The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-12-07
HE SAW THE
PASSION PLAY
Continued from Page 81

II the morning. everything was clean
ana neat. the landIauy and ner lIt,le
l4erman maid were most attentive ana
very p.easeu when they could compre-
mend my German speech. There Is a
sCou zeal Oh difference between Baya-
Irian German and Hoch-Deutsch. How
lever, as our principal conversation was
/ pertaining to food and refreshment
generally, 1 had little difficulty in max
lag myself understood. For however
Mating / may be in foreign tongues be-
You'd that point | can always convey
my desires in this bracing climate for
all necessary sustenance. We dined at
a table d'hote at an inn in the center of
the village, and very good dinner we
| had every day.
After arranging these matters we SAL
lied forth into the streets to reconnoitre
our whereabouts. A performance was
just over, and crowds We're hurrying to
the station. Our train had just brought
a legion more, so the place was full Of
people, hosts of clerics, some in cas-
socks, some in semi-clerical, and 9TH
ers in rigorous clerical costume The
Lutheran clergy dress precisely as the
Anglican, and were only distinguished
by their language The French cures
| abounded. They were mostly dStin-
guished by their white bands edged
! with black. Then could be seen the
Bavarian club costume, with the feath-
er in the bonnet, and the forest green
coat. Then every costume known to
men on both sides of the Atlantic Ev-
cry one seemed in excellent humor, and
all around were sounds of expectation
for The events of tomorrow. OF course,
we had some of our comical meetings
even at Ober- Ammergau. We had no
sooner seated ourselves at table than
in walked our friends of the "Servia'
voyage, DR.. Davenport, Mr.. Bullen and
his sister. They sat opposite to US, and
i a merry time We had. My nearest
neighbor was a German gentleman,
who told me that he was present by an
extraordinary chance. He was in
Berne. He had given up all intention
of going to this presentation of the
Passion Play, when he met a friend
from Berlin who had influence enough
to secure him tickets, lodgings, ETC., at
that late moment, and he was there.
In course of conversation which became
general DR.. Davenport said to a lady
opposite to him, II have seen you be-
! fore The lady replied, II was Mrs
-" Then 1 lived in your house
nine years ago." Then introductions
followed in which the name Honolulu
occurred. My German friend immedi-
ately said: THE friend I spoke Of to
resident of Honolulu. I wonder wheth-
er you know him. His name is Grin
baum" He was delighted when I told
him that he had been friend Of mine
for more than thirty years.
After lovely nights rest We prepar-
ed to go to the Passion Play. 1t began
at o'clock We were very fortunate
in our seats. By exchanging tickets
we were surrounded by all we knew
had procured copy of the words in
J German, and as the voices of the play
ers were all singularly distinct 1 fol-
J lowed every word. l will not attempt
! to describe either the play or my feel
teaching 9
intended to bring practically before the
actual sight of the hearers the purpose
of God to redeem lost mankind. The
tableaux were illustrative of Old Tesla
ment scenes. The actual drama, if
may so speak, was life itself from the
: Gospels. The temptation and fall OF
Adam and Eve was depicted in the
Garden of Eden. The sacrifice about
to be made by Abraham. the appear
ance Of the ram to take his place. Jo-
seph rescued from the dungeon to sill
at the right hand of the King, the huge
bunch of grapes signifying the wine
which Israel refused, though brought
from the promised landau these types
of the atonement brought wildly be-
fore us. rejoiced us that they were sc
fully understood. The different scenes
were described in verse by a chorus
of men and women, led by a grand old
choragus. They came in from both
sides of the stage, and marched out in
the same order The whole perform
ance used to take place in the open air;
now the large theater seats 1000 per-
sons and only the stage is in the open
air. On the right was the Prutorium
and on the left Pontius Pilates house
The court yard of the Temple, where
the Savior cast out the money changers
was depicted in the front of the stage
lGolgotha and Calvary at the far back
The music was simple and very beauti-
full, fitting the words exactly. The ten
derness of Mary Magdalene was very
touching, and if we may be allowed to
lcriticise some of the others, we thought
that the voice of Plate did not suit
MS burIy Roman appearance, though
ne made the scene of washing his
hands of the blood of that Just Man
most effective; and Judas Iscariot rath-
ler overd1d his grief. The first part up
to the condemnation of Christ lasted
until 11:30. Then came an intermission
until / o'clock. when the rest of the ex-
lcltlng drama was enacted.-Alex Mack
intosh, in Anglican Church Chronicle