Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1904-09-21
Sights and Scenes in Foreign Lands.
Murren. Switzerland,
September 6, 1904.

September b, 1914.
Editors Democrat:
You didn't know just what a re-
sponsibility you were taking upon
yourselves when you asked me to
write a letter for the Democrat"
l am neither a Baedecker to note all
the important facts as / travel, nor
a Stoddard to give an accurate idea
Of the impressions made by the
scenes around me. Surely this is
as beautiful q spot as we can find
ard since ] promised Imay as well.
strike out boldly to tell you of our
Swiss trip 80 far.
We left Heidelberg at two twenty
p. m. and went by "schuell zug" to
Basel. We had just settled down
comfortably with the idea that we
were on a through train when a lit
tie man came rushing in and poured
forth torrent of German. l under
stood we were to get off, but not
why, SO l begged him to say it
again more slowly. He did SO with
many gesticulations, and we found
ourselves in a minute out on the;
platform with our hats on at wild
angles, coats and umbrellas clutched
lmadly, and with four rubbers dang
ling from one hand. We were not
molested again till we came to the
last station in Germanv-Basel on
the Baden side Of the Rhein. All
you have to do is to say niue Kleid-
Grand you get through in minute.
Basel ic built on both sides of the
river Rhein, which rushes along
with very swift current. Our win
dow in the "Three Kings" hotel
overlooks the river and near by. one
of the three large bridges that con-
meet the two parts of the city. 1t
was very interesting to watch the
constant stream of people of all sorts
and conditions and nationalities.
People in the hotels only glance at
you to know you are Americans, and
address you in very good English,
but in the stores and on the trains
or in stations German is essential.
One day we found ourselves with a
carriage driver who spoke only
French. We had to study out ahead
Of time everything we wanted to do
and since then have stipulated for a
German or Englishman.
Basel is very closely built in with
narrow streets, some too narrow for
teams, leading perhaps to a hollow
square. The most interesting place
there is the museum, very small, but
containing the originals of tn
younger Holbein's best works, and
a room Of paintings by Bocklin. The
latter l had not known before but
liked some of his pictures very much
indeed. We were especially inter.
ested in comparing Holbeins dead
Chris" (his most famous work. with
Bocklin's 'Pieta." Holbein repre-.
sehts the Christ lying on marble
. slab with no other figure near tc
relieve the tension. 1t is altogether
a dead Christ, and SO very emaciat.
led. The chin stands out strong
very strong, but showing SO much
. suffering and the hand that lies q,
, the side is the mere skeleton of a
hand with skin drawn tightly over
It makes one realize as never before
! ! the agony of the death on the cross
but there is no touch of love, M
suggestion of peace Bocklin rep
8 resents Christ in the same position
> Here, too, the face is essentially thai
8 of dead person, the body is thi1
n and the lines are strong. but Their
: is after all an expression of peace o,
9 the face. By the side of the bic
a stands Mary Magdalene with heat
J thrown back and her hand claspet
over her eyes. In her face-only tn
n lower part of which shows-is all tn
Q grief and agony, and there it seem
It coupled with human love. Holbeil
d makes you turn away with a shive,
e Bocklin with sigh Of pity and Q
= love.
From Basel we went by rail