The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1910-12-23
005E9H AND NtA4y ARRINE AT AFNzEHxN ~ ~

the crashing of stones in the thuder barrel and
the shrieking of pipes, caculsed 10 nstli lnto
the most obdurate heart Wholesome rear OF what
the hereafter might have in stce for the unre-
pentent.
The final spectacle of the stge the carpenters
were erecting was paradise Ugh placed above
everything else, it dominated IL the scene. us
occupants, God the Father, Ga the Son and the
blessed angels, were hoisted " into 1t by mechan
ica lifts, and when the ange, wished to descend
for instance on the nghtof the nativity, over
the fields near Bethlehem, tey did so suspended
on ropes It was hard being God or an angel, for
there little chance to Jet down and stretch
ones legs. With these heaenly characters abode
four others-Peace, Mercy Justice and Truth, In
imitation of Aristotles fou cardinal virtues
Such were In the mai, the mansions and
the characters for which the carpenters had to
nroyide and the eight dys succeeding the mon
sire" or grand parade we're especially busy ones
for these artisans
Early on the morning of December "a the long
awaited representation began. The vast market
place was thronged Eery box was filled with the
gentry; the roped-in SAGE in front. out to within
some yards of the stge front. had been covered
thckly with straw, here on the ground sat thou
sands, while the openstretch Immediately in front
of and rather below the level of the stage was
filled with crowds prading back and forth. Alto
gether it was a GLORIOUS and eager gathering
The learned db,tor whose midnight toll had
prepared the dogferel, and whose weeks of labor
had rehearsed the players in their parts appeared
first in short prologue After exhorting his
listeners to dletce he described for them briefly
the substance OF what about to be presented
on the stase and admonshed them to take to
heart the lssors of the mystery. AS he retired
to a convenient angle of the wall of Herods house,
whence he night advantageously be in position for
prompting the actors, deep lamentation broke
out within lell 1t Adam grieving over the sad
and fallen state of man.
Thus he play goes on for two days. passing
now to lirbo whence the prophets issue to foretel
to mankid the coming salvation. to Nazareth, to
Bethlehem and throughout the whole cycle of the
nativity When Christ is born in Bethlehem, hell
redouble its efforts. and Lucfer rolls about the
stage ina mighty orgy of blind fury. The images
of the iols in the temple at Rome fall crashing
from thir pedestals, and. high above all. the an
gels in ,aradse, or lowering on their ropes above
the fiels of Palestine, chant majestically the
praisesof the Creator and proclaim the PAX in
ferris
Cuous is the final scene 1t is placed in Rome,
in highlander of Augustus. The emperor. dressed
like French duke, is seated a fancy chair
loane by the mayor of Rouen. Evidently he is I'll
at ese He is reading a scroll of the Sibylline
writigs wherein he finds a distinct prophecy to
the dect that Messiah is to be born in Palestine,
In Bthlehem of Judea More and more disturbed
he lcomes and as he PAGES the floor of his cham
Der re rectes his woes in doggerel French, ac-
conaned by wealth of gesticulations The sun
is ready down beyond the gables to the west Of
themarket place his monologue comes to an
end With sudden inspiration, he falls to his
kttes and worshps figure of the virgin that mi
Hcuously appears on the wall Satan and his
Rev give final salvo. and the crowd rises stfiy
b IT'S feet and wends its way back to the homes
and taverns Of the city, much moved by the spec
sole it has been witness of for two whole days.