The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1900-10-20
HonEN.cllwANGAr, BAvANIA,

September 10th, 1900
z T was haying time in the meadows and
on the highlands of the Tyrolese
Alps, and likewise too the second
harvest the peasants were gathering
in, when our little party of four drove
with good pair of horses and comfort
able carriage on the seventh dav OF Sep
TENDER from Innsbruck to the scene OF the
world-renowned Passion Play-Ober Am
mergau.
The unique scenes on drive like this
are numberless almost, while the ever
changing panoramas OF these Bavarian
highlands are suberb. You can reach Ober-
.Ammergau by rail via Munich now, and
avoid the drive even from Oberau as here,
tofore. But we prefer the drive, and ex-
tended it into the region of mountains and
lakes OF Bavaria, among the royal castles OF
the Bavarian kings, a region seldom fire.
quented by any hut German travellers.
Why not prefer the drive? The air was
cool and bracing as a day in November in
America The sun shone all the while in
its greatest splendor through the thin
mountain atmosphere aud the green of
meadows and sombreness Of highlands made
q condition worth living in. The home of a
peasant is very humble here as elsewhere,
it is true, but it is picturesque, with either
its roof of matched straw or rough shingles
held on by heavy stone weights, with
always shrine in the front garden in add
ton to the thousands by the roadsides
everywhere, while upon the gable wall a
picture with religious reference iS painted,
and no matter what little else there is
around, you can depend upon protusion
Of flowers in full bloom, which though the
varieties may not be up to date, remind
you of days gone by, and some on account
OF their sweet perfumes you wish had not
given place to those we now find fashion
able in our own country.
Again in the language of their country,
over the low vine.covered doorway you
will find painted verse or a phrase per-
haps religious in its subject or message
OF welcome to those who enter in.
In the fields are the old and young, male
and female-but by far the greater number
are the latter. The moving is done with
the old scythe, and poor one, broad and
short, and the women NOW as good a
swath as the men-besides building the
load of hay and DO most Of all the work.
The wheat is still cut with the sickle, and
the wife and daughters CLEAN the fields
after the sheaves are gathered, picking up
every loose head that has fallen and de-
posting it in their great broad white
aprons.
The highways through all Europe that
lead from town to town are simply superb,
macadamized and smooth as floor, and
drive through the land of Alpine roses and
the modest Eidelweiss was in another class
OF pleasure from one we made in sunny
Italy through stretches of miles upon miles
Of vineyards and olive groves, fig trees and
orange blossoms.
But for ten years we have had it in mind
to see the Passion Play at Ober-A mmergau,
aud all through the summers wanderings,
in Sweden and Finland on the north, in
Russia and Turkey on the east, in Greece
and Italy on the south-the one point, the
one pleasure, the one thought that stood
out most prominent was to he realized in
this simple little Bavarian hamlet Of only
about 1900 people where almost 800 of
them performed the drama Of the Life Of
Christ, commencing with his tIiumphal
entry into Jerusalem and ending with his
ascension into Heayen-and on this occa-
sion we were to realize our long cherished
hope,