The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1906-04-01

The excellent presentation of the little
German play which was given by sew
eral of Miss Gelders pupils at the High
school Thursday night has aroused a
great deal of talk about the pleasure and
benefit to be derived from the study of
modern languages. It is conceded that
the two-year course in German at the
Birmingham High school is equal to that
| in any school or college in the country.
The pupils here take up the study of the
German tongue from a practical view
point by means of cross-translatlon, writ
ten exercises in German script and con-
! versation.
In addition to the regular class work,
the pupils have club. Die Germania,"
at which all It's proceedings including the
parliamentary exercises, are carried on in
| the German language. This system of
making the study interesting and enter
tanning is responsible Cor the enthusiasm
of those who have taken up this line OF
the schools work, and is the training
which made possible the finished work of
the young actors,
ferent classes are taken largely from
| the folk tales or Marches" of Ger
many. There is a kind of magic con-
rected with the mysterious Black Forest,
the beautiful blue DanubsS' and the
| legend-haunted Rhine, andsNhen we read
| of them we think Of the fierce Erl-King.
the gentle Urdine, and the siren song of
the Loreley.
The literature of Germany, being won
derfuily rich in this faIry-lore, German
tales are distinguished for a peculiar
tenderness and beauty of style
THE Heavenly Music,' written by RichL
| ard Won Voll1man, has been translated by
| Miss Cecile Rich of the first year Ger
man class. 1t is here presented as good
example of the work that is being done
| in this line:
| 1t was in the Golden Age. when the
angels played In the sand with the peas
ant children, that the gates of Heaven
stood wide open, and the golden splendor
of the Heavens fell to the earth like a
shower of rain. Mortals looked into the
open Heavens they saw the sainted ones
on high gliding among the stars, and the
men and saints exchanged greetings. But
most beautiful of all was the wondrous
music which then resounded from the
Heavens The dear Lord himself had
written the notes to 1t, and thousands of
angels played with violin, kettle drum
and trumpet. When the music sounded
forth. all on earth was STILL
The wind ceased to rustic and the
waters of the sea stood still. Mortals
nodded to each other, and clasped hands
In secret. While listening to this Won
drous music they began to feel strange
emotions, such as cannot be described
nowadays to a poor human heart
So was 1t then; but 1T did not last long
For one day. as q punishment the dear
Lord ordered the heavenly gates to be
closed, and said to the angels. cease
xr.xr
angels, too. became sad, and each one
sat upon a cloud with his music sheet
and cut 1t into tiny pieces with his small,
golden scissors. These TINY bits they
dropped from Heaven. Then came the
wind and, waiting them as snowfiakes
over hill and dale, scattered them far
and wide DER the earth The mortals
caught them. one large piece another a
small, treasuring them greatly, for were
they not notes from the heavenly music
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mated as the Alabama headquarters of
the company. and A. O. Sexton as agent
for service.
The Abingdon mills of Huntsville filed
a notice of its incorporation. The capital
stock of the company is Sl5O.000 and its
incorporators are: William l.. Burnett,
+. l.. Bennett. Juden l.. Hunt, Jack ].
spalding and Milton Humes.
The company will manufacture and
sell cotton. wooden and other fibrous ma
terial."
Governor Jelks appointed William F.
Lett of New York as commissioner OF
deeds for Alabama.
Other minor appointments were an
nounced as follows:
Notaries public W. s. Edwards, Enter
prise; Miss Olive Greene, Selma; l.. B.
Bradley. Bessemer. ~.
Notaries public and justices of the
peace, J. A. Fulford, Plantersvile, Thom-
as ]. Norwood. beat ., Baldwin county
T. L. Griffin. heat G. MoflfnA county