlkling of Eurasans,
with her and there stray Europeans
1t was a strange Good Friday rhe
Passion Play" was 10 come off in the
great enclosure that surrounds the Ro
man Catholic church at Royapuram, and
in one of the streets adjoining the square
enterprsing Mohametans and others had
set up various stalls the most successful
of which were of a speculative sort, where
for an Investment OF six pice a spectator
got a wonderful moneys worth in a mat
ter of ali prizes and no blanks. The
fun of the fair was hardly IN keeping
with the pious idea Of Good Friday but
the thousands present we're not all of them
devotees, nor all Of them even Christians.
A most commendable form of very real
charity was to be seen In a row Of free
refreshments booths set up In the same
street by certain humble but religious ma.
lives.
Moving among the crowd were a host or
beggars, and Jerusalem itself could never
have presented a finer collection of the
halt and the MANNED, the blind and the
poor. Tin mugs, pumpkin skins and the
rest OF the paraphernalia Of the Madras
begging fraternity ratified and chlnked on
all sides, and the display Of mites and
pice showed that charity had not been
cold. Among the beggars were some OF a
noticeable sort. respectfully dressed ma
tive woman, for instance in spotless
clothes with a money box hanging from
her neck and with a male protector by her
side, would pass by, begging like the rest
They were amateur beggars for the day-a
husband and wife fulfilling a vow 20 be
beggars for a day for the church. There
were several cases of the sort.
At about o'clock the Passion Play"
began If / were 70 criticse IL coldly, and
from the artistic point of view, with ly-
ceum or Oberammergau properties in my
minds eye, and without considering the
conditions, / should call Il a most BIAS
figure of Christ, accompanied by other
figures representing st. Mary and st. John
was carried round the inclosure above
the heads Of the people Roman soldiers
tricked out In colored paper. ana with
gorgeous paper helmets, were IN attend
ance, besides some apparent tigers from
a Dussera procession to represent the
Jews The conception OF the Jews was re-
markable. Their wigs, boards and mus
taches were made Of a woody shecpskln,
and their costume was a bantam and tight
fitting trousers, while each OF them was
armed with tinsel-decked snlllalah. Tho
captain OF the Roman guard had a species
Of small eornet, on which from time TO
time he blew a blast. The Roman Guard
and the Jews did excellent work with ex-
celent spirit and humor, keeping back
the crowd from pressing too closely round
the moving figures and impeding the bear
ers. The Choir" was seldom audible. ana
when II was Il was not very inspiring. The
professional figures were not mere stone
Images; they had practical costumes, and
some OF them had works" Thus the fig
ure Of the Vlrgin-presumably through the
medium OF somebody insde-could kneel
down. lift up its hands. ana 20 through
various movements, ana even living per-
sons were pressed into the service. Thus
Simon the Cyrenan was represented by
little native lad. sprucely dressed IN what
was Intended for a Cyrcnlan costume,
a really dramatic piece was the coming
OF st. Veronica. According 10 the Roman
Catholic story ST. Veronica was a Chris
tian woman who met the party on the
way. and who, having In her pity wiped
the biood-ataincd face Of the Sufferer,
found a representation OF Ills saco mirac-
ulously imprinted on her handkerchief as
a sign Of high favor. 81. Veronica was
represented by a handsome native girl.
splendidly got up In cloth and gold. and
who. as the procession passed along, was
borne standing on her platform above the
heads OF tho people. The Elrl had a good
deal OF grace IN her movements. and la
the distance az she came forward the
procession. she Initiated the signs OF hor-
ror and lamentation at the slight The
graceful and appropriate attitudes were
kept up until she met the procession, when
she drew out her handkerchief and wiped
her face, showing Il afterward IN pre-
tended astonlshment. TO TIE people with
the face imprinted thoreOnl
other personages, lay figures. success
lively Joined the prOceasiona which oventu-
ally drew up against one 81 the walls Of
the church. where some Slips represented
Calvary. 50 far u has been a cold. I'M
sympathetic criticism. but ! verify believe
that, IN spite OF the Rroiofiquonosa. there
was undoubtedly real religion In u an. The
Malfasee native Graves Tor religion like
this. the fiudoo ''cHr hfof ession" with
red lights and iom-loms. Il not knocked
out % him yeL AZ the htatlon q the