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.

cd of a man of his influence and prom.
crty--for he was thrifty and prosper
GUS.
So his daughter Mathilde the best
singer in the village. attractive. fine
llousckeepcr, and having fine dowry
In prospect. was naturally the most
courtcd of all the Oherammergau
mnidcnS. Anton Lang was fine young
man. He was sober ana industrious
and made good money at his trade of
potter: but there were other young men
in the village whose worldly position
was superior to his-nnd Ravarian
peasants are thrifty respecting mar
riagc as well rs in other matters.
Already preparations were in motion
for the dccenninl performance of the
passion of our Saviour. which has been
given every ton years since 1854, in
accordance with VOW made by the
Obcrammcrgau villagers on their es-
cape from the great plague of the year
before. The approach of these periods
has always dominated tho minds and
hearts or these people. TO them the
performance of the "PnSsion Play" has
always been the most sacred of duties,
Upon the occasion OF the pcrform-
ancr in 1890. the village had been in
undated with visitors from ali coun.
tries. Ohcrammcrgnu was on the Inns
of all men. This thought added to the
excitement Of preparations for the per.
Torrance OF 1900. The Paris Eyposi.
ton would he open and from there
would come extra thousands to see and
hear ana wonder.
Joseph Mayer though old and dread.
ing the physical strain of the crucifix-
ion scene. had not yet positively de-
rlincd to continue in that part. Ev-
rryhody knew that Mnthilde Rutz
would he the soloist, in fact she was
already cngrossed with the music Of
the production. Anna Flunger, a girl
Of eighteen, was to make her debut as
Mary, the mother Of Christ
Bertha Wolf, daughter of the inn
keeper, thanks to her wonderfully long
golden hair. was to play Mary Magda.
len for the first time. Sebastian Bauer,
one of the poorest wood carvcrs in the
village, had won the part of Pontius
pilatc-but there seemed to be nothing
better for Anton Lang than place in
the chorus
Willingly he would take the hum.
blcst part; 1t was n duty. But the
young man, seeing the girl he loved so
absorbed in her larger part, and noting
how village companions no more gift
cd than himself were rewarded in the
way most esteemed by citizens of
Obcrammcrgau, was sad and showed
It.
This young lover, to whom fate
seemed so unkind. had most comedy
features, softencd by the beard which
razor had never touched. His heavy
hair fell apart naturally in the middle
Of his brow, and was allowed to grow
in German peasant fashion, till it
touched the collar of his coat There
was no affcctation in this. Indeed, it
would have been affectation in Anton
Lang Of Oberammergau to have worn
his hair shorter.
So he worked away at his pots and
jars, and helped the other men Of the
village put the great stage and audi
forum in order for the performances
beginning the following June. Mean
while he rehcarsed with the chorus
and gazed in silent admiration upon
Mathilde Ruiz when her beautiful
voice sweled in the "Mystcal Song"
One day all the village knew that
Joseph Mayer had promised his wife
that he would not again risk his health
perhaps his life-by appearing as the
Saviour. Mrs. Mayer had never trust
cd herself to witness the spectacle of
her husband hanging upon the timbers
of the sacred emblem. She remem-
bered that upon the last occasion he
was unconscious when taken down.
and was i'll for weeks after
Who, then, should take the place Of