Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1909-06-06
On the Danubs

We are sersnely sailing down what We fondly thought was the ''beauti- ful blue Danube The beautiful gray Danube" would be better name for il. there is no sign of blue. l have just heard an American back Of me say that the Danube made the Hudson river look like the Snake river in Wyoming. Part of the seen cry is grand. but l do not go back on the Hudson. We have passed many mediaeyal castles OH high hills; in one Richard Couer de Lion was said to be Imprisoned for fifteen months and rescued by the faithful Blondel One castle on very high promontory is said to have been in- habited by robbers in ancient days.
 I had just finished reading the Nibelungen Lied - Germany's epic poem-and many of the scenes are laid along the Danube. Baedecker points ont the places.
 Later. We are now in Vienna. Have had strenuous week. Spent one day at Ober Ammergan that I shall never forget. Went out from Munich through very interesting scenery; could see the snow-capped mountains of the Bavarian Alps, then came almost to them. Ober- -Amme:- gan--the name means above the Amer Valley-ia situated in q natur- al amphtheatre, high rocks on one side, mountains on the others It is very quaint little village. We wan dered along till we came to Anton Lang's house. He plays the part of Christ in the Passion Play, and did so last time. We bought some post cards from his wife and talked to her some time We wished to see him, but Anton was putting up stove and could not appear. He makes pot- tery and is usually at his shop. His wife took a minor part in the last Passion Play; they married since He is now 34 years old. An old man took us to the 4Amphitheatre where the play is held It is roofed in now but it will be taken off next year. We saw all the scenery, the cos tunes, etc The house seats 4,000 people. We went to the house of Sebastian Lang, who plays Ananias and saw wonderful presentation of the Nativity in wood carving, ove, two hundred years old the noun tains and setting so natural, tne scene of the shepherds being visited by an angel on one side, the sheep grazing near. Mary and Jesus in the manager and the Three Wise Men pre- senting their gifts, behind them was a long train of servants on camels etc.
 may have imagined it. but i, seemed to me the people were un- usually gentle. \ young girl told me that ill 1900 the village had a plagu~, and the people promised the Lord that if He would deliver them from it, they would play the Passion Play every ten years: and the plague was stayed. They have kept up the custom ever since. No mar ried woman can play in it. The samC person can only represent Christ three times.
 We enjoyed Munich, though not | much as the smaller towns; it has fine art museum, with many of the old Dutch masters, as we'll as others It has fine parks. The Royal Palace was we'll worth visit We saw beautiful rooms. two where Napoleon stayed. There were two halls de voted to the 36 famous beauties oi Europe. Ludwig II had them select ed from all over the country, and their portraits painted. Four rooms had as frescoes, scenes from the Nibelungen Lied. The King of Ba- varia Otto. is crazy. as was his brother before him, Ludwig II. Their uncle, Luitpold, is regent.
 The National Museum was full of interest. with the altars from church es of the 14th century, the wood cary ing of that time, old articles of fur niture, paintings, etc. What inter. ested us most were the scenes i1 wood carving, similar to that We saw at Ober-Ammergan. Many of tn, scenes in Christ's life were depicted this way. There were also marke scenes in Naples. with Vesuvius il the background. All were so natur Il
 We spent one day at Nuremburg went early from Munich and came =