New-York tribune., 1900-10-07
THE PASSION PLAY.
MONsIGNOR DOANB WISHES I. n. F. HAD
VISITED OBERAMMERGAU.
To the Editor of The Tribune.

To the Editor of The Tribune
Sir: For the first time in all these years since
your delightful correspondent in London. I. n. F.,
began to write do find myself taking issue with
any of his Judgments, and they those that
find in his otherwise charming letter on the Enga-
dine. in your issue of to-day. It is where he gives
his reasons for not going to the Oberammergau
Passion Play, He seems to have lost sight or tho
fact that the great motive of these peasants per-
forming their play every ten years Is that they do
1t in fuIflment Of a VOW. and that they would do
1t. just much If came TO see 1t, as II
there were thousands. Il is great religious act.
and the whole village lives during the interval
with reference to It, so that can take part
in 1t unless their virtuous and religious lives en-
title them to do so. Its influence upon the tnhab-
itants Of Oberammergau cannot be estimated in
words. 1. N. F. to imply that they do 1t for
money, whereas all the evidence goes TO show that
the money that comes to them from IT goes. in the
first place. to the expenses of the play. the theatre.
the scenery the costumes the music etc. and the
most Of what Is left is used for the improve
ment Of the village IN various ways. The per-
formers receive hardly enough to compensate them
for their loss of time In rehearsals and the actual
performances during the summer in which the play
is given. II money at all their object would
they not accept the offers that constantly
made to them to give the play elsewhere? They
could sweep the world with 1t and make money
hand over fist. But no; they do It not for money
for histrionlc purposes to show themselves
actors and actresses but only in fulflment OF their
forefathers VOW and consideration would In
duce them to do it for any other purpose.
What I. n. F. says about his not going there
sounds. though there is for It, like sour
grapes" My great regret that he did not go there
is that if he had should have had one of the
most exquisite and appreciative descriptions Of the
play that has yet appeared, and my hope Is that
he may live until the next performance, and after,
and repair the omission of this summer.
1t is twenty-nine years since I saw It in
1871. 1t given that odd year because 4: had
been interrupted IN 1870 by the Franco-Prussian
War. I wrote little book about 1t. which was
published IN Boston, called ITO and From the Pas
sion Play. 1t is long since out of print, not be-
cause there was such demand for II, but because
the stereotype plates and half the edition were
burned up in the great Boston fire of that period
1 have been reading L n. F.'s letters with profit,
pleasure and delight since they began to ap-
pear I was surprised to be told by gentleman
connected with your newspaper that he had never
been in England before he went TO be your corre-
spondent. I might have inferred it from his first
letter, in which he described his journey from
Southampton to London and his delight at the
lovely scenery through which he passed, the
hedgerows the thatched cottages etc, that he saw.
1t just such letter young traveller seeing
England for the first time would have written.
Since then his letters have been mastery and
most interesting. The tyro disappeared, and
succeeded by the man perfectly up to his
business in every respect. 1 have often wondered
at his versatility. no subject Of interest passed
by and the wonderful amount of information he
has been able to secure the various things OF
which he writes, so, while I constrained to
take exception TO what he says on the Oberammer-
gau Passion Play. am glad of this opportunity 10
thank him for the many letters and dispatches
of his which l have read in your columns since
he left his desk in your office in New-York to be-
come your correspondent in the great metropolis
of England, and has told us so much that we like
to know not only in Great Britain and Ireland but
the continent of Europe. l am tempted TO repro
duce some lovely lines about the Passion Play
which appeared In 'Macmillan's Magazine" for
August, 1870:
Where Is He gone? Oh! men and maidens where
Is gone the fairest amid the fair?
Mine eyes desire Him, and with dawnng day
My heart goes forth to find Him on the way.
All. how that music fingers, and again
Returns the dying sweetness of the strain!
How clearly my inner sense Is borne
The fair. fresh beauty of the mountain morn.
And cries of focks afar and mixed with these
The green, delightful JumUlt of the trees;
The birds that o'er from the upper day
Threw fitting shade and went their airy way;
The bright rObed chorus and the silent throng,
And that first burst and sanctity Of song
Newark. n. j., Oct. !, 1900. G. II. DUANE.