The Irish standard., 1902-04-05
She is Miss Mathilde Ruiz Who Took the
Part of the Virgin Mary in
the Play Of 1900.
He Still Makes Pottery and She is With
Countess Grosvenor in the
English Capital

The peasant population of Ohcram-
mrr%au is quite astonishcd to find that
so ordinary an occurrence as the hr-
trutllal of two of its number should rX-
cite the interest of all tho great world
beyond the Alpine peaks which hem in
that little Ravarian village. says Il vi
emma correspondent of the Chicago
American.
These simple villagers do not 500
even the clements of n romance in the
happy cOurtSllip of Anton Lang. who
sits all day At his spindle fnShnni,y
clay into pots and jars: nor any special
significance in the fact that l,c has won
for his wife Mathi1r Rutz. one of tho
industrious female workers Of tho
thrifty little town.
tt is hard for them to realize that in
every center of civilization throughout
HE world ANTON I.Hn"'S name is IA
milnr as that of the one man in Chris
tendon who imprrSoilAtrS the ChriSt,s
'l1"n tn" public stage. and that Ma
tlii'lr Rutz is another important mem.
'l"r Of the OlnrHmincr"n,l company of
Sinpl'-minl"h and simple" livn" peas
ants who in 1000 presented the "I'ns-
sion Play" before such Immense, and
DISTINGUISHED audiences S never :,s-
S"nhlHl before tn witness II drnnmtir
performance
But there is still another reason why
fashionable society in Vienna this IIm-
nrr"nll is discussing this Irtrothn as
til" nr"ttirst romance Of the time Ma
tliil1" Rntz has not appeared IN the
character of any one of the women
who figured in the life OF Christ. She
has not distinguished herself in tho
part Of Mary. the mother of Christ -
except as II substitute at one perform
:ln"r when Anna ITIungrr was unable
to appear nor as Mary Ma@'lnlcn:
most of tile time she has been behind
the scenes and at other times has ap-
lm;Ir"h among the chorus. for her part
in the performance is to sing in the
choral part of tho "PnsSinn Play"
And Anton Lang. prior to being So
lrri"tl for the part of Christ he great
est honor that can fall to :, citizen of
member of the chorus. Now back to
| the chorus goes the star Of the com
pHny for his wife This is thr finish
in" touch to the romance. which has
''npiivntnl the Vicnnrsc
II is whispered. too that Anton Lang
did not win his bride easily Though
slI" sang much behind the scenes and
mlprrsolEtcd no Biblical character.
she was SnlOiSt of the company. and
her rendering of the "Mysical Song"
made her famous. IF Anton Lang had
remained merely an ordinary MANI
| Well. ii is only since the present tr-
/ mmpll achieved by Lang mt the per-
fnrmnncr of 1900 that his suit has
pr"Slnrrd.
| Inquiry in the village of Obrraml-
mcrgam shows That Anton Lang has
been devoted to Miss RutZ since the
summer before the last performance
Of the 'Pnssion Play" This was in
1899. and he was then twcnty-four
years old She was about four years
Younger ANA the daughter of Herr
Rutz. the village blacksmith.
| In ObcrammcrgAu, as in most old
country villages. the man Of the forge
and anvil is among the most public
spirited citizens. lie is often the best
educated. ana nearly always the most
energetic and cntcrprising. He is gen
orally either literary or musical: if the
latter. hc is sure TO be either leader Of
the choir or Of the local band or or
chrStra
Next to Joseph Mayer. the Cmistns
Of three successive performances. Herr
RutZ. blacksmith. was the most i'm
pOrtHnt citizen Of ObcrHnmcrgHu. His
part in the "pnssiOn Play" was that of
NicO1cmus He was also prominent in
the management. as was to be expect